Sage Grouse on a lek

[rooster32]

Took these this morning...hope you like!








I was afraid the guy in the back was gonna pop....

[denaliguide]

very nice!!

[rwpontius]

I was at the same lek last Sunday. There was an uninvited visitor who left without breakfast.
RP

[rooster32]

We were talking that those birds would be a good target for a coyote.

Hopefully you didn't have to deal with the bone-heads that were taking pics the day we went.

They thought it would be a good idea to get out of the truck and setup their gear. The birds are fine if you stay in your truck, but as soon as you get out...their gone.

We had a good number of birds in close proximately until these geniuses decided to get out. Lens size isn't relative to IQ.....

[rwpontius]

The day I was there only one other vehicle was present. He is usually there doing film (motion) and knows how to behave properly so it was a great morning. We both stayed relatively stationary in our vehicles photographing. The grouse were aware of the coyote but when it approached a bird at about 30-40 feet the bird would fly elsewhere and set up shop again leaving the coyote with a really puzzled expression. The coyote stayed on the lek for about 10 minutes without even a close cal on a grouse. Great for me to see sine, like you I expected the birds to be pretty easy prey.
RP