Another of those amazing birds who are big, bright and photogenic and don't fly off the second you spot them. I didn't see many Painted Stork when I was in Sri Lanka, but this kind gentleman allowed me to sit and admire him for quite a while.

#wilpattu #paintedstork #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birdphotography #vogel #oiseau
#කුරුල්ලන්

Have you ever met a really self-possessed toddler who carries natural authority well beyond their years. That is what I thought of every time I came across of one of these Oriental Magpie Robins.

#orientalmagpierobin #wilpattu  #srilanka #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birdphotography #vogel #oiseau
#කුරුල්ලන්

In some ways I found birding in Sri Lanka a lot easier than birding here in Canada. I knew considerably less about the birds going in, but there are just so many of them like this Malabar Pied Hornbill, that you simply could not mistake for anything else. I did not look at her and think, hmmm, some kind of sparrow maybe?

 #srilanka #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birdphotography #vogel #oiseau
#කුරුල්ලන් #wilpattu #Malabarpiedhornbill

A Little Ringed Plover, looking a lot like the Killdeer that we here at home, just a little rougher around the edges. I think he was making similar observations about me.

 #littleringedplover #wilpattu #srilanka  #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birdphotography #vogel #oiseau
#කුරුල්ලන්

As long as you can spot their feet there's no mistaking this Little Egret for any of the other egrets in Sri Lanka. their feet are sometimes the muted greenish yellow you see here, and sometimes highlighter yellow, but never boring.

#littleegret #wilpattu #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birdphotography #vogel #oiseau
#කුරුල්ලන්

I was surprised by how few ducks I saw in Sri Lanka. I mostly saw pond mongrels (mixes of a few domestic breeds with a bit of Mallard mixed in - because there's always a bit of Mallard mixed in). The one notable exception is the beautiful Lesser Whistling Duck, I saw several of them, and they were mostly paired up, So hopefully they will continue to be around.

#lesserwhistlingduck #wilpattu #srilanka  #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birdphotography #vogel #oiseau
#කුරුල්ලන්

I find it hilarious how almost every place in the world has a bird they call a Robin and they all look so different from one another. this one is the Indian Black Robin.

#Indianblackrobin #wilpattu #srilanka  #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birdphotography #vogel #oiseau
#කුරුල්ලන්

These guys sound so offended each time they fly off - like an elderly aunt who has learned that you can't read cursive handwriting. I laughed every time I heard them.

 #srilanka  #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birdphotography #vogel #oiseau #කුරුල්ලන් #indianpondheron #wilpattu

Indian Paradise Flycatchers are amazing. They come in white and copper and the males have extraordinarily long tails that trail behind them when they fly. I thought I was seeing some weird kind of air snake the first time I saw one.

#IndianParadiseflycatcher  #srilanka  #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birdphotography #vogel #oiseau
#කුරුල්ලන් #sigiriya #wilpattu

I saw this Grey Heron in Wilpattu. It made me wonder if I've ever seen a bird that's rare for my area and just assumed that it was a local bird, because I'm fairly confident if I got a quick look at this guy here, I'd have noted it as a Great Blue Heron.

#greyheron #wilpattu #srilanka  #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birdphotography #vogel #oiseau
#කුරුල්ලන්