Today's Bird: Black Necked Stilt

Today's bird (or in this case, birds) are Black Neck Stilts.  They're tall, lean and make a funny little squeaking noise that sounds a bit like a dog toy.  They live along coastlines and in marshes in the western United States.  In the winter, lots and lots of them come down here to hang out by us in the warm weather.  I see them almost every time I bird at Estero Llano Grande.  They'll hang with whoever's in the pond by the front deck: ducks, sandpipers, coots...they're not fussy.  I spotted this pair at the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center Boardwalk on April 21, 2012.