As part of Madras week, Madras Naturalists’ Society had organised a free Bird watching walk at Perumbakkam Tank. I am not into bird watching but I had to get up at 5AM today to take my son who is very interested in birds.
The lake is opposite to Elcot IT Park in ECR Link Road where HCL/Wipro/Cognizant/Tech Mahindra offices are there, coming from Velachery Vijayanagar bus stand towards Tambaram on the Velachery Tambaram Main Road (ride over the two flyovers), you take a left turn before Medavakkam junction going towards Sholinganallur, the tank is before the Toll Plaza. You can also reach the place from OMR side. The Perumbakkam Tank is part of Pallikaranai Marshland protected by Tamil Nadu Forest Department under a 2014 G.O. Even with the ECR link Road noisy with traffic plying, you can see rich variety of birds here.
My son says he was able to see Ruddy Breasted Crake, Yellow Bellied Petorina, Chestnut Petronia and Spot billed Pellican. Apart from this location, you can go to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s observatory centre at Pallikaranai Wetland (தமிழ்நாடு வனத்துறை கருத்து விளக்கக் கூடம், பள்ளிக்கரணை வனச்சரகம்) where there is a watch tower; you can reach the centre through the road through the IT Park (you need to inform the security that you are going to the observatory).
Update 24/August/2015: I was thrilled to read today’s The Hindu Newspaper. In it’s Chennai Edition’s Page 2, my son’s quote has appeared. He is flying in cloud nine, I have asked him to use this encouragement to develop his interest in this field further and learn more.
