The Black-necked Stilt 



until several hours have elapsed after hatching; and he feels decidedly 

 pale and tottery, like a young colt, until the day after. 



Not even in the supremest 

 hour of need will the anxious 

 parents come near their off- 

 spring in the presence of a 

 stranger. In fact, the only way 

 I could secure these portraits 

 of standing birds, where a blind 

 was impracticable, was to lie 

 flat on the ground, with the 

 Graflex, beside a hatching nest. 

 A Shore-bird's fear bears a di- 

 rect relation to the elevation 

 of its object on the horizon, 

 and a prostrate figure makes 

 quicker friends. On such an 

 occasion one may note the pink- 

 ish flush which suffuses the 

 underparts of the male bird, as 

 well as the extra length of his 

 stilts. 



As with the Avocet, the 

 nest of the Stilt may be very 

 simple or very elaborate. Many 

 eggs are laid in mere hollows 

 scratched in the dry 

 earth, with a few twigs 

 or bits of cow-dung to 

 mark the site. Others 

 occupy a substantial plat- 

 form of dried grasses or 

 felted water-plants. It is 

 when the water rises that 

 the birds rise to the oc- 

 casion, and get busy with 

 nest-building. Sedges, 

 sticks, water-plants with 

 clinging soil, anything 

 movable, is seized and 

 forced under the threat- 

 ened eggs. Indeed, so 



Taken in Merced County 



Photo by the Author 



A NEW PAIR OF STILTS 



1212 



