Nature clicks by Pradeep

Sri Lanka Swallow ශ්‍රී ලංකා ලක්ලිහිණියා
(Cecropis hyperythra)
A cute bird from the Hirundinidae family, the family of the swallows. Endemic to Sri Lanka and resides in almost every region of the island.
Upper parts are glossy blue and the lower parts are rufous (reddish brown) and unmarked, including the rump. The tail is deeply forked. These characteristics can be used to identify them from other swallows.
They prefer open areas like paddy fields, grasslands in hill sides and tea plantations. They feed on insects and capture while flying. They build their nests by mixing clay and saliva and placing these mud pellets to form a bottle shape. Usually they build these nests in caves, underside of the bridges or even inside buildings. Spotted in the Madulkele area.

Sri Lanka Hanging-Parrot (ගිරා මලිත්තා)
(Loriculus beryllinus)

A small yet beautiful bird from the Psittaculidae family, the family of parrots. This endemic parrot species is the smallest one found in Sri Lanka, measuring about 13 cm in body length.

Both sexes show a red bill and red rump, while the male also possesses a scarlet crown.

Found at canopy level, the bird feeds on nectar, pollen, and the juicier fruits occurring in the canopy; they are also known to feed on soft seeds. They hang upside down to reach fruit, nectar, and blossoms in the canopy; this explains why it is called the hanging parrot.

The often-given flight call is a metallic “zit-zit-zit” when flying around. It can also be given singly, as a drawn-out “zeeet.”

Crested Serpent-eagle
සර්ප රාජාලියා
(𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘢)

A bird of prey from the Accipitridae family, which consists of diurnal hawks, eagles and kites. As the name suggests, they preferably feed on snakes but also preys on frogs, lizards and other small animals. The "cheela" species name comes from hindi which means kite.

Spotted at the home garden, captured using Nikon D3500 with a 55-300 mm lens.

Instant Beauty 💚♥️

This common green forest lizard (Calotes calotes) was basking in the morning sunlight when I noticed a gradual but fascinating transformation. Its body colour, including the limbs, began to darken, and the white stripes along its sides became more prominent. Meanwhile, the head and neck region turned a vivid bright red.

In just 1–2 minutes, an ordinary looking lizard had transformed into a strikingly bold and vibrant creature 🤭. It then looked up toward a branch above and began performing the characteristic push-up display perhaps to show off its strength or dominance.

Since I couldn’t spot another lizard nearby, I’m not entirely sure whether this behaviour was meant to attract a potential mate or was a reaction to a perceived threat. Interestingly, after about five minutes, the colours began to fade and the red hue disappeared, and the body returned to its usual green tone.

Previous observations suggest that such colour changes can occur either as a stress response or as part of a courtship display. Either way, it’s a fascinating example of how expressive these lizards can be by using the body colours. The mechanism behind this colour change is an equally interesting thing for another post.