Two winter visitors made a special appearance at the Coimbatore wetlands. The Greater Spotted Eagle flew all the way from the Himalayas and birders Prakash G. and Pavendhan A. watched the migratory bird at Achankulam wetland near Sulur. “This is an unusual and special sighting. While it is regular visitor in Northern India, it is very rare elsewhere, especially in the peninsula,” says Pavendhan, a member of Coimbatore Nature Society (CNS).
The Grey-headed Lapwing stopped by for the first time here too.
“It usually breeds in China and Japan. During migration, it is often seen in good numbers in Chennai’s Pallikaranai marshlands,” says Pavendhan. It was Pradeep Kumar V.B., who spotted the bird at Ukkadam.
The Greater Spotted Eagle and Grey-headed Lapwing are the highlights of the recently concluded Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) of Coimbatore wetlands. Five members of the CNS — Pavendhan A., Prakash G., Sai Vivek, Pradeep Kumar V.B., Vijay Karikalan P. — participated.
“We covered 13 wetlands including Ukkadam, Perur, Vedapatti, Senkulam, Singanallur, Kannampalayam, Sulur and Achankulam. We recorded 101 species (39 water birds and 62 land birds). We also saw Barn Swallows and Warblers in and around the wetlands,” says Pavendhan.
The census, carried out between January 9 and 24, counted a total of 3,708 birds. Pavendhan says that the annual census helps assess the health of the water body and also studies the status of migration.
“In most wetlands the water level is good but highly polluted. Dumping of solid waste and sewage has to be stopped to maintain the health of the wetland. At Kalapatti, the water level has reduced. We carried a checklist and spent three to four hours every morning identifying birds.”
The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) has been done by 998 birders across Asia and the list is uploaded on the AWC-eBird online forum. Participation from Coimbatore tops the list.
P.S. Selvaraj, president of CNS, says that the AWC is scientific data and creates awareness on wetland environment. “As the data is uploaded online, the information is shared across the world.”
K. Mohanraj — secretary of Save Coimbatore Wetlands, a consortium formed in 2010 to protect the wetlands — says most wetlands are intact. “But, pollution is the main issue. In a few places, there are encroachments, the looming threat of development projects, and the negligence from authorities to treat sewage before letting it in. We have 30 wetlands in the Noyyal basin. Wetlands like Narasampathy, Kolarampathy, Ukkulam, Pudukulam, Senkulam, Puttuvikki, and the joint wetlands near Perur — the Ganganarayananasamudram and Sottaiyandi Kuttai — are relatively less polluted. Once the stream enters the city, it gets mixed with untreated water. The wastes generated in the city is drained into the wetlands. The health of wetlands determines the health of the city and the people. There is enough awareness; we have to graduate to action to save the wetlands and keep the birds coming.”
What is AWC?
The Asian Waterbird Census monitors the status of waterbirds and wetlands. It aims to increase public awareness on wetland and waterbird conservation. The census is carried out each January as a voluntary activity at national and local level. The AWC is co-ordinated by Wetlands International as part of the international waterbird Census. Visit http://www.birdcount.in/jan-2016-ebirders/
Spotted
Migratory birds
Barn Swallow, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Whiskered Tern, Northern Shoveler, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Garganey, Little Stint and Little Sandpiper
Water birds
Indian Pond Heron, Little Cormorant, Grey-headed Swamphen, Black-winged Stilt, Little Egret, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Whiskered Tern, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Northern Shoveler and Great Egret
