Upland sandpipers, Bartramia longicauda, are usually described as "uncommon and local". That being the case, Ft. Niobrara NWR, in the Nebraska Sandhills near Valentine, is one of the localities, as the species is readily observed here in the summer. The lighting conditions were harsh at high noon, but Jessa and I found a dozen on one stretch of fence, along the road between the visitor's centre and Berry Bridge. (I almost titled this "A post on sandpipers on posts".)
The birds don't spend all their time on posts, of course...
...especially the ones who are too young to fly. We happened upon a female uppy who was calling her chicks to her, and Jessa managed to get a couple of quick shots of one as it dashed across the road. The species name longicauda, "long-tailed", is inapt for the little ones at this stage: "fuzzy potatoes on stilts" I believe was Jessa's description.
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