Sage Grouse Strut
Category: Nature
Photo and caption by Cindy Goeddel
Early morning sounds and sights of male Sage Grouse holding court on their traditional display ground, a lek. Well before sunrise, on the edge of the lek, snug in my bag blind, long lens aimed into the darkness. Turn off the headlamps and let the games began – the noise of wings from all directions, some sounding like Harriers, others conjuring up images of the Spruce Goose. Once in their position in the arena, males fan their tails and inflate a pair of air sacs in their breasts to make a bubbling sound, the cacophony is truly remarkable as daylight reveals the spectacle before you.
Location: Pinedale, Wyoming USA
