Bundala National park

SRI LANKA BEAUTYFULL PLACES

1.Bundala national park

once the subject of controversy due to the weerawila Airport that would have been built today, the Bundala National park is a protected wildlife national park which is a showcase for the best of Mother Nature.Bundala is comfortably accessible to birds during their migration, along the coastline between the town of Hambantota and KirindiOya. In total, the area of the park encompasses 6216 hectares.THe park is a Mecca for bird-watchers and wildlife enthusiasts in addition to naturalists.
Bundala National park is ideal for quick satisfaction; a four hour jeep ride is all what it takes to see everything from elephant, 8ft crocodiles,giant squirrels to even flamingoes! Afternoon safais in the dry season (December -May) offer tourists and visitors the oppertunity to make a date with wildlife.Due to its significant role as awintering site for migratory birds, this was declared a RAMSAR wetland in 1990.

The most famous visitors to the Park are the stunning flocks of gorgeous flamingoes.The Bundala area is the flamingoes last refuge in the southern park of Sri lanka and you can see them displaying their finest of feathers for all to see. Grouped in variable numbers throughout the year,their exact breeding habits is unknown though some experts say that they migrate from the Rann of Kutch in northern india.Up to 2000 flamingoes have been recorded and out of them,350 flamingoes have made Bundala their year-round home.

Bundala National park is a blend of scrub jungle and sandy semi-desert with sand dunes bordering the sea.
Being Sri lanka's foremost wildlife destinations,the park protects an important area of coastal wetland famous for its abundant aquatic (and other) birdlife.
The park is also home to significant populations of elephants, marsh and estuarine crocodiles, turtles and other fauna,including leopards.A total of 197 bird species have been recorded here,made up of 139 resident species and 58 seasonal visitors, the latter arriving during the northern winter (Sept-March).Endemic birds include the Brown-capped Babbler, Ceylon woodshrike and ceylon junglefowl. During the northern winter large numbers of migrants such as Golden and Kentish plover, Large and Lesser Sandplovers,Marsh and Curlew Sand-piper, vurlew and Green shank arrive.

Rarities include the Broad-billed Sandpiper and Red-necked phalarope.Bundala's lagoons, beaches,sand dunes and scrubby jungle stretch nearly 20km along a coastal strip starting just east of Hambantota passes along Bundala's northern boundary.

The karagan, Maha and particularly Bundala lewayas (salt pans) are also excellent for shore-bird enthusiasts.
The park stretches along the coast for around 20 km,enclosing five shallow and brackish lagoons, or lewayas (they sometimes dry upcompletely during long periods of drought) separated by thick low scrubby forest running down to coastal dunes.The vegetation types within the park include scrub with scattered taller trees,and narrow strips of marshland.