Pink stilts at that.
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
These are older photos of a Black-necked Stilt at Bear River MBR. ‘She’ was foraging for food in fairly deep water when she took a short break to stretch her right leg. The behavior seemed kind of out of context, even impulsive, for what she’d been doing previously so it makes me think of myself at 3:47 AM this morning when I got a killer charley horse in the back of my right leg.
I stopped what I was doing (sleeping soundly), jumped out of bed and stretched my right leg at weird angles until an eternity or two later the cramp went away, with me cussing a blue streak for the duration. Anyway, that’s where my mind goes when I look at these photos this morning. Sorry for going off track.
Black-necked Stilts have the second-longest legs in proportion to their bodies of any bird (only a flamingo’s are longer) so it gets your attention when they do something unusual with them like this leg-stretch.
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
She dipped her body downward and raised the leg even further but she never did straighten it out completely so maybe she was stretching her hip more than her leg. Either way, these are poses I’ve only captured this one time in this species.
So, why haven’t I posted these older photos before? If I know my blog followers I suspect some of you have already spotted the reason – there’s no catch light in the stilt’s eye in either photo. That drives me more than a little nuts but in the end I decided the unusual poses, along with their reflections, outweigh that glaring deficiency. But just barely.
Ron
PS – For those of my readers who remember falconer and long-time follower of Feathered Photography Laura Culley, late last night she commented on yesterday’s post. In her comment she included an explanation of her serious health challenges that have prevented her from commenting here for some time. I thought some of you would appreciate knowing how Laura is doing.
I’m very glad you did post these pictures!
When I get a charley horse in my leg, the only thing that helps me is walking.
Avian yoga. Through yoga almost all things are possible as we age. Ron try some liquid electrolytes with a herbal tea with honey after dinner before bed. Or maybe a good burbon.
Fabulous shots in the past few days postings, Ron! This lovely lady reminds me of a graceful ballet dancer. I didn’t even notice the lack of catchlight because of the bright patch above the stilt’s eye.
Thanks for highlighting Laura’s update. 💜
Now that is an amazing stretch. I was both glad (and sad) to hear from Laura. And not at all surprised that she is fighting her infirmities.
I felt the same way(s), EC.
I had really bad muscle cramps every night until I started taking 400 mg of Magnesium Glycinate every day. Problem is 98% better. Of course a lot of water is good for everything.
Thanks for the tip, Charlie.
Thanks for posting – have never seen this striking bird! The pink legs complimented with the black/white body is gorgeous! Although the neck is not black so am wondering about “black necked stilt” moniker.
Kathleen, the back of the neck is black so the moniker is at least half accurate… 🙂
These Stilt images are … kind of mind-bending. I can’t figure out how the right leg is lifted up so high and the wing is just sitting where it should be, seemingly totally unaffected by the hip rotation. I’m glad Mark noted the water droplets falling off the toe in the first shot, especially the mirror image. So, I can ignore the lack of catchlight this time, Mr. D. This bird is fabulous! (And thanks for the note about Laura, so good to see her here again.)
“I can ignore the lack of catchlight this time, Mr. D.”
I wish I could, Chris. The best I can do is live with it.
Fun photos to see. Stretching the muscles may be the case but we need to remember that the muscle mass is up high on a bird and hidden by the body feathers. All of that leg and foot you see has no muscles, just tendons connecting to the muscles above the knee which is out of sight beneath the body feathers. Many people think the knee of a bird bends opposite of our knee. It doesn’t. That joint is the ankle with a long foot bone connecting it to the toes (the part we think of a just the foot). But still, stretching those muscles would raise and elongate that very long “leg”.
I can fully appreciate those of us having a little trouble in our 7th decade. I’m doing well now but it certainly had a rough start that I’d not care to repeat. Wishing everyone well.
“All of that leg and foot you see has no muscles, just tendons”
Thanks for the reminder, Dan. Although I suspect tendons benefit from stretching too.
Thank you for calling attention to Laura’s post. While I’ve never met you or any of the regulars here, I feel a connection to you all. I’m impressed with what she can do with just one finger and hope she can recover and get back to doing what she loves.
Laura’s tough, Linda. If anyone can do it under those circumstances it will be her.
Interesting post Ron. I have seen them in that same pose and have lots of photos of them stretching etc. My favorites like these are the reflection photos. Very attractive birds with those long legs and the black and white coloring. Definitely one of my all time favorites.
Looking forward to the arrival of a whole host of wading and shore birds that we start getting now via migration and who will stay into the fall.
Hope the back is getting better.
Thanks, Everett. Some of the birds you’re waiting for are the ones that will be leaving us.
Love this pose. Grasshopper leg! And I used to get the worst Charley horse’s! Magnesium helped me. Although!!! There is a thought that a bar of Ivory soap under the sheet will help. Never tried it. 🙂
Now that Ivory Soap ‘remedy’ is a new one on me, Arwen. I use Ivory Soap exclusively but never under the sheet !
Let me know if you give it a whirl!
Neat! Reminds me of a figure skater doing a spiral! 😉 I can relate on waking up to a charley horse! 🙁 Glad Laura chimed in – DOES remind me to quit whining (mostly anyway) about my mostly “minor” irritants in the 7th decade…..;)
“DOES remind me to quit whining (mostly anyway) about my mostly “minor” irritants”
Judy, that was exactly my reaction when I read Laura’s comment. Helps me to put my own health challenges into perspective.
Catch eye or not, these are captivating photos; the comparison to a balletic pose is almost instantaneous. If your charley horse was motivation for posting this then you are a paragon of the suffering artist, not to make light of the excruciating agony most of us have woken up to. In addition to dehydration other possible triggers are lack of potassium and pregnancy. Have you had rapid weight gain lately? Just sayin’.
Ha, I’ve had weight gain for over two years now, Lyle. But that’s due to inactivity from my bad back and definitely NOT an activity that would impregnate me…
Looks like is doing its morning yoga, always enjoy pictures of Stilts.
Thanks, Jo.
Thanks, Ron,
I enjoy these photos…as well as reading about your leg cramp experiences. I’ve had those all my life. I’ve found that if I am conscientious about drinking enough water during the day, I don’t get the cramps!
Bon courage!
Thanks for the suggestion, Mary. But my cramps are related to nerve problems from my bad back so I doubt drinking more water would help. Worth a try though.
I know you don’t “market” your photos, but this one would serve a ballet school or company well in their advertising!!! It ain’t Swan Lake, but it’s close!
Sue, another good friend on FB just made the comparison to Swan Lake also. But knowing you both as I do, I’m confident that you know far more about ballet, and Swan Lake, than he does.
As for me, I’m an ignoramus.
Loved the photos. Laughed when you said that you had not posted because of no catch light in the eye. I had enlarged to see if there was one.
Laurie, in the high resolution version of these photos there’s a very tiny (only 1 pixel), very faint catch light in the eye in both photos. But it completely disappears when I resize the images.
Glad you decided to post these Ron. They are beautiful and interesting. So many cool parts of the photos, but I really love the reflection of the water droplets off the leg in the first photo.
I’m glad you like them, Mark. I completely forgot I had these photos but I came across them again by chance yesterday afternoon.
Happy you posted these Ron. Catch light or not they are beautiful. The symmetry of the reflection, and the elegant shape of the this bird makes it all well worth it.
Know those wakeup killer charley horses all too well. Such a rude awakening. As for this bird, I imagine it to be a pause for a bit of avian yoga.
Thank you, Michael. My right leg is still quite sore and probably will be for the rest of the day.
These two images bring back very enjoyable memories of our trip out West in the 1980’s when we saw the Black-necked Stilt in North Dakota as well as many more western birds. Many thanks for the memory jar!
You’re very welcome, Dick. You’ve referenced that trip in the past so it must have been a good one.
I can really feel for you with those overnight leg cramps (aaarghh! in the worst way possible) but our avian ballerina doesn’t look like she is suffering that much. That reflection and those graceful lines do make up for the missing catchlight 99% of the time and for that 1% irritation I’d just keep repeating the mantra that too much perfection can be boring.
“too much perfection can be boring”
Ha, I guess I’ve never had that ‘problem’, Granny Pat. For me, “too much perfection” has been highly elusive.
Love your post, Ron – even without the catch light!! I can still remember the 1st time I saw one. So unusual & almost quirky looking.
“almost quirky looking”
I agree, Jo Ann – maybe even without the “almost”.