A family of pelicans has taken up residence on a transmission tower at Kattupalli in North Chennai, blissfully unaware of the debate they are sparking. Around 25 chicks are up and about now, and will soon fly out to start a new life. The presence of the birds indicates how crucial the Ennore-Pulicat wetlands are for wildlife, adding a fillip to the Save Ennore Creek campaign.
The chicks were discovered by a team of four, naturalists M Yuvan and Rohith Srinivasan, as well as social activists K Saravanan and Nityanand Jayaraman, when they recently visited the wetlands to document birds. “Apart from seven nests of pelicans, we also found a nest of a white-bellied sea eagle,” says Yuvan, adding that the team also spotted a large flock of garganeys (migratory birds that come from Russia), open-billed storks, black-headed ibis, Little Temminck’s stints and greenshanks. The team also saw a painted stork carrying a twig: a sighting that hints at a possibility of the birds nesting there.
