Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
Black-necked Stilts are typically found hunting in shallow, inland wetlands. They probe with their long bills in their hunt for aquatic invertebrates. According to Cornell, they have also been known to herd fish into shallow water to trap them for easier capture.
I found this stilt in Moss Landing, CA. It had been hunting in water pooled in a ditch alongside highway 1. For a while it hunted in an open area away from any foliage. I waited, hoping it would wander toward a cluster of wildflowers. Eventually it did, stopping to pose briefly amid the tufts of yellow and green. April 10, 2017
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