A Trilogy of (Mostly) Black Birds at the Bear Creek Unit of the San Luis NWR

Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)

After last week's discovery of Yellow-headed Blackbirds at the Bear Creek Unit of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, we couldn't resist going back to see if we could get a better view of the elusive birds. They generally like to remain hidden in the tule reeds of their favored wetlands and are more often heard than seen. That was still the case when we were there this afternoon, but we stopped the car for awhile to see what would happen. Much to my surprise, a Yellow-headed Blackbird jumped out of the foliage and onto the road not ten feet in front of the car. It started gleaning seeds from the edge of the roadway as if we weren't there. I managed to catch one of my better shots of the bird as a result.

But that wasn't the only unique black bird of the day...

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 

Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are common wherever marshes or grassy wetlands are found in North America, from Nicaragua to Alaska. They aren't usually hard to find, but I've always had the hardest time photographing them. The lighting has to be practically perfect in order catch the various features of these pure black birds (aside from the red wings of course). Most days I don't even try. But while we were photographing the Yellow-head, a Red-wing landed on a branch only eight feet out the window. It was taunting me, literally, to take its picture, so I did. So in that moment I got what may be the best shots I've ever managed of two different birds.

Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

The (mostly) black birds weren't done with their surprises though. I'm not the most observant person in the world, but I still miss things, and I've never once noticed Black-necked Stilts on a nest before. But we saw two of them today. They aren't exactly well-hidden nesting sites, but they are presumably safe from predators that don't like swimming. The Stilts form flocks which aid in the defense of nests, and they can become aggressive, even to humans. We didn't test the hypothesis and stayed in the car.

The Bear Creek Unit of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge includes a 2.25 mile auto tour and two trail loops, the Raccoon Marsh (1.3 miles) and Woody Pond (1.7 miles). The refuge is accessed from Highway 165 south of Hilmar and Turlock, and north of Los Banos. When the ponds are full, the area is a delight for birdwatching and nature observations. It's a small island of the Great Valley wetlands as they once were.

Black-necked Stilts at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge

The Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) is more of a tropical species. Their primary range is across Mexico and Central America, but during the summer they migrate into the United States to breed, mostly in the western states.

But California is different, of course, and our valley hosts a permanent year-round population, the northernmost in the country. So we were able to tour the Merced National Wildlife Refuge a few weeks back, and got to enjoy watching dozens of them exploring the shallows of the ponds that have been filled in preparation for the arrival of the Snow and Ross's Geese.

There are a number of subspecies of stilt, but the most interesting is the Ae'o (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni). Why? Because it lives in the Hawaiian Islands, 2,000 miles from any other populations. A few somehow made it across the ocean and survived in the strange new environment of the islands. Most stilt populations are stable and doing well, but the Ae'o is threatened because most of the Hawaiian freshwater marshes have been co-opted by development for agriculture or urban expansion (see a picture of one at the end of this post).

Put simply, the Merced National Wildlife Refuge is a marvelous place to see all manner of birds at all times of the year. It is a real treasure in our midst and yet is rarely crowded. If you are ever in our region, it is worth a look, especially in coming weeks as the geese arrive by the tens of thousands.

Black-necked Stilts and Symmetry at the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge

During our visit to the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, we saw several new birds, but there were some familiar ones as well. One of them was the Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus). The birds are primarily a tropical species. They migrate north in the summer, mainly in the western states. The Great Valley represents just about the northern margin of their year-round habitation.

I was thrilled to see three of them all lined up in a row, posing for me, so I snapped the picture above. But as usual, Mrs. Geotripper saw a symmetry that I didn't notice, a 90 degree angle made by my Stilts, and a group of Long-billed Dowitchers. She got the nice shot below.

I enjoy watching the stilts more than most birds. Their ungainly appearance belies a graceful gait and hunting dance. Only one bird, the Flamingo, has longer legs in proportion to their bodies. With their long beaks and legs, they are clearly birds of shallow waters, where they search the mud for invertebrates, and sometimes small fish.

The stilts form colonies when they nest, and they can be quite aggressive towards predators, surrounding them flapping wings and mobbing them. According the Cornell site, their populations have been holding steady, which is pretty good since most birds these days are declining.

The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge protects 42 square miles of floodplains, wetlands, swamps and grasslands along the San Joaquin River in the Great Valley. There are a number of auto tours and hiking routes available, and we've seen interesting birds in every season of the year.

Black-necked Stilt at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge and a Hawaiian Cousin

I'm surprised to see that I haven't yet posted pictures of the Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanu) before. I see them often at the wildlife refuges in the Great Valley. They're also photogenic birds! With their long legs, they cast beautiful reflections in the water as they strut around, poking their beaks into the mud.

I guess it is the sheer richness of variety of the birds in our valley. I go to a refuge, collect a large number of images, and before I've posted them, I'm distracted by a different trip and images.

The Black-necked Stilts are common on the mainland, and their numbers seem secure for the time being. They depend on freshwater wetlands, so their populations could be threatened by habitat loss. They feed on small fish and insects in the shallow waters.

Thousands of years ago, a few stilts were blown off-course, and somehow survived a 2,000 mile journey to the Hawaiian Islands. In the isolation they found there, they evolved ever so slightly from their mainland cousins, and are now considered a subspecies called an ae'o. With their favored habitat being in short supply on the islands, their numbers are not large. There are only about 2,000 of them, few enough that they are considered highly endangered. I've been privileged to see them a few times on my visits to the islands. One of them is in the picture below.

Ae'o, the endangered Black-necked Stilt of Hawaii