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Soar away
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Ten kilometres north of Vedanthangal is the Karikilli Bird Sanctuary, where thousands of birds congregate
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Photo: R. Ragu
AVIAN RETREAT A view of the Karikilli hill
The Karikilli Bird Sanctuary is located 10 km north of Vedanthangal. Covering an area 61.12 hectares, it is twice the size of the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, but not half as popular. There are bird congregations during the season at Karikilli, but t
he figures are nowhere near what you can expect at Vedanthangal. During my visit on November 15, there were three to four thousand birds at Karikilli.
Common teals and pintails were found in large numbers. Vedanthangal and Karikilli are visited by almost the same avifauna, but the painted storks are said to keep away from the lesser-known sanctuary.
Geographical reasons are cited for the painted stork’s rejection of Karikilli and also the relatively poor avian turnout there. The Karikilli Lake is made up of two irrigation tanks, but it is shallow. More often than not, it dries up by December, the month when painted storks get down to nest-building activity and settle down.
Unlike Vedanthangal, the Karikilli Lake has to be deepened. Vedanthangal benefits from “a water sharing arrangement”.
From an over 10-km channel that connects Uthremerur and Madhuranthagam lakes, a check-dam is created at Katyampandal and water is diverted through a five-km channel to the Valayaputhur Lake.
When this lake overflows, the lake at Vedanthangal gets filled up, thanks to a two km channel.
In contrast, Karikilli depends on a channel made to harness rainwater flowing from a small mound called the Karikilli hill. A. Selvam, forester, Vedanthangal and Karikilli Bird Sanctuary, says creation of an eight-km channel from Nelvai to Karikilli could give this sanctuary the advantage that Vedanthangal enjoys.
For now, the wildlife department is trying out other options. They plant trees, each separated from the neighbouring one by 10 metres.
A water channel is cut through the centre of each of the 10-metre patches.
Heartening news for birders!
For further details, call 24321471.
PRINCE FREDERICK
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