Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh, India

I am on a wild life visit spree. I wanted to visit Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary in Tamilnadu. This lake is near Andhra Pradesh Border reachabled via Ponneri but I thought the best part of the lake will be the part inside Andhra so went futher ahead till I got a telephone number on a board. Rang up the person and he told me better go to Nelapattu as Pulicat is not in season yet. So there I was. How to reach?
Just drive straight on NH-5 from Chennai to Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. NH-5 goes to Calcutta/ Kolkata. Or you can come in the opp direction as well. When you go just drive straight to Nellore. Cross TADA and then reach Sullurpet. There will be a toll plaza (if you are travelling from Chennai to Nellore) after that 15 kms ahead will be a flyover- do not cross that take the side lane and turn right under the flyover.. And there on the left side after you come on the other side of the flyover is the entrance to Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary. It is a fresh water lake and not salt water like Lake pulicat. And unlike Pulicat where you can boat (I am yet to check that) here you walk on the side of the lake inside a covered pathway and see the birds.
By the way after you cross a rail crossing you see the entrance to the Nelapattu bird sanctuary and then on the right side you see some forest offices. Do not stop there go ahead some 500 mts and then you will see the gate on the left side. 50/- for car, 2/- or Adult and 50/- for camera.
Useful phone number 08623 242158 Wild Life Management Division Sullurpet. This is the number who told me to go to Nelapattu and not Pulicat this time. Helpful.

Well the season just started one day earlier and so here are the first birds.. I guess they are Open Bill Storks [from the boards and pictures there]


But some openings need to be... err.. opened...as usual nobody to take care-- our inefficient Govts!!!! The chair is supposed to look out on the lake but the plants have grown and covered. Actually you get very limited view of the lake!! So there!! If you are a discerning visitor do not visit.




The one above is Pond Heron or paddy bird

These are Open Billed Storks. You can identify it by its beak having a gap when closed




But after these photos I see that most of the Birds Sanctuary I will need a 500 mm or higher super telephoto lens if I want to shoot larger photos. But considering that I was hand-holding the camera and the birds were moving so a bit of fudginess for the first time is excused.. Yes I excuse myself!!



There were also a variety of beautiful butterflies. The most beautiful one was red and black but never sat still and so I could not shoot it. These I could.

Common Butterfly - Plain Tiger above and Blue Tiger below







By the way I would like to tell the world that whoever comes to India to do business, even if the Japanese, they probably think the Indian Market is seller friendly. They are right too. Unlike USA where they are careful here they are not. I have found many deficiencies in such products and services. The latest one is that Canon cameras have started a simply club canon edge, where they allow only people who have bought canon cameras from Jan 2008 (EOS 400D and above) to be members. Not that I am losing anything by not being able to become member of this online club but why this discrimination? Would CANON have done this if it was USA? There is nobody to answer my queries even from Canon India Office. So much for Japanese service!! ha!

13 comments:

Shalini Gowrisankar said...

An interesting write up about Nellapattu bird sanctury , feels like I went on a tour to the place. Beautiful pics too :)

ShantanuDas said...

Thanks Shalini!!
But whatever I am posting about Tamilnadu or neighbouring States is only for you and your Chennaiguide blog. I got my inspiration from you and so wherever I go around I will post here for you to take the cue and write further as per your own taste.
Bye/ Take care

Reena said...

Nice picture of the butterfly, it's perfect! i like how you managed to center it :D

Which Canon club are you talking about? is it the iMage Gateway?

ShantanuDas said...

thnx Ree!!
No I meant this club at this link.
This must be for Indian Customers or whatever. But this is a real problem. All the so called MNCs (Japanese and all) come to India and start behaving like Indian Companies which usually fool customers and provide no proper service. And the fault is in our Indian System where the CAVEAT EMPTOR principle still rules-- due to absence of a proper consumer movement!!!

I will see ur Image Gateway that you have mentioned. :-)

ShantanuDas said...

Oh sorry!
The link of the club is here

http://canonedge.com/

anilpk said...

HI shanthanu,nice blog

pls visit my vlog & post your
remarks

I'll try 2 be truthful said...

hey shantanu , sometime back u had asked me about kalyan suman's blog . even i couldn't find it but i have his email id-->
starkalyans@gmail.com
u could ask him directly .

ShantanuDas said...

ok thanks!! I will do that

Sujoy Bhattacharjee said...

Good pics once again. As reena said, the butterfly close-ups are just about perfect. The first one, I think is a wee bit better. The second one seems just a little blurred.

And nice description too.

ShantanuDas said...

@sujoy
You are right..

after all I am get.t.t.in..gg.. ol.l.l.d... so haaa nd sha aak es sss.. butterfly keeps moving.. wind moves the stem... and holding.. telephoto 70-300 mm.. by haaaa n d dd dd

u see!!
haha!!

Anonymous said...

Lovely Pics Shantanu. Best pic: the buterfly close up.

TravellersDiary said...

It seems my comment doesnt have the hyperlink. Here's it: www.travellersdiary.net

Hope I'm not cluttering your comments sesction!

ShantanuDas said...

@Kalyan
No... it is okay. in fact I welcome all links with blogs that carry information on Indian Places.. since I do not have time to write... but only take photos... both my photos along with others' writings (& of course their photos too) can surely be a pool of information for the information seeker.

Image Map from some of my Photos - Click to visit the linked blogs

Colonial days at Calcutta, India Agra Fort Madurai Temple Architecture Fruits, India Silk Worm Cocoons, India Fish Market, India Happy Children, India Logging in Andaman Islands, India Tramcar, Calcutta, India Dharamshala, India Snowy Roads, India Painting by my wife, India Catwalk, India Fashion Show, India Beas River, Manali, India Autumn Leaves, Manali, India Snow in Manali, India Vagator Beach, Goa Mussoorie, India Mysore Palace Jaisalmer Desert, India Tamil Marriage Indian Market Scene Rajasthani Village Girl Birds of India Bay of Bengal, Pondycherry Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary Hogenakkal Water Falls, India Indian Roads Gulab Jamun, India Globalisation, India Indian Map Indian City from Sky Clay Pot Art, India Himalayas, India Benares, India Indian Palace