Birds in paradise

EVERYONE HAS heard of Vedanthangal, but few city dewllers have visited it. The residents of the concrete jungle most often have just pigeons and crows to watch.

Never mind. The Children's Park, Guindy is home to some of the Vedanthangal birds, and the recent rains have pleased them no end.

Through the torrid months of the summer, the birds had to be content with dirty water, which the park has now managed to remove in the aviary.

Extra loads of water, a dozen, in fact (each load is about 10,000 litres) has been pumped into the ponds. Using motors, the authorities drained about 1.25 lakh litres of water from the ponds earlier. The work began a week ago and it was completed recently, says Mr. K.S.S.V.P. Reddy, Wildlife Warden, Chennai.

Today, the ponds are brimming with water, thanks to the heavy rains. The rains provided the right opportunity for the authorities to clean up the pond, says Mr. M. Premnath, Park Superintendent.

The aviary is one of the major attractions at the Children's Park. Almost all the visitors enjoy watching the birds walking, flying and swimming inside. Compared to other enclosures, the visitors spend more time in this part of the Park, officials say.

The pelicans swimming up and down in the new fresh water and other birds simply enjoying a good bath, thrill the young visitors to the park.

For serious birding, nearly 250 birds belonging to seven species, which are found in Vedanthangal birds sanctuary during the season, are all here. Grey and rosy pelicans, painted and spoon- billed storks, white ibis, grey, pond and night herons, little and cattle egrets, domicile crane, little and larger cormorants.

Almost all the species of birds that visit the Vedanthangal sanctuary have been exhibited here. Yet another speciality is the hatching of eggs by birds outside the nylon net which covers the aviary.

With assured safety and minimal human interference, a good number of birds which could not find a home in Vedanthangal settle down at the nylon nets to roost and nest during peak season.

By P. Oppili

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Section  : Southern States
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