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Drilling the West
JULY 2005
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Strutting Their Stuff on a Land Transformed
Photograph by Joel Sartore
With chests puffed up and tail feathers splayed, male sage grouse flaunt their wares in hopes of attracting mates on Wyoming's Pinedale anticline, one of the hottest new gas fields in the West. Gas companies plow roads right through some leks, or grouse courting ground, and scientists say such habitat fragmentation and disturbance may be contributing to a dramatic decline in grouse populations throughout the West. A recent study showed that the number of male birds visiting leks has dropped by more than half since the late 1960s.
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Photo Fast Facts
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Camera: Nikon F5
Film Type: Fujichrome Velvia
Lens: 400mm telephoto, f/2.8
Speed and F-Stop: 1/60 @ f/2.8
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Weather Conditions: Clear
Time of Day: 7 a.m.
Lighting Techniques: Natural light
Special Equipment or Comments: Remote camera operated by a radio trigger
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