Thrissur: Flamingos have arrived with the message of love, as backwater paddy fields in the district have come back to life after the devastating August flood. The water birds have appeared in thousands near the Ayanikkad isle as the fields have been drained of water and preparations started for cultivation.
Painted Storks, Godwits, Spoonbills and rare visitors Pelican and Flamingo have flown in. Joseph Chittilappally, a birdwatcher who lives in the area filmed four big Pelicans.
The eco-conscious fraternity in the area, Kol Birders, found a variety of Godwit and the Broad-billed Sandpiper, birds that visit the fields quite rarely.
Flood destruction had been massive in Ayanikkad, where water birds arrive in large numbers. The area acquired importance ecologically because even rare birds arrive. Observers say this is a mid-way halt for birds on their migratory path.
The bird-watching fraternity distributed a bed and a pillow each to 31 Ayanikkad families as part of flood relief.
