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Black-winged Stilt in pretty Australian pool
This Black-winged Stilt marked another first for me on the guided bird walk that I did last weekend. It was in the area around Newington Armory – formerly the Royal Australian Navy Armaments Depot – at Sydney Olympic Park.
![](https://sydneybirder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/stilt-img_0751-cropped.jpg?w=1024)
Stilts are waders, with long thin legs and a beak made for poking into muddy pool bottoms. I saw a stilt flying overhead too, with its legs trailing out behind it.
The next photo shows a rather comical view of the bird and its reflection. It’s hard to tell where the real beak and legs end and the reflection begins:
![](https://sydneybirder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/stilt-img_0755-cropped.jpg?w=952)
The guided bird walk is offered by the BirdLife Discovery Centre on the last Sunday of every month. It’s fun and a good way to get out, meet some people, and see some birds.
Here’s a zoomed-out view of the stilt and the surrounding water. We’ve had a lot of rain recently, which means that the water covers more ground than usual. It’s a pretty site, with the typical Australian vegetation and the reflections:
![](https://sydneybirder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/stilt-img_0759.jpg?w=1024)
Common name: Black-winged Stilt
Scientific name: Himantopus himantopus
Approximate length: 33-37 cm
Date spotted: 28 August 2022 (winter)
Location: Sydney Olympic Park, Newington, New South Wales, Australia: 33°49’29.5″S 151°03’57.0″E