Magul Maha Viharaya - Lahugala, Sri Lanka

The Moonstone at Magul Maha Viharaya - Lahugala, Sri Lanka

While driving back form Arugam Bay, on the east coast of Sri Lanka, we took a detour to visit Magul Maha Viharaya, off Lahugala. This temple complex dates back to the 14th century when it was known as Ruhunu Maha Viharaya. It is said to have been built to commemorate the wedding of King Kavantissa and Vihara Maha Devi.

More photographs inside.

Bhaja Caves - Pune, India

Bhaja Caves - Pune, India

I was in Pune on work last week and managed to free up sometime (by starting pretty early in the morning!) to see a few of the local sights. Bhaja caves was one of two old Buddhist cave temples I visited during the week. The cave temples are said to belong to the Theravada stream of Buddhism and date back to the 2nd century BC.

More images, including a panorama of the complex, inside.

Ashy Prinia - Yala, Sri Lanka

Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis brevicauda) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Ashy Prinia, also known as the Ashy Wren-Warbler, is found throughout Sri Lanka but it is commoner in the dry zone. I had photographed this species previously, on a trip to Anuradhapura a few years ago and got another opportunity to photograph it in Yala last year.

More photographs after the jump.

Oriental White-eye - Sri Lanka

Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosa) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

The Oriental White-eye is a common bird found in the lowlands in both the dry and wet zones of Sri Lanka. It can be found in the mid hills as well but is rarely seen at higher elevations. On my last trip to Sri Lanka I was able to photograph these birds in Thalangama, Yala and Kandy.

More photographs inside.

Black-fronted Babbler - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

Black-fronted Barbet (Rhopocichla atriceps siccata) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

I photographed a flock of Black-fronted Babblers in Thalangama while they foraged through the undergrowth. I hadn't photographed them prior to this and was quite happy that I was able to move quite close to them and fire off a number of frames.

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Around Sydney - Australia

The Skyline - Sydney, Australia

I hadn't been out in the city with the camera for sometime so decided to go for a bit of a walk last night. I started off near Mrs Macquarie's chair near the open air cinema but didn't have any particular route in mind. I wasn't after any specific shots last night, just a walk and an an intention to photograph whatever came up.

More photographs inside.

Common Wood-Shrike - Yala, Sri Lanka

Common Wood-Shrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Common Wood-Shrike is a member of the helmetshrike family Prionopidae and is found throughout Southern Asia. The sub-species found in Sri Lanka is sometimes considered a separate species, the Sri Lanka Woodshrike. I photographed them in Yala and Anuradhapura in July.

More photographs inside.