Thank you for your patience while we retrieve your images.


15 of 25 photos
Thumbnails
Info
Categories & Keywords

Category:Lifestyle and Recreation
Subcategory:Outdoors
Subcategory Detail:Camping
Keywords:minimize, minimizing, disturbance, ethics, gear, development, "threatened species", endangered species, "near threatened", "Greater sage grouse", "Greater sage-grouse", "Centrocercus urophasianus", permission, expert, consult, logistics, "south west", south-west, Montana, birding, birds, bird, "bird watchers", "bird watcher, "bird watching", bird watchers, approach, approaching, screen, screens, hut, blind, observe, observing, seeing, see, displaying, display, mating, mate, lek, grouse, "sage grouse", sage-grouse
Photo Info

Dimensions7360 x 4912
Original file size25.9 MB
Image typeJPEG
My blind and approach screens near a sage grouse lek, Montana, USA

My blind and approach screens near a sage grouse lek, Montana, USA

My blind and approach screens near a sage grouse lek, Montana, USA. Note that the blind has to be set up during the day and everything must be finished and quiet an least an hour before sunset before the birds may come to the lek. Depending on the moonlight there may be more (full moon) or less (new moon) sage grouse activity at the lek during the night. Care should be taken when approaching the blind. Be in the blind at least an hour before first light. The approach screens and darkness, especially during new moon, help conceal my approach. It is important to take your time... you cannot be seen or heard by the birds as you approach. You cannot make noise or talk, also not while in the blind, and you have to stay put until after the birds have left to forage elsewhere during the day. Don't try something like this on your own before consulting with an expert as sage grouse are near threatened (IUCN, 2014) and they are very sensitive to human disturbance.