Tjörnin birds

Tjörnin is a lake in Reykjavík and these are some of its birds.  (Note to readers: some birds may appear more than once.)

Mazar Doves

The answer to my recent picture quiz is that the feature is a snowshed (in Afghanistan called a 'galery') leading towards the Salang Tunnel between Kabul and Pole-Khumri. Congratulations to Sue for identifying it.


Doves in Mazar-e-Sharif

More Mazar photos coming soon...

Sri Lankan canoes and birds

I have been fascinated by Sri Lankan canoes. They are the first I've seen in my travels that have outriggers. (I believe these are common in the Pacific islands?) I'm sometimes obsessive compulsive about symmetry so I wasn't a fan at first but now I've seen them in action I'm really impressed by their stability, which of course is the point. The outrigger resists heeling towards the pontoon because it would press it underwater and it resists heeling away because it would lift its extended weight. The fishermen are generally throwing nets for prawns, which I will document once I've bought a longer lens, and for servicing fish traps.

I'm continuously updating my Sri Lankan birds page. When I get the above-mentioned lens I should be able to post better photos but please have a look now.

Jumbo and friends

My friends and colleagues Dr. Rana and Dr. Khaleda rode with me yesterday from our base in Batticaloa to Polonnaruwa where today I had a nice long massage, steam bath, and other treatments that come highly recommended for any hard working Project Coordinator.



On the way here the driver suddenly called out 'elephant!!'






This bull was ambling around, eating tall grass and keeping a sharp eye on us although not as sharp as the eye our driver kept on him... he had the engine running and the car in gear just in case.

Although I once rode an elephant called "Small Ears" for hours through the jungle of western Thailand this was my first wild elephant. He walked casually towards us and then passed behind - presumably towards greener grass.

Meanwhile Sri Lanka is a haven for birds. There's a serious risk that I'll have to buy an expensive new lens.

I think the rotation of this picture can be blamed on a bump in the road - I've 'never' shaken an image myself. I like the effect though.

Though a symbol of India (and of a tasty beer, reputable airline and now a collectible bathing beauties calendar) this Kingfisher looked quite at home in Sri Lanka.

Stork? Crane? (Pigeon? Chicken? I'm expecting Sue, Sandra, or Steve to let me know. UPATE: Mari has proposed that it's a "long beaked eagle". Nice. But I'm waiting for a second opinion. UPDATE: Steve did in fact pitch in to say it is a stork, probably a Woolly-necked Stork, Ciconia episcopus. But, in his words: "I will give Mari points for her, uh, *creative* guess")

Now even I know that this is a peacock. We saw peahens too. Again, I'd never seen them in the wild before.

Moving on to something more important...

...our route paralleled part of the railway from Batticaloa to Colombo which we're not allowed to ride because of security risks.

I hope to be able to ride this train before I leave Sri Lanka.