Greater Sage-Grouse Lek Trip - NEW EARLIER TIME: 5:15 a.m. Saturday 4/13

Meet at the Laramie Eppson Center for Seniors (the corner of North 3^rd and Curtis Street) at 5:15 am. We will leave promptly at 5:25 am. 

Our trip leader drove up to the lek this morning (Friday) to check out access for tomorrow's field trip.  She reports that the road is free of snow and dry and that she observed 35 male sage grouse displaying to 5 female sage grouse on the lek.

We will carpool/caravan to the lek located approximately 35 minutes from Laramie. The 3 mile access road off the paved highway is dirt so vehicles with low clearance are not recommended. Carpooling is encouraged to reduce the number of vehicles that will park and to minimize disturbance to the birds.  We will walk approximately ½ to ¾ of a mile to a location to view the lek. Walking to the lek will be in the dark on relatively flat but uneven prairie. No flashlights can be used to minimize spooking the birds off the lek.

Please bring binoculars and spotting scopes if you have them.

We expect to return to Laramie between 7:30am and 8 am.

What is a Lek?

Depending on elevation, groups of male greater sage-grouse gather at specific locations, called leks,  from late February to early May to strut and to attract females in order to mate..   The leks are generally small open areas located among the sagebrush steppe, such as hilltops, dry playas, and hill sides, and are visited by the grouse year after year.  The lek we are visiting is located on private land . Based of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department data , this lek was first recorded in 1959.  The activity on a lek begins sometime after sunset and continues for an hour or so after sunrise when the birds disperse from the lek.

The male strutting, involves the inflation and deflation of two yellow air sacs located on the male sage-grouse’s breast that, when released, produces a popping or gurgling sound. In addition to producing sound, the white ruff surrounding the air sacs produces a striking contrasting feature along with the male’s fanned tail feathers, and with a dance, in an effort to attract a female.  The females are silent and are often difficult to see within the sagebrush surrounding the leks.  After mating the females will fly off to nest, lay eggs, and raise the young in the surrounding sagebrush ecosystem.

Laramie Audubon thanks the landowner for allowing us to access this lek.