Udawattakele Royal Forest Sanctuary is open to visitors from
7am and so I was ready to go by ‘tuk tuk’ at 6.45am – the hotel porter
couldn’t flag me down a tuk tuk so
suggested I just walked it as it was only a 20 minute walk. He bade me go 5
minutes up the road and take a right turn and then just follow the road. I was
astounded to see soldiers with guns at every intersection I walked past (and
there were lots of intersections) and a big police presence too walking up and
down the streets and I was beginning to wondered if Sri Lanka was at war again!
Directly following on from last night’s street festivities it was too surreal.
When I reached the Park’s visitor centre and paid my LKR 620
entry fee (approx $4) I asked the ranger at the gate why so many soldiers since
they were positioned all along the Park’s entry and trails too and he said it
was because of a presidential visit today. It turned out to be a blessing for me
because just shortly along my first trail 4 soldiers who had shown an interest
in the fact I was looking at birds, called me back to see an ‘animal’ which
turned out to be a Spot-bellied Eagle Owl (Endemic race) just 50 metres into
the forest off the track – it was magnificent and gigantic – I couldn’t believe
I walked passed it. I had to laugh when they insisted too on showing me a
‘sleeping Pork’, but I was appreciative as it was fascinating to see the side
of a wild pig who was tucked into an earthern nest hole of sorts on the
incline.
 |
| Spot-bellied Eagle Owl |
Udawattakele is a totally awe-inspiring 103 hectares of
dense forest established 1856 and declared a sanctuary in 1938. Utterly
beautiful and humbling to walk through. The birding is great and as well as the
Owl I got Layard’s Parakeets (Endemic), Lesser Hill Mynas, Yellow-fronted
Barbets (Endemic), Crimson-backed Woodpecker (Endemic) and Black-rumped
Woodpecker, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Tickell’s Blue-flycatchers (Endemic race)
and Orange-billed Babbler (Endemic) there amongst others in the 3-4 hours I
walked the trails.
 |
| Oh yes right there - scratch me right there.......... |
I aimed to be back at the hotel by lunch for pickup by
Chinthaka ready to bus it back together to Wasgamuwa and ‘base’ this afternoon,
but C texted me to say there were only 2 buses back today and all seats were
booked due to the celebrations so suggested we stay over another night and
leave early Monday.
So here I am back at the Queens Hotel – I’ve had to change rooms as my room was already taken tonight and find myself now in the ‘West Wing’ of this beautiful old building – clearly the older section but I love that fact and prefer this room with my high ceiling, polished floors and spacious bathroom with a claw foot bath tub – just as it probably was a hundred years ago apart from modern wiring. The hotel is busy today with a wedding party and I’ve enjoyed witnessing that in the lobby area and all the traditional costumes and paraphenalia around that. I remarked to the porter who helped me move rooms and luggage how busy it was due to the presidential visit and he was adamant that the park ranger had got this wrong, and must, in fact ‘be mad’ in his opinion so I don’t know what to think! But I have enjoyed my stay in Kandy and consider it a bonus as it hadn’t made it on my original itinerary and now, with hindsight, would recommend it as a must visit birding destination.
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