Serendib Scops Owl (Otus thilohoffmanni)
Serendib Scops Owl (Otus thilohoffmanni), Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka
This was the main target for our Sri Lanka trip. This endangered species of owl was only discovered in 2001 by Sri Lankan ornithologist Deepal Warakagoda.
Our tracker to find the owl came back to us after one hour and told us good news and bad news, good news he had found the owl but the bad news was that he didn't think it was possible for us to even see it as it was quite a hike through the rainforest and it was perched in a really dense dark place. We decided to try anyhow. To get this photo I had to lie on my back on the floor of the rainforest and find the narrowest gap between the leaves and branches to shoot with 700mm. I was picking leeches off for the next hour which ultimately resulted in me getting blood poisoning from an infected leech bite.
Not the greatest photo...but at least a photo of this elusive endangered owl.
Serendib Scops Owl (Otus thilohoffmanni)
Serendib Scops Owl (Otus thilohoffmanni), Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka
This was the main target for our Sri Lanka trip. This endangered species of owl was only discovered in 2001 by Sri Lankan ornithologist Deepal Warakagoda.
Our tracker to find the owl came back to us after one hour and told us good news and bad news, good news he had found the owl but the bad news was that he didn't think it was possible for us to even see it as it was quite a hike through the rainforest and it was perched in a really dense dark place. We decided to try anyhow. To get this photo I had to lie on my back on the floor of the rainforest and find the narrowest gap between the leaves and branches to shoot with 700mm. I was picking leeches off for the next hour which ultimately resulted in me getting blood poisoning from an infected leech bite.
Not the greatest photo...but at least a photo of this elusive endangered owl.