Sage Grouse Lek Trek

with Ken and Sarah Harris

Saturday, March 29th

6:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Meet up at 6:00 AM (and be prepared to leave ASAP) in the SE corner of the Twin Falls County West parking lot. (DMV – Old Hospital parking lot)

We’ll drive to Rogerson, ID, cross over the Salmon Falls Dam and head east to what has been a very active lek in years past.

Bring your scope, binoculars, camera, snacks and water.

Sorry, no dogs. We’ll be observing the lek from cars, but will most likely do a bit of birding outside our vehicles after seeing the grouse, so wear appropriate clothing. Stops on the way home will include Cedar Cr. Reservoir and Lud Drexler Park. Please RSVP by emailing Sarah -idabirder@gmail.com

The road to the site may be muddy! We will need to take high-clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles the last 1/4 mile as we approach the lek. If you have a high-clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle, we’d love to have you drive it. We’ll pile into said vehicles just before we get to the lek. If it turns out we don’t have enough 4WD vehicles, we’ll have to take turns.

One of the iconic native species of the West is the Greater Sage-Grouse. Every spring, these birds gather at sites adjacent to nesting grounds called leks, where the males put on elaborate displays of courtship characterized by strutting and unique vocalizations.

You can see and hear this ritual yourself at a lek west of Salmon Falls Reservoir on Saturday, March 30th. We’ll meet up in the Twin Falls County West parking lot at 6:00 AM. Viewing the birds is best an hour before, and an hour after sunrise, so that’s why we will be heading out so early. Because sage grouse are sensitive to human disturbance, we’ll try to reduce the number of vehicles approaching the lek by carpooling.

Photographers might be challenged by their distance from the leks and obstacles, but bring your camera anyway, and be sure to bring a pair of binoculars an a spotting scope if you have one.

Disclaimer: please be aware that other limiting factors may cause the grouse to leave the viewing site early or to not visit the site at all. Eagles, coyotes and other predators can scare them away. Wind, rain or snow can also cause them to seek cover and stay out of sight.

Learn more about Greater Sage-Grouse HERE