Winged Farewells at the Great Salt Lake: A Morning at Nemmeli
Marsh
8th March 2026
#intothewildwithrufus
With
March already underway, Chennai’s birders are a tad bit sad! Yes, we are
currently in the thick of departure season, when most migratory birds in and
around Chennai start heading back to their native breeding grounds, the mass
exodus continuing all through April.
By May, even as the peak summer heat sets in and the water
levels in local lakes and wetlands drop significantly, the vast majority of the
winged visitors will have completely left the area.
Be it the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, or the Pulicat
Lake & its Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, or the Pallikaranai marshlands, or the Nemelli marshlands, or the
Great Salt Lake, the migratory waders, flycatchers, and ducks that winter in
the city’s marshes and green spaces slowly make their exit, joining the
northward passage between March and April.
Hence it was, that a few of us wannabe birders, decided
to descend on the Great Salt Lake off Chennai, this dawning!
Indeed, driving down the scenic East Coast Road away from
the hustle and bustle of Chennai especially so early into the dawn of the day, is indeed an experience in itself. And along
this scenic route lies the sylvan Nemmeli Marsh and its Great Salt Lake!
And well, the Great Salt Lake is one of Chennai’s most
fascinating geographical features. Unlike traditional freshwater lakes, this is
a closed basin formed by seawater from the Bay of Bengal. The seawater flows
south and becomes trapped. As the water evaporates, it leaves behind shallow,
highly saline waters and distinct, arid stretches of land covered in salt
deposits. That’s hence the name, Great Salt Lake of Chennai.
Interestingly, the lake bed is also dotted with
inactive and semi-active salt pans (salterns), serving as a reminder of the
region’s history in salt production. Even as we drove down the the
Kelambakkam-Kovalam stretch, we could still find remnants of this era,
including the ruins of the old Covelong Salt Factory and a historic Central
Government Salt Department office whose foundation stone was laid all the way
back in 1893.
By six in the morning today, the marsh itself was alive
with activity. In fact, the sheer volume of life in the saline shallows is
breathtaking. Posting herewith from the 26 species of birds we had a darshan
of, today!
And…
the stunning standout of the morning today, was a magnificent Black-headed
Ibis.
Then
we spotted a tiny Little Ringed Plover scurrying along the ground. With
its distinct yellow eye-ring, it was such a beautiful sight to behold.
We
also caught sight of a wise and opportunistic Crow showing off a fresh,
silvery fish in its beak! I guess the crow itself musta been quite surprised at
catching a fish, something that the Kingfishers and the River Terns are known
for! 😊
We
then caught sight of a massive flock of Painted Storks resting and
foraging together, standing out beautifully against the grey-blue of the water.
We also caught sight of the shimmering Eurasian Spoonbills, that provided a majestic hue against the sunlight.
Sharing
these waters were the Black-winged Stilts. With their long, needle-thin
red legs, the way they were all wading through the shallows with the delicate,
deliberate steps of a bevy of ballet dancers was a sight to behold!
Slightly
further up, in the muddy banks, we spotted a pair of Glossy Ibis moving
through the reeds.
This
picture is indeed a rare and memorable one for the archives! A picture that
captured the great egrets, the little egrets and the spoonbills all in one frame.
Dominating the centre of the frame are the Greater Egrets. You can spot them by
their impressive height, long, graceful ‘S’-shaped necks, and striking
yellow-orange bills.
Mingling
so effortlessly among the ‘giants’ are the Little Egrets. They are identifiable
by their black bills and, if you look closely at the bird stepping forward in
the middle, their distinct yellow feet.
Over
on the far left, head down and actively feeding, is the Eurasian Spoonbill.
In
the dry, golden grass we spotted a Red-wattled Lapwing - delivering its
frantic, familiar calls!
From
the salt pan we then moved on to the nearby foliage that revealed an entirely
different cast of characters.
We
were lucky enough to spot a male Asian Koel perched amidst the tangled
branches. Its piercing, ruby-red eye truly captivated us!
No
trip to a South Indian wetland is complete without the flash of a kingfisher.
We were treated to the sight of a vibrant White-throated Kingfisher.
Then,
deep into the thorny scrub, we were surprised to see a striking Black-winged
Kite. Perched on top of a bare, jagged branch, this small raptor looked
incredibly elegant!
Then
came the Golden Hour with the Master Hoverer. Yes, we managed to track a Pied
Kingfisher - the undisputed master of the mid-air hover. Unlike the
White-throated Kingfisher, the Pied Kingfisher actively hovers over open water
to hunt.
Then
we had darshan of the male Purple Sunbird captured mid-song on a bare
branch. It was a perfect, vocal punctuation mark of sorts, to the morning’s oblations! 😊
Not
too far away, blending masterfully into the dry grass in natural camouflage, was
the Grey Francolin – a very shy bird that made a rare appearance.
Looking up, a tiny Plain Prinia sat perfectly balanced on an overhead wire, acting as a tiny sentinel over the entire scrubland.
Then,
we spotted a lot of Jungle Prinias all over the place.
And
the third Prinias of the day – the beautiful Ashy Prinias also gave their cute and
swift darshan for us before shying away from our gaze!
We
also spotted a pair of Pied Bushchats. The subtle, earthy-brown female
kept a quiet watch from a dry branch, along with the striking black male, that perched itself majestically near the blue-tailed Bee-eater!
No
trip to the scrublands is complete without the bee-eaters, and Nemmeli did not
disappoint. We were treated to the sight of an Asian Green Bee-eater, with
its unique black “eyemasks”.
But
the real showstopper was the Blue-tailed Bee-eater. With a brilliant
blue tail, they sat beautifully in such uniformed precision, waiting for the
prized catch! These birds are a common sight back in MCC as well. Watching
these acrobats launch from their thorny perches, snatch insects mid-air, and
loop back to the same branch is always a mesmerizing experience.
On
an aside, me thought of highlighting two interesting facts about the Asian vs
the Blue-tailed Bee-eater!
Firstly,
while the Asian Green Bee-eater is common in dry, open habitats, across scrublands,
farmlands, and even urban gardens, the Blue-tailed Bee-eater usually prefer
habitats closer to water, especially near rivers, lakes, marshes, and
mangroves, though they also forage in open country.
Secondly,
while both of these birds are native to India, the Asian Green Bee-eater is a
year-round resident across almost the entire country. They do not undertake
long-distance migrations!
However,
the Blue-tailed Bee-eater is a migratory species. They are known as seasonal
migrants across much of India. They fly in to southern India during the cooler
months near coastal areas, wetlands, and estuaries, before eventually heading
back north or eastward to breed, once summer starts! And hence, this is one of the
last sightings of the Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, for the season, ladies and
gentlemen! They head back to cooler pastures for the summer, and come back to southern
India only during the winter!
Coming
back,
We usually spot the Indian Peafowl, strutting
across open fields or dancing on forest floors. But today, we spotted a
gorgeous male perched incredibly high up in the fronds of a coconut palm.
Equally
surprising was our encounter with the White-breasted Waterhens. We
spotted one doing exactly what you’d expect - strutting confidently through the
thick, wet grass on its long, yellow legs. It’s added joy to catch these
typical ground dwellers on tree-tops, for a change!
We
also spotted a heavily streaked Jerdon’s Bushlark taking a quiet breather
on the sideways to the marsh!
We
captured a striking silhouette of two Black Drongos perched face-to-face
against the pale sky. With their distinctive deeply forked tails, they looked
like two old friends catching up on the morning gossip before diving off to
catch insects mid-air.
No birding trip in Chennai is complete without the handsome Red-vented
Bulbul. We found one perched delicately on a slender, dry stalk, looking
sharp with its glossy black crest, scaly brown body, and that signature pop of
crimson under its tail.
This Swamphen was an absolute marvel of colour. With its robust, bright red bill designed
exclusively for navigating marsh vegetation, it was a lovely sight to behold.
In
the scrubby edges of the marsh, a male Indian Robin made an appearance,
standing confident and alert among the tangled undergrowth!
Then we saw an express-image of the Kentish Plover and the Little Stint - the small waders which were out in full force,
turning the still water into a mirror.
Well, the Nemmeli Marsh is indeed a brilliant reminder of how much wildlife thrives just on the
fringes of Chennai! Whether you are an experienced birder with a long telephoto
lens or just someone with a pair of binoculars looking for a quiet morning, the
ECR wetlands always ensure that, they spring a surprise on you! As it did to us all, today!
A rewarding day, in every way!
