Never have I woken up to the sound of Wild Boar snorting merrily 
outside my window. They react to the sound of my feet padding along the wooden floor of my single-room chalet and scuttle off along the dirt path as I hastily grab my camera and click. Sharp little devils, I think to myself while sleepily fumbling with the zoom lever of the not-so-sophisticated six mega pixel device to capture their retreating little behinds against the walls of a neighbouring chalet, some forty metres away. There was a notice about an amateur photographic contest on at the hotel this weekend. Well, I probably won’t get too far with this particular attempt but it’ll do just fine for my personal collection.
I had been pleasantly surprised by the wildlife at the premises from the very moment I checked in at the Yala Village. A few minutes later, hot cuppa in hand, I settled myself in a lounge-chair made of young bark and tree root on the open veranda outside my room, my back aching slightly from three consecutive jeep safaris to the Yala National Park over the past two days. The elevated level of the chalet afforded a vantage view of the birdlife against the green of the surrounding brush, the neighbouring chalets barely visible amidst the tree-cover. A handsome ‘Black-headed Oriole’ teased by hopping and flittering closer and further amidst the branches of the nearest tree, showing off his striking yellow chest. A group of tiny black ‘Wire-tailed Swallows’ made swift dart-like movements across the tree tops at the same time two ‘Mynah’ birds swooped on to the sandy ground to peck at an ill-fated worm. I heared at least a dozen different bird calls, and amidst it all – imagine I heard the distinctive whistle-like call of a ‘Fish Owl’! Backache long forgotten, I was left in a state of reverie, as if I were in the National Park itself in the early of the morning.
outside my window. They react to the sound of my feet padding along the wooden floor of my single-room chalet and scuttle off along the dirt path as I hastily grab my camera and click. Sharp little devils, I think to myself while sleepily fumbling with the zoom lever of the not-so-sophisticated six mega pixel device to capture their retreating little behinds against the walls of a neighbouring chalet, some forty metres away. There was a notice about an amateur photographic contest on at the hotel this weekend. Well, I probably won’t get too far with this particular attempt but it’ll do just fine for my personal collection.I had been pleasantly surprised by the wildlife at the premises from the very moment I checked in at the Yala Village. A few minutes later, hot cuppa in hand, I settled myself in a lounge-chair made of young bark and tree root on the open veranda outside my room, my back aching slightly from three consecutive jeep safaris to the Yala National Park over the past two days. The elevated level of the chalet afforded a vantage view of the birdlife against the green of the surrounding brush, the neighbouring chalets barely visible amidst the tree-cover. A handsome ‘Black-headed Oriole’ teased by hopping and flittering closer and further amidst the branches of the nearest tree, showing off his striking yellow chest. A group of tiny black ‘Wire-tailed Swallows’ made swift dart-like movements across the tree tops at the same time two ‘Mynah’ birds swooped on to the sandy ground to peck at an ill-fated worm. I heared at least a dozen different bird calls, and amidst it all – imagine I heard the distinctive whistle-like call of a ‘Fish Owl’! Backache long forgotten, I was left in a state of reverie, as if I were in the National Park itself in the early of the morning.
The previous evening, the swimming pool of the Yala Village, curved in the shape of a natural water-pool and shaded by trees, made an irresistible beckoning after the three-hour drive in the Park amidst the hot and humid climes of Yala. Later, lounged against the side of the pool as cool ripples of water lapped at my back, chilled drink in hand, I gazed at the landscape beyond the hotel. A lake hundred metres away, glistened in the setting sun; large boulders and dead tree occasionally punctuating its expanse. A flock of ‘Whistling Teal’, barely visible against the branches of a tree in the half-light would take off repeatedly in unison as if in a drill, encircle the lake in long swooping movements and return to the tree. There was a sudden stealthy movement from within a small island at the centre. Could it be a crock? A quick word with a friendly member of the staff within earshot brought me a set of binoculars within a few minutes. It was a crocodile, possibly four to five feet in length I guessed, sliding back in to the water from where it was basking. And then, a real treat thanks to the bino; the proud silhouette of a ‘Brahmin Kite’ perched on the topmost branch of a dead Maliththan tree in the last of the sunlight.
A quaint little game lodge with sixty individual chalets, Yala Village, situated in the periphery of the Yala National Park in the southeastern coastal zone of Sri Lanka, cleverly positioned itself as an extension of the Park by design and location. When I had first checked in at the hotel, I was greeted by a group of Monkeys having a drink at the water hole just outside the reception! Although you would want to head to the Park as often as possible while in Yala, I had spent almost a whole morning with some of the other guests, perched on a bar stool at the unique observation deck of the hotel, gazing at nature’s magnificent
panorama; the sea, the patchy green carpet of scrub forest, the lakes and the rolling distant hills. It seemed everyone here shared my appreciation for the variety of wildlife seen at the premises of the hotel. Someone even mentioned spotting an elephant outside their chalet early one morning. He recalled in vivid detail, calling the reception, and being reassured that this was a common occurrence and that there was no cause for concern but being advised to remain indoors and avoid using a flash camera while the animal was within sight.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment