u/321ignition

The same black-necked stilt family returns every year to a low-lying wetland area on my parents’ farm. I was lucky enough to get there just before sunset and settle into a nicely camouflaged spot where, for the most part, they didn’t even know I was there. They completely ignored my presence.

I sat there for almost three hours, shooting over 20,000 photos as they danced, foraged, and fought for territory with other birds nearby. The main shot was one I didn’t even realize I had captured until I got back home to review the images and noticed the spotted sandpiper in the same frame as the stilt foraged in the water below.