Sahil's Nature Blog: Birds @ Chempallikundu wetlands

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Birds @ Chempallikundu wetlands

My cousins took me to the amazing Chempallikundu wetlands near Madayipara in Kannur this evening for a quick walk to help them identify the 100s of wetlands birds that gather here every winter. I had heard of this place many years back but had strangely never been there (it's hardly a 20 min drive from my dad's ancestral home!). Even though we reached there too late and the light was quickly fading I glad to have finally made it here!

All those traveling on the train thru this area should look out for this spot close to the Ezhimala Railway station - you might see some amazing birds (like Open-billed Storks, White-necked Storks, Ospreys and Black Ibis to name a few) from the train itself!

Here's a few photos that try to capture the beauty/birdlife of this tiny wetland habitat along the railway tracks.

Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus) in flight

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) and a lone Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) in flight

Malabar Starling (Sturnia blythii)

One of the highlights of the evening was watching 100s of Malabar Starling (Sturnia blythii) coming in to roost...

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) and Intermediate Egrets (Mesophoyx intermedia)

Intermediate Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia) and Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)

Intermediate Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia) in flight

Intermediate Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia)

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)

A closer view of the Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) in flight, despite being quiet clumsy in flight it can fly long distances, and it is a good swimmer, especially for a bird without webbed feet.

Another Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) in flight. Take a good look at their feet they are huge and enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat similar to the Jacanas which share their habitats with these birds.

Unided Ducks - they were too far to make out - but it could be Northern Pintails or Garganey

More Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)

Mixed flock of Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Oriental White Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio), Intermediate Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia), Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus)