Raditha’s Photos

With the number of trees that have been cut down in the neighbourhood in recent weeks, it’s a miracle that this dead tree was left standing. It made a perfect perch for this Brahmini Kite. If you happen to pass the Kelanitissa Thermal power station, don’t forget to look towards the sky, you will see at least a dozen of them soaring a long way up. The thermal currents produced by the steam turbines coupled with the proximity of the garbage mountain makes it one of their favorite areas.

This one though was seen in Battaramulla, I don’t know if they range that far but then again Kelanitissa is not so far off as the crow (or the kite) flies.

The Hiyare, conservation center was once the site of the Galle Water Works. The man made lake was the reservoir used to store water for distribution. Engraved at the sluice are the names of the engineers who lead the project. The name Wimalasurendra continues to be a household name in Sri Lanka more than 50 years after his death. Not because of his involvement with the Galle water works but because of his poineering efforts in power generation.

I always get confused with Kingfishers mostly because the ‘Common Kingfisher’ isn’t all that common at all in Sri Lanka, in fact it’s a bit rare. So it’s pretty easy to go downhill from there.

This one here is a Stork Billed Kingfisher (as far as I know). The photo I posted some months ago is of a White Throated Kingfisher (or at least that’s what I think)