Ducks,
Cranes, Pelicans and more….. or simply … white birds, ducks, the ones with blue
tinge…. One need not be an expert – still one can enjoy the winged visitors for
sure….. for those used to concrete jungles missing even the common sparrow,
these birds are quite enrapturing. Wetlands
are the most important of life-supporting ecosystems that have sustained human
lives and communities over the millennia.
Vedanthangal
birds sanctuary is one of the smallest and oldest in the country with a unique
history. The local people have been protecting the sanctuary for centuries now
because they have realized that the bird droppings falling into the tank
increases nitrogen content of the water and when used to irrigate crop
increases the yield greatly and saves the cost of fertilizers. As far back as
1798, the village folk convinced the authorities to give protection to the
birds of the 30 ha. area of the Vedanthangal tank. Around 30000 birds come
every season even though the area is just 30 ha…… the lake attracts multitudes of herons, egrets, storks,
ibises and spoon bills.
Vedanthangal
Bird Sanctuary is a 30-hectare (74-acre) protected area located in the
Kancheepuram District around 75
kilometres (47 mi) from Chennai on National Highway 45 (NH45), south of
Chengalpattu. From Chingleput, Patalam,
famous Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal temple, Thirumalai Vaiyavoor – it leads
there.
When
Chennai and its neighbourhood was devastated by floods in Chennai, it did some
good to the bird sanctuary. It brimmed
with life and sound of migratory birds which come every year for nesting and breeding. For the last two
years, poor monsoon played spoilsport for birds which could not nest and breed
properly in the sanctuary. Copious rainfall wooed more winged visitors and
humans too followed – those who came were thrilled by the sight of painted storks, open-billed storks,
cormorants, night herons and cattle egrets, besides black and glossy ibises
frolicking in the water bodies full of fish or relaxing on trees.
Generally,
the migratory birds being leaving by
end-February or early March and by the end of the month just 100-200 birds,
most of them painted storks which usually arrive late, remain; but this time,
it reported that nearly 82,000 birds have been counted and are almost reluctant
to leave, say officials. The extend stay of the birds this time, officials
claim is due to the work put in by the
forest department last year. Even before the monsoon began in November, they deepened the pond and desilted the five
channels, released tens of thousands of
fingerlings. They also removed from the
tanks cat fish, a predatory species that usually feeds on other smaller fish
and brings down their population.
Here
are some photos taken by me during a visit in Dec 2015.
Regards – S. Sampathkumar.
