Mannar: Bright Skies & Blue Seas

As December 2015 slipped in, along with its wave of customary winter migrants, the urge to travel returned - and this time, my attention was drawn northwards, upon reading accounts of wetlands teeming with wintering seabirds, shorebirds and ducks. My sisters and I prepared a detailed itinerary for a visit to Mannar, planning our movements with almost military precision, determined to make the most of a mere two days.

This is the account of our journey over the 20th and 21st of December 2015 - touching culture, history and nature - on which we were accompanied by one of my sister’s classmates and her family. 

---

Resvehera

The first part of our trip, which I will touch on for completion, was a charity programme organised by our extended family at Resvehera Rajamaha Viharaya, an ancient Buddhist temple located in Kurunegala, very close to the border with the Anuradhapura district.

We left our home (in Colombo) at 5.30 am, and passed Katunayake (via expressway) at 6 am. As the sun rose, we saw typical city birds, including House Crows (Corvus splendens), Feral Pigeons (Columba livia) and Common Mynas (Acridotheres tristis). As the morning wore on, we eventually entered deeper into the dry zone as we crossed the district of Kurunegala via Giriulla and Narammala. We glimpsed  a variety of common garden and woodland birds, as well as water birds in the vibrant green paddyfields we drove past. A few highlights include an Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster), Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus), Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus), Woolly-necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus) and Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis). 

---

The Road To Mannar

We finished the donation ceremony, joined up with our travelling companions and left Resvehera at 12.55 pm, now travelling through the Anuradhapura district. While passing through wooded country, we saw a Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela). We passed Medawachchiya and turned to the Medawachchiya-Talaimannar Road at around 4.15 pm, glimpsing a Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) and a Black-headed Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus) on the way. Twenty minutes later, we crossed into the Vavuniya district, passing Chettikulam. 

The further we travelled north, the drier and wilder the climate and environment became. Coconut palms, so ubiquitous in the south, were gradually replaced by imposing palmyras.

Palmyra trees dot the roadside. Mannar District.

In the scrubland we spotted an Indian Black Robin (Saxicoloides fulicata) and Southern Coucal (Centropus sinensis). Up above, we could see slender grey Crested Treeswifts (Hemiprocne coronata) and an endemic Sri Lanka Swallow (Cecropis hyperythra), while Ashy Woodswallows (Artamus fuscus) perched on telephone wires.

Crossing over to the Mannar district, we turned to the Madhu Road to reach our first stop: the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu - a church so revered by Catholics in Sri Lanka that many often undertake arduous pilgrimages to visit and pray there.

On our way, we spotted Orange-breasted Green Pigeons (Treron bicinctus) in flight, while walking on the approach route, we saw what seemed to be Jerdon’s Leafbirds (Chloropsis jerdoni) high in the trees. 

Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu. Photo credits: Isiri Lankadhikara

We prayed, walked around the church grounds and eventually set off back down Madhu Road, headed to Mannar; glimpsing a Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) along the way.

It was 6.45 pm when we finally crossed the causeway into Mannar Island. I remember the headlights of our car flashing on one of the famous local donkeys, as it crossed the road. We checked into Golden Rest, a small and homey guesthouse, and settled in for the night.

---

Talladi and Vankalai 

We woke early on Day Two, got ready and left at 6 am to watch birds in the wetlands around the Mannar-mainland isthmus. On the way, we spotted plenty of House Crows, a few Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea), Indian Cormorants (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis) and Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta). 

As the sun gradually rose, we slowly, slowly drove on towards the wetlands of Talladi, nearest to the causeway, and Vankalai, which is a little way into the mainland. 

In the shallow pools and scrubby sandbars of Talladi were a variety of waterbirds: a Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), a Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva), a Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) and several Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala).

Pacific Golden Plover. Photo credits: Isiri Lankadhikara 

The Vankalai Sanctuary was a long stretch of vast lagoons, mudflats, salt marshes and grasslands with sparse scrub on either side of the Medawachchiya-Talaimannar road, or its branch, the South Coast Road. The beauty of this area, and Talladi, is that the birding spectacles at hand do not cost a cent. Visiting the sanctuary, despite being designated a Ramsar wetland, is a matter of either quietly walking or slowly driving along the road, keeping a good eye out for birds and other animals.

A Pheasant-tailed Jacana and a Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) were feeding near the shore, while a family of White-breasted Waterhens (Amaurornis phoenicrurus) stuck together in a close-knit group. Little Grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis) were  paddling in the water. Asian Palm Swifts (Cypsiurus balasiensis) flew overhead, staying close to the palmyra trees in which they were nesting, while resident Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia), distinctive with their bright red bills, flew seawards.

Migrant Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) flew close to the water, seeking insect prey. High above, Oriental Skylarks were hovering. By the water were the very common Indian Pond Herons (Ardeola grayii) and tiny Kentish Plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus).

Flock of Brown-headed Gulls. Photo credits: Isiri Lankadhikara 

There were hundreds of ducks swimming in the lagoon. Garganeys (Spatula querquedula) were the easiest to identify, but further away were bigger gatherings, identified by looking through binoculars and our travel companions’ camera. Most of the distant ducks were Eurasian Wigeons (Mareca penelope), identified while looking through photographs. A male Northern Pintail, in breeding plumage, was among them. A female/non-breeding male Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) was feeding a bit closer by, and careful observation through a camera lens quickly revealed its identity.

Garganeys. Photo credits: Isiri Lankadhikara

On the grassy plains, we hoped to see the beautiful and critically endangered Indian Courser (Cursorius coromandelicus), but we had no luck there. Instead, we spotted a pair of Grey Francolins (Francolinus pondicerianus) busily running along.

Grey Francolins. Photo credits: Isiri Lankadhikara 

We spotted a Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) balancing on a wooden stake close to the road, on our way back to Mannar Island.

Close to where the South Coast Road crossed the railway line, we spotted a disturbance in the rushes. A gangly grey bird burst out of its hiding place, and we stared, completely taken by surprise at the sight of our very first Western Reef Egret (Egretta gularis). 

This scarce migrant, distinctively coloured in a nice blue-grey, eventually settled down to feed a little way off, and we inched closer, trying not to disturb it. But its resident cousin, a nearby Little Egret, began to harass it, thwarting all attempts to feed, and the poor visitor eventually flew off.

Western Reef Egret (right) with Little Egret (left). Photo credits: Isiri Lankadhikara

As we left Vankalai, we spotted a Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) in the sky, along with its northern counterpart, a Black Kite (Milvus migrans), also being bullied by crows.

---

Urumalai and Adam’s Bridge

After breakfast, we set off towards Adam’s Bridge, the legendary chain of islets that “bridge” Sri Lanka with mainland India. During the past ice ages, sea levels fell and a land bridge emerged between the Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka. This allowed ancestors of elephants, leopards and other mammals as well as birds to immigrate to Sri Lanka. Most settled in the dry lowlands and eventually evolved and adapted to occupy their own niches in Sri Lanka’s ecosystems, some becoming entirely new species. A relatively recent land bridging, 10,000 years ago, is said to be one of the reasons why species of the Deccan Plateau in India can be found in the northern parts of Sri Lanka. 

Satellite view of Mannar Island and Adam’s Bridge. Source: Google Maps

On our way to Urumalai, we observed the telephone wires above, where a variety of birds had perched: Blue-tailed Bee-eaters (Merops philippinus), a Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus), Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis), White-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) and Brown Shrike. We also spotted a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves (Streptopelia decaocto), a species most often seen in the northwestern coastal belt.

By 11 am we reached the Talaimannar Lighthouse. It was apparently not the place to reach Adam’s Bridge, so we were directed a little way southwards. On the way, we spotted another Western Reef Egret flying past. 

We finally arrived at a small fishing hamlet half an hour later, under the stark sun, with the cries of seabirds ringing in the air. The Navy guard at Talaimannar was sceptical about going on a boat ride, but the one stationed at Urumalai said it was all right, and gave us life jackets, and the 9 of us boarded a small boat. We were accompanied by two onshore fishermen.

Unwilling to risk our cameras should there be undue salt spray, we left them in the car. This was unfortunate indeed.

We were taken on a ride to the first and second islands of the chain. Great Crested Terns (Thalasseus bergii) and Lesser Crested Terns (Thalasseus bengalensis) flew over us, accompanied by smaller terns, probably Common or Little Terns, and rarely by Caspian Terns.

The ride was rather bumpy at first. There were no seats, and we had to lean against the the sides of the boat, a rather precarious position which we eventually grew to ignore in favour of the sights and the brisk breeze. The waters were yellowish and muddy, evidence of the slight roughness of the sea.

On 2nd Island, there was a “station” of gulls and terns. We approached but it made them scatter. For one amazing moment, we were in the middle of a cloud of seabirds of different species, sizes and ages.

We were not able to land on the islands because it had been banned, as some unscrupulous people had been robbing eggs from the many seabird nests found there.

1st Island was larger, and we could get closer to it, until I realised that the ripply yellowness of the waves here was in fact the rippled sand of the sandbank that held the island in place. A Blue-tailed Bee-eater was there, as well as a Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres).

On the way back to Urumalai, we saw gulls hunting. There also was a very big station of seabirds some way along the beach. 

After disembarking, my sisters and I tried to sneak there. A Sanderling (Calidris alba) was on the beach, as well as a Ruddy Turnstone and a few Common Sandpipers. 

It was very difficult to approach the gulls, and only by getting on hands and knees could we approach close enough to observe. But finally I identified Heuglin’s Gulls (Larus heuglini) by their large size and dark grey backs; Brown-headed Gulls (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus), identified by the characteristic “white mirrors” on their black wingtips; Black-headed Gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) by the black wing borders and Pallas’s Gulls (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) by the size and wing pattern. In addition, there were several species terns which I couldn’t identify.

We left Urumalai carrying a few souvenirs which we picked up from a heap of debris: sea urchin tests, Venus’ comb murexes, a small conch shell and a few other gastropod shells.

---

Mannar Fort and Onwards 

After lunch, we decided to visit the Mannar Fort and set off. On the way, we saw a Jacobin Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus), Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius), Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata), Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans), Lesser Whistling-teal (Dendrocygna javanica), and a fleeting glimpse of a Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius scach).

The visit to the Mannar Fort was fairly uneventful. This now-crumbling edifice is a relic of the colonial era: built by the Portuguese in 1560, and subsequently occupied first by the Dutch, then the British.

Mannar Fort

As sunset fell, we drove back to the mainland, stopping to relax on the embankment of the ancient reservoir Yodha Wæwa (Giant’s Tank) under the clear, dusky sky, before heading our way home.

Giant’s Tank in panorama

---

A few references:

https://jetwingecoholidays.blogspot.com/2014/06/birding-in-mannar-trip-report-by-gehan.html?view=flipcard

https://www.ramsar.org/wetland/sri-lanka