Day 1 - Nature Journal - On the banks of the Adyar River

 28th June 2025

Monsoon Beauty 2025 starts today!  For the last five years, India's Nature celebrates each monsoon with some nature appreciation and citizen science pushes.  This year too, they are celebrating the Indian SW monsoon from 28th June to 7th September.  here in Chennai, this is not our main monsoon, and this period is that sticky, humid, wet-blanket like phase, of still days where not a leaf stirs, and we are all also quite lifeless and low in energy.

Every few days there will be a shower that brings relief, but also makes the earth steam, and you can feel the humidity.  Chennai weather is not for the faint-hearted, and definitely not for the Bangalorian.  😅

I digress - click here to know more about Monsoon Beauty 2025.  

A breakfast rendezvous today morning with a friend, took me to the banks of the Adyar river.  I arrived early and strolled down to the river front, hoping maybe to catch a glimpse of my friend G3 as she rowed past.  But no, she was not on the waters today, but the White Breasted Water Hens were. They always remind me of Japanese Geisha girls for some reason, with their white faces, and elegant flicks of their tails.  The tide was down and the banks were dry, and these Rails seemed to be finding insects. I stood on the bund and enjoyed their loud croaky calls  and spidery legs.

A lone Grey headed swamp hen stared at them.  I wonder if he/she knew that they were going to be rechristened as Purple swamp hens?  We humans, I tell you.

A bare Prosopis tree in the distance had a speck of blue - a White-throated Kingfisher that flew with an indignant rattly call as I approached it.  As I strolled back, the mynas called and hopped around on the grassy space between the Neem trees, Black Kites circled above and the parakeets screeched and flew from Neem to Rain tree.

I heard the Koels call, and then was delighted as a Coucal flew across - its rust-coloured wings catching the sunlight.

We sat on the verandah, enjoying watching the large stately trees buzzing with bird life and the shrubs below with nectaring butterflies - common lime, crimson rose, common leopard and tawny coster in abundance.  

In a distant tree hole, I saw the spotted owlets too - it is their favourite hole.  

Here is my e-bird list.

I wonder why I did not take any pictures that morning.  Distracted by the mushroom omelette and the fresh orange juice?