{"id":48013,"date":"2017-08-06T05:22:02","date_gmt":"2017-08-06T11:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=48013"},"modified":"2025-08-28T08:49:55","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T13:49:55","slug":"male-black-necked-stilt-watching-over-his-offspring-at-bear-river-mbr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/08\/06\/male-black-necked-stilt-watching-over-his-offspring-at-bear-river-mbr\/","title":{"rendered":"Male Black-necked Stilt Watching Over His Offspring At Bear River MBR"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JuvenileJuvenile Black-necked Stilts in the marsh at Bear River MBR – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Last week when I photographed the White-faced Ibis<\/span> <\/a>at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I was also able to photograph several stilts near the ibises. Shorebirds were my spark birds as a bird photographer so whenever I have an opportunity to photograph them, I do.<\/p>\n

Thousands upon thousands of Black-necked Stilts make the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/a> in northern Utah their home during their breeding season. This year I haven’t seen nearly as many of these black and white long-legged shorebirds than I have in previous years but that may be due to flooding in the marshes early in the spring and a temporary draw down of water in many of the water impoundment units near the peak of what would have been the time they were on their eggs.\u00a0 The stilts may have nested further from the auto tour route than normal.<\/p>\n

There were two juvenile stilts foraging in the water and at the edge of the water and at first they seemed a little nervous and moved away but not long after that they settled down and continued looking for food.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Black-necked Stilt keeping an eye on his offspring – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The male Black-necked Stilt kept a watchful eye on his offspring and at one point he chased away a juvenile stilt that flew in. He became quite vocal when the young stilt landed near his young and when it left he settled down and preened.<\/p>\n

Listen to a Black-necked Stilt alarm call here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"JuvenileJuvenile Black-necked Stilt walking through shallow water – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

It was interesting to observe this stilt family through my lens and to see how watchful and protective the male was towards his young.<\/p>\n

Bird photography and birding has been slow at the refuge lately and I have seen far fewer birds out on the auto tour loop than I have in previous years which has been quite disappointing. I have to wonder if the temporary draw down of water in several of the units doesn’t have some thing to do with that.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/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":"

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":153628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","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":[4004,1464,4370,56,4062,4094,2213,274,3950,3951,3996],"class_list":["post-48013","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-himantopus-mexicanus","tag-juveniles-2","tag-male","tag-marsh","tag-mud","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-stilt","tag-stilts","tag-water"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilts-juveniles-mia-mcpherson-0446.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-cup","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14553,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/03\/13\/a-black-necked-stilt-at-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":48013,"position":0},"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":15709,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/08\/26\/a-juvenile-black-necked-stilt-at-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":48013,"position":1},"title":"Juvenile Black-necked Stilt at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I had an opportunity to photograph this juvenile Black-necked Stilt as it rested along the auto tour route at the refuge.","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":"Resting juvenile Black-necked Stilt at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/black-necked-stilt-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-1373.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/black-necked-stilt-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-1373.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Watchful male Black-necked Stilt, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/black-necked-stilt-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-8772.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/black-necked-stilt-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-8772.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/black-necked-stilt-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-8772.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/black-necked-stilt-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-8772.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-mia-mcpherson-5249.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40777,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/08\/04\/male-black-necked-stilt-near-the-auto-loop-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":48013,"position":5},"title":"Male Black-necked Stilt near the auto loop at 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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-necked-stilt-adult-mia-mcpherson-6361.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}