Upland Sandpiper – Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Pawhuska, Oklahoma: I recently took a short trip to the tallgrass prairie in Oklahoma to photograph birds and wildflowers. The Upland Sandpiper (formely known as Upland Plover) is a breeding bird of the tallgrass prairie. Spending its winter on the Pampas of South America the Upland migrates to the North American prairies in spring to nest. Like many shorebirds the Upland Sandpiper ardently defends its nesting territory and this bird was doing just that. As I was driving along the back roads near Pawhuska, Oklahoma I found this bird perched on a fence post about seventy feet from the road. As I got out of my van, the sandpiper flew from the post and landed on the ground faking a wing injury in an attempt to lure me from its nearby nest. Knowing the ploy, I took a few more steps in the direction from where the sandpiper had flown. As expected, the sandpiper promptly returned to its perch and tried to lure me away a second time, giving me the opportunity to shoot this image.
Nikon D300, Nikkor 500mm f4, Digital Capture ISO 200
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