Once in the park, the intention was to try for Sloth Bear so we made our way slowly birding as we went. We hadn’t travelled far when there was a scrum of vehicles in front of us, a quick phone call came to inform us that there was a Sloth Bear on the path, craning out of the side of the Jeep I saw part of it, but it soon walked out of view. We were at the back of this scrum and Jeeps were all jostling for position, a better word for it would be carnage! A vehicle behind us went off the side of the road tossing its passengers over, fortunately none actually feel out of the back, but it was close.
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| Sloth Bear |
Eventually the Bear walked across the road and in front of our Jeep, it really wasn't bothered, it spent the next ten minutes just foraging in the general area before disappearing into the bush. This was not a species I was expecting to see, Saman estimated that he only see's Sloth Bear on a 1 in 10 ratio, so we were very lucky, very lucky indeed.
We checked out a few of the lakes in the park seeing a good variety of bird, seeing Pied Cuckoo which was a bird I had only seen briefly in the past, so was as good as a tick. Then all hell broke loose as another Leopard was located, the next ten minutes were similar to a ride at Alton Towers as our driver tried to get there as quickly as possible. As we arrived the Jeeps were all milling for position, but it soon became apparent that the Leopard was not in view. We parked up at a reasonable spot overlooking a water hole and waited. 20 minutes passed and I noticed that the vehicles behind us all started reversing, within seconds we were doing the same. The leopard had crossed the road into thick cover, but importantly there was a small water hole 300 yards ahead of the direction it was moving, so our driver got Position A.
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| The Scrum |
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| Our third Leopard of the week |
Ten minutes later I picked up a movement and this cracking animal moving into view, then all hell broke loose as jeeps came from nowhere to join us. The leopard sat drinking about 100 yards away but seemed aware that it was being watched, a German woman who was in the Jeep behind us boarded our Jeep and was trying desperately to photograph the thing on her phone! Saman managed to get her to look through his binoculars, but she seemed more intent on photographing it. Soon the Leopard just walked away and left us.
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| Black-headed Ibis |
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| Mugger Crocodile |
We continued birding until it was time to return to the hotel seeing a few Mugger Crocodile and a good variety of waterbirds, which included good numbers of Garganey. We left the park and had a group photo, our driver who had played a blinder, received a tip from Saman, Saman who appreciated his performance asked as if we would like to enhance his remuneration, unfortunately we were in the habit of not carrying much in the way of cash. Andy had a little with him and we gave him that, I hope not, but I feel that he may have been expecting a little more, certainly by looking at his face when we took a group shot at the end.
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| Saman, Joy, me, Andy, Gemma and the driver |
Soon we had returned to the hotel for lunch, we soon packed and were soon on our way to Mirissa our last destination of the holiday for two days Whale Watching. We arrived at the hotel which was of a high standard with comfortable rooms, the patio doors opened up to the gardens then straight onto the beach. With a few hours to spare we had a wander along the beach with Andy and I walking into the breakers which was fun. Me being me managed to pick up a Whimbrel that flew past. There were also a few Whiskered Tern and a couple of Gull-billed Terns – I wish I could turn-off on occasion.
The food at the hotel was up there with the best of the holiday, being of good quality and plentiful.
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