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Monday I got up early, picked up a photographer friend of mine and headed off to my favorite lek. A lek is an elevated patch of native grasslands about the size of a baseball diamond.

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It is used by sharp-tailed grouse in the spring during their courtship rituals. The elevation enables them to spot predators at a distance.

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The males gather as a group and show off for the females. They point their tails straight up, spread their wings, hold their heads low and stamp their feet while dancing around in circles.

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They kind of look like an airplane about to take off. Their sounds are just as enjoyable as their dance moves.

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The ones that dance the longest and strongest seem to get the females.

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I have photographed sharp-tailed grouse for several years and never tire of watching them dance.

Raven

We didn’t see any predators but a group of five ravens dropped in on the grouse and made them scatter in all directions. After the ravens flew off the grouse were back in minutes.

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On our way home we checked a bald eagle’s nest that we photographed last year.

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The pair had returned and appeared to be already sitting on eggs.