Feathers on Friday – Sharp-tailed Grouse Lek

Sharp-tailed Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse males face off

A few photos for this Feathers on Friday. Sharp-tailed Grouse from the lek! They were very tolerant of the blind, coming within ten feet of us, so though the day was overcast, I managed to extract some nice photos. The males would hold their wings out, turn in a circle and stamp their feet very quickly while popping their purple air sacs.

Sharp-tailed Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse male

I’d seen Sharp-tailed Grouse once before, but that was distant, and of course, the males weren’t displaying, so this was quite an experiance. We had to be settled in the blind an hour beforee sunrise, which meant a 3:30 start from our hotel (it would have been 1:00 AM from home).

Sharp-tailed Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse male

The females were in short supply, and were constantly being chased around by hopeful males.

Sharp-tailed Grouse female
There were only three or four females compared to the 30 odd males.

All in all, a brilliant way to spend Mothers Day!

2 thoughts on “Feathers on Friday – Sharp-tailed Grouse Lek”

  1. Overcast days are usually great for photography because you don’t have to worry about harsh shadows. I love the faceoff picture! They’re a remarkable-looking bird, aren’t they? Well done.

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