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Avian attraction

The birds take you to another level, says SOMA BASU

PHOTO: SOMA BASU

WINGED VISITORS A slice of Vaduvoor.

If you fancy a date with birds, then this is the place for you. Between November and March, the well-maintained Vaduvoor sanctuary in Tiruvarur district is an attraction for migratory and numerous other species of birds. It takes less than an hour to cover the 40 km drive from Tiruvarur town to the sanctuary, which is bang on the Mannargudi-Thanjavur main road. You cannot miss the big green board of the Forest Department, which lists out the details about the spot.

Everything turns out to be nice about this place. First, the setting. Vaduvoor has a sprawling lake spread over 178 acres. Three sides of the lake provide an expansive space to wander around. From the main gate, where there is a cemented watchtower, a beautiful 1.5 km walkway leads you in. I forget I am in a bird sanctuary, for it feels like a walk through a forest. The green-shaded pathway is a cool respite and I can hear the continuous humming of birds. At knee level, colourful butterflies hover about. The Kothandaramaswamy Temple forms the backdrop on one side. The cemented road now curves and gives way to a muddy and pebbled path. The trees on one side are replaced with an electric sub-station and then by lush green paddy fields. Soon, I see the water through a bed of korai grass in the foreground.

I walk past a peepul tree, under which villagers sit chatting, and finally reach the second watchtower. This one is not particularly in good condition. The railings are tottering, few steps are missing and there is a gaping hole on the floor at the top of the tower. Ignoring them all, I find myself standing at the head of the lake. View from the top is picturesque.

Islands of green

Several earthen mounds in the placid water have trees such as Barringtonia, Acacia Nilotica and Inca Dulce. These serve as roosting sites for the visiting water birds, the caretaker Veerachamy tells me. They look like mini, floating islands of green. And on the trees are perched hundreds of birds. Veerachamy brings me a pair of binoculars and each time asks me to follow his pointed finger as he rattles off, "That's the white ibis, open bill stork, spot billed pelican, common coot, pond heron, egret, common sandpiper, snake bird, common teal, pintail, dabchick, red wattled lapwing, kingfisher, night heron, black winged stilt..."

The North East monsoon brings a large number of winged visitors to Vaduvoor. More than 20,000 resident and migratory water birds visit this sanctuary every year, coming from places like North India, Central Asia, Tibet and Russia. Over 40 species of waterfowl have also been recorded here.

Veerachamy, who has been here ever since the place was identified as a bird's paradise in 1990, points out that the sanctuary is basically an irrigation tank that receives water from the Mettur Dam from August to December. The bird population is highest during November and December due to the presence of a large number of teals and ducks. Though the water starts receding from January onwards, a large number of open bill stork are spotted up to March.

I watch, fascinated, the resting birds and those gliding off gracefully only to return to their favourite spot soon. As the shadows begin to fall on the water, I realise it is time to return. Veerachamy accompanies me sharing more information about birds and their behaviour. Suddenly he stops me and points towards a pair of little cormorants. The local migratory water birds of the sanctuary look a shade blacker in contrast to the fresh green branches of acacia where they are comfortably ensconced. The duo spread out their wings and jut out their stomach like we do while stretching out. "This means they have had a hearty meal," gushes Veerachamy. I try my best for a close shot but the distance is too much. Nevertheless, it's all imprinted in my mind.

Vaduvoor is 25 km from Thanjavur and 71 km from Tiruchi.

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