This is the third post on a mini-series providing a sense of the birdlife that can be found in the greenspaces dotted throughout Colombo, Sri Lanka, and bordering towns that have all merged into one expansive urban area. Here, I cover Talangama Lake, a site that harbours some great birds but is more well-known for occasionally rewarding visitors with a glimpse of the elusive fishing cat. While most people leave without a sighting of this unique feline, the average visit here never disappoints simply because of the lovely setting and the ease with which so many birds can be seen.
One of the fun birds to observe in Thalangama are the Pheasant-tailed Jacanas. Having previously only known African Jacanas from South Africa, these beasts with their elaborate and aptly-named tail feathers impressed me significantly. They tend to be pretty approachable, affording me good views as they stepped from one waterlily pad to the next. The smaller pads were sometimes pushed partly underwater, producing small pearls of water that gradually accumulated on their hydrophobic surface, glittering in the morning sun.
Pin-tailed Snipe can be seen on the verges of the lake as well. Admittedly, I occasionally simply passed a snipe as Pin-tailed when it had the general impression, although it can be incredibly difficult to differentiate it from the much rarer Common and especially Swinhoe’s Snipes. Only when individuals were preening or otherwise pretty approachable – and when I felt in the mood for a challenge – did I venture into this territory. Perhaps it was because I did not do it consistently that all the snipes I ever identified, not only here but throughout Sri Lanka, were always Pin-tailed Snipes. To anybody interested in the ID of these three species, I highly recommend this blog entry.
A special bird that is occasionally seen here, and which also turned up once at the nearby Diyasaru Park, is the diminutive Ruddy-breasted Crake. This bird is usually hard to get a clear view of, but sometimes they stick to the open areas in the morning, providing ideal photo opportunities.
The stately trees reaching out from the gardens over the road are a great place to see some of the more common but interesting arboreal species, including Common Iora, Indian Paradise-Flycatcher, and Large-billed Leaf-Warbler. A particular highlight for me in Sri Lanka are the colourful barbets, and this is a great place to see Brown-headed and Crimson-fronted Barbets. Always in evidence in Thalangama is the predator preying on all of these species, the Shikra. I’ve once witnessed this small accipiter catch a Common Tailorbird, feeling sorry for the latter but also impressed by the Shikra’s incredible agility when pursuing small birds through the vegetation.
Many birds to be found here are present in most of Colombo’s wetland (except Cotton Pygmy-Goose), so the main reason to visit this site over Diyasaru, Beddagana or other urban green spaces is either to hope for the remote chance of seeing a fishing cat or simply to take in a different setting. The neighbourhood here is also rather quiet, making this a nice area for a walk beyond the edge of the lake itself.
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