Chennai Birdrace on 3rd Feb 2008

What is a birdrace?

A birdrace is a dawn to dusk event where teams of 4 bird-watchers will spend the entire day birding in and around a city (within a specified geographical limit to its outer boundaries). The participants will try and record as many species of birds as possible, learn about the finer points of bird-watching from the experts & the experienced, and then later in the evening, all teams will meet at a suitable venue over dinner and an interactive get-together.

To take part in the Chennai Birdrace, please register here:

http://www.blackbuck.org.in

Chembarambakkam

Chembarambakkam tank: 20 Jan 2008


Today we went to Chembarambakkam tank, about 20 km out of the city. We were: Thyagu sir, Doc, Sheila mam and myself. Doc had a big new camera: a Canon DSLR with a 500mm telephoto lens.
This was an MNS trip for the waterfowl count.
It is a big tank, and the source of the Adayar river.
I have mentioned in this blog before; the birdlife of the city changes dramatically a few kilometers away. This spot was also quite urban, with factories and houses and lots of people, but still, the birdlife was good.
It must have been a heaven about 20 years ago.
We saw the following:

Darters (about 10)
Paddyfield pipit (plenty)
Eurasian Wegions (about 4000)
Painted storks
Open billed storks
Yellow wagtails (several)
Pied wagtails
Kestrel
Blue tailed bee eater
Grey partridge
Indian robins
Ashy prinias
Indian rollers (they were spectacular blue, against the bright sun.)
Pied crested cuckoo
Marsh sandpiper (about 30)
Purple heron (3 or 4)
Cotton teals (about 50)
Brahmini myna (1)
Chestnut bittern (1)

We were back by 11.30 AM.