Hidden hotspots: spotlight on Adyar bund at Mugalivakkam

Sathyakumar Shanmugasundaram, birder and a resident of Mugalivakkam, on how bitterns that occur in these parts are sighted at adyar river bund at Mugaliwakkaam

If birding hotspots were to be assigned mascots, the Adyar river bund at Mugaliwakkaam, near the military quarters should have the bittern as its mascot. Bittern of any stripe associated with Chennai can fill that role. Sathyakumar Shanmugasundaram, birder and a resident of Mugalivakkam, notes all bitterns that occur in these parts are sighted at this spot — the black, yellow and cinnamon bitterns. These birds being inveterate skulkers (the black and cinnamon bitterns have skulking down to a fine art) one can have fleeting glimpses of them in flight before they melt back into the reeds, elaborates Sathyakumar.

Sathyakumar paints a picture of the place: this patch is deliciously sequestered. By the side of the bund where birders flock to see feathers, the military quarters is paired with a small patch of reserve forest. Along the opposite bund, on the other side of the river, there is a stretch of reserve forest behind which lies the airport.

In terms of surprise visits, one worth wiring home about, members of the cuculidae family (put in a plain term, cuckoos) give the members of the botaurinae family (put in another plain term, bitterns) a stiff competition.

“I have seen the grey-bellied cuckoo as well as and the regular hawk cuckoos, which I have largely heard No sightting of Eurasian cuckoo,” says Sathyakumar.

Sathyakumar’s list includes the Indian pitta (“one can surely hear its call”). Sathyakumar remarks that birders have seen the Indian nightjar on the bund — he himself has not as he does not hit the bund at night.

Safety is not an issue on the bund as it is well-hoofed as a walking and to some extent, a jogging track. The bund faces the rear-side of IAS Colony and IPS Colony. Residents of these enclaves hit the bund for walking. The side of the bund bears markings denoting the kilometres — 0.5, 1, 1.5 all the way to 3 kilometre in increments of 0.5 kilometre.

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