Today we bring you information about another national park in our series of national parks.

Bundala National Park is a fantastic maze of waterways, lagoons and dunes that glitter like gold in the dying evening sun. This wonderland provides a home to thousands of colourful birds ranging from diminutive little bee-eaters to grotesque open-billed stalks. It is a wetland sanctuary of such importance that it has been recognised under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

It shelters some 150 species of birds within its 62-sq-km area, with many journeying from Siberia and the Rann of Kutch in India to winter here, arriving between August and April. It is also a winter home to the greater flamingo, and up to 2000 have been recorded here at one time. If you are a bird watcher, you'll want to devote a lot of time at this park, if ever you have the opportunity to visit Bundala.

If you are interested in elephants, leopards and all the other big mammals, then you will be pleased to hear that Bundala National Park also has a small but very visible population of elephants (between 25 and 60 depending on the season), as well as civets, giant squirrels and lots of crocodiles. Between October and January, four of Sri Lanka's five species of marine turtles (olive ridley, green, leatherback and loggerhead) lay their eggs on the coast.

Bundala stretches nearly 20 km along a coastal strip between Kirinda and Hambantota. Access is easiest from Tissamaharama and Kirinda. Bundala is open all the year-round. There's an excellent new visitors' centre at the main gate.

Climate

The climate of Bundala National Park is hot and dry. While the average temperature is 27 degrees Celsius, the annual rainfall varies between 900mm to 1300 mm. Dry season' falls between May and September. The best time to visit is September to March: during this period migratory birds arrive at the park.

It is spread in an area that consists of mainly of dry thorny scrublands, marshes and four brackish lagoons. The terrain is generally flat with sand dunes bordering the coastline.

Birdlife at the Bundala National Park is a sight to behold. Each species of water bird found in Sri Lanka is believed to visit Bundala National Park . Nearly 200 species of birds have been recorded within the park, out of which 58 species are migratory birds.

During September and March, hoards of migrants arrive in Bundala; among them are Marsh and Curlew Sandpiper, Curlew and Greenshank Golden and Kentish Plover, Large and Lesser Sandplovers. While the broad-billed Sandpipper and red-necked Phalarope are the rare visitors, the most famous migratory bird is greater flamingo. Hoards of flamingoes are one of the most common sights. In this period over 10,000 shore birds might be feeding at any one day.

The lagoons at the park attract a great variety of aquatic birds: among them are ibis, pelicans, painted storks, Black-necked Stork, terns, gulls, sand-pipers, snipes, teals, egrets and spoonbills. Endemic birds include the Brown-capped Babbler, Ceylon Woodshrike and Ceylon Junglefowl. Bundala is home to 32 species of mammals. Among them are civets, wild boars, Grey and Ruddy mongoose, porcupine, giant Indian palm squirrels, black-naped hares, Spotted Deer, Wild buffalo, the endemic, jackal and fishing and Rusty Spotted cats. While most commonly seen mammals are the hordes of grey langur and Toque Macaque.

Bundala National Park shelters a small population of elephants that varies between 25 and 60 depending on the season.

It is also a habitat for several species of Reptiles. Bundala abounds with estuarine crocodile and mugger crocodile. The coastal area attracts Loggerhead Turtle, Green Turtle, Hawk's bill turtle and Olive Ridley: four out of Sri Lanka's five marine turtle species, which come ashore to lay their eggs Between October and January. Watching egg laying turtles in the night, on the beaches of Bundala is a sight that no visitor would forget in his lifetime.

Vegetation

Among the 383 species of plants that have been recorded in Bundala, six are endemic species. Seven are nationally threatened. The prominent species are Weera (Drypetes Sepiaria), Palu( Manikara Hexandra), Satin (Chloroxylon Sweitenia), Kohomba (Azadirachta Indica) and Divul (Limonia acidissima). The dominant scrub is Andara.

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