![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/black-necked-stilt-8156-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"black-necked-stilt-8156-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nWhatsa matter, got mud on your feet?<\/p>\n
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1\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Four days ago at Bear River MBR this male Black-necked Stilt was foraging normally in the water when, for no reason apparent reason, he suddenly broke out into this exaggerated gait. He made 8-10 steps like this, each time alternating which leg he stuck out far behind him.<\/p>\n This may look like a leg-stretch but it wasn’t. At the time I thought he might be trying to get rid of mud on his feet but he didn’t shake them and there’s no mud on his feet in my photos so I can’t explain the behavior. I tried to time my photos to catch the greatest extension of his legs and this was the best I could do. His performance was so unexpected I very nearly clipped his foot.<\/p>\n Relative to body size, Black-necked Stilts have some of the longest legs of any living bird and their bright reddish-pink color stands out dramatically so I enjoy photos like this one that make their legs the center of attention.<\/p>\n As if they aren’t usually.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Whatsa matter, got mud on your feet?<\/p>\n