Black Necked Stilt Chick

Black Necked Stilt Chick, Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge, Alviso, California, USA

With barely budding two day old wings, this Black Necked Stilt Chick fed in the mud along the water's edge. The tall, black and white colored protective parents were nearby, and would attack any threat until the chick fledges and goes it own way.

Having photographed in many National Wildlife Refuges, I find that Don Edwards has a good variety of wildlife and scenery. For this photograph, it was a convenient place to use a portable bird blind to get close to the chick. The result was a fifth place finish in the National Wildlife Refuge Association photo contest.

National Wildlife Refuges were set aside for hunters a century ago. They are now great places to see a large variety of local and migrant wildlife.