By way of a postscript a few days after we left Sri Lanka and transited with Emirates through Dubai, Dubai Airport was closed to transit passengers and whilst we probably could still have got home on a direct flight we think in retrospect we did the right thing.
Udawalawe National Park
14 March 2020
A twist in the tail today which unfortunately meant a premature end to our Sri Lankan trip.
Yala Block 5
13 March 2020
This morning we returned to our preferred Yala Block 5. It was a little quieter today perhaps due to the extreme heat which really does make a large part of the day fairly sterile when it comes to birding and no doubt the Leopards were also avoiding the heat and thus also us unfortunately.
Yala Block 1
12 March 2020
We were a little uncertain whether to bother with Yala Block 1 but given that we had plenty of time we thought we would, so at dawn we joined the long queue of jeeps waiting to enter the park, not a promising sign from our perspective but time would tell.
Bundala National Park
11 March 2020
Bundala National Park today. Bundala is an internationally important wetland area, it was the first RAMSAR designated site in Sri Lanka.
As usual we were at the gate before dawn.
Yala Block 5 (Lunugamvehera National Park)
10 March 2020
A day in Yala. Yala National Park is the second largest but far away most visited national park in Sri Lanka. The park is split into a number of blocks some of which can be visted and some which cannot. The vast majority of visitors to the park take a safari in Block 1, the coastal part of the park, the reason being that you supposedly stand the best chance of seeing Leopard which, for most people, appears to be all that they are interested in. The result of this is that Block 1 is frankly over-run with jeeps which does tend to somewhat spoil the experience.
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An Owl & More Owls
9 March 2020
On the road again today heading south to our base in Tissamaharama gateway to the likes of Yala and Bundala National Parks.
Horton Plains National Park
8 March 2020
An early start this morning so as to be at the entrance to the park not long after dawn and to catch sight of the endemic Sri Lanka Woodpigeon at its well kown roosting site, before they flew for the day, this being the only real chance to see this species on the trip.
A Good Place to Stand 