entry smap 254: Eurasian curlew

one day a while back i was walking on the beach southward to where it ends at the mouth of Tiroda Creek on the west coast of southern Maharashra. when i came to the creek i was very surprised to see a few Eurasian curlews Numenius arquata, wading in the shallows around a sandbar. i had seen them once on a remote island in Norway but never before in India. they migrate south for the winter but are not at all common in either place. yet still i recognized them with their unforgettable long downward curved beaks and their distinct cur-lew call. the beaks look almost comical, but i'm sure they are well suited to the habits and habitats of these adorable feathered friends, poking around in the sand or mud in search of worms and such. sadly curlew populations are declining for a number of reasons. i only got the chance to take this one photo from a distance before they flew off but i do hope to see them again on these shores in the future.