vedanthangal

Situated just 85 km away from the hot dusty busy city of Chennai, who would have thought that escape to the depths of nature was so close? Vedanthangal , a natural habitat for about 22,000 birds and 115 different species of birds was just waiting to be discovered by us. As tourist spots go, I guess this one is not that frequented. The general reaction when it’s mentioned is “heard about it but never been there”. Its only the avid birdwatchers who go there. And we falling in that category (ahem….) decided to check it out.

The best time to be there is at sunrise. That’s the time you get to see some activity as all the birds are looking for food. So Sunday morning 4 am saw spook and devil setting off towards the sanctuary on blue flame. The ride on the highway was uneventful. Once we turned away from the highway and into the sanctuary road, the surroundings seemed to change considerably. There was no high pitch noise of heavy vehicles and screeching horns. Instead the air was still and there was the sound of birds chirping. Very sweet birds at that ! The next 11 km was all about happily biking on empty roads and enjoying the bird sounds while figuring out the notes. And when we finally reached the sanctuary a breathtaking sight stopped us in our tracks.



The place is stretched out across 72 acres. There’s a lake with only marshes surrounding it and lots of trees sprouting everywhere from the marshes. Birds were perched everywhere on trees and bushes. On each tree there were at least hundred birds.



The best season to come here is October to February. That’s when migratory birds come and settle here. At that time there are nearly 75000 birds here and the trees can hardly be seen. Its all white and not green! But the sight here was no less. The sun was fresh in the sky and its reflection on the lake was beautiful. And the spectacle of swans lazily swimming on this golden water was equally breathtaking.




The pathway soon ended and there was only marshland ahead. It was time to get our hands (and legs) dirty ! And we’re happy we did cuz the most beautiful sights were deep inside the marsh territory. I managed to shoot this solitary lark on a bare tree with the other birds in distant background.



And then there were these trees which sprouted right from the middle of the marsh and their reflection on the still water was as good as real.



The sunlight shimmering on the lake through the tree leaves made a beautiful sight too.



Cant stop staring at the beautiful sights !




All in all, I'd say, a sunday well spent !