Home for some, free meals for others

Text and pictures by KUMUDU GUNASEKARA

The magnificent Bird's Paradise is situated in the middle of the Parakkrama Samudraya near Katu Wewa. A few months ago, I got the opportunity to travel to that small island which is very popular among the people who live around Polonnaruwa. Most of them use to identify this place as Bird's Island.

Our team of five with myself included got in to the boat owned by Siripala and began our expedition rowing the boat towards the island as the sun beamed down us.

On our way we passed many fishing boats trying to catch their days survival in the traditional style.

Our 40 minute journey came to a stop as we reached the somewhat one acre island where huge rocks spread through the island and was occupied with water birds and a few tall trees with various birds.

It was an orchestra of sounds to our ears as we observed water birds like Diya kavos (Great commorant), Sudu de thuduwa (Black headed ibis), Karawelkoka (Purple Heron) Sudu medi koka (Intermediate Egret) and Re koka (Black Crowned Night Heron) - permanent residents of this small paradise.

The water bird population is somewhere between 500 to 600 on this island and one would actually not have any room to live here. We had to creep through bushes carefully to walk to other side of the island. Every single bush was filled with bird's nests with two or three eggs in them. Some nestlings were yet to open their eyes to see the new world and they looked very pretty too. Some birds were trying to fly in their first effort and some whose effort fail, get entangled among tree branches fall to meet with death or a disability.

Among natural environs such as sun and rain, the tiny bird community has to struggle for survival. Those who have the strength to bear it win, while weaklings pay with their lives. These are attacks also levied by enemies who are also hunters. The Crow is the main hunter in this island. One can say they are lucky to live here as they have plenty of food targeting infants and don't have to scavenge as they usually do.

Hawk eagle are the mobile hunters in this place. When they find food they fly away with t from the island. Victory is for those who overcome these obstacles. These obstacles attribute to the small-scale expansion of the bird density. It is nature that controls all these arts. None can go against it.

Hence, endeavour to see this splendid environment at least once. What you should take back with you just memories of your experience and leave everything unturned as it does not belong to us, it but belongs to the birds.