Just a normal day....................

Started the day last Friday at dawn for a bird survey of site 3 which turned out to be a real ‘cuckoo day’ and one new endemic which was the Sri Lanka Woodshrike.

To access the transect area for the mid-morning activity we had to cross the lake which is a part of the elephant corridor (the same one we bath in and share with the Mugger crocs) and on the way back had a Spot-billed Pelican soar overhead and then land on the water. Both lakes, this one and the one back at base camp have this Pelican.   

The biodiversity around the project area is quite something – if not birds or elephants there is always something to see – mongoose, hares, Star tortoise,  freshwater ‘Mugger’ crocs, Gara Lizards, grey monkeys, water monitor and grey squirrels and snakes.

Here we are filling up with fuel ready for our move to the jungle camp after our return from the weekend – all the gear has been moved across and we’ll head there on Sunday afternoon.

One great tip I’ve picked up and will  ‘export’ to Australia is to drink lime juice with both sugar and salt in it. It’s an instant rehyrating and electrolyte drink – providing an instant ‘hit’ and replaces  the salt lost from overheating and sweating so much on the midday walks  and is every bit as effective as the very expensive electrolye replacement powder drink I use at home after any strenuous activity. It’s quiet delicious and any saltiness is lost in the lime.

I envy both Veroni and Jay their knowledge of plants – they are always gathering herbs and wild food on our transects – either to use for cooking or one was gathered by Veroni for her hair. Jay’s favourite is beetle nuts which I think he trades in the village.

One thing that is really apparent here is the spirit of co-operation that just seems to be the norm here between all and sundry.  It’s obviously a very hard life, most things are done manually in scorching conditions and with the most basic of tools.  When we’re on the road Chinthaka always stops to give a lift to anyone walking the trails to the main road – they just hop in the back of the troopie and we become a bus of sorts between villages with mum’s and babies and old men all in the back.  Everyone is very friendly and interested in the volunteers and I have really warmed to the very endearing way Indians have of shaking their head when they mean ‘yes’. Have also picked up that ‘hari hari’ means ‘ok, ok,’

Finally, here we had some elephants show up in the corridor just around time for the school kids to head home.  They had come to the edge of the ‘tank’ for a bath and a feed on the long grass.  We were able to observe them from the safety of the opposite bank.  So nice to see them living wild and free here.