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For more than the past year a watch has been kept on the birds of the campus by some members of the staff. The chief interest has been to attempt to keep track of the changing numbers of certain migrant birds, or local migrants, and this is already revealing interesting patterns and variations in pattern. During the watch many other points of ornithological interest arise and here we would mention some which may be of general interest.

Flycatchers with one notable exception were scarce in 1966. The Brown Flycatcher usually a winter resident was only noted as passing through in 1966 mainly in March. The exception was the Blue-throated Flycatcher. This bird mentioned in Baker and Inglis as a very rare migrant found only once at St.Thomas Mount (though also recorded later at Tambaram and once by Shaw in 1954 at Chingleput) turned up in numbers at Tambaram this year. The first specimens were seen by us in late November 1965. At that time some doubt existed as to its identity on account of the colouring. This was cleared in correspondence with Mr.Futehally. From then onwards frequent sightings were obtained and it was estimated that at least seven pairs were resident in the campus until the first week of March.

The male birds as seen here differed from the description in Baker and Inglis in having the whole head with neck and throat blue, this colour being cut off in sharp line above the chest which was rusty as in tickelliae. They differed also from  the bird seen in Chinglepet in 1954 in which case the neck was rusty and only the throat blue. The forehead was lighter brilliant azure blue. The female was olive-brown with the rust of the breast very light in colour

The birds, particularly the male could be seen regularly at some six or seven points in the campus, all well wooded at the edge of paths. The pairs appeared to observe territorial rights strictly and did not stray from their particular areas.

They were easy to observe because they would respond to calls with great readiness and showed themselves much less suspicious or nervous of human beings than most flycatchers are. When Shaw one day spotted one flying out from thick jungle to an open stand of small trees he went to get binoculars to get a better view. This proved impossible for the bird persisted in sitting on twigs at too close range for the focus of the binoculars, and when disturbed from one so near would fly to another equally near on the other side. This was typical of their friendly and confident behaviour.

They were usually called up by imitations of their scolding note, a sharp frequently repeated Tss, tss, tss very commonly used by them immediately recognizable as it was considerably sharper in tone than the Blyth's Reed Warbler's, which is also common in the undergrowth here in winter.

They would also respond to imitations of their song. This is normally a five-noted little, song with the first three notes in descending order and then the fourth and fifth ascending. It reminds one of the Tickell's Flycatcher though is perhaps more cheerful. To this song it would come out of thickly growing wood and by it the bird would make its presence known so that it could easily be found by any one familiar with the call. Occasionally when close to a bird it was possible to hear another little song. This was delivered so to speak sotto voce. It was a long succession of little trills, chirring noises and whistles, hardly audible yet just to be caught by a sharp ear and to be noted by the eye from the movements of the beak and the dilations of the throat. A song similar to this has been noted in the Brown Flycatcher.

Though mainly fond of thickly wooded spots it did not remain in these but would visit more open stands of trees and would there usually be found on the lower branches. A female was once seen eating a small black berry (zizyphus oenoplia) of the jujube family. It did not restrict itself in fly catching and frequently would fly down to pick off the ground a small beetle or, as once seen, an inch-long caterpillar. In this kind of behaviour it definitely resembles the chat family.

By the first week of March they had all departed. It would be interesting to find if evidences of this migration wave have been noted elsewhere, and what the pattern is in 1966-67.

The first record of the northern variety of the Orange-headed Ground Thrush was made as early as 1938 by Mrs. Barnes but the southern variety was recorded only 25 years later. This year both varieties were seen together in more than the usual numbers.

In the garden these Ground Thrushes occupied the areas usually taken by the Pittas. The first arrival (Northern) was noted at the end of October and the last bird (Southern) was seen on march 23. The migratory northern variety with orange head has no other markings on the head, whereas the southern variety, believed to be resident in the hills, has a white throat and two dark bands on the head. There seems to be some variation in the markings between the individuals. These birds afford an unusual example where two races of the same species can be easily distinguished in the field.

The Plaintive Cuckoos arrived in November as usual, and could be seen till the middle of April. It was not unusual for these birds to come down to the ground to pick up caterpillars. Most of the individuals were dark grey in colour and only a few of them were chestnut. A good number of these cuckoos were noted in March and April and these must have been passing through from Ceylon. The Forest Wagtails which pass through Tambaram were seen on September 14, 1965, which is our earliest record. These on their return migration were seen in April in ones or twos. For the first time in the last few years there were very few Paradise Flycatchers. A couple of them were seen in the jungle once in October and nothing till April. Those seen in April had only short tails. The Greyheaded Mynas were not numerous unlike the 1964-65 season.

We were able to add a few new species to our checklist. Since the starting of a farm in the campus, we found the grain-eating birds like the Munias and the Weaver birds in large numbers. We recorded for the first time the White-backed Munias in November (1965). The Short-toed Eagle and the Openbill Stork have been seen flying over the campus. Shaw saw a Grackle once in October (15.10.1964) which is the migratory season. A female Blackbird was seen by Siromoney at the end of January 1966 eating the Zizyphus oenoplia berries near the garden. It stayed in the garden for a couple of weeks. Going through the records it is found that a solitary bird was seen once on February 21, 1958 but no other appearance was noted till this year. A Grey Drongo was seen by Siromoney once (14.2.1965) sitting on the telephone wires very near the campus. It was easily identified by its bright crimson eyes and the lighter colour of the body. The Large Cuckoo-Shrike was seen after many years in March 1966 and a few pairs stayed for a week making their peculiar call which sounds like rubbing of branches together. An Indian Banded Bay Cuckoo was seen for the first time in Tambaram by Shaw.

A Banded Crake was spotted by Mrs. Siromoney in the garden in December (20.12.1965). It was usually seen after 4 p.m. and before 9 a.m. and could be heard at dusk in the scrub jungle nearby. It was quite bold and visited the bird bath regularly and picked up what it could from the kitchen drain water. It became such a familiar sight in the garden that the five-year-old Siromoney Jr. would often call our attention to its presence. It stayed till May 2 in the area usually occupied by the White-breasted Water-hen or sometimes the Pitta.

A Scops Owl has been seen in the campus but we are not sure of its identity. We hope to make a special effort to identify the Crested Larks which are seen in the dry areas. A bulbul-like bird seen only once has defied our attempts at identifying it and we are giving the description hoping that some reader may be able to identify it. The bird was seen by Siromoney, settling down to roost in a bush near the garden just before dark on November 16, 1965. It was of the size of a  White-browed Bulbul with the whole head purplish blue but no other marking. The beak appeared to be black, legs brackish gray and wings rusty brown. The breast was of the same colour as the head but turning grey. The abdomen and the lower portion were white. The tail was long, longer than that of the chats and the usual flycatchers. When the wings were closed there was some white near the primaries. It was seen through the glasses from a distance of 20 ft., and later when it got dark a few feet from the bird. Now go ahead and solve the puzzle!.