The birds at the Sewri mudflats

For many winter lovers in Mumbai, the slight nip in the air is too mild to offer any gratifying experience of the season. So, they head north to feel the real chill — bonfires, heaters, mufflers, gloves, the works. But Mumbai’s marginal winter also comes as a relief for some. And in what almost seems like the perfect exchange, as the city sees off its avid travellers to the Rann of Kutch, the white sandy expanse of Gujarat sends its winged inhabitants to Mumbai for a gentler climate. Come January and parts of the city will don a layer of pink, as flamingos fly for over 600 km to make Mumbai their home until the first monsoon showers arrive.