Year and Month	2008 to now..
Number of Days	Countless
Crew	Me, sometimes the doggy who often likes to come along on my “mini excursions” around the garden
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	My faithful legs, and oh yes, clutches too once
Activities	Wildlife, Photography
Weather	All sorts, mostly nice
Location	Colombo suburb
Tips, Notes and Special remarks	Try to spend a few minutes every day to observe the little creatures who come to your garden.  I guarantee that they will chase any blues away.
Author	Manu
Comments	Discuss this report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Backyard Guests

It all started two years ago. One beautiful evening, as the setting sun painted the sky in some amazing shades, my gaze stopped at two black silhouettes – A tiny couple perched on our mango tree. One of them, who looked to me like the “wife”, seemed quite mad with the “hubby” and had turned her back to him. The “hubby”, a bit hunchbacked with sadness or shame, looked like he was trying desperately to make her turn towards him. Chuckling, I rushed for my primitive camera, and captured this. Thus began my “bird life” and my photo collection of the lovely little “guests” who visit our garden and the paddy fields behind.

“C’mon Honey, Pleeeeese don’t be mad with me ” A pair of Red-vented Bulbuls

After that, every single day, it so happened that there was something “I HAD TO capture on camera” . Gradually, I got better equipment, but I wasn’t the type to sit around and wait for anyone. I would just grab my camera and run whenever I spotted an interesting creature/event. It’s amazing how much you actually SEE when you want to! Perhaps nature is just waiting for us to notice!!

Below are a few of my attempts trying to capture at least a bit of the beauty of some of our “Backyard Guests”.

A Black-hooded Oriole perched on the Guava Tree	Love? Or is it Hate? - Spotted Dove
The majestic Brahminy Kite	A Purple Heron in flight

A flock of Whistling Ducks bathed in sunshine

LITTLE “BALLS” OF DELIGHT

Common Tailorbird - such an impatient little one!

“Aren’t I good at hide-n-seek?”

SPEAKING OF CAMOUFLAGE ……

FOOD IS PLENTY!

A Flycatcher who caught a moth…or is it a butterfly? The dust of the prey scatters as the Flycatcher smashes it around… - Asian Paradise Flycatcher, female	Brown-headed barbet
Asian Koel, female	A Bat
“Bulath Nathinam Puwak Kannam”	Caught red-handed !.... …doesn’t it actually look guilty?

Precious, precious food! - Note the way it is holding the Thuththiiri as if it were the most precious thing in the world?

A Scaly-breasted Munia after a good meal

A White-throated Kingfisher who caught a mouse on a gloomy day..…The Kingfisher would go on and on BANGING the mouse like this against the bamboo for a long time….. Felt quite sorry for this mouse….

A White-throated Kingfisher caught a mouse

BANGING the mouse against the bamboo

“WE DON’T JUST EAT, WE …………..DANCE TOO !”

Break-dancing?

Errrr…..not entirely in unison, are we ?

“and we work, VERY HARD”

“Time to move my precious house” ….......Is the rainy season right???

Some others…(sorry, not enough space to name them..)

THE RAINS FALL …. turning the paddy fields into temporary “lagoons”

A truly breath-taking moment that made me soooo happy! - A flock of Black-winged stilts

“DUCK!!! “

Busy-looking Purple Swamphens and an Asian Openbill

A pair of Asian Openbills

A distant visitor? - a White-winged Tern?

An Indian Pond Heron about to make a landing

was a rare treat!!! They were so beautiful! - A flock of Painted Storks

DROP BY ANYTIME ! ….some of the little ones who let me take their pictures resting on my fingers or palms

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VIEWING!

DROP BY AGAIN, ANYTIME!