When my wife first spotted one of these birds, my initial thought was what is a sandpaper doing here in the middle of the South Dakota prairie? Upon further research, I determined it was an upland sandpiper, and indeed, it belonged here. One of two lifers for the trip, I was able to observe quite a few of them, scurrying along the edge of the grasses and in the air. Sweet!
A western meadowlark adds some extra effort to boost its singing prowess. Based on the residue on the rock, this must be a favorite perch!
