Upland sandpiper, Imperial Allegheny County, 19 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

20 June 2026

North American grasslands have disappeared at an alarming rate and so have grassland birds, but there are still a few places to find them near Pittsburgh.

Western Pennsylvania did not have grasslands until we had strip mines. The Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act of 1977 compelled coal companies to “establish a diverse, effective, and permanent vegetative cover capable of self-regeneration” and so they planted native grass.

Less than a half hour drive from Downtown Pittsburgh, there are grasslands in Allegheny and Washington Counties. I visited two of them in the past week to see grassland birds and was able to digi-scoped the birds that stood still.

The upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicuda) is a very rare bird in Allegheny County, last seen here many decades ago (50+ years, I don’t remember). This one at Imperial has friends with him. Dozens of birders have visited them. I finally made it there yesterday.

Upland sandpiper, Imperial Allegheny County, 19 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Upland sandpiper, Imperial Allegheny County, 19 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

He was silent while I visited. If I’d been lucky he’d have said this!

At the Panhandle Trail at Midway, PA but there are Henslow’s sparrows, boblinks, eastern meadowlarks and grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), to name a few. I was able to digi-scope this one while he was singing.

Grasshopper sparrow, Panhandle Trail, 8 June 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

I cannot hear him singing but maybe you can. 😉