Tuesday, February 17, 2015

අලු හැලපෙන්දා/Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerera)

Common migrant bird found mainly in the hill country though not uncommon in all other zones. It can be seen feeding along streams and rivers as well as paddy fields, tea estates, open country and forest glades as solitary birds or as scattered small flocks. In the evening large flocks assemble for roosting in a usual place, often a large tree overhanging water or a thicket in a marshy area. Each bird occupy its chosen territory on the roosting tree. Grey Wagtail feeds on small insects and often seen searching insects in damp areas especially fast flowing rocky streams. It breeds in Central Asia. 

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Monday, February 16, 2015

Torenia crustacea [Syn: Lindernia crustacea]

An indigenous prostrate herb in wet grassy places, paddy fields after harvest and along tanks in wet and dry lowlands. Very common and flowering throughout the year. 

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Common Rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae ceylonica)

Common butterfly occurs most parts of the island, throughout the year. It takes part in migrations and males sometimes seen mud-puddling. Its larval host plants are Aristolochia indica[සප්සඳ], A.bracteolata, Thottea siliquosa [තපසර බුලත්] and Aristolochia ringens (තාරාමල්) of the family Aristolochiaceae





Friday, February 13, 2015

Slipperwort (Calceolaria chelidonioides)

Native plant of Ecuador. Naturalized in the hill country above 1650m in roadsides, damp grounds, grassy embankments, close to watercourse and ditches. Flowering from December to August. 

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Asian Fairy Bluebird (Vagrants of the family Irenidae (Fairy Blubirds))

     Birds that appear outside their normal range are known as vagrants. This post summarizes up to date published sight records of vagrants of the family Irenidae (Fairy Blubirds) in Sri Lanka.

Asian fairy bluebird
Layard obtained a specimen near Kandy and Kelaart procured the second specimen also from Kandy during 18th century. Taxidermist of Colombo museum Hart reported a small flock in Rakvana in 1868 and again 3-4 birds in November 1877 at the same location and procured single specimen (Legge 1880:603). As per Phillips it has not been recorded since 1877 (Phillips 1978:70). In 1977 there is a sight record of a flock of 6 birds, drinking at a waterhole north of Trincomalee (Anon. 1977) and another rather doubtful sighting in February 1987 from Gilimale (Hoffmann, T. W., 1988)

References:
Anon. 1977. Fairy Blue Birds. Loris. 14(4):243
Hoffmann, T. W., 1988. Notes from the Ceylon Bird Club 1987, A brief avifaunal survey. Loris, 18(1), 23-25
Legge V., 1880. A History of the birds of Ceylon  1983 second edition.
Phillips W.W.A., 1978. Annotated checklist of the Birds of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1978 revised edition.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

අඩහඳ-ඇස්ස[Ada-handa-essa]/Shield-leaved sundew (Drosera lunata [As Drosera peltata])

An indigenous herb found in wet grassy patches on hill slopes and banks of bordering waterways in the upper montane zone. This plant get additional nutrition by digesting small insects trapped by bending sticky tentacles.  

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Saturday, February 7, 2015

එළ මිදෙල්ල [Ela Midella] (Barringtonia acutangula)

An indigenous tree occurs mainly near tanks, irrigation channels and flood plains of the dry lowlands. Occasionally found also near paddy fields and streams of the wet lowlands.  

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

An uncommon winter migrant to lagoons, mud-flats, shores, creeks and estuaries in dry zone coastal areas. Rare in wet zone coastal areas. It occurs as solitary birds or as scattered small groups usually with other waders. Grey Plover feeds mainly on small marine animals such as worms, molluscs and crustaceans. It breeds in Tundras within the Arctic circle. 

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Monday, February 2, 2015

කැකිරි-වරා [Kekiri-Wara] (Schumacheria castaneifolia)

An endemic small tree occurs in primary and secondary rain forests in the wet lowlands from 100m to 760m a.s.l. Flowering throughout the year.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Butler’s Spotted Pierrot (Tarucus callinara)

Locally common butterfly confine to the southern arid zone areas, usually close to the coast from Hambantota to Yala. Also occurs in nearby inland dry zone areas. It flies slowly close to the ground and often settles on flowers. Larva feeds on leaves of Ziziphus mauritiana (දෙබර/මහ දෙබර/මසන්/Indian jujube/Chinese apple) 

Friday, January 30, 2015

Lindernia rotundifolia

An indigenous herb common in harvested paddy fields in wet lowlands to wet hills up to about 550m altitude. Also along ditches in the hill country up to 1700 m and along borders of tanks in the lowlands. Flowering throughout the year.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

මූකලන් ලේනා[Mookalan Lena ]Sri lanka flame-striped jungle squirrel(Funambulus layardi)

An uncommon endemic squirrel occurs in dense rain forest habitats from lowlands to about 1200m altitude in the south-western wet zone including Knuckles range. It is active during the day time and spends most of its time in the canopy though sometimes encounters near ground level. It use to follow mixed-species bird flocks and feeds mainly on fruits, nuts, lichens, young shoots as well as small insects and grubs. Flame-striped jungle squirrel lives as pairs and breeds during May to July.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

කටු-ඉඹුල්[Katu Imbul]/Cotton Tree (Bombax ceiba)

Common indigenous tree found mainly in wet lowlands to mid-hill forests up to about 1000m. Also occurred in intermediate and dry zone forests. The leaves are shed during December and flowers start blooming in clusters close to the branches. The new leaves appears again in March as the flowering wanes. Wood use to manufacture of safety matches and tea-boxes. Young flowers sometimes eaten as a vegetable and kapok is used for stuffing mattresses and pillows. 

Monday, January 26, 2015

අවිච්චියා/Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura)

Indian Pitta is a common migrant encountered throughout the island except highest hills. It inhabits forest undergrowth and any such habitat with shade such as dense home gardens, plantations and even urban parks. After arriving each bird demarcates its own territory and remain there for rest of its stay while not letting other Pittas to intrude it. Its territorial call often heard at dawn and dusk. It feeds on the ground skulking in undergrowth and turning over dead leaves in search of insects. Other than insects Indian Pitta also feeds on worms, small snails, etc. It has a habit of slowly lifting tail up and down. It breeds in the Himalayan foothills and Central India.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Blue Sprite (Pseudagrion microcephalum)

Very common damselfly occurs in ponds, tanks, marshlands, lagoons, paddy fields, channels,   brackish water and sometimes even in  polluted water from lowlands to mid-hills.  

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

හවරි-නුග\අවරි-නුග[Havari-Nuga\Avari-Nuga] (Alstonia macrophylla)

Native plant of Malay peninsula, Thailand, Indochina, Philippines, Borneo and Celebes. Introduced as a timber tree to Sri Lanka (Native ? >>) at the beginning of last century. Now it is naturalized in the wet and intermediate zone up to about 1200-1500m, especially in the secondary rain forests.  

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Common Banded Peacock (Papilio crino)

Common butterfly flies all over the island up to about 1000m asl. It is more common in the dry zone. Common Banded Peacock is a migratory butterfly and Ormiston recorded an interesting observation of large flight of these butterflies continues 3-4 days straight out to the sea at Galle. He believed that enormous numbers of  them must have perished in the sea (Ormiston  W., 1924). Male Common Banded Peacock often settles on mud patches and river beds to absorb minerals. Its larva feeds on Chloroxylon swietenia[Satinwood/බුරුත], Clausena indica [මීගොං කරපිංචා] and Toddalia asiatica[කුඩු මිරිස්

References:
Ormiston  W., 1924 The Butterflies of Ceylon, H.W.Cave & Co., Colombo 1924, AES Reprint New Delhi, 2003

Sunday, January 18, 2015