{"id":115484,"date":"2023-08-28T04:15:22","date_gmt":"2023-08-28T10:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=115484"},"modified":"2023-08-28T07:03:19","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T13:03:19","slug":"watchful-male-black-necked-stilt-at-bear-river-mbr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/28\/watchful-male-black-necked-stilt-at-bear-river-mbr\/","title":{"rendered":"Watchful male Black-necked Stilt At Bear River MBR"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Plus Why Utahns Need To Be Watchful Too.<\/h2>\n

One year ago today, I photographed this male Black-necked Stilt from the north side of the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a>. I had a fantastic morning at the refuge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"WatchfulWatchful male Black-necked Stilt \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The sky was clear, the sun was shining, there were plenty of birds in my viewfinder, and I took a leisurely drive around the auto tour route. I have never liked to feel rushed when I am out photographing birds and soaking up nature.<\/p>\n

You might be wondering why I included the word “watchful” in my title. Well, there were two young stilts that this male was carefully observing, so it’s quite safe to assume that they were his offspring. The male Black-necked Stilt did call out with alarm when a Greater Yellowlegs flew into the area. Not long after the yellowlegs landed, he went back to simply being watchful.<\/p>\n

Right now, the shorebirds that nested and hatched at Bear River MBR are getting ready for fall migration. Some of the other shorebirds that nested farther north are using the wetlands at the refuge as a refueling stop along their migration path.<\/p>\n

There is ample water this year because we had plenty of snow last winter but that isn’t always the case. In fact, Utah has been in a mega-drought for decades.<\/p>\n

There is a proposal for subsidizing an agricultural exporter in the Bear River basin that consumes 67.5 billion gallons of water each year in the production of 140,000 tons of hay exported internationally.<\/p>\n

Yeah, 67.5 billion gallons of water that wouldn’t reach the refuge or the Great Salt Lake.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most Utah politicians, from the county levels up to the halls of Capitol Hill, do not prioritize the well-being of nature, wildlife, or people when making plans for the future. I guess it is really hard for them to see what they are doing with all that cranial rectal inversion going on. Vote them out when you can.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Black-necked Stilt photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One year ago today, I photographed this male Black-necked Stilt from the north side of the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":115481,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1463,1148,26],"tags":[4004,1464,3747,4109,4370,4062,4094,274,14298,3951,2315,3996,4095],"class_list":["post-115484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-black-necked-stilts","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-black-necked-stilt","tag-grass","tag-grasses","tag-himantopus-mexicanus","tag-male","tag-marsh","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-stillt","tag-stilts","tag-summer-3","tag-water","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/black-necked-stilt-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-8772.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-u2E","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":48013,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/08\/06\/male-black-necked-stilt-watching-over-his-offspring-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":115484,"position":0},"title":"Male Black-necked Stilt Watching Over His Offspring At Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Thousands upon thousands of Black-necked Stilts make the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah their home during their breeding season.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Black-necked Stilts in the marsh at Bear River MBR, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilts-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-0446.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilts-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-0446.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilts-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-0446.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilts-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-0446.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14553,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/03\/13\/a-black-necked-stilt-at-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":115484,"position":1},"title":"Black-necked Stilt at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 13, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In yesterday's post I mentioned that I have seen my first of the year American Avocets and not long after they arrive Black-necked Stilts will also be making their appearance too.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-necked Stilt male at Bear River MBR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5277.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5277.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5277.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5277.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4886,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/04\/28\/black-necked-stilts\/","url_meta":{"origin":115484,"position":2},"title":"Black-necked Stilts","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 28, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Black-necked Stilts have returned from their wintering grounds to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and other locations in Utah. Black-necked Stilts are black and white shorebirds with long pink to reddish legs, thin black bills and lovely red eyes.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-necked Stilt in shallow water at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5249.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5249.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5249.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 4, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The Black-necked Stilt adults seem to be still keeping an eye on their young and that is what this male Black-necked Stilt was doing near the auto tour loop.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Black-necked Stilt near the auto loop at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-adult-mia-mcpherson-6361.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-adult-mia-mcpherson-6361.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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