Purple-rumped Sunbirds - Yala, Sri Lanka

We came across a pair of female Purple-rumped Sunbirds (Leptocoma zeylonica) fighting on one of our rounds in Yala. The birds were on the middle of the road and were not bothered by the presence of a vehicle. They went at it for about 5 minutes before flying into the undergrowth. Definitely one of the more unusual sightings of the trip. 

White-rumped Sharma - Yala, Sri Lanka

I hadn't been able to take a decent shot of a Sharma (Copsychus malabaricus) before our last trip to Yala. I as fortunate to come across a relatively cooperative individual perched on a branch close to the main road. It hung around for long enough for me to shoot a couple of frames before it flew deeper into the undergrowth and disappeared.

Hoopoe - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Hoopoe (Upupa epops) used to be quite a common bird in Yala when we used to visit the park as kids but over the years the number of birds had declined to the point where I hadn't seen them in ages. Unfortunately this doesn't limited to the Hoopoes of Yala. The park doesnt't seem to be as full of life as it used to be. Probably a result of poaching and over-crowding. I was fortunate to be able to photograph this bird on my last trip to the park.

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

Wel Mal Kema is one of my favourite areas in Yala. It's rocky, not the easiest place to get to and as a result, not visited by too many people. I try to drive through there at least once when i'm in the park regardless of my chances of seeing something. Was fortunate enough to come across this Leopard on one occasion. It crossed the road in front of us paused on top of a rock long enough for me to get this shot and then disappeared into the bush.