Sage Grouse displaying

This morning I was on a Sage grouse lek early even though it was windy, snowy and dark - but still enjoyed it.  After watching 42 cocks display and two of them breeding seven hens, I decided to take a series of pictures of a cock displaying.  It was one of the dominant cocks and posed fantastic for me.  The series is in order of the display.  I hope you enjoy and learn something from them.  They usually turn just before they start displaying, but look much like they do in the last picture before they take their first deep breath of air.  They actually take four breaths during each display.

 

They will rub the expanding air sacks with their wings which makes a squeaking sound.

This is when they take their deepest breath and then start forcing their head down into their chest to push out the air sacks. 

 

When they release the air out, it will make a "plopping" sound.

 

Most of the time they keep their feet motionless during the display.  This morning I watched this a couple of hundred times.

 

A great way to spend a less than perfect day in the wildness of Idaho as the snow started to fall in April.

Sage Grouse Morning

The weather prediction promised cloudy weather and I gambled that the sun may make its way through during the early morning for some pre-sunrise birds.  I wanted to be ready long before the sage grouse came to the lek, so at 4:30 I was in position below the ridge on lek #10.  After an hour and a half and listening to the males for an hour, I finally was able to take some pictures in the purple predawn.

Then the sky turned bright orange as the sun got nearer to the horizon.

 

The males continued to be active in their showing off to the ladies of the dawn.

 

Even a few fights broke out  - I think it was an excuse to warm up because the ladies where having none of their advances.

 

As the sun rose behind the thick clouds, the sky turned a light lavender making it difficult to shoot pictures.

 

After about a half hour wait, I was able to start getting a few.

 

Showing off is the great ability of all the 37 males gathered along the ridge.

 

More fights broke out and there was not enough light to be able to stop the flailing wings.

 

Finally a pair of Northern Harriers showed up.  One of them attack a male grouse, lifted him up about a foot only to drop him.

 

After the attack, the grouse ruffled his feathers, and I could not see any injuries or blood.

 

And then he flew off, looking okay.

 

On the way home I stopped at Cartier Slough and found three Great-horned owl nests - that is another story.

 

Oh, what a wonderful morning in the wilds of Idaho.  May each of you have a wonderful and bless'ed day.

Sage Grouse and migration day

I started early this morning looking for Sage grouse leks and about froze my tail off waiting to get enough light to take pictures of America's largest grouse.  I was parked near a ridge so the first pictures were silhouettes of the grouse in the frosty air.

 

Then as the sun came up, warming both the birds and I, the males started showing off to the ladies.  But the girls stayed only a minute or two and then flew off - a little too early for any serious relationship.

 

The boys did not stay long either, so off I went to Camas NWR to see if the water was in the ponds.  The Big Pond was about a fourth covered but most of the action was in the air.  Here a Short-eared owl was encouraging a Rough-legged hawk to go to the Artic Circle where most of the others had gone.

 

Two Northern harriers decided to play tag over the Big Pond.

 

I saw my first Sandhill cranes of the year.  There were several flocks that came in.

 

 

And the Snow and Ross's geese made their grand appearance off and on throughout the morning and early afternoon.

 

Just a slight breeze - warm sun - and many of God's creatures prepared me for meeting the taxman to settle up with Uncle Sam - and he treated me fairly good.

Oh, the Wildness of Idaho in the Great Outdoors.

More Sage Grouse

Saturday I took a neighbor out looking at sage grouse.   Living here for many years, he had never seen them.  I thought they might be done, but on a lek there were over 50 of them and I wanted to get some silhouette pictures of them so I parked below a ridge line and "harvested" these.  By the way, two cocks got into a fight under the truck which made it very exciting.

A very wild day in Idaho - wildness is the essence of the enjoyment of life.

Sage Grouse on their Leks

The sage grouse are lekking again and with the area between Highway 33 and the Egin/Hamer road open for travel, I have been able to observe this magnificent bird in action again.  But their population continues to decline.  I am working with the Idaho Fish and Game to try to locate new leks or traditional leks that might be used by birds.  I have found a few leks with a few birds, but the large leks with over 50 to 100 birds on them now have from 20 to 0 birds on them.  Here are a few of the show-off birds from this last week.

Last weekend we had a great snow storm and with one day left of spring break, I started searching for birds on leks.  On a lek that had 40 birds on it last year, I found only 23.  This handsome dude attempted to attract one of the three females.

He even battled other male to take control of the center of the lek where the females look for the king of the lek.

Soon a female showed up, but with the snow and cold, was not ready to start her family this year.  She showed up, but did not get too close to the ruler.

The battle bruises can be seen on the air sacks of this warrior that I found yesterday as he tries to attract a female.  

This gentleman has beautiful large combs above his eyes as he sits on top of a ridge with eight other males but no females are visiting them.

I saw a lot of different birds, elk, deer, coyote and even a mouse while spending a wonderful wild day in the wilds of Idaho

Sage grouse show off for the girls

During a recent snow storm, the male Sage grouse continued to display for the girls.  It is always an exciting activity to watch.  The males arrive about an hour before daylight.

The hens follow later.

But when the females come, the males get a little excited and start fighting and......

then they start showing off, trying to attract the females. 

Dancing and puffing out their chests while the female ignore most of them takes a lot of energy.

Tired of showing off, the males wait for the sun to come up

As the sun warms them, the hens leave, but the males remain a while longer in case a hot female shows up late.

With the females all gone for the day, the males fly off to feed and rest until the next morning arrives with new opportunities for a girlfriend. 

A great way to celebrate the wildness of Idaho.