Hi all, I would say that most years the small "chickens" display well in to May. I've seen both prairie-chickens and sharp-tails in to the third week of May on multiple years. The bigger grouse are more erratic that late, I think, so if Sage-Grouse are your targets I would go no later than early-mid May.
Andrew Spencer Centennial, CO Enviado desde mi BlackBerry -----Original Message----- From: Jeremy Winick <[email protected]> Sender: [email protected] Date: Wed, 09 May 2012 10:59:16 To: <[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [cobirds] Comment about displaying chickens I am no expert, but I would surely remember that last year was incredibly snowy and there was even more snow in probably the end of June than there is now or has been for weeks. Would that affect things to be later last year? Jeremy Winick Westminster, CO “What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the wish to find out, which is its exact opposite” ... Bertrand Russell On 05/09/2012 10:53 AM, Ted Floyd wrote: > Hello, Birders. > > Peter Gent says: > >> Holly, >> >> The Grouse leks north of Hayden are described in 13 for Routt: >> >> http://coloradocountybirding.com/county/bird_a_county.php?name=Routt >> >> Unfortunately, it is now very late for them to be still displaying. > Unquestionably, that is the "conventional wisdom." But I've come to question > it. > > A few examples from last year: > > May 15th, 2011. Eleven male Sharp-tailed Grouse were giving a fantastic > dancing-and-foot-shuffling, prancing-and-capering, whooshing-and-whirring, > stamping-and-popping display at the site mentioned by Peter. The Greater > Sage-Grouse (n=3) were a bit more subdued but nonetheless present and (sorta) > displaying. And a few miles south, two Dusky Grouse were hooting. > > May 29, 2011. At the Fox Ranch, 3 male Greater Prairie-Chickens were booming, > plainly audible from County Road U. A bit distant, but a nice view in a scope. > > No question about it: We in Colorado have this mindset that the best way to > see displaying grouse is on bitter cold mornings at dawn in March when it's > minus 2, windy, and totally miserable. Why do that?? Those prairie-chickens > were booming at high noon, with Cassin's Sparrows and Lark Buntings all > around. Lovely! > > Ted Floyd > [email protected] > Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
