Pulicat Bird Sanctuary

There was an article in Hindu telling great things about Pulicat Bird Sanctuary and about flamingoes who have come there.The journey took around 1 1/2 hrs drive (80 KM from my house). At times my driver drove my Suziki Baleno at around 120 KMPH (A very high speed for the condition of our National Highway). I felt like a Road king going at that speed.
If you go further north you will reach Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary. Nellapattu is located on the East Coast about 20-km north of the Pulicat Bird Sanctuary in the Nellore district. It is one of the largest pelican habitats in Southeast Asia with a total coverage area of 404-kms.Tsunami and other abrupt climate changes led to the sand bar's growth at the mouth of Pulicat Lake. These changes have also prevented water from Bay of Bengal entering the lake. This has forced migratory birds to leave. As there is not much
water left into the lake, the migratory birds like shovellers, pintails common teals, curlews, plovers, godwits, shanks, barheaded geese are taking shelter in less known wetlands like nearby Kudiricheruvu. Even smaller birds like waders have also shifted to Kudiricheruvu.The 461 km Pullicat lake extends over Ponneri and Gummidipundi taluks of Tamilnadu and Sulurpet and Tada of Nellore districts of AP.Pulicat Bird Sanctuary is the third most important wetland for the migratory birds on the eastern seaboard of India.
The lake is an important area for a variety of resident and migratory birds like waterfowl, pelicans, herons, egrets, storks, flamingos, ducks, gulls and terns.
More flamingos flock the islands of Venadu and Irukkum, the sanctuary which comes under AP. I had visited Pulicat in Nov 2005 (photo below). The water Level has come down drastically.

As far as birds are considerd, I could see only few egrets and few Asian Openbill and the trip was a dissapointment. Howerve on the way I saw a beautiful temple being constructed. The architecture is fascinating and merges with the surroundings.

Next time, I think I will give a visit to Nelapattu village, off the National Highway 5.

Nilgiri Langur - Trachypithecus johnii

Nilgiri Langur is found in the Nilgiri hills of the Western Ghats in South India. It's range also includes Kodagu in Karnatak, Palani Hills in Tamil Nadu and many other hilly areas in Kerala. This primate has glossy black fur on its body and golden brown fur on its head. It is similar in size and long tailed like the grey langurs. Females have a white patch of fur on the inner thigh. They live in troops of five to 16 monkeys. The animal is often seen encroaching into agricultural lands. It's food comprises fruits, shoots and leaves. The species is endangered due to deforestation and poaching for its fur and flesh, the latter believed to have aphrodisiac properties. Like its primate cousin, the lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri langur is an endangered species. Nilgiri langurs live in environments between 3,000 and 7,000 feet, and are mostly arboreal in nature.

Adjutant Stork - Leptoptilus dubius

The Adjutant is named so, because of its similarity with the military Adjutant, an assistant who stands at attention while superiors file in. The Adjutant will stand motionless for hours at a time in its tropical home. It is a native East Indian Stork standing approximately 5 ft high, the tallest 6 or 7 ft in height. The Adjutant Stork is found in India and Southeastern Asia and protected by law in some countries. Primarily white with slate colored wings and back and flesh colored neck and head with some hair like feathers. The Adjutant is the largest of the storks, with a naked pouch on the chest that can inflate making the appearance of a pink balloon with black spots. The pouch is believed to serve as an air resorvoir in special circumstances. They build their nests high on the limbs of the majestic silk cotton tree. But in recent years, a growing number of hatchlings have been falling out of the nests. In Assam, people are using nets tried around tree trunks to save the babies. There are only about 1,000 greater adjutant storks left in the world, and about 80 percent of them are in the Indian state of Assam. Greater adjutant storks are a highly endangered species that requires complete protection wherever it occurs, in breeding and non-breeding periods. The Adjutant feeds off carrion and offal, its digestive system makes it possible to swallow and digest large bones. The Adjutant is a scavenger and eats smaller noxious animals like snakes. In Oriental cities the Adjutant was often present on the street scavenging meals, though due to improvement in sanitation, these storks have became rare.
Of the genus Leptoptilus, common in tropical Asia and Africa. The two asiatic species, L. dubius and a smaller species is found in the East Indies (L. javanicus). Another closely related species, the marabou, L. crumeniferus, inhabits Africa. These three species produce the beautiful marabou feathers sold and used in crafts. The Adjutant cares for its young in a large nest on trees or cliffs made of sticks.

Painted Stork - Mycteria leucocephala

You can see these birds in plenty in the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary. The Painted Stork, Mycteria leucocephala, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae.

It breeds in countries like India, Sri Lanka, eastern China, Kampuchea, and Vietnam. It is a resident breeder in lowland wetlands with trees. The large stick nest is built in a forest tree, and 2-5 eggs is a typical clutch. These birds nest colonially. They often share their habitat with other species of storks, as well as herons, ibises, cormorants, and spoonbills. They make their large nests in the trees close to the water's edge. The nests are made with sticks and lined with leaves. The males do most of the stick gathering, while the females build the nests with the sticks brought back by their mates. Incubation lasts for 27 to 32 days. Both parents incubate their eggs, and both care for their young. Once the hatch lings break free of their shells, they are fed regurgitated fish by their parents until they are able to catch their own food. The baby storks are sheltered from the sun by their parents' partially opened wings. When the storks are young, they are able to make a loud raucous call to attract the attention of their parents, but by the time they are 18 months old they are practically voiceless, just like the adult storks. Adult storks communicate mainly by clattering their large bills or hissing, or by visual "displays" such as bowing to each other or spreading their large wings. The young storks are brownish in color when they hatch, and don't grow in their full adult feathers, or plumage, until they are 3 years old. They are fully mature at 4 years old. The lifespan of these beautiful birds is around 20-28 years.

The adult is a large bird, 95-100cm tall, mainly white with black flight feathers. The head is red, and the long downcurved bill is yellow. The tail and legs are pink, and there is dark barring on the breast. Juvenile birds are a duller version of the adult, generally browner and lacking the bright colours of the adult.

The Painted Stork walks slowly and steadily in shallow waters or adjacent wet grassland seeking its prey, which, like that of most of its relatives, includes fish, frogs and large insects. The favorite food of the Painted Stork is fish, though sometimes they will eat frogs as well. The stork sticks its head into shallow water, with its bill partially open, and swings its head back and forth in search of fish. Sometimes it will use a wing to direct fish towards its bill. When it senses it has touched a fish or frog with its bill, it snaps it shut, capturing its prey. They will also eat snails.