None of these frames work especially well as a stand-alone shot, but I think that viewed together they give a good impression of what occurs on a lek. A lek is often described as a dancing ground; it's also a fighting stage. Males vie for dominance. It gets vicious.
Much of their time is spent staring each other down: two males, face to face. Then, a feint, a dodge, a flurry, and for a few seconds it is a blur of wingbeats and talons. That's what fast shutter speeds are for. (At some point I should try some intentional blur via slow shutter speeds, but I've never felt I had enough good ones in the file to get too artsy around these guys. I have sold thousands of photos over the years but very few "creative blur" wildlife images. Detail is usually more compelling and it's what my clients want.)
The grouse dance, too; their displays are elaborate and finely choreographed, designed to attract a mate. Only early risers get to photograph the ritual - and this applies to other species of grouse, too, including prairie chickens. Often you have to enter a blind before dawn and wait. I've done that (without much luck). Fortunately, the sharptails are much less skittish and have allowed me to shoot in this one location from my vehicle. By 8:00 a.m. the show is over, or nearing the end. Suddenly a flurry of action as they all fly off the lek. And then they're gone.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2021 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Loading contexts...
