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 ferv 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 
m: 
Taken in Merced County 
Photo by the Author 
A NEW PAIR OF STILTS 
1212 
