About 9 km from Galle Face in Colombo in Rajagiriya there is a small reservoir or tank called Nelum Vila. It’s flanked by the busy Buthmaguwa Road and an area of wasteland. Local youths on motorcycles hang about by Gal Palama bridge, or wait for friends at the “Stunt Track” – a scrap of dirt surrounded by a store of unused concrete lampposts. The lake seems like a forgotten area of town, waiting for development. Plots of land are up for sale nearby and the huge tower blocks of the Fairways and The Elements loom high above the quiet waters.
There is a small island in the middle of the lake – Coca Island, according to Google Maps. So close to a busy road and in a built up area, I wouldn’t have expected it to be a biodiversity hotspot, but this has to be one of the most remarkable areas in Colombo. Over the last five months hundreds of birds have nested on the island, including the spectacular painted storks, oriental darters and great egrets.
At the moment hundreds of black faced Ibis and Cattle Egrets fly in to forage and roost each evening, purple and grey herons are raising chicks and scores of little cormorants rest. On the lake pheasant tailed jacanas, spot billed pelicans and grey-headed swamp hens, search for food amongst the water lilies. It’s an amazing spot. I wonder how long it will last.
Nick Hardcastle 
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