With monsoon, Vedaranyam sees surge in winged visitors

TIRUCHY: The torrential rains battering the State particularly in the Delta region has witnessed a surge of winged visitors at Point Calimere bird sanctuary in Vedaranyam.

The field visits by the ornithologists at the sanctuary confirmed that the congregation of winged visitors have substantially soared since the crucial water bodies and marsh lands in other parts of the State visited by the birds were deluged.

Besides, the recent moderate showers in Vedaranyam vicinity have also doubled the feed availability of the visiting migratory water birds.

According to ornithologists, about twenty to thirty thousand migratory birds were said to have flocked the Point Calimere bird sanctuary in past few days owing to the rain factor which induces the availability of worms, insects, and saline microorganism preyed by the water birds in swampy lands. Of the 234 bird species that routinely flock the sanctuary here, shore birds, wader birds, flamingos and sea gulls were spotted in large numbers by the bird watchers for the past few days.

“There has been a sudden surge in the populace of birds at Point Calimere for the past few days. Since Pallikaranai marshland, Chembarambakkam and Vaduvoor lakes of the State are brimming with rainwater, coming days would witness more congregation of birds opting Point Calimere as safe haven,” an official from forest department said.

Among the wide variety of birds, Sea gulls, Terns, Pelicans, and Ducks approximately around one lakh in numbers were said to have taken shelter at the swampy lands of Point Calimere and adjoining localities including Siruthalaikadu and Vettaikaraniruppu near Vedaranyam.

As the migratory birds have started arriving to the sanctuary earlier, bird watchers have said that the ongoing season of Point Calimere till March would witness heavy strength in flow of the winged visitors.

Termed as an energy house for birds, the experts said that the feed consumed at Point Calimere by the migratory birds would guide them to reach their destination as far as Australia and Southeast Asian countries by covering a vast voyage of not less than 5,000 km.

According to the bird watchers, for the past two days the congregation of Flamingos, Cranes, Painted storks, and Pond Herons were spotted preying on the swampy lands nearby.

As the period between October and March serves as an ideal time for the winged visitors arriving from Arctic countries and Russia seeking safe haven in Point Calimere bird sanctuary near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district, bird watchers said that the visiting congregation of birds would halt at the Karaikal beach locality for a while.

“The rainfall at Vedaranyam was moderate; it was neither heavy nor scanty, it has induced the feed availability for the migratory birds. Besides the microorganisms in the swampy lands, the presence of shrimps, and worms here would help the birds to fatten for sustaining intercontinental voyage. We are expecting a busy season at Kodiyakkarai.” S Sivakumar, a birdwatcher from Vedaranyam said.

He also added that deluge like condition in other favourite destinations of migratory birds would divert a substantial quantity of migratory birds to Point Calimere where the feed availability was said to have doubled due to the average rainfall near Vedaranyam in past three days which is moderate comparing to the other parts.