Temperatures touched a mild 42 deg C last Friday. Mild because it may go up to 50 deg C. Checked the wierd app on the iphone that tells the state of sea in real time. High tide around 0945 hrs which means the shallow sea will be almost covering the rocks near the shore. Clear water was just warm with lots of shells near the sea bottom. However, the water was receding fast and the rocks were becoming visible. Surprisingly, a black beaked bird with long slender legs, light brownish-grey plumage and white chest was seen running along the shore. Being a non-ornithologist, I was at a distinct disadvantage. The closest I could come near the name of that lovely looking bird was a sea-gull. Pardon my limited bird-vocabulory, but I do have friends who can take a real quick look at the bird and recite their name. But they are all scattered around the globe some getting up, some taking a siesta and others getting ready for bed. Calling anyone of them seemed inappropriate. A search on my iphone indicated the bird to be a Sandpiper. She was alone. Then from a distance, another Sandpiper – a male – landed, with ruffled feathers and with an obvious jet-lag… They both started running up and down the shore, feeding in between, completely oblivious to my presence…
I spend almost an hour watching these tiny birds… Am I becoming a bird-watcher?
MyRefractions 