Winged visitors come calling

From Olive Ridley sea turtles nesting on our beaches to flamingos and rare ducks arriving at Pallikaranai marshland, Chennai is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts in December. During the weekends, Pallikaranai marshland is dotted with bird watchers and amateurs, trying to get a fabulous picture of the winged visitors. The migratory season of the birds spans from October to March every year. Arriving from the northern latitude, the birds frequent various pockets of the city – Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, Pulicat Lake, Mudaliar Kuppam, Kelambakkam-Kovalam belt and Pallikaranai marshland, right in the heart of the IT hub of Chennai. 

Thirunaranan KVRK, Founder, The Nature Trust, has been working with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department for the conservation auditing and documentation of the Pallikaranai marshland.  “We have been regularly monitoring the birds in the Pallikaranai marshland. In November, we documented 15,000 birds. In December, we saw many migratory birds. Out of the 160 species of birds observed, 60 per cent are migratory birds. Many kinds of migratory ducks - Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Eurasian Wigeon and Garganey – have been spotted here. 

Species like Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Grey- headed Lapwing, Pied Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit are rare migratory birds spotted here. An indicator of a good habitat is the presence of predators, which are drawn by an abundance of prey. Pallikaranai has many raptors or predatory birds, including prominent visitors,  Indian spotted eagle, greater spotted eagle, booted eagle, peregrine falcon, European Osprey and Pallid Falcon – indicating that the area is a healthy habitat,” said the conservationist, adding that these birds are attracted to Pallikaranai, even after indiscriminate dumping of waste and encroachment. 

S Chandrasekaran, a naturalist, said some rare migratory birds have been sighted here. “The bar-headed geese have been sighted in Pulicat. In Vedanthangal, a black-necked grebe was sighted, which is very rare here,” he said. The presence of these rare birds has resulted in an increase in the number of bird watchers, aided by sophisticated camera equipment. “People who are interested in photography have turned into birdwatchers. But on the flip side, fights break out among people, who crowd these spots to get a perfect frame,” added Chandrasekaran. Thirunaranan requests bird-watching enthusiasts to exercise caution while photographing the rare migratory birds. “With a growing number of the youngsters interested in photographing these birds, they tend to disturb the habitat. I only request people to respect the habitat, which if disturbed, will result in the birds not returning in the future,” he added. 

Home to Olive Ridleys: Chennai is also popular for the nesting of the Olive Ridley sea turtles, which arrive in abundance to lay eggs during this season. Shravan Krishnan, an animal rescuer and turtle conservationist, has been following the Olive Ridleys for the past 11 years, tracking the nests, protecting the eggs in the hatchery and releasing the hatchlings into the sea. He said that over the years, the nesting pattern has changed. “Usually, the nesting happens during December but over the last five years, the season has started in January. 

Early nesting period for this year has started. In December, we have found one nest and spotted 10 dead turtles,” he said, adding that the latest Government Order (GO) prohibiting the use of mechanised fishing vessels and motorised boats up to five nautical miles from the shore from the month of January to April, has been a shot in the arm for turtle conservation as most turtle deaths are due to fisheries- related interaction. Dr Supraja Dharini, Founder of Tree Foundation, said, “While the Olive Ridley nesting season has been delayed this year, our sea turtle protection force, consisting of traditional fishermen, have spotted many mating turtles and individual turtles within 3-10 nautical miles. We are sure to see many turtles this year.” 

The Olive Ridley nesting season draws not only academicians but also wildlife filmmakers from across the world. Shravan, who conducts regular turtle walks, said, “We have an awareness session before we start the turtle walk, to discover the nests. The eggs are transferred to the hatchery, usually manned by the traditional fishermen, who have been extremely helpful. After an incubation period, the eggs hatch and the hatchlings are released into the sea. We have also been seeing a spike in interest among children, who particularly come to see the hatchlings. People who have attended our walks become regular volunteers and eventually either take up wildlife filmmaking or other conservation pursuits,” he concluded.