April's Gifts (Upland Sandpiper)

Seeing the Upland Sandpipers arrive in April is one of the things I look forward to as a sign that Spring is here in Kansas! We are on the farthest north boundary for this rare and unusual prairie bird. It flies up from South America to mate and rear its young, then late summer/early autumn they are suddenly gone with an early migration back South. Here a new arrival is checking out property in the Flint Hills in a pasture near my home. after the spring burn has begun to yield its fruit of early season grasses. This unusal landscape bares witness to another feature of the land, limestone ridges and rocky soil. These traits have help preserve the native tallgrass prairie because it is impossible to take the plow to. It is prime grazing land for livestock though and this one pasture alone is probably 1000 acres. 

PRINTS available through kansasartgallery.artstorefronts.com/susan-rose.

Ad Astra in Strong City, Aug-Oct 2021