{"id":82342,"date":"2021-03-26T06:58:16","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T12:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=82342"},"modified":"2025-03-09T06:03:14","modified_gmt":"2025-03-09T11:03:14","slug":"finding-greater-sage-grouse-away-from-their-leks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/26\/finding-greater-sage-grouse-away-from-their-leks\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding Greater Sage-Grouse Away From Their Leks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finding Greater Sage-Grouse away from their leks isn’t easy. It takes sharp eyes, keen observation skills, plus knowing what to look for or by having a friend like me ride along with you who has those skills and attributes.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Greater Sage-Grouse portrait – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

If you know where a lek is you can probably find Greater Sage-Grouse in the vast areas around the lek. When I say “vast” I mean hundreds or thousands of acres.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week I saw a local guy post on a rare bird Facebook group about Greater Sage-Grouse where he exclaimed “They’re baaaack”. That post was removed later and I’m not certain if the post was removed by the guy or one of the admins. But here is some information on that:<\/p>\n

Greater Sage-Grouse aren’t rare in Utah and they never “left”. Maybe the guy was just saying that the grouse were back on the lek but the fact is that they have been on their leks for weeks now.<\/p>\n

Greater Sage-Grouse are nonmigratory. They will will move to lower elevations during the winter to find food and to higher elevations during the warmer months for the same reason.<\/p>\n

\"GreaterGreater Sage-Grouse male close up – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though Greater Sage-Grouse are large birds they can be hard to spot in their habitat because of their cryptic plumage patterns.<\/p>\n

If the grouse squat down they can easily seem to disappear in the vast sagebrush habitat. On more than a few occasions I’ve spotted them and the next moment I have had a hard time finding them again.<\/p>\n

Pointing them out to other people with less visual acuity can be a serious challenge too even when they are nearby unless they are near a prominent feature in the landscape.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Greater Sage-Grouse in sagebrush steppe habitat – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

There are Greater Sage-Grouse in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a> not far from East Canyon State Park as a crow flies. I’ve photographed them away from the lek that is up there a few times.<\/p>\n

When I drive up on that road I always drive slow because I’m looking for the grouse and other birds I might miss seeing if I were moving faster.<\/p>\n

Finding these stunning grouse away from their leks isn’t easy but it is rewarding when I succeed.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Greater Sage-Grouse photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Finding Greater Sage-Grouse away from their leks isn’t easy. It takes sharp eyes, keen observation skills, plus knowing what to look 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