Curlew with Crab

Curlew with Crab. I thought Curlews ate worms but they are apparently quite adaptable in their eating habits. This one caught a crab and systematically removed both pincers and most of the legs before, at an almost leisurely pace, gulping down the carapace as one tasty morsel! I snapped pictures in sequence that show the Curlew first grabbing the hapless crab's left pincer, shaking (off goes the left pincer), then grabbing the right pincer, shaking (off goes the right pincer), shaking off a few legs and GULP. We seriously don't give animals anywhere near the credit they deserve for being uncannily smart and adaptable. As for the crab, what a way to go. Ouch.

Curlew: Dino-mite!

This Curlew was stalking the shallows at the Mission River Preserve. Recently, the newspaper had an article about chickens (and indeed all birds) being descended from dinosaur stock. I thought about how patient, persistent and even ruthless they can be in pursuit of food. The determination of these tiny and beautiful creatures is quite admirable in a perverse sort of way. However, when I imagine what they would be like if they were every bit as ruthless but the size of an SUV, I have to admit that I'm quite relieved that dinosaurs are extinct.