Stilt.... You Turn Me On......

OK, so I snagged a line from an Emerson, Lake & Palmer tune and reworked the title. Thought it was clever. Anyways, remember my post about peeps on the subject of plovers? I have been avoiding digging too much into that area because explaining the difference between the many species of sandpipers we have here in Wisconsin can be a chore. However, stilts are much easier.

Wisconsin is the host for two different stilt species, the American Avocet and the Black Necked Stilt. Both are uncommon and a great sight to see, even among birding experts. The American Avocet is mainly found in the western half of North America, however they do venture into Wisconsin for brief stays during migratory seasons.

I have gotten lucky twice to see these gorgeous birds. The first time was at Samuel Myers Park on 5/4/2013 and the other in a flooded pond nearby Union Grove later in the spring.This photo below is from Myers Park.

I had gotten an e-mail report of avocets found at Myers Park and raced down there to see these lifers! Beautiful and majestic these birds are, all in their breeding plumage! Ten of them! They were just wading in the water right as I walking down the sandy ramp. They seemed to not to notice me much... I sat down on a log for more than 20 minutes takings pictures of them pruning and preening themselves, almost symmetrically,  on a warm day. I half expected to see a crowd of birders and photographers there. Lucky for me, it was just me, myself and an obnoxious Killdeer "yelling" at me. Talk about a good day! I later learned that the avocets were gone by nightfall, after just a brief stay....

The Black Necked Stilt is extremely rare in Wisconsin, except for the Horicon Marsh where they are known to breed. Why just Horicon is quite unclear, for they quite common in the western parts and the coastal regions of North America. Anyways, Tender Heart and I were fortunate to see some at Horicon on May 25, 2013. After reading reports of Black Necked Stilts possibly breeding at Horicon, this bird quickly became a "target" for us. The one in the picture below was taken on Highway 49 (Yep, THAT busy highway). I spotted it while we were creeping slowly in the car along the gravel shoulder. As I was snapping away, trying to that perfect picture, a van with Minnesota plates zoomed in front of us, scaring the bird off in the process. I did see the stilt family later on in the summer using a birding scope....

More wildlife photos and stories to come.....