Mayhem in the morning.
These photos of male Sage Grouse fighting on their lek in Wayne County, Utah were taken on March 29, 2015.
1/2000, f5.6, ISO 4000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
These two males seemed to take the moment the rising sun reached them as some kind of signal to really lay into each other so I was struggling for shutter speed in the still very low light. I was determined to get sharp photos of the action which meant I had to crank my ISO into territory my camera had never seen, before or since. I’d never shot at anything even approaching ISO 4000 but I knew I’d rather have noisy photos than soft ones.
This photo is deceiving – it almost looks like the combatants were hugging or maybe chest-bumping in celebration but in reality they were intense rivals in the middle of a vicious fight. Part of the reason I like the shot is because there’s a catch light in the eye of both birds which is something I rarely got during the entire brouhaha.
1/2500, f5.6, ISO 4000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Both this shot and the next one are a little hazy, especially down low, because of all the dust stirred into the air by the fight. We see very little of the head of the bird on the right but I like this angle on his spectacular flared tail with his rival seeming to look through his spread tail feathers.
The single feather on the ground at lower left is evidence of the intensity of their altercation.
1/2000, f5.6, ISO 4000, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This is another one of those rare shots when I had light in the eye of both birds. Here they were viciously slapping each other with their wings so even with a shutter speed of 1/2000 their wings were sometimes soft. The dust stirred up by their feet was more evident in this photo than many of the others.
This lek is on a high plateau in a very remote area of Wayne County so it was pure joy to experience all the intense grouse activity in a wilderness location with no other vehicles or people in the area. There are leks nearer to my home in northern Utah but the ones I’m aware of typically have vehicles full of people around them in the morning and I don’t shoot well in crowds so I don’t visit them.
But I paid the price for this unusual opportunity in solitude. Shooting from my open window just before and after dawn in the early spring at that high elevation I nearly froze my arse off! That might have been as cold as I’ve ever been while photographing birds.
But it was worth it, big time.
Ron
Late to the party, Ron, but what a spectacular series! Upland game birds (and sparrows) are some of my favorites. There is something so special about being on the edge of a lek – cold no matter how many layers you have- and listening to the booming as the dawn arrives. The world would be a better place if everybody experienced it just once. Pure delight! Thanks for the memories!
Fantastic series Ron!
Charlotte
Spectacular shots!! Yes, you’ve got your nits to pick (which makes them even more spectacular in your world…LOL!), but for those of us who might never see sage grouse battling on their leks (most certainly to the delight of the sage grouse), THANK YOU!!
Thanks very much, Laura.
What amazing pictures. The only grouse I’ve seen in NW Mendocino/SE Humboldt counties don’t seem to move when you drive 2 ft from them and they are sitting on the side.
Amazing pictures.
Thank you.
Alice
Alice, from what you said I’d guess your grouse might be Spruce Grouse. They call them “fool’s hens” for good reason…
I remember this series and KNEW I was in for a treat as soon as I saw the post title.
What an amazing experience – and definitely worth frost bite of the fundament.
I am so glad you saw it – and even gladder that those of us with warm bums get to enjoy the show.
Thanks, EC. Actually I’ve never posted these photos before but I have posted other shots of the same birds fighting.
I am sorry. I wasn’t clear. I knew that you wouldn’t have posted the same birds twice – but do remember those you posted from that magical morning.
No worries, EC.
The intensity of the fight really comes through in these shots! I’m feeling a bit nervous for both of them; hopefully, no one was seriously injured.
Glad you were able to get these shots — and keep your arse. 😉
Me too, Marty. I’m pretty fond of my old arse…
These are lovely. I would like to capture fight shots but the low light is a challenge. I wish they would stay for sun rise but from my experience as soon as those first rays hit the area a bird gives a call and they all fly away.
April, on several mornings most of these birds stuck around and performed for a good while after dawn. Perhaps that’s one of the advantages of photographing them in a remote area without other vehicles and people around.
Even so I didn’t get any decent flight shots…
Wow.
🙂
Their posturing looks so choreographed and formal; as if they were actors on some cosmic stage. And there you were, witnessing this timeless reenactment out in the middle of nowhere. I appreciate that you “paid the price” and shared the results.
“Their posturing looks so choreographed and formal”
Good observation, Lyle. It looks that way in person too – at least parts of it.
Ron, love your heading, “Mayhem in the Morning.” And it is definitely mayhem. Great job considering the cold and the very low light. And you did get catch-eyes in those fighting shots and that of course is not easy. I have never seen a Sage Grouse, but I grew up with Pennsylvania’s state bird the Ruffed Grouse.
Everett, I’d love to witness (and photograph) a Ruffed Grouse drumming.
Pam noticed the graceful look on the bird on the right, but what stands out for me is the GLARE of the bird on the left! I agree with others, wonderful photos of a special event.
Thank you, Nancy.
I especially enjoy the third photo because of the look on the face of the bird on the left (from my perspective). He looks like he’s thinking, “I’m gonna get you!” These are spectacular birds we don’t see in our neck o’the woods in Northern Massachusetts but 37 turkeys walked through our yard at the edge of those woods the other day. Thanks for this and all your photos, a daily joy for me!
Turkeys are fun too, Mary. I thought I might see some up north this morning but didn’t.
Wonderful set of photos, Ron! 🙂 Great to find a place where the “hoards” aren’t creating havoc….. 😉 The freezing part NOT amusing BUT! 😉
Thank you, Judy.
Killdeer have arrived so, in theory, it’s spring……. 😉 No Robins yet tho
Yes, in that neck of the woods Killdeer mean spring.
This is again a bird that I’ve not seen so your photos give me great joy. One could study this bird at great length…just looking at all their differences in feathers, colors, patterns makes me smile. Such beauty. So much planning for the design of this bird! 🙂 Thanks for sharing this little miracle. I can imagine how cold you were…I’ve done that waiting for a snowy owl to move that I found once just sitting on a little rise. Even though I have heated car seats, that heater does not work if the engine is off! Oh the things we do…
Kathy, I was wearing two coats (one over my legs), a hat, had long johns on and was using handwarmers in my gloves (and possibly my socks) but I thought I was going to freeze to death!
The tail of the bird on the right of the 3rd photo looks so graceful and spactacular during this wing bout.
Do you remember who won or did the birds shift positions in your photos?
Nope, don’t remember Pam. I couldn’t even tell at the time because they were circling each other and their attacks were so fast I couldn’t really keep track of the individual birds.