BIKING & BIRDING IN CHENNAI - WATCHING PELICANS!
TRAVELING IN MRTS CHENNAI
I was travelling by the MRTS in Chennai from Beach to Velachery. After Tiruvanmiyur the crowd in the train became sparse and I went to the door. Holding the central bar, I stood at the entrance and feeling the wind blow against the face is a fabulous feeling. Just then as soon as I crossed Taramani Station, I saw this huge waterbody. Well, that’s nothing unusual. But what was unusual was the fauna, not the flora!
PERUNGUDI LAKE
I saw these huge birds happily floating even in the day time heat of Chennai summer. This water body extended till the next station – Perungudi. Unfortunately there was no way I could jump out of the running train. But I had made up my mind, I had to be there sooner or later just to go to see the birds that floated by - that should one of the major bird watching spots in Chennai.
LADY BIKER IN CHENNAI - BIKING TO PERUNGUDI
That day came pretty sooner. Me, my cam and my bike – we were off to this lake. I enquired on the way about the whereabouts of Perungudi Station. I reached there a bit later than 10:00 and I was so doubtful whether I would be able to spot some birds, though I did spot them in broad daylight the other day. In Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, the birds just wouldn’t come out in heated up atmosphere. The birds there had to be spotted only at dawn and dusk. But here I was so taken aback to look at the huge birds so comfortably at 10:15 sunlight. Yes, the locals did look at me like they would look at a reporter or journalist, but I’ve become so used to it these days.
BIRDS OF PERUNGUDI LAKE - PELICANS
What are the birds that visit Perungudi Lake making it one of the best places for birding in Chennai? The birds I spotted here were Pelicans, Darters, Small Egrets, and Little Cormorants.
Pelicans were huge in numbers. There were so too many of them. They are bigger when compared to ducks, but have similar webbed feet. Their bills are huge as well and they have a baggy elastic pouch below their bills. I looked at how awesome they caught their fishes. As they flew, they descended down in full speed and caught the fishes along with the water, which they carried in the elastic pouch below their bills. It somehow reminded me of one of the last few scenes of Finding Nemo, when Nemo was rescued by Nigel. Yeah, that’s the right way I related to it. Nigel was indeed a Pelican. It was a relish to the eyes, to see the fish through the transparent pouch!!! I was amazed, beyond description by words!!!!!
It was so astonishing for me to see them fly with such an ease, keeping in mind their size. Lemme tell you a secret about them. Pelicans have amazingly light weighted bones, which makes this feat possible.
Their wings were large and to see them in flight was definitely a visual treat. I caught a few shots as they were floating by, but I wanted to take a few shots of the birds in flight. Some patience and some reflexes and yeah, I was lucky enough to get a few shots like that. Pelicans are called Koozhaikada in Tamil.
BIRDS OF PERUNGUDI LAKE - DARTERS
Darters on the other hand are pretty small birds, black in color, with an unusually long and slender neck. Unlike the other water birds, Darters keep their body partially or sometimes completely under water. So only the snake head is seen above. Darters are called Paambu Thaara in Tamil, which literally means Snake Bird.
BIRDS OF PERUNGUDI LAKE - LITTLE CORMORANTS
Little Cormorants are nothing but a relative of our own crows. A bit bigger in size than our house crows, these are essentially water birds.
BIRDS OF PERUNGUDI LAKE - LITTLE EGRETS
Little Egrets are a bit different from the common egrets / cattle egrets that we usually spot in villages. Unlike the cattle egrets, the Little egrets are white (cattle egrets are a bit yellowish), and only their feet is yellow and rest of the legs are black (cattle egrets have black limbs). I was more than lucky to get this shot of an egret with a fish in its beak!!!
I was more than happy to spot so many birds at the same time after so so so long. I think Vedanthangal was the only place earlier where I saw so many birds together. But here in an absolute city atmosphere surrounded by MRTS, IT Highway, et all, I was more than glad at the gift and took my ride back home!!! This is definitely one of the birding hotspots in Chennai.
BEST TIME FOR BIRDING (BIRD-WATCHING) IN CHENNAI: Nov-Feb esp. Dawn & Dusk. Birds
HOW TO REACH PERUNGUDI LAKE, CHENNAI
On Google Maps: Perungudi Lake
How to reach Perungudi Lake by Train: Located between the MRTS Stations Perungudi and Taramani
How to reach Perungudi Lake by Road: The small lane opp. to TCS in the Taramani 100ft road (Velachery-Taramani Road) leads to the Perungudi Station. Locals would be more than happy to help you identify which small lane is to be taken. The nearest bus stop is Taramani.
What beautiful birds, and in the city too!
ReplyDeleteNice captures.
ReplyDeletewww.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com
wow nice captures busha.....and loved the comparison with nigel......And similar collection of birds can also be found in Okkiyam river near karapaakam bridge......Very near to perungudi lake or probably an extension of it.
ReplyDeletevery nice captures! haven't seen them even though my college is near by.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos !!!
ReplyDeleteVery nice nature!!!
Greetings
Wow! A lake in perungudi is a news to someone who worked there for almost a year (but that was way 3 years back)! I never knew this or seen this. How beautiful it must be to have such a huge lake amidst giant corporate buildings! I so want to go and visit this!!
ReplyDeleteHi bushavali
ReplyDeletenice picture gallary
good narration
thanks & regards
Krishna
tripandtrace.blogspot.com
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThis is an educative post for me. I learnt so much about these birds. You photos are wonderful.
Best wishes,
Joseph
It's always fun to watch the birds, especially sea birds. Lovely photos. Really like the flying pelicans
ReplyDeletewow! bird watching in the city. awesome.
ReplyDeleteenaku entha paravaiku entha entha peyar nu theriyathu. good work :) photos were great.
ReplyDeleteI believe it's the first time I see pelicans in India. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteHi Push
ReplyDeleteYour narration was so excellent and reader friendly. You start write in Tamil.
Regards
Bharathidasan.S
Wow! Mitr, pretty special bird shots you have taken.
ReplyDeletepretty bird shots...
ReplyDeleteAnd you have got a lovely & unique blog.. !! This is the first travel blog I have seen to showcase unusual places..!! Keep going .. and all the best ...!!
You sure are bringing out the best things in Chennai :)
ReplyDeleteProf.Sathyanarayana,Wildlife,Retd-A.V.C.COLLEGE
ReplyDeletesettled at chennai
We are really gifted with Pallakaranai Ecological Heritage- On 15th September 4 p.m visited Pallakaranai
Lucky to sight very closely the Pheasant tailed Jacana with chick
u r right i too sighted hundreds of Pelicans sitting on high tension towers and cables
This behaviour may due to lack of roosting trees
@Anu,
ReplyDeleteIt was all fringes of the city which came into the city as the city expanded... Hope it survives the demands of the city...
@Niranjan,
Thanks sweetheart... :)
@Ayesha,
Thanks sweety... :)
Yeah I've crossed Karapakkam Lake too. But never been there again for proper bird watching...
@Venkat,
Hope you've seen them by now... :)
@Magda,
Thanks love... :)
@Vaish,
ReplyDeleteDo visit and share your pics too. I'll be delighted to see the place thru your lensview... :)
@Krish,
Thanks dear... :)
@Joseph Cheta,
Thank you so much Cheta... :)
@Janie,
So many thanks for your appreciation... :)
@Rizalenio,
ReplyDeleteThanks dear.. :)
@Naveen,
My knowledge too is too little in this field... :(
Thanks Naveen... :)
@Jose,
Pelicans have been here since long. Spotted Pelicans have now made this place their home as well. They don't go back anymore... :) :) :)
@Bharathidasan,
Thank you so much dear...
Welcome first to my blog. And do keep visiting. I'd love your visits & comments...
And yeah, I already write in Tamil in my another blog...
Thozhhi Mitr Friend
@Roy,
ReplyDeleteWow Roy. That's a great compliment to have gotten from a professional bird photographer like you... :) Thank you so much Roy...
@Emreen,
Welcome here to my blog dear...
Do visit often dear. I'd love your visits & comments... :)
Thank you so much for your appreciation...
@Sathish,
Thanks dear...
@Prof. Sathyanarayana,
Thank you so much for your visit.
I am so delighted to you took time to go through my blog and comment also.
I'd love it if you could visit often... :)
Indeed we are gifted to have Pallikaranai Marsh in Chennai...
And yeah, I too got to see Pheasant tailed Jacquana there...
Reading this now (July9th, 2018) I am staying near-by such a beautiful lake with lot of Pelicans......thanks for these nice photos.
ReplyDelete