Scanning the shallows at low tide I can see them strutting on long legs with their black and white heads and beaks poking the mud in search for food. The Black-necked Stilts have arrived after their long northward migration from South and Central America. I saw them in the Galapagos Islands several years ago and the last photo in this essay was taken on that trip. It’s amazing to think of these delicate birds flying thousands of miles from South America to the Delaware shore.
As I look over a large wetland pond in the Bombay Hook NWR, I see five of them wading in the water to feed on small crustaceans and aquatic vegetation. These are distinctive birds with black and white features and long pinkish legs. Although I am using a long telephoto lens to photograph them, the Stilts seem to tolerate a relatively moderate approach. However, I am always conscious of avoiding any disturbance of the birds during the nesting season. They are very protective of the nest sites and both males and females contribute to raising the chicks.
Stilts will nest on the ground in muddy mounds in the marshes. They are social birds and are often found in groups. It’s fun to watch the nesting pair fussing over the nest site. If they sense any threat from potential predators they will fly around with loud screeching calls to distract the invader.
To photograph the Stilts, I have returned to the same spots repeatedly over the past three years. This way I can learn more about their behavior and habits. They can be really entertaining as they hop around on those skinny legs.
In this essay, I am including a short video of the Stilts to show some of their behavior. I hope you enjoy it. To learn more about the Black-necked Stilts click here.
