The warm bundle of feathers had nestled into my cupped hand. I am used to holding inanimate objects, without snappy beaks or fragile twigs for legs. This was very different. I could feel everything inside this tiny creature, its heart beating violently, its legs twitching and its wings trying to flap anxiously. I extended my hand and revealed the sky to the bird. The bird took off from my hand and flew to the trees, leaving me feeling like I had launched a rocket.
This was one of the many new things I had the opportunity to experience during my visit to Point Calimere, in Nagapattinam, South India. I had done my bit of homework on the place I was going to. This place is a melting pot for migratory birds from all over the world. Point Calimere is right in the middle of the Central Asian Flyway, one of the nine flyways in the world. This is a junction for these migratory birds and makes this place rich in bird diversity and therefore a hub for bird enthusiasts.
Point Calimere has been trodden upon over the centuries by many voyagers and invaders - the Cholas, the Portuguese and the British. Like the ‘Gift of the Magi’, these three have left behind a little something for this unique piece of land in South India. A trading hotspot during the 16th century, this was where the ancient Cholas and the Portuguese set up business deals. The Cholas have left their mark here through remnants of an old lighthouse, which once stood tall, now lies broken down after a cyclone.
Today, Point Calimere is a large wildlife sanctuary that is home to Chital Deer and Blackbuck, whose populations are kept in check by feral jackals. The British also constructed a lighthouse and left yet another gift for Point Calimere - wild ponies. These beautiful brown equines were bred to be pack horses by the British. The Portuguese named this place after ‘Calido’, which means warm, and ‘Mer’, which means sea.
My trip to this place was part of a workshop to study the migratory winged visitors that passed by Point Calimere, on the way to their winter grounds. The best part of this workshop was the field trips; our birding safaris showcased different aspects of the area. Point Calimere is a fascinating mix of grasslands, backwaters, mangroves and saltpans. We went to the Point Calimere Sanctuary, a vast grassland where we stood, marvelling at the antics of the antelope, also known as a Blackbuck. Wild horses majestically grazed around, casually tossing about their glossy brown mane. The acrobatic Bee-eaters flew about in loop-de-loops looking like rainbow coloured arrows as they darted about. The ground was teeming with land birds as well, there was always a starling or a skylark in every part of the sanctuary. As we drove down further, we saw a crowd of egrets, huddled up in their pristine white plumage. Egrets always seem like the cattle of the avian family!
Next, we went to Kodikkarai beach, where the Bay of Bengal and the Palk Strait meet and create a new story. When two water bodies meet, they create a haven for wildlife. We spotted many washed-up shells of different shapes and sizes. Some cracked and hollow, after a desperate attempt of survival in the raging sea. Beady-eyed ‘Fiddler Crabs’ waved at us with their clawed hand. Their ‘crabby’ neighbours, the ‘Red Ghost Crabs’ were less welcoming; they scuttled back into their holes. ‘ Why are they ‘ghosting’ me?’, I thought to myself!
At the Vedaranyam Salt pans, the cool wind brushed past my face along with drops of rainwater as I stood in its never-ending stretches. This was my favourite part of the trip. I was seeing birds that I had never seen before, back in Chennai. Brahminy kites scoured the land, searching for prey while the sand plovers, stints and terns were having a gala time, wading in the waters for fish. But the true beauty passed over me in the sky. They say flamingos filter out lies from the truth. I do not lie when I say that this was a spellbinding moment; shades of pink splashed onto the rainy grey sky. This batch of greater flamingos flew past us with effortless grace, looking like sky ballerinas with pink tutus.
Not just birds were on my mind, while approaching the train station, after the three-day course. As I stared out of the window of the train, into my inner thoughts. I looked back in the rearview mirror, and saw myself with a keen eye, observing birds and conversing with others, who were twice my age. I was delighted to be in the middle of this knowledgeable company, which made me feel like an adult. Birds, friends, memories and a certificate in my hand, great return gifts from Point Calimere.
‘Harsha Prashanth successfully completed a field course on ornithology in Point Calimere’.
H you are lucky guy cheers