Sandpiper on a wire

Upland Sandpiper. Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Since moving back to Saskatchewan, John and I have twice been startled to find long-legged shore birds in the most unlikely places - balancing on a power line and dining in a stubble field! Both sightings occurred when we were out for a "Sunday drive."

On a warm sunny summer afternoon (Aug. 5/01) we set out to have a look at the Blackstrap recreation area south of Saskatoon. On a grid road near Dundurn, we were amazed to see what looked like a dove on stilts - perched on the power line. John had to back up so we could get a better look. What would a long-legged shore bird be doing there?

Upraised wings - Upland Sandpiper. Wikipedia photo

I had to get out of the truck for  better look with the binoculars - it was on John's "side." As soon as I stepped out of the truck, the bird lifted its wings directly over its back, balanced there, poised for flight. I stood perfectly still and it slowly lowered its wings. I recognized the upraised wing pose from books and knew I was seeing an upland Sandpiper.

The small head in proportion to the body is what gave us the impression of a dove and its round, dark eyes seemed enormous. The Peterson guide book aptly described them as "shoe button eyes." It had a thin neck, short bill, and was light underneath with a mottled brown tweed back and longish barred tail and yellow legs.

Upland Sandpipers were once one of the commonest birds on the prairie, according to Stuart Houston in Birds of the Saskatoon Area, but were hunted excessively late in the 19th Century and then when European settlers arrived, their nesting habitat was destroyed with the introduction of grain farming. They face many natural hazards, including a difficult migration of 8,000 miles to South America where they are still hunted and served as a restaurant delicacy.

Next time I'll tell you about the shorebirds we saw wading in the stubble.