By Sally Siko

Last month, I finally laid eyes on an Upland Sandpiper in Whitakers, NC.
There was a small flock of 4 feeding in the wide sod fields of the Vandemark Farms.
As I’d typical of my lifer sightings, the birds were very far off (about 70yds away) so my photos weren’t great (super cropped in post) but that’s ok!
I was just thrilled to see these large species of Sandpiper for the first time 🙂

These elegant Sandpipers have a long, thin neck and small head that imparts a “skinny” look that is different from all other shorebirds. They also have a distinct upright posture which can be useful for ID when viewing them in a mixed flock at a distance.
As grassland inhabits they prefer to hunt for insects and worms in farm pastures, grasslands at airports, extensive short grass lawns, and gigantic turf farms like the ones I found here.

Breeding in the prairie regions of the north central United States and central/southern Canada, Upland Sandpipers are a somewhat uncommonly seen migratory species here in North Carolina.
During April & May, they occur in inland portions across the state, and it is thus seldom spotted near the coast, whereas in late summer and fall it is seen mainly in the eastern counties of NC.
They’ll stick around here until mid September so get out there while you can to catch a look before they head to southern South America to spend the winter.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds