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Wings of Anawilundawa: the wildlife & ornithology club of TCK on an adventure

By Theshan Rathnayake

After weeks of anticipation, the day had finally arrived. 21^st of August 2024 was an exciting day for the members of the Ornithology Club, as it marked their second excursion of the year. This time, the young birdwatchers and photographers were focused on observing and photographing the avifauna at Anawilundawa Bird Sanctuary in the Puttalam District.

We gathered near the College Main Hall by 3.30 am on the 21^st, our minds full of excitement. Following a prayer from the teacher-in-charge of the Ornithology Club, we embarked on our journey to the North West at around 3.50 am. We arrived at the sanctuary by 7.00 am. There, we had breakfast, hoping that the rain would subside by the time we had finished satisfying our hunger. Fifteen minutes later, the rain, which had started soaking the neighbouring areas a couple of days before our arrival, showed no signs of stopping.

But we were not deterred by the rain. Each photographer paired up with a friend who carried an umbrella to protect the cameras, and we all set foot in the sanctuary. The rain revitalised the sanctuary and enhanced the aesthetic beauty of the photographs. After about forty-five minutes, the rain finally subsided, and the birds became more active. All the photographers were glued to the camera viewfinders, trying to capture the elegance of birds in flight, and were pleased with their results. Within a span of more than four hours,

we were able to identify a variety of bird species including Cormorants, Grebes, Ducks, Painted Storks, other Stork species, Pelicans, Purple Swamphen, Pheasant Tailed Jacana, White-breasted Waterhen, Egrets, Herons, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Brahminy Kite, Buzzards, Munias, Orioles, Peacocks and many more. Some were fortunate enough to photograph the rare Blue-faced Malkoha and the most common Giant Squirrel feasting on wood-apples.

(Pheasant-tailed Jacana and Purple Swamphen)

Pics By Theshan Rathnayake

After exploring the Sanctuary, we visited the latest addition to the reserve: mangroves. Research assistant and scientist, Mr Ashan specialising in mangrove conservation, taught us about the types of mangroves in Sri Lanka, their importance, methods of conservation and the migratory patterns of the birds in that area. Following the informative lecture, we took a few group photos and left the sanctuary leaving our footprints and taking with us, valuable information of Anawilundawa.

After lunch at Chilaw, we relaxed at the beach, where we created more unforgettable memories. After leaving the beach, we stopped in Kurunegala for tea and to refresh ourselves. After a couple of hours of travel, we arrived at school at around 8.00pm.

A special thank you goes to Prof. Sevvandi Jayakody and Mr. Ashan for organizing and delivering the engaging and well-crafted lecture on Mangroves of Sri Lanka.