Mother's Day is For The Birds Too

I spent Mother’s Day on my family’s farm, where a group of black-necked stilts hatch their chicks every year.

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The lighting couldn’t have been more perfect on Saturday morning. As soon as I pulled up, a sandhill crane pair and their two juvenile chicks appeared. I quickly fired away, but was only able to capture a photo of one of the adults. I still like how it turned out! mothers day 2026 8 I quickly found a nice spot with the rising sun at my back and began firing away at the 10 or so stilts guarding their nests on an island in a shallow pond. mothers day 2026 2

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After a little while, one of the stilts had snuck up on me from the left and was at the perfect eye level, allowing me to really capture some detail! mothers day 2026 But it wasn’t all stilts and cranes. I also had a curious flycatcher land near me, as well as a loggerhead shrike, and even a marsh rabbit decided to check out what the stilts were squawking at! mothers day 2026 10

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