A different nest than the one I posted photos of recently.
Six days ago at Bear River MBR I watched as a female Black-necked Stilt came off her nest and started collecting nest lining material and tossing it over her back toward the nest – a common behavior for stilts. She spent several minutes doing it and I took lots of documentary photos but the nest area is so cluttered with dried vegetation I didn’t like my photos much.
However, when I looked at my photos at home I realized that after she came off the nest her eggs were plainly visible. It isn’t every day that we get to see stilt eggs in the nest so I decided to share two of those photos.
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Here she’s reaching into the water for small twigs and various debris that she was tossing behind her toward the nest. Four eggs in a clutch is typical for Black-necked Stilts and there were four in her nest. If more than four are laid they don’t fit well in the nest and eggs often roll out of the nest.
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
If you look carefully you can see the small twig in her bill that she’s about to toss behind her.
I wish I’d been aware that the eggs were visible when I was taking the photos but I didn’t notice them because I was focused on her behavior. If I’d been aware of them I’d have focused on the eggs for a few shots. But I wasn’t, so I didn’t, and as a result the eggs are a little soft. But they’re plenty sharp enough for documentary purposes.
Maybe I’ll get lucky and see baby stilt puffballs in the area soon.
Ron
Note:
In Black-necked Stilts both sexes incubate but I know that this bird was the female because there’s a brown tinge on her back and scapulars, a characteristic that males don’t share.
What a capture – even if you didn’t realise it. Love the camouflague. And the description of the young as puffballs.
Thank you, EC. They ARE puffballs, with legs.
wonderful shots!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
That’s just not fair. Getting those photos without even knowing it.
The images are the epitome of grace and motherhood. An unbeatable combination.
Wally is my kind of jokester; so bad they’re good.
“Wally is my kind of jokester; so bad they’re good”
Impossible not to smile at his stuff, isn’t it Lyle. Maybe with a groan thrown in but still, a smile.
You mention that a 5th egg would roll out of the nest. The educator in me can’t keep silent. Look how tightly the eggs fit together and you can see why there is no room. A chicken egg is well-rounded and if you push away from you it rolls more or less in a straight line. Put two of them together and they touch in only one small spot. Stilt eggs are pyriform – pear-shaped. They are very pointed on one end. They roll in a very tight circle. That’s important for cliff-nesting birds. For ground-nesters, there is another advantage for this shape. If these eggs are placed side by side, much more of the eggs come into contact with each other than round eggs. When in the nest, 4 eggs are placed with the pointed end in the center of the circle. They fit together very well and make a smaller total area for the adult to sit on. And by having greater surface contact with each other there are fewer gaps for heat to be lost. Heat from the adult transfers well between eggs. In that tight circle there is simply no room for a 5th egg. The avian world is full of many marvelous adaptations. You document them well.
Much appreciated Dan, especially coming from you.
And thanks for that ‘eggcelent’ information. Geez, now Wally’s rubbing off on me…
Thanks. I’ll try not to let the conversation become too stilted.
I have to say, as bad as it may be, I very much appreciate this kind of humor. It helped get me through my rough journey with chemo 4 years ago.
All of us here at FP are very you made it through.
Great capture. I saw quite a few nest’s yesterday many to close to traffic! I hope there will be lots of puffballs soon!
I went again this morning, April. No puffballs yet that I saw.
Incredibly beautiful photos!
Thanks, Joanne.
A little soft or not, those eggs are so exciting to see! Looks like she’s already a doting mother as well. And I know you were a respectful distance and will keep mum about the location — your ethics are a big part of my admiration for you.
Yup, I was at a respectful distance, Marty. And I never reveal nest locations, even though several of these nests are close to the road so they’re easily spotted by others.
This is a great capture Ron. Nature at its best. I have never had the pleasure of seeing one of their nests let alone with eggs. And is with the majority of nature so exposed to the world of predators who would steal the eggs and/or the chicks when hatched. I am always reminded of that this time of the year as I watch the Ravens raiding nests of all kinds of birds taking either the eggs or the just hatched chicks. Thanks for allowing us to see something most of us rarely ever will see.
You’re very welcome, Everett. Thanks.
Neat! The eggs camoflage VERY well…….. Wonder if she neatly incorporates the new sticks after throwing them into the nest? Guessing it’s “boggy” and may want to sink over time.
Judy, I keep wondering if she (they) simply reach out and grab those tossed twigs while they’re incubating. With their long neck and bill it would be easy to do. I keep looking for that behavior but I’ve yet to see it, even though I’ve seen the tossing behavior often.
I’ve learned that the brown coloration’s a good way to distinguish male from female, especially when I can see them side by side. These are such marvelous photos: a part of the life cycle I’ve not before seen. I have come across one ‘puffball’ this year. Those long legs add to the ‘adorable’ factor.
I just noticed this morning that you have Wally Jones in your blogroll. The link’s to an old site. His new one is called Our Natural Places. He’s one of my favorite follows: great photography and good humor.
Shoreacres, Wally cracks me up nearly every time I read his stuff. I have to wonder how often his wife rolls her eyes. Or groans. Or both… 🙂
My blogroll has been out of date for a long time. It keeps nagging at me to fix it but I keep ignoring it. Now I can’t…
I’ll try to get at least Wally’s link fixed soon. Too much on my plate right now.
The eggs seem quite large in proportion to the mother’s body ? I can see
how they could easily roll out of the low-walled, flimsy-looking nest–sort of
“thrown-together”- looking as you previously noted !
Kris, see Dan Gleason’s comment above regarding the potential of eggs rolling out of the nest.
Another interesting documentary this morning. I am fascinated by the coloration of the eggs. Certainly the camouflage played a factor in you not spotting the eggs.
Question: About how far away from the nest were you when you took these photos?
I’m guessing about 40′, Michael. I was shooting from the road (auto tour loop at the refuge).
Thanks Ron.
This has been a terrific series of excellent (naturally) photographs showcasing the Black-necked Stilt.
With those long pink legs these birds remind me of ballerinas. So, I guess it makes sense they typically lay four eggs. You know, since tu+tu = four.
Sorry. No coffee yet. I’ll be okay.
“You know, since tu+tu = four. Sorry. No coffee yet. I’ll be okay”
Good luck with your ‘recovery’, Wally! Based on that observation you’re going to need it… 🙂
Wally, you made me laugh this morning. Perfect “dad joke” — corny and unexpected! 😂