Black-Necked Stilt
Himantopus mexicanus
The Black-Necked Stilt is a rather tall shorebird, with leg length proportional to their body, second only to flamingos. These birds range from Argentina nearly to the Canadian border in western USA. We can find them in open marshes, mudflats, and along fresh or saltwater shorelines and adjacent shallows, where insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and any small creature is fair game.
In Southern California, I’ve met Black-Necked Stilts nesting near tern colonies with American Avocets. When disturbed, these birds can be quite vocal and they can be persistent in their attempts to drive away perceived threats, even mobbing predators.
During my travels in the Western USA, I’ve found these birds pretty easily wherever they’ve been present. Everything in their behaviour makes them conspicuous, from their long-legged gait foraging in open shallow water, to their quarrelsome territorial ways, but especially their loud vocalizations. Their calls echo from distant locations, even if they are unseen.
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Juvenile. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-07-29. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:29 10:52 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/22.0, 1/160 |
File Name: JCD4066.BlackNeckedStilt.Juvenile |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Ramer Lake, near Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2004-08-18. |
Date Taken: 2004:08:18 9:51 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 750 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD_8755BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-03-03. |
Date Taken: 2009:06:03 11:32 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 450 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: Cut_JCD0810.BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Typical four egg nest. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-05-27. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:27 10:06 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 320 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD9753.BlackNeckedStilt.Egg_ |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Black-necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Stilt chicks have pinkish legs, Avocets, greenish. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-05-27. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:27 9:53 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 500 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 |
File Name: JCD9710.BlackNeckedStilt.Chick_ |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-05-20. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:20 9:52 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD8819.BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-05-17. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:17 9:57 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/750 |
File Name: JCD8284.BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Juvinile bird at the Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-08-05. |
Date Taken: 2009:08:05 11:03 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/16.0, 1/320 |
File Name: JCD5889.BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Chicks. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-07-29. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:29 13:10 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: JCD4496.BlackNeckedStilt.Chick_ |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, www.shadetree-imaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California USA 2013-11-01. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:01 10:31 |
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Location:
W F V Z |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/3 |
File Name: D3X4367-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Juvenile at the beach at Poe Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USAÂ 2009-07-06.. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:06 17:00 |
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Location:
Poe Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/4000 |
File Name: JCD3098.BlackNeckedStilt.Juvenile |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Juvenile at the beach at Poe Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-07-06. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:06 16:59 |
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Location:
Poe Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/3000 |
File Name: JCD3092.BlackNeckedStilt.Juvenile |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Juveniles and adults, near Lindsey Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-07-06. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:06 6:48 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD2953.BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Near Lindsey Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-07-05. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:05 16:16 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD2344.BlackNeckedStilt.Chick_ |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Malheur NWR, Central Oregon 2005-05-20. |
Date Taken: 2005:05:20 16:20 |
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Location:
Diamond Lane |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD2332BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Near Lindsey Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-07-05. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:05 16:07 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1600 |
File Name: JCD2316.BlackNeckedStilt.Chick_ |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) The beach at Poe Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-07-04. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:04 9:53 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: JCD1053.BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-03-03. |
Date Taken: 2009:06:03 11:32 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 450 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD0810.BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Shorebirds find this reserve as attractive as do the waterfowl. Merced NWR, south of Merced, California USA. 2011-12-29 |
Date Taken: 2011:12:29 10:11 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X5979-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California USA 2013-11-01. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:01 10:32 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/2 |
File Name: D3X4368-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Near Lindsey Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-07-05. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:05 16:07 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1600 |
File Name: JCD2316.BlackNeckedStilt.Chick_ |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Near Lindsey Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-07-05. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:05 16:16 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD2344.BlackNeckedStilt.Chick_ |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Chicks. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-07-29. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:29 13:10 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: JCD4496.BlackNeckedStilt.Chick_ |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
|
Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Stilt chicks have pinkish legs, Avocets, greenish. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-05-27. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:27 9:53 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 500 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 |
File Name: JCD9710.BlackNeckedStilt.Chick_ |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Typical four egg nest. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-05-27. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:27 10:06 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 320 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD9753.BlackNeckedStilt.Egg_ |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
|
Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Stilt chicks have pinkish legs, Avocets, greenish. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-05-27. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:27 10:10 |
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Location:
|
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 320 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 |
File Name: JCD9757.BlackNeckedStilt.Chick_ |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Shorebirds find this reserve as attractive as do the waterfowl. Merced NWR, south of Merced, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:12:27 14:06 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X4948-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Tern survey day at the Saltworks, part of the San Diego National Wildlife Complex. Near Imperial Beach, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:07:08 12:58 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 400 mm, f/9.0, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X2593-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Tern survey day at the Saltworks, part of the San Diego National Wildlife Complex. Near Imperial Beach, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:07:08 11:27 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 400 mm, f/11.0, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X2382-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Not quite fledged, this juvenile has not earned it's flight feathers. Survey day at the Saltworks, part of the San Diego National Wildlife Complex. Near Imperial Beach, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:05 10:40 |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X2756-BlackNeckedStilt-Chick |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Imperial Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:03:21 11:06 |
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Location:
Imperial Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X1969-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Imperial Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:03:21 10:57 |
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Location:
Imperial Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2500 |
File Name: D3X1962-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve in Henderson Nevada is comprised of nine ponds owned by the city's Waste Water Treatment Facility, but managed by nature lovers. It is the premiere birding location in southern Nevada. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:10 20:49 |
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Camera Information: |
File Name: BlackNeckedStilt_D5X2311-Henderson-BVP |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: At the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 10:30 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/7.1, 1/8000 |
File Name: BlackNeckedStilt_D5X1622 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: In the company of White-Faced Ibis at a marshy wetland on the southern shore at Isla Clarion. Our final island visit of this journey. Colima Mexico. Part of the Archipiélago de Revillagigedo. |
Date Taken: 2017:02:20 7:35 |
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Location:
Southern Shore |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: BlackNeckedStilt_D5X9568 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Shorebirds such as these stilts are some of the many species found at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area is a state run reserve near Gridley California in Butte County. |
Date Taken: 2017:09:14 15:17 |
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Location:
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: BlackNeckedStilt_D5X2650-GrayLodge-WLA |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Imperial Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:03:21 11:15 |
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Location:
Imperial Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X1981-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Imperial Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:03:21 11:06 |
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Location:
Imperial Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X1966-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Lindo Lake. Lakeside, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2012:08:01 9:21 |
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Location:
Lindo Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X4169-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: (Himantopus mexicanus) Seen at the Merced National Wildlife Reserve on 2019-01-26, twelve miles southwest of the town of Merced, Merced County California (USA). |
Date Taken: 2019:01:26 14:16 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 500 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: BlackNeckedStilt_D507308-Merced-NWR |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: Another bird as common here as in San Diego, were these Black-Necked Stilts. The Convention Center on South Padre Island, Texas is a first rate birding destination. I spent several hours in the morning and several more in the afternoon on this day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:30 16:47 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/4000 |
File Name: BlackNeckedStilt_D501479-South-Padre |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
|
Description: Another bird as common here as in San Diego, were these Black-Necked Stilts. The Convention Center on South Padre Island, Texas is a first rate birding destination. I spent several hours in the morning and several more in the afternoon on this day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:30 17:44 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/4000 |
File Name: BlackNeckedStilt_D501691-South-Padre |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: I met these nesting Black-Necked Stilts on my second to last day in Brownsville Texas, I spent the morning along the road to Port Isabel looking in vain for Least Grebes. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:06 12:17 |
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Location:
Bahia Grande |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 |
File Name: BlackNeckedStilt_D503641-Bahia-Grande-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: A few miles east of Roswell New Mexico, along the Pecos River, is Bitter Lake NWR, where I found these avocets and stilts nesting near each other, just as they do in Southern California. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:11 8:21 |
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Location:
Bitter Lake NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: BlackNeckedStilt_D505760-BitterLake-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
|
Description: Shorebirds such as these stilts are some of the many species found at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area is a state run reserve near Gridley California in Butte County. |
Date Taken: 2017:09:14 14:42 |
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Location:
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: BlackNeckedStilt_D5X2298-GrayLodge-WLA |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Necked Stilt(Himantopus mexicanus) |
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Description: 7th Street mudflats. Part of the South San Diego Bay NWR, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:07:24 11:06 |
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Location:
7th Street Overlook |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/4000 |
File Name: D3X0955-BlackNeckedStilt |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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