each May, the Upland Sandpipers migrate back up north to nest. Many come to Custer State Park to its vast grasslands to do just that. There is something about sandpipers in grasslands that just grabs my imagination and ever since I first saw an Upland at Custer, I’ve been intrigued and on a quest. I honestly don’t know what it is, but photographing them doing “their thing” pulls me to the park each May. This year was no different except this year, they were a tad late in arriving. When we first arrived to Custer, I didn’t hear or see a one. That changed the 3rd day when I heard two males on my favorite field to find them.
On the 5th day, we were parked on the fence row photographing the male Mountain Bluebirds when a male Upland Sandpiper landed on the road just outside the MFD of the 800mm (18′). He landed on the road! That is really odd behavior, really odd so my curiosity was naturally aroused. I instantly put my glass on him and when he started to call, the D4s went ripping. The male was going nuts calling which could only mean one thing, a female some nearby. They blend in perfectly with the grasslands so finding her I knew would be quite the task. Then the male flew in a panic from the road up to a post, the place we normally see and photograph them. There, he continued is panic mating ritual.
The D4s was ripping when all of a sudden the female appeared on the ground at the base of the post! The 800mm was resting on the Puffin Pad so I quickly pointed it down to the female as she was sprinting right along. It all was unfolding just as fast as nature can because soon, the male hopped down to the grass field behind the post and the female turned to follow.
Through the hole in the fence she walked away from us and deeper into the grasses. I followed her through the lens as long as I could see her until she finally melded into the habitat. The male was now long gone and the frantic calling he had been doing faded away. Most likely within a day or two they started to lay eggs, incubate the nest and raise the next generation of sandpipers. The window is small when you can see and photograph these really cools birds and every May, they never cease to amaze me with some new piece of their biology that just calls me back the next year.