Subject: [Tweeters] Malheur NWR and Sage Grouse
Date: Apr 4 11:25:02 2012
From: kenneth trease - kennethtrease at yahoo.com


I birded Malheur NWR in SE Oregon and the surrounding area on Sunday and Monday. ?Highlights of the trip were large flocks of both Snow Geese and Ross's Geese. ?I found smaller numbers of Greater White-fronted Geese and scattered pairs of both Lesser and Greater Sandhill Cranes. ?A few shorebirds were starting to arrive with small numbers of American Avocet, Long-billed Curlew and Dunlin. ?I also found good numbers of Sage Thrasher. ?I found Short-eared Owls very active during the day. ?The best part of the trip was two visits to a Greater Sage Grouse lek near the refuge. ?Although I had seen Greater Sage Grouse before I had never seen the males displaying and calling. ?I arrived well before sunup and could hear the strange liquid burbling slapping sounds of their calls before it was even light enough to see them. ?They continued to display until it was light enough to get a few photos. ?I went back again in the afternoon and they again arrived
just before dark to repeat their performance. ?It was one of the most spectacular birding sights I have ever witnessed. ?Strangely there were at least 15 males strutting and calling but I only saw one hen meandering through the crowd. Best I could tell she kept on going and didn't seem interested in any of the males. ?I have posted photos on my?Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cavuken/?