Yesterday I spent the morning at Bear River MBR. Nesting season continues and so do the inevitable conflicts between ground-nesting birds.
Since my last visit to the refuge nine days ago the water from the flooded Bear River appears to have gone down nearly a foot. As a result, this American Avocet was nesting far away from standing water, which is unusual for them.
The location of this Black-necked Stilt nest is far more typical of both species. That’s standing water directly behind the nest and there’s more water just out of frame at bottom. This nest is only a few feet from the auto tour road but the female stilt seems incredibly tolerant of the occasional vehicle going by.
Stilts and avocets feed and nest in the same habitats so squabbles are inevitable. And common.
I think this stilt’s posture is unusual. It isn’t landing after an extended flight and it isn’t taking off so what’s going on?
It was being chased off by an aggressive avocet that thought the stilt was too close to its nest. The stilt didn’t have to go far before the avocet was satisfied and relative peace returned.
Recent visitors to the refuge have seen many hundreds of acres of flooded land near the Bear River along the 10 mile approach road and in one spot the road has had about 6″ of water flowing rapidly across it. Yesterday the floodwater had receded dramatically, much of the flooded land is now actually land again and the water isn’t even close to flowing across the road. This photo was taken nine days ago. The actual river is far off to the right.
As of yesterday, state water managers report that there’s only 3.5% of the state’s snowpack left to melt in the mountains and come down to the valleys and all of it should be melted by the end of the month.
It’s looking like both people and ground-nesting birds got lucky with what very easily could have been a devastating flooding season. Thanks to a slow spring warm-up, it wasn’t.
Ron
Whew on the slow snowmelt! Ours has been fairly slow as well. I always wonder how the ground nesting adaptation got past “Reasearch and Development,” let alone the “Quality Control Division.” 😉
Well, there’s at least one plus to ground-nesting, Marty. The chicks don’t have far to fall from the nest… 🙂
This is true! Perspective — you have it! 😀
Your “slow spring warm-up” … around here that looks to mean a VERY slow summer warm-up, too. How I envy you those blue skies! And the lovely birds, of course. I don’t know about toasted marshmallows, but the nesting stilt reminds me of a guy at a wedding reception, tired after all the dancing, who’s loosened his bow tie and is now relaxing with drink in hand. I can’t explain my brain, sometimes. 🤷🏼♀️
Chris, it’s been the coolest spring and summer I can remember around here. The lower temperatures have even slowed down the development of my garden, hail or no hail.
Simply delightful. Again. Thank you.I hope there is a VERY successful breeding season.
As do I. Thanks, EC.
Since your posting of avocets in early May, I’ve been trying to think what they remind me of. Now, thanks to Marcia Stager’s buddy Robert, I know – toasted marshmallows!
These sitting birds are studies in patience – peaceful waiting. Looking at them is very restorative. The shadow of the avocet’s bill curving down her neck is beautiful! Lovely, lovely, thank you!
Thanks, Carolyn. Toasted marshmallows it is.
The American Avocet is a rare sighting here, the Black-necked Stilt only slightly less so. Your are fortunate to have both of them there at breeding time. And we are fortunate to have you there to photograph them, in one photo, no less.
It will be interesting to see how the GSL is doing by late summer. Googling the GSL, the first headline was from the Deseret News about how excited all the boaters were. Not a word about birds.
“Not a word about birds.”
Folks have their priorities I guess, Lyle. Actually, there’s been a fair number of recent local articles and TV news stories about the positive effect the rising lake is having on birds. Something I see firsthand.
Fun! Luv the Stilt tiptoeing out of the way of the Avocet…… 🙂 Suspect some of our water fowl nests got flooded out with our off/on heavy rains leading to dramatic rises in Belt Creek now and then(haven’t seen any babies on the creek and adults haven’t been hear in a week or so) – has never really gone down much so suspect there is little snowpack left in the Little Belt’s or Highwoods that the creek depends on. There has been a lot of (mostly) low level flooding state wide. Haven’t had this wet a June in many years. The sound of crop dusters has been heard – also haven’t been in many years…. 😉
Ahh, crop dusters in the early morning. That brings back memories.
Excellent photos once again! Thanks for sharing1
Thanks, Joanne.
Love the photos. The avocet is a particular favorite of mine. My special 11 year old buddy- Robert- calls them the “marshmallow” bird because they look like (to him) toasted marshmallows. In my mind, that is now what I think of when I see them.
Marcia, I’ve heard at least one other person compare the color of avocet’s heads during breeding season to toasted marshmallows. Stilts look more like MY toasted marshmallows – mostly black!
interesting series Ron. That Stilt looks very relaxed sitting on that nest. Hopefully no predator will bother it. Yes, like the Avocet, no bird likes to have other birds near its nest.
Is that typical for Utah to have the snow pack melted by the end of June? To me it seems early???
It’s pretty typical, Everett. There’s a place locals call the “Crow’s Foot” at the top of a mountain overlooking the valley. That’s where the last of the snow can be seen from the valley floor and those same locals say it’s usually gone by July 4th.