'Wild Wings' to flutter soon

Great Barbet	Malabar Trogon
Brown Fish owl	Velvet- fronted Nuthatch

Primarily Lester Perera is a birder and researcher, with over 25 years experience in bird watching alone, and is undeniably one of the most accomplished bird artists in the region. He has held over half a dozen solo exhibitions in Sri Lanka and exhibited his work at many international exhibitions. Most notable being invited by the RSPB (The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) for 'Art on the wing' 2005 exhibition, to show his work along with the topmost wildlife artists in Europe at the Maclaurin Gallery in Scotland. He has contributed immensely to conservation here in Sri Lanka as well as abroad. He annually donates his work to the oriental Bird Club of the UK, which is auctioned at the British Bird Watching Fair held in Leicestershire, the proceeds are used for significant bird related conservation work of the Oriental region.Regarding painting, Lester desires to be modest by saying that these are 'all field experience' and based on careful observations and loads of field sketches and notes. It has been a long and arduous journey.

Like any child, he loved animals; ultimately, he claims that his genes may have played a greater role in turning out to what he is today. Unlike most children in their early years he spoke of Purdy's, Holland and Holland, Remington's, Point 22s, 30 06s, 375 Magnums (reputed guns, manufactures and calibers) and fishing gear, part of his father's and grandfather's vocabulary and also due to the collection of books and magazines such as Field And Stream, he browsed as a kid. Nevertheless, what his playthings were the 15 plus beagles and a couple of other hound breeds (Harrier and Fox). Throughout his childhood he had many wild as well as domestic animals as pets often-orphaned ones fondly nurtured back to healthy life on most occasions.His early years were spent in the outstations of Sri Lanka where his father worked as an agriculturist. Hunting during that era was a favourite past time, he trotted behind his father and his gunand on occasion got knocks on his head for not paying attention and heading faster than his father and his gun as his curiosity was greater to see what the tonguing (Hounds Barking) dogs were bringing out of the jungle. Most of his leisure time as a child was spent wondering observing almost anything natural, which caught his eyes. He had an enormous passion for snakes during that time, on occasion carrying them even to school too.

Ashy woodswallows

Contrary to the above, in subsequent years (1981) he worked at the National Zoological Gardens as a Student Guide. After leaving St Joseph's College, his Alma Mater, graduated to pioneer Sea Turtle research and conservation work in Bundala (south of Sri Lanka) for the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA). During his tenure at NARA he also undertook work on cetaceans (Whales and dolphins) which he is still involved in with leading Cetacean Biologist Anouk Illangakoon.During that time, he was instrumental in adding a new species of beaked Whale (Blainville's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon densirostris) to our waters. Along with Anouk and foreign funding, he has pioneered research on pelagic birds (seabirds) and cetaceans (Whales and dolphins). The research paper was presented at the Indian Ocean Cetacean Symposium held in the Maldives in July 2009. He has authored and co-authored many articles pertaining to Sri Lankan natural history, mostly of his research findings. Presently he and his close colleague Uditha Hettige are researching into two species of critically endangered endemic species of birds of Sri Lanka.

Today he is one of the leading naturalists in Sri Lanka as well as in India. His adventures in India began in 2002, back- packing the Western Ghats of Kerala and Western Tamil Nadu. These research expeditions were interesting and gruelling, staying in dingy cheap rooms at nights sleeping at bus stops after having reached one destination late at night and no place to stay, thus he began a new career in India which most bird watchers dream of today by leading bird watching research expeditions there.

The exhibition is sponsored by, the Bird and Wildlife Shop (Pvt) Ltd.

Dealers of Pitta Products, Opticron, Swarovski and Kowa birding optics in Sri Lanka. The exhibition of paintings 'Wild Wings' will be at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery (Harold Peiris) from August 7 to 9 August 2009, and will be open to the public from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm.