Last morning on a mating lek for a little while

 







We spent the early morning hours on the sage grouse lek where our journey began one year ago on April 1, 2021.  The sage grouse were barely visible in the Waning Gibbous moonlight, but the booming could be heard clearly.  The above booming sequence gives you a little idea of the physical changes in the sage grouse as it lifts and fans its tail feathers, fills its yellow sacs with air, stretches up tall, drops its chest while deflating the sacs, and finally returns to its resting state.  The booms sound a bit like popping water balloons and gurgles.  As the morning light rises on the lek, the tail feather shadows draw across the back of the male creating interesting patterns, and then the grouse and sun move.



This year we were on the lek site toward the end of April which meant the birds stayed around a little longer in better light for photography and it was warmer at 46F.  Finally, the magic moment came, seemingly at the same time as the arrival of the morning song of the meadowlark, and the birds flew away from us toward an unknown location.  What a special end to our discovery trip this year.






Comments

  1. MarshallApril 22, 2022 at 7:53 AM

    Looks like a wonderful morning. Great photos!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. christine penceApril 22, 2022 at 11:54 AM

      Thanks, Marshall. We really enjoyed the morning. Another year we think earlier in the month is better for actual mating activity but the few degrees warmer weather was appreciable.

      Delete
  2. amazonjulieApril 24, 2022 at 8:36 AM

    What a great series of pictures!
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. christine penceApril 25, 2022 at 8:06 AM

      So glad you followed along. We will keep the blog going as we learn more and plan our next trips.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousMay 17, 2022 at 6:49 PM

    amazing images of such a unique subject!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMay 17, 2022 at 6:51 PM

    this looks like a great trip, really enjoyed your blog -Ann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. christine penceMay 18, 2022 at 6:28 AM

      We learned so much. Thanks for following our trip.

      Delete

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