Day 23 - 'Seru' in action

Some farmers in Pattiyawela village, including my host, have muddy paddy lands under both the village tanks, namely the Attulawewa and the Pattiyawela wewa. Today, many farmers decided to start paddy cultivation under Pattiyawela wewa, months behind the paddy cultivation that took place under Attulawewa.

Due to this late start, many farmers were worried about the success rate of the paddy seeds. While water was the main concern, I was also told by many farmers that a bird species referred to as 'Seru', usually found in Pattiyawela tank, is one of the most significant wildlife threats in the first few days after sowing.

So today I made it my mission to see these birds in action, but as they are nocturnal, I visited the paddy lands around sunset. I stood under the iconic tamarind tree and waited to capture a photograph of 'Seru' in action. Unfortunately, while my naked eye witnessed their attack on paddy seeds, my camera was not very lucky. However, I was able to capture a beautiful sunset, as you can see.

There are two preferred methods to stop the 'Seru' attack: one is physical presence, where farmers stay all night protecting the paddy field, and the second is to light a small controlled fire on the border of the paddy field. However, I am told that the 'Seru' bird somehow finds a way to steal some paddy seeds.