Upland Sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda: Tallgrass Prairie Preserve; Pawhuska, Oklahoma
A few years ago I took a short trip to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska, Oklahoma to
photograph birds and wildflowers. The
Upland Sandpiper is a breeding bird of the
tallgrass prairie. Spending its winters
in Argentina this sandpiper migrate 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, 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 perched and tried to
lure me away giving me the opportunity to shoot this image. The Upland Sandpiper was formerly known as the Upland Plover.
Nikon D300, Nikkor 500mm f4, Digital Capture ISO 200
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