Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary – Breeding Colony of Water Birds
In the peak season, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary accommodates more than 40,000 birds. It will be nice to see painted storks,grey herons,grey pelicans, cormorants in large numbers. Its always astonishing, how migratory ducks come this long for nesting!
One of the famous bird sanctuaries in Tamilnadu is Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary. It is just 75 kms from Chennai which makes this a favorite destination for bird lovers of Chennai. The 74 acre protected sanctuary was previously a hamlet for hunters. This bird sanctuary is the nesting ground for various water birds like painted stork, spoonbill, open-billed stork, black-headed ibis,grey pelican,grey heron etc.
Amateur birders and photographers prefer Vedanthangal as there is well paved path and watch towers for watching the birds. November to March is the best season to visit this sanctuary as the birds will migrate from cold countries and start nesting. Vedanthangal is the best place to show untamed wild birds to kids.
We have been to Vedanthangal countless times, but everytime something memorable would have happened. One time the painted storks were nesting in every tree in Vedanthangal, another time the place was bone dry and we didn’t even spot a single water bird. One time Vedanthangal was flooded with butterflies and another time we spotted one of the rarest flowers Murdannia . The list of events goes on.
One special thing about Vedanthangal is that , like the Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary, people in the nearby villages care about these birds and don’t even burst crackers during Deepavali which is the most celebrated function in India. So we visit Vedanthangal on Deepavali every year and enjoy cracker free Deepavali with birds.
The places near Vedanthangal also are good spots for birding as they are mostly open grounds with not much human interference. There is also a less known Karikili Bird Sanctuary nearby. The entrance is free to this bird sanctuary but not many birds nest here. But this sanctuary is a good place to see golden oriole,spotted owlet, paradise flycatcher, blue-faced malkoha, cuckoo shrike type of birds.
Here are few memorable events from Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary.
While birds are the big draw for the people going to Vedanthangal , it was the butterflies that got us started. The place around the sanctuary is a magnet for the butterflies because of the wild vegetation found around the area.
Osbeckia Zeylanica,Sopubia trifida,Platostoma menthoides (South India Thyme) were found in Vedanthangal. Apart from these common flowers, we have even spotted the rare Murdannia striatipetala in Vedanthangal.
We usually start very early and reach Vedanthangal at Sunrise. Early morning is the best time to do birding. We love hearing birds sounds and see Sunrise, so we never miss an opportunity to watch Sunrise.
Sometimes we won’t see any birds except for crow,myna, red wattled lapwing. In those trips, we just see everything else, like these lilies and frogs and insects. Vedanthangal is a safe place near Chennai to spend leisure time. So we never hesitate to visit Vedanthangal.
As long as you are in outdoors and if you know where to look at, you will find all these hidden magical creatures. Some find it scary and some find it interesting. We are the later category.
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is famous for water birds. But you can see birds like Sunbird, Golden Oriole, Hawk Cuckoo, Rose ringed parakeet, Spotted owlets and many other birds enroute to Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary. We can spot birds like Paradise flycatcher, Blue-faced malkoha also on the trees along the pathways in Vedanthangal, Karikili Bird Sanctuaries.
Eurasian Wigeon is one of the winter migrants in Duck Species. They visit regularly to Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, which clearly indicates that this Sanctuary is a very important place for migratory birds.
We feel happy when the birds nest carefree with no worry about predators or food. The Painted storks, Open-billed storks feel safe and start nesting in Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary in the winter months. How fascinating that this place got transformed from hunters ground to a sanctuary for birds.
When we go to Vedanthangal on Deepavali, usually the sanctuary will be not crowded with people. So it is the best time for birding, as the birds fly around casually. One Deepavali day we saw 4 Spotted Owlets sitting casually on the trees so close to the pathway.
Many thanks… for sharing it.
Yeah 🙂 🙂
The right way to celebrate diwali..!!