The Leopards at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

Wel Mal Kema is a rocky area within block 1 of the Yala national park. There are a couple of water holes amongst the rocks and apart from the rock itself, there aren't any open areas. The road actually runs up the rock and relatively close to one of the water holes. The area is known for Leopard and Bear.  It's not the easiest road to drive along.

More photographs inside.

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

On our first drive through Wel Mal Kema we found fresh Leopard tracks along one side of the road. We knew the Leopard was close by but visibility wasn't the best due to the thick jungle on either side of the road. Our best chance of seeing the Leopard was if it was on the road.  Fortunately for us it was. We saw it from about 25 meters away as it peered around a rock to watch us. The engine was promptly tuned off and we waited hoping to get a better view.

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

After a few minutes the Leopard crossed the road and climbed up on the rocks to our right. Unfortunately for us another jeep pulled up at that moment and the inexperienced driver (there are a lot of them around Yala) didn't turn off his engine and the Leopard got spooked and left.

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

On another one of our trips we had a brief sighting of a Leopard as it walked away from the road. I did manager to get a couple of photographs of the Leopard as it walked away and scent marked a tree.

All the images on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Common Iora - Thalangama and Yala, Sri Lanka

Common Iora (female) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

While I was in Colombo in July I visited the Thalangama wetlands almost every morning to photograph the bird life. On one of my visits I came across a few Common Ioras. I hadn't photographed them before and took the opportunity to shoot a few frames. The photograph above is one of my favourites because of the warm early morning light on the bird.

More photographs inside.

Common Iora (male) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The males proved to be a bit more elusive and I wasn't able to get many shots of them. Males are unmistakable as their upper parts are a blue-black in colour where as the females are a dull yellow. The Common Iora is found throughout the lowlands and the mid hills of Sri Lanka. It is a very vocal bird but can be difficult to see due to it's plumage.

Common Iora (female) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The male Common Iora is said to perform an "acrobatic courtship display" during the breeding season. It is said to puff up it's feathers and dart into the air and spiral back to the same perch. Once it lands, it spreads its tail and droops its wings. I am yet to see this performance.

Common Iora (female) - Yala, Sri Lanka

All the photographs on this post were taken with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. I did push up the ISO to allow me to use a faster shutter.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher - Yala, Sri Lanka

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher is similar in appearance to the immature Indian Paradise Flycatcher, which is a winter migrant to Sri Lanka. I came across a number of these birds in Yala and Anuradhapura during the month of July. I was fortunate to photograph a number of them at fairly close proximity on a number of occasions during these sightings.

More photographs after the jump.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Adult males are easily identified by their long tail feathers which can grow up to about 30cm in length. It is found in wooded habitats throughout the island and breeds in the dry lowlands and the lower hills. It is known to visit other areas during the migration season.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The female, pictured above, has a smaller tail but a similar body size to the male. The birds can be located relatively easily as they have a high pitched call which is used often. The male's long tail also gives it away in flight.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

One of the main challenges in photographing these birds is getting the shutter speed correct. Although this is dependent on the speed of the lens being used, the available light also plays a part in this. I tend to push up the ISO on my camera to compensate for the aperture of f5.6 on the 400mm end of the lens I use.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

All photographs on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Tusker - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Tusker - Yala, Sri Lanka

On one of our morning rounds in Yala we sighted a massive Tusker striding across one of the plains. He seemed to be in a bit of a hurry as he crossed the plain pretty quickly and disappeared into the jungle. I was a bit disappointed as the sighting had been relatively brief.

I'm pretty sure that this Tusker is named "Thilak". Can someone please confirm?

More photographs inside.

The Tusker - Yala, Sri Lanka

He seemed to be heading in the direction of a nearby waterhole so a decision was made to drive towards it and wait for him to make an appearance. Fortunately there were no other vehicles near the waterhole and we were able to position ourselves directly opposite where we thought the Elephant would approach form.

The Tusker - Yala, Sri Lanka

It turned out to be a short wait of about ten minutes before the Tusker was spotted across the water. I spent the time photographing a flock of Green Pigeons, a pair of Bee-Eaters and a Grey Heron who had also come for a drink and a bath.

The Tusker - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Elephant hesitated when he saw the vehicle but then climbed down the embankment and approached the waterline. He settled down for a lengthy drink in the shade of one of the overhanging trees and provided me with a number of opportunities to photograph him.

The Tusker - Yala, Sri Lanka

After spending around ten-fifteen minutes having a drink, he walked up the embankment and disappeared into the jungle. By this time two other vehicles had also arrived at the waterhole and we decided to move on. It was a really good sighting of the Tusker at close range and I was able to come away with a number of photographs of the animal.

The Tusker - Yala, Sri Lanka

The photographs on this post were captured with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. I would have liked to get down to ground level to take these photographs but getting out of vehicles is banned in Sri Lankan National Parks.

Crested Hawk-Eagle - Sri Lanka

Crested Hawk-Eagle - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Crested Hawk-Eagle, also called the Changeable Hawk-Eagle, is a common raptor found throughout the dry lowlands. We saw a number of these raptors in Yala, Arugam Bay, Anuradhapura and Willpattu while we were in Sri Lanka. I was fortunate to take a few decent images of the raptor during these sightings.

More images after the jump.

 Crested Hawk-Eagle - Yala, Sri Lanka

Identifying the Changeable Hawk-Eagle is relatively easy. Its upright crest and streaked underparts are easily recognised. However, there is a variation in plumage based on the birds age. The younger birds look cleaner as their upper parts are lighter in colour. Their underparts are white too.

Crested Hawk-Eagle - Yala, Sri Lanka

The sightings in Yala were probably the best sightings we had during the trip. The first and third photographs on this post were taken while we were watching the Rukwilla cubs. I think the bird had a nest in one of the Palu trees (Manilkara hexandra) nearby as we saw it in the area on a number of occasions.

Crested Hawk-Eagle - Yala, Sri Lanka

The photograph above was taken on the Welmal Kema Road. We noticed the young eagle in the tree because of it's call. We watched the bird for about ten minutes. Much to the amusement of our driver who kept saying "it's just a bird".  People seem to be coming to the park to see only Leopard and Bear. It's a sad situation really.

Crested Hawk-Eagle - Willpattu, Sri Lanka

We also had a good sighting of a Crested Hawk-Eagle in Willpattu. It was perched on a low branch just off the road. Unfortunately there were a few branches between the camera and the raptor and I couldn't get a clean shot.

All the photographs in this post were captured with a Canon 7d and the 100-400mm lens. 

The Leopards at Karaw Gas Wala - Yala, Sri Lanka

A Leopardess having a drink - Yala, Sri Lanka

One of the best sightings we had while in Yala, was of a female Leopard and her cub at Karaw Gas Wala. We were on an evening round when we crossed another vehicle and were informed that a Leopard was seen in the area. Our driver had a hunch that the Leopard would be heading towards the water hole at Karaw Gas Wala and headed off in that direction. He had seen the Leopards stopping there for a drink before and thought they would make an appearance.

More photographs inside.

 Leopard cub emerging from the undergrowth - Yala, Sri Lanka

When we got to the water hole we were greeted by three or four Buffalo in the water and a couple of Painted Storks but no sign of the Leopard. A decision was soon made to wait there for a while and see if we got lucky. Unfortunately a number of other vehicles that drove passed decided to stop and wait as well! It was getting a bit too crowded for our liking and hoping to lead the other jeeps away, we drove "around the block" and got back ten minutes later to find all the other vehicles gone. 

Leopardess and Cub - Yala, Sri Lanka

We were rewarded 20 minutes later when the cub emerged from the undergrowth. It was a bit hesitant and initially poked its head out and stared at us for a while. It was soon joined by it's mother (I was annoyed to later discover that a stick in the foreground had actually got in the way of a photograph with the mother staring directly at the camera! The shot above).

The Leopardess approaches - Yala, Sri Lanka

After a few minutes the Leopardess led the cub towards the road along a gully and we lost sight of them briefly. We were pretty confident that it would cross the road behind our vehicle so we stayed put. We didn't have to wait too long.

The Leopard comes up to the road- Yala, Sri Lanka

The female re-appeared a bit further away from us to cross the road. She was uneasy and kept staring at the vehicle while she was in the open. During this period I was able capture a number of photographs with her staring directly into the camera.

AFemale Leopard crosses the road - Yala, Sri Lanka

A little while after she crossed the road, the cub followed. It was very tentative and took a while to work up the courage to actually walk across. Soon after it crossed the road it disappeared into the undergrowth on the further side of the water hole. Probably because it was unsettled by the presence of both our vehicle and the buffalo.

The Leopard cub crosses the road - Yala, Sri Lanka

Soon after the cub crossed the road the female started to drink. Thankfully she positioned herself at the far end of the waterhole, directly opposite us. she had a long drink throughout which she didn't take her eye's off the vehicle. I was glad because this meant I was able to get more photographs with her staring straight into the camera.

A Leopardess having a drink - Yala, Sri Lanka

A few minutes after the Leopard started drinking, the buffaloes became restless. They didn't seem to have any young with them so I'm not really sure what agitated them. They approached the Leopard threateningly, stamping their hooves and snorting and succeeded in chasing the Leopard away.

The Leopard walking away - Yala, Sri Lanka

The whole experience lasted about 15 minutes. It was one of the best sightings I've had of a Leopard in Yala and having it to ourselves was a big bonus. I think I fired off about 50 frames during the fifteen minutes. I was expecting to have taken a lot more to be honest!

The photographs were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

We came across this pair of Sambar on one of the drives we did in Yala. They had just come out into the open and were about to drink at a waterhole when we drove up. Initially they seemed a bit uncomfortable with our presence but within a few minutes they settled down and had a long drink.

More photographs after the jump.

 Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

Unlike at Horton Plains, where large herds of Sambar are frequently seen, Sambar sightings in Yala are usually limited to a pair or a single individual. On our trip we saw this pair and caught a glimpse of another Sambar as it disappeared into the bush. We were fortunate enough to have a lengthy sighting where the animals were quite close and not bothered by our presence.

Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

They are a relatively large species of Deer which measure up to 160 cm in height and weigh up to 280Kg. They are found through most of South Asia and vary widely across their range. The sub-species found in Sri Lanka is Rusa unicolor unicolor which is one of the largest.

  Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

These photographs were taken with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. The photographs seen here have not been cropped.

 Sambar - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Herd - Yala, Sri Lanka

Huddling around the calves

One of the highlights of my trip to Yala was the encounter we had with a herd of 8-10 Elephants. We had already been on a couple of rounds inside the park and were yet to see a herd of Elephants when we came across them. It was about 6.15 AM and we had just entered the park and were driving along the main road when we saw the Elephants feeding. I think we had actually driven past them before we realised!

More photographs after the jump.

 Smallest member of the herd

There were two calves in the herd and the adults seemed to be quite protective of them. As soon as we pulled up alongside them the adults gathered around the two calves. They also kicked up a bit of dust which was presumably a warning (first photograph).

Sub-adults of the herd

The Elephants did eventually come a lot closer to the vehicle to feed on the shrubs by the road but didn't stay too long. Again they were watchful of the calves but I did manage to get a few shots of the young ones.

The Approach

The matriarch was massive but we didn't get a good look at her as she didn't venture out towards the road. She can be seen in the background of the third photograph. I was hoping they would cross the road so that we would be able to get a look at the whole herd but that didn't happen. The sighting lasted about fifteen minutes before the elephants decided to head off. By this time there were a couple of other jeeps as well and we moved on.

One of the Calves heading off

Surprisingly (to me anyway) this was the only herd of Elephant we saw on our 5 rounds in the park. I'm not sure whether this was because the park was dry and the elephants had moved on to better feeding grounds or if the Elephant population in the area has decreased.

A dust bath

All the photographs on this post were taken with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. The Elephants were in such close proximity of the vehicle that the 100mm focal length was too long.

The Rukvilla Cubs - Yala, Sri Lanka

One of the Rukvilla Cubs - Yala, Sri Lanka

 

The Rukvilla cubs are the current stars of Yala. Born around a year or so ago, they have grown up surrounded by noisy safari jeeps and don't seem to be too bothered by them anymore. Due to this fact they offer lengthy sightings and are one of the first stops made by most jeep drivers. We actually experienced a number of traffic jams, caused by the cubs, in the Rukvilla area during our 2.5 days in the park.

More shots after the jump.

One of the Rukvilla Cubs - Yala, Sri Lanka

  

Yala has changed a lot over the years. I remember going to the park as a child and spending five days in the park and not seeing a single Leopard. This trip we stayed outside the park and were able to see Leopard on every single drive into the park (No, we didn't see the Rukvilla cubs over and over again!).  From what I have heard this is the norm.

One of the Rukvilla Cubs - Yala, Sri Lanka

The mortality rate for cubs during the first year is around 41% - 50%. Thankfully these cubs seem to be doing well. Although they are able to fend for themselves from now on, they will remain with the mother for another 6 - 12 months before moving off on their own.

One of the Rukvilla Cubs - Yala, Sri Lanka

The photographs on this post were taken with a Canon 7D and a Canon 100-400mm lens.