City trails take flight with birdwatching

On a cool Sunday morning, the Chennai Times City Trails series kicked off with the birdwatching expedition, ‘Birds of Pallikaranai’. From a pool of over 300 entries, around 50 enthusiasts were selected for this trail that lasted over an hour and a half. All set with their binoculars and cameras, participants delved into the avian world of the marshland, observing and learning about over 40 species.
‘MORE BIRDS YET TO ARRIVE’

Explaining about birding and migratory birds, Umesh Mani, a member of the Madras Naturalist Society, informed, “Among the birds we saw on this trail, many were migrant species, like the Eurasian spoonbill, glaciers, among others. Over the next few months, there will be a lot more migratory species that can be spotted here.”
‘Relaxing & educational’

“Birding has something for people of all age groups. For the elderly, it’s a pleasant activity and for the younger generation, it is a chance to learn more about nature, birds, our own practices that cause damage to the environment, and what are the things we can do to protect the city we live in,” says Umesh Mani.
‘This lifestyle fascinates me’

Our celebrity guest, director and actor Ananth, shared, “To know that this Pallikarnai marshland has so many species of birds, and that there are people who have this lifestyle that connects so deeply with nature, fascinates me. Today was my starting step to a beautiful journey of connecting more with what exists near me.”
Moorhen, egret and...

Purushottam, a bird watcher, shared, “This place has totally been revamped from what I last remember it to be. A lot of people know that it’s a marshland, but how many know that they can really walk along such a huge area and watch all these bird species? I captured some birds like the moorhen, egret, spoonbill, and kingfishers in my camera.”
Different perspective

Malini, a HR consultant, shared, “This is the first time that I have gotten a different perspective of the marshland.
This trail was magical. Even the smallest of birds have a name; some have even migrated down here!”