Sharp-tailed Grouse

If you've never crawled into a blind in the frosty, pre-dawn and then had dozens of Sharp-tailed Grouse fly in to dance on their lek a short distance away, you are missing a real treat. I had to get up at 3:40 AM to meet my partners and get situated while it was still dark. It was only 30 degrees and still misty from the previous evening's rain storm. But what a magical, wondrous spectacle to witness when dawn finally arrived.

I envy your opportunities. Would like to witness that one day

Excellent, Al. I need to do this one day.

You are more dedicated than me, and it shows in your work! It is so cold and windy today in Vermont that I built a fire!

Beautiful birds and beautiful shots.

Great shots.

Snydremark wrote in post #18347104
Excellent, Al. I need to do this one day.

My son has made me promise to take him next year to a sage grouse lek next year in Central Oregon.

CaptBob wrote in post #18347060
I envy your opportunities. Would like to witness that one day

Plan a trip up in late April, Bob and I can almost guarantee it. Thanks for commenting.

Snydremark wrote in post #18347104
Excellent, Al. I need to do this one day.

Thanks for commenting, Eric.

SJC from VT wrote in post #18347183
You are more dedicated than me, and it shows in your work! It is so cold and windy today in Vermont that I built a fire!

Thank you, Sandy. I wore heavy winter clothes; even at 30F, sitting for three hours not moving gets cold. I wanted a fire too a week ago when we had snow again, but I've already cleaned the stove for the season and didn't want to dirty it up again.

FPP wrote in post #18347223
Beautiful birds and beautiful shots.

Thank you for commenting.

Mel-S wrote in post #18347239
Great shots.

Thanks, Mel.

Scrumhalf wrote in post #18347241
My son has made me promise to take him next year to a sage grouse lek next year in Central Oregon.

Now that would be something to see all right. I saw Prairie Chickens booming many years ago and they are virtually the same size as these Sharp-tails. But seeing Sage Grouse would be magnificent. I'll await your photos!

CDMOOSE wrote in post #18346994
If you've never crawled into a blind in the frosty, pre-dawn and then had dozens of Sharp-tailed Grouse fly in to dance on their lek a short distance away, you are missing a real treat.

This is so very true! I have always thought of this blind work as being "real" wildlife photography; moreso than most other ways of going about it. . It requires planning and preparation, and for some of us, that is what it is all about.

I see you are in Minnesota. When I photographed Sharp-tails in MN, there were Prairie Chickens there, as well. . Do you happen to have Prairie Chickens near, you? Have you ever tried to photograph them on a lek? . If so, I would be very interested in hearing about your experiences.

.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #18347830
This is so very true! I have always thought of this blind work as being "real" wildlife photography; moreso than most other ways of going about it. . It requires planning and preparation, and for some of us, that is what it is all about.

I see you are in Minnesota. When I photographed Sharp-tails in MN, there were Prairie Chickens there, as well. . Do you happen to have Prairie Chickens near, you? Have you ever tried to photograph them on a lek? . If so, I would be very interested in hearing about your experiences.

.

Thanks for your comments, Tom. Occurrence maps on the MN Ornithologists' Union website www.moumn.org indicate Sharp-tails in the north-central and northwestern portions of the state; we are north-central. Prairie Chickens are in the northern half of the State, along the western edge, but not in the extreme northwest. There is some overlap in ranges. The bottom line is, we don't have them near our location. When I saw them in the early 70s, the booming grounds were near Rothsay MN and I believe that is still a good area to look for them. I have heard that, perhaps through MN Audubon or DNR, some fixed blinds are available to birders/photographers, but must be reserved well in advance. I'm sure a search on-line could tell you more about them.

Great Sharptail photos. They have always been one of my favorite upland birds. Well done.ߙ

KT29 wrote in post #18348065
Great Sharptail photos. They have always been one of my favorite upland birds. Well done.ߙ

Thank you, Terry; I appreciate your taking the time to comment.

Very nice. Thanks for sharing.

You are truly a dedicated photog, my friend! Kudos, sir.

im going to try that next spring for the few remaining greater prairie chickens we have in MO. they are so few that you have to book a spot ina viewing blind on the property they inhabit.