Cyclone Ditwah brought an unusual surprise to Tamil Nadu’s shore this weekend: two female Amur Falcons were blown off their long migratory route into Point Calimere, also known as Kodiyakarai. These small raptors usually breed in southeastern Siberia and northern China and migrate nearly 40,000 km annually. Their normal path crosses India through Gujarat and Maharashtra, not Tamil Nadu. This is not the first time cyclones have altered their course. In 2020, cyclones Nivar and Burevi brought the first Amur Falcon to Point Calimere. Two more were seen in November 2024 during Cyclone Fengal. Now, Cyclone Ditwah again brought two to the BNHS Bird Migration Study Centre area. S. Sivakumar, Assistant Director of BNHS, said, "This is not their regular migratory route. Amur Falcons normally pass through Gujarat and Maharashtra. Strong cyclonic winds can blow them far from their viable path. We first recorded the species here in 2020. Now, during Cyclone Ditwah, two have appeared again." For these birds, Point Calimere is a rare and unexpected stop in their exhausting, continent-crossing journey.