Location :
The Vedanthangal bird sanctuary is 85 kms from Chennai. It continues to be a paradise for bird watchers, especially during the winter season, when birds in myriad colours and kinds descend on the lake in hordes. Grey herons, little cormorants, white pelicans, hornbills, storks, egrets, darters are the popular winter visitors to this secluded retreat. Some of them travel thousands of miles all the way from Siberia, to avoid the biting cold. November to February are in fact the best months for bird watching at Vedanthangal. Every year, these migratory birds come from afar to nest here during this season. But their numbers are slowly dwindling because of the increasing pollution in the area and the dropping water level of the lake. Proper maintenance of the sanctuary is also lacking.
To visit Vedanthangal by bus, catch the direct metro bus to Chingleput, either from Parry’s Corner or Tambaram. It takes anywhere between 40 minutes to one and a half-hours to reach Chingleput. From there, private buses ply to Vedanthangal at an interval of every 40 minutes reaching the destination in roughly about half an hour. In addition, they wait at the sanctuary for about 30 minutes, sufficient time for you to complete your bird watching - as the sanctuary is not very large.