Muttukadu backwaters – A birding place on the East Coast Road

Muttukadu backwaters is one of the good places around Chennai for bird watching and weekend trips. Muttukadu is located on the ECR near Kovalam also called as Covelong. These are the backwaters of Bay of Bengal. The backwaters extend up to the ECR road. It also stretches parallel to the shore on either side of the ECR up to the Kelambakkam – Kovalam road. This place is full of birds like Spot Billed Pelicans, Storks and Egrets. Also a large population of gulls can be seen near the tidal inlet (where the backwater is connected to the sea).

This place has a history of serving as a port during the colonial period; the Dutch had built a fort here, later it was taken over by the Arcot Nawab, French and the British during their respective periods. Now a private 5 star resort called Fishermen’s Cove sits on this place. This resort is under the hotel chain Vivanta run by the Taj group.

The inlet connecting the backwaters to the Bay of Bengal is just adjacent to the resort. This place is ideal for bird photography and also early morning seascape pictures. The beach is relatively cleaner but stinks a bit due to the dumping of fish waste and fish drying by the local fishermen. 

     

Egrets enjoying their meal

Painted Stork

Common birds found here includes Painted stork, Spot Billed Pelicans, Egrets, Black Headed Gulls, Black Winged Stilt, Common Green Shank and House Crows. Early mornings are good for bird watching here as large flocks of Painted Storks and Egrets will be feeding in the shallow waters and can be easily photographed. As the sun raises these birds move towards the interiors or take shelter near the bushes.  However after the Storks and Egrets move out the place is occupied by flocks of Gulls and also smaller waders like the Black Winged Stilt and Common Green Shanks.

Black Winged Stilt

Common Greenshank and Black Winged Stilt

An Interesting observation

Gulls are believed to be intelligent, resourceful birds and exhibit a certain level of complex communication within their group. An example (see Pic below) of this can be seen in the Muttukadu backwaters. The local fishermen just leave the dried fish waste on the beach. The House crows on the beach will be feeding on the fish, as soon as the crows are airborne with the dried fish in their beaks, a group of adult and juvenile Black Headed Gulls which are sitting in the shallow waters will launch a co-ordinated attack on the Crow. The Gulls over power the Crow, take away the fish from it and land on deeper waters. This cycle was getting repeated again and again. Even though there is lot of fish waste on the beach the Gulls never used to come onto the beach. 

A group of  adult and juvenile Black Headed Gulls mobbing a House Crow

Black Headed Gulls in Winter Plumage

Have a nice birding time…………… Next post will be on the other side of Muttukadu backwaters, Off Kelambakkam –Kovalam road…………