Brian Ertz
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What a beautiful animal. Shake your tailfeathers!
It was a great show this spring out in Craters. Hopefully the cool May/June we’re having won’t put too much of a dent in the young of the year.
I took some photos of them last weekend. When they are not shaking their feathers, they are darn hard to see.
Magnificent creatures! A lovely way to spend the afternoon. Birds are such fascinating beings.
Thank you for posting the video.
Burrowing owls are equally difficult to spot. I love their long legs!
I’ve seen dozens of them down near Jarbidge this year, they are everywhere there and in the desert northeast of there.
Beth,
That is interesting. With the fire last year and the restocking, fencing to come, etc. all over the places that didn’t burn – it will be interesting to see how the populations fare. Some of the maps I’ve seen suggest that those places will be critically important for sage grouse for many years into the future.
And don’t forget mining operations … in eastern Montana.
Have you ever noticed that sometimes what threatens species is a lack of knowledge in general?
Last evening I was talking to a friend from Windsor, Colorado. We were talking about the sage grouse I had seen last weekend, and we got on topic of birds and how natural disasters can have profound effect on the.
The area in Windsor that was badly hit by the tornado in May was a large nesting grounds for numerous birds including Golden and Bald Eagles, Pelicans, King Fishers, Herons, several types of hawks and owls.
Prevalence of these birds can be partially attributed to water and prairie dogs.
Prairie dogs began being relocated by locals attempting to do a good thing. But, the problem is, they were setting them free in a farmer’s field and rancher’s pasture. Instead of rescuing the litle buggers, they just made them target practice.
I imagine this is part of the problem with the sage grouse, people love them so much, they just want to move right in with them.
Hence, one of the needs for the ESA- natural disasters, mankind, and global warming now.