Upland Sandpiper, Badlands, South Dakota
The Upland Sandpiper is considered the ”shorebird of the prairie”. Most of other sandpiper species are usually found near water, this species calls the grasslands its home. I found this bird just outside the border of Badlands National Park. It had rained the day before my arrival in the area. The fence post the bird was perched on was next to a water filled ditch along Conata Road, a gravel road that cuts for fifteen miles through the grasslands of Conata Basin south of the national park. This road has been a good spot for bird watching and photography for me during spring time in the last couple years and it didn’t disappoint this year either. Upland Sandpipers spend the winters down in South America and even there they prefer the pampas and grassy areas of pastures and fields.
The wide open landscape allows for a nice and smooth background and while the sandpiper was not on the driver side, I carefully sneaked out of the car and made the click handholding camera and long lens.
Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG,….@ 850 mm, 1/1600 s, f/9, ISO400, slight crop