Redshank is an unassuming part of the avifaunal milieu thronging the wetlands, sifting demurely along the shore while the showstoppers pry deeper waters… tiptoeing ever so softly, trying its best not to disturb the surface of the water or leave a footprint on the sand, hiding the disappointment as it succeeds in neither and gazes stoically at its own reflection being carried away by the ripples… timorous to the hilt, taking off at the slightest bit of agitation, giving the stalker away to the rest of the congregation with sharp calls… a non-descript sentinel, this wader…

The common redshank arrives on Indian shores to winter, shedding its more striking, dark breeding plumage for a lighter coat, as if reminding itself that ‘tis a time for subsistence and not frolic… and thus going about ridding the water of excessive invertebrates with an industriousness akin to that of a disillusioned proletarian… the brown beak with a dab of orange looking like a needle one feels like wanting to thread…

We were killing a quintessentially dull winter afternoon skirting a salt pan, trying to sneak up on to a flamboyance of flamingos with little success… accepting defeat, we settled down in the shade and this common redshank caught the eye, alternating between diligently following the contour of the water’s edge and slipping into the water every once in a while, as if to break the monotony…

‘Tis a life of contrast for most waders, and the redshank is no exception… traversing unfathomable distances with nonchalance only to ferret in shallow ponds… gliding on winds miles above the ground for days and months only to be tied down to terra firma… perhaps their sombre expression belies a cognizance of this fact, for all the highs and lows, ‘tis nothing but a zero sum game in the end…

Musing on a common redshank, Sambhar, Rajasthan…