Upland Sandpiper in Box Elder County, Utah – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Four years ago today stopping for a Golden Eagle perched on a power pole in Box Elder County would net me a rare Upland Sandpiper sighting because of the sandpiper’s chattering call.
I had the Golden Eagle in my viewfinder and I was hoping that it would lift off so that I could get flight images of it. The sky was a clear, plain blue but I felt that flight photos would be better than photos of the massive raptor perched on a pole.
I kept hearing a chattering call that I didn’t recognize and my curiosity got the best of me so I looked around and tried to find the source of the unknown call I was hearing. When I pinpointed the source of the call I was blown away because on top of another power pole I saw an Upland Sandpiper! The chattering calls it was making were probably because the sandpiper was nervous about the Golden Eagle being just one power pole away.
I had a bad light angle on the sandpiper but I took photos of the rare bird and then sent off my sighting to the Utah birding hotlines so other people would have the chance to see the Upland Sandpiper but as far as I know that didn’t happen.
When I got home I reported my sighting to the Utah Birds Record Committee and attached several photos and my sighting was accepted on the first round making this Upland Sandpiper the 8th vetted record of an Upland Sandpiper for Utah.
I am one hundred percent aware that it can pay off to always look around if I hear a bird call or a song that I don’t recognize because it might be a rare bird. I’m always looking and listening and that is part of the reason I am able to find as many birds as I do.
Writing this post brings up a question I have been curious about for some time. When I reported two other rare bird species in the past, two Mountain Plovers on Antelope Island SP and a Baltimore Oriole in the Wasatch Mountains, I reported the sightings to the Utah birding community (birding hotlines and/or via Facebook) and also sent the reported sightings into the Utah Birds Record Committee. What I was surprised to see was that other people also reported their sightings of the same rare birds to the Utah Birds Record Committee after being informed about my sightings and then re-finding the birds on their own.
Why report the sighting of a bird to the Record Committee before the person who found the bird(s) and notified the birding community of the rarity gets their report sent in or has already sent in? With the Mountain Plovers that I reported before I even got home and processed my photos someone else had already sent in a report to the Record Committee which they may have done from the field.
I understand that if the birds are seen again at later dates that the information might be valuable because they might not be the same birds but for rare birds found in the same general location on the same date as the initial reported sighting?
Is it a competitive thing? I don’t get it and I hope that someone can explain it to me. I would really like to know.
Life is good. Stay safe.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Upland Sandpiper photos plus facts and information about this species.
Beautiful bird. I’m sorry that people want to steal your reporting thunder. :/
Thank you for sharing! A rare and declining bird in Vermont and through southern New England disappearing grasslands, coastal farmlands. An absolute fave! Perfect vision for the beginning of a day.
Fantastic, great shot!
Great find! Every spring we have one or two show up here. I go to where the birds are located & have yet to see any. Yes, finding a rare bird is a competitive thing. I found that out much to my chagrin.