Kudu Tour Highlights

The Kudu 2010 Sri Lanka tour, that I guided from 9–20 January, was rich in wildlife and other moments. Most of them came during our two visits to the amazing Yala National Park in the southeastern Sri Lanka. There were 11 British visitors on this trip, which included the indefatigable Tour Leader, Frances Fedden who's led all Kudu trips to Sri Lanka since ancient past.

Our first highlight of the first game drive was this pair of Leopards crossing the main road, minutes after entering the park. Only one is clearly visible in this picture, with the other showing just the rear bits disappearing in the bushes to the right.

They were a bit distant, and the light was a bit low to get a perfect view, but that was enough to tick Leopard off the checklist—for those of us into listing.

Then we had these two Land Monitors in combat close to the main road. They were both were equally matched in the pugnacity, and we really couldn't judge who the winner was.

Next, we witnessed a courtship behaviour of a pair of Black-winged Stilts, where a male performed an endearing head-bobbing dance in front of a female to send her into a posture of submission. I alerted everybody to be ready for some action, and as predicted we had them in flagrante delicto.

The full paparazzi complement was shared by me here.

And then, there was this Ruddy Mongoose—enjoying a lie-in on a Palu tree, looking pretty and relaxed.

Fresh after rains, the park was teeming with wild flowers. These included the suggestive, Butterfly pea Clitoria ternatea, lending colour to the lush undergrowth. This species is named after the spice island, Ternate in Indonesia. The genus is named after an intimate part of female anatomy.

Crocs were in force as usual, and this one looked very well-fed.

The star of the show, however, was this male Leopard, which was seen by the people who were in the jeep that I was in. We found it very, very close to the jeep, just minutes before it was time for our exit on the second game drive. Frances and others who were in a separate jeep missed this, but roundabout the same time we had this one, they'd got a Leopard resting on the rocks at Kotigala. So we were all square, and happy!