This delicate adult Black-necked Stilt strolls around the shallow pond, keeping an eye on his last remaining chick. 
As I watched, this little one keep toddling off while his watchful parent kept ‘herding’ him back to a safer space.
The Stilts build their nests in what would seem to be the most vulnerable of places, on ‘bare open ground near water, with little vegetation.’ (Audubon)
Although the chicks are precocial, and can leave the nest within hours of hatching, the vigilant parents remain nearby. When other birds come too close, the parents become agitated and very noisy, yapping loudly to ward off potential intruders.
“An anti-predator display called ‘the popcorn display’ consists of a group of adults encircling a ground predator and hopping side to side while flapping their wings.” (BirdWeb)
Fun fact about Black-necked Stilts: ‘They have the second-longest legs in proportion to their bodies of any bird, exceeded only by flamingos.’ (All About Birds)! 
I love this description of the Black-necked Stilt on eBird!!: ‘Elegant shorebird with exceptionally long legs. Walks gracefully on bright pink chopsticks.’
Birder's Journey 
Nice informative post about these elegant birds, Carol.
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Glad you enjoyed it. We are so fortunate that the Stilts come back and nest here every year! We’re always rooting for the chicks to make it.
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Very nice series.
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Thank you, Ted! They’re fun to watch.
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Yeah, I love that description of them as well! Beautiful shots.
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So fitting! ☺️. I appreciate your comments.
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They are beautiful birds, your photos of them are terrific!
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Thanks, Belinda. So glad I could observe this growing chick for quite some time with his ever-watchful parent.
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One of my favorite shore birds BJ, love to photograph them reflecting in the shallows.
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In Israel we saw Black- winged Stilts, very similar. What are yours called?
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Black-winged Stilts 😊
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I love the sequence and the info on stilts, thanks BJ
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You’re welcome, Berny! It was fun watching them with you!
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I like these birds a lot, they look like little marionettes. I saw many of them in South America. Great photos, Carol. 🙂
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Lol. Great comparison, HJ. Yes, they do look like little marionettes ☺️
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Thanks for the photos and information!
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A pleasure… thanks for stopping by.
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You’re welcome!
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Great images and wonderful to capture a chick!
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Thank you, Ellen! This chick was an adventuresome little guy who kept wandering off from his parent, giving me some nice clear views! He’s getting big really fast.
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It is amazing how quickly all these birds grow into adult size and move on…blink and it is over!
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I can see why you like the chopsticks description. As for the word stilt, we might wonder which meaning came first: the long-legged bird or the wooden pole a person uses to get higher off the ground. Turns out the ‘pole, crutch’ sense goes back to the 1300s, while the first attested use of the word to describe this bird dates back only to 1831.
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Thanks for the very interesting etymology on “stilts”!
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What birds are for you, etymology is for me. Now we have to wonder what name people used for these birds before they called them stilts.
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Fabulous captures, so adorable! I want gorgeous long legs like them! 😉
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Thanks very much, Donna! LOL ☺️Would you choose pink, too? Or another color?
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Oh, give me classy pink, they’ll show off better!! 😊
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😁 💓💗
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