tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54380834869349749092024-02-19T08:20:26.095-08:00Waunita Watchable Wildlife: Gunnison sage-grouseDaily updates of Gunnison Sage-grouse at the Waunita Watchable Wildlife SiteGunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-8083146679913789042021-05-04T20:15:00.002-07:002021-05-04T20:15:21.991-07:00<p><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Today the morning was about 36 degrees F with about 60% cloud cover and no precipitation. The high male count was 18 with a high female count of 8 and two unknown, adding to a total of 34 birds seen today. Of these observed birds, 18 males, 1 females and 1 unknown were seen in the North Meadow, with the last staying until 7:25.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The other 6 males, 7 females, and 1 unknown were seen on the East Ridge until 7:23-7:45.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-67964520494609017882021-05-03T21:07:00.003-07:002021-05-03T21:07:27.726-07:00<p><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Today the morning was about 33 degrees F, and 50 to 100% cloud cover. As the morning progressed the cloud cover increased, and by 6:00 it began raining for the remainder of the morning. The high male count was 11, with no females seen, and 6 unknown, totaling to 17 birds seen today. Of these observed birds, 8 of the males and 6 unknown birds were seen at for North Meadow, for only about 9 minutes after becoming visible in the first light. The remaining 3 males were seen on the East Ridge, and beginning at 6:08, with the last leaving around 6:30.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-46929556050607266042021-05-02T20:40:00.001-07:002021-05-02T20:40:48.160-07:00<p><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Today the morning was about 37 degrees F with clear skies and calm winds. The high male count was 16 and the high female count was 4, with 5 unknown, combining to a total of 25 grouse seen today.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-1098543418140476502021-05-01T21:51:00.001-07:002021-05-01T21:51:35.429-07:00<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Yesterday, April 30<sup>th</sup> was our last viewing day of the season. Thank you to everyone that came out to see the Gunnison Sage-grouse, and we hope that you got a chance to enjoy this beautiful bird and their lekking grounds. The morning yesterday was about 27 degrees F, with clear skies, calm wind speeds and no precipitation. The high male count was 21, with no females observed. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">During the next few days, while the site is closed to the public, we will continue to monitor and make counts and will report those numbers. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Today, the morning had no cloud cover and calm winds, with no precipitation. The high male count was 14 males, and the high female count was 1. An additional 16 unknown grouse were seen flushing from the North Meadow, adding to a total of 33 counted today. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Thank you again for your participation and enthusiasm in our treasured Gunnison Sage-grouse, we appreciate your love and continued support and we hope to see you next year!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-50004333179803825342021-04-29T20:35:00.001-07:002021-04-29T20:35:34.557-07:00<p> <span style="font-family: Cambria;">The morning of Wednesday the 28</span><sup style="font-family: Cambria;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">was about 26 degrees F, with variable cloud cover, ranging from 40% to nearly fully overcast as the morning progressed. There was no precipitation and wind speeds were calm. Only 3 males were seen today, all at the North Meadow.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The morning of Thursday the 29<sup>th</sup> was about 23 degrees F, with no cloud cover, precipitation or wind. The high male count was 23, and the high female count 3, with a total of 26 birds seen today. Of these observed birds, 16 males and a female were at the North Meadow until they flushed at 6:00-6:12. The remaining 7 males and 2 females were seen at the East Ridge, with the last few birds staying there until about 6:40.<o:p></o:p></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-59094338485106014732021-04-27T22:08:00.001-07:002021-04-27T22:09:02.688-07:00<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">The morning of the 23</span><sup>rd</sup><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> was overcast and about 32 degrees F. It snowed about an inch the night before and began snowing lightly again around 7:50 am. The high male count was 9 and the high female count was 1. Seven of the observed males were seen at the North Meadow, although they flushed the site only 5 to 10 minutes after becoming visible with the first light. A female and the other two observed males were seen on the East Ridge. The two males stayed there for the remainder of the morning until about 7:35 and spent most of their time not displaying but instead appeared to be foraging as they walked through the snow. Other wildlife observed at the site included Red-winged Blackbird and Mallard ducks, and a Great Blue Heron was observed flying north of the site.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The morning of the 24<sup>th</sup> was clear, with temperatures of about 22 degrees F and no precipitation. The high male count was 22 and the high female count was 4. Of this total, 21 males and 4 females were observed at the North Meadow, although they flushed early this morning again, at about 6:19 am. The other observed male was seen on the East Ridge until about 6:12.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The morning of the 25<sup>th</sup> was mostly clear, with less than about 10% cloud cover and no precipitation. The high male count was 16 and the high female count was 1, combining to a total of 17 grouse seen. 13 of the males were seen in the North Meadow and stayed there until about 6:17 before flushing. The 3 other males were seen on the East Ridge from about 6:30 until 7:15. The single female was also on the East Ridge, from about 6:30 to 6:40. Other wildlife observed included Red-winged Blackbird, Vesper Sparrow, Common Raven, Horned Lark, Western Meadowlark, Golden Eagles, elk and two female pronghorn, and a coyote. The coyote was observed later in the morning after all grouse had flushed the site.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was a full moon the night of the 26<sup>th</sup>, and the morning was about 27 degrees F with about 40% cloud cover. A high male count of 2 was made at the North Meadow, with an additional 4 unknown, all flushing as early as 6:10. No more birds were seen for the remainder of the morning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, the morning was overcast with temperatures of about 43 degrees F. It began snowing at 7:30. Wind speeds were calm. Four males were seen in the North Meadow until about 6:08- 6:24, with an additional 7 unknown. Three additional males were seen on the East Ridge. At about 7:30, thick fog and snow rolled in and the birds on the East Ridge were no longer visible.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-7278009966700059312021-04-22T17:55:00.001-07:002021-04-22T17:55:41.896-07:00<p> Today the morning was about 28 degrees F with no cloud cover or precipitation with about 0 wind speeds. The high male count was 26 with a high female count of 2, combing to a total of 28 birds seen today. </p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-24346648532970173932021-04-21T20:44:00.000-07:002021-04-21T20:44:34.515-07:00<p><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The morning today was about 26 degrees F, with 100% cloud cover. It began snowing in the mountains to the south of the site beginning shortly after sunrise, and by 7:45 began snowing lightly at the site. A high count of 9 males was observed today, with no females seen.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">They stayed in the North Meadow for only 15 minutes after sunrise before flushing to the East Ridge and across the road. Throughout the remainder of the morning, up to 8 grouse were seen on the ridge until about 8:03. The last few males continued displaying in the snow, until they dropped behind the ridge and were no longer visible. A coyote was observed to the south of the Main lek around 6:45, but did not come near the grouse today. Other wildlife observed today was Elk, Black-billed Magpie, Red-winged Blackbird, and Vesper Sparrow.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-32338342845843385962021-04-20T15:25:00.000-07:002021-04-20T15:25:39.142-07:00<p><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Today the morning was about 27 degrees F, with about 10% cloud cover.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Wind speeds were calm and there was no precipitation.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The high male count was 5 with a high female count of 3. In addition, 12 unknown grouse were seen, combining to a total of 20 observed this morning.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-57453563483932570652021-04-19T17:41:00.001-07:002021-04-19T17:41:29.132-07:00<p><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The site re-opened for viewing yesterday, April 18th and will remain open until the end of the season, April 30th.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Saturday morning, April 17</span><sup style="font-family: Cambria;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Cambria;">, was about 28 degrees F with 100% cloud cover and wind speeds of about 5 mph. It snowed about an inch. No birds were seen today, potentially due to the presence of snow, but there was also very low visibility caused by the snow.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Sunday morning, April 18<sup>th</sup>, was about 20 degrees F with 97% cloud cover with wind speeds at about 2-4 mph. The high male count was 24 and the high female count was 1, with an additional 3 unknown birds seen, adding to a total of 28 birds observed.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">This morning was about 26 degrees F with less than 10% cloud cover and wind speeds of about 0 mph. The high male count was 14 with a high female count of 2, with and additional 40 unknown birds seen, adding to a total of 56 observed today. The 40 unknown birds were observed flushing from the North Meadow to the left of the road before they were seen on the ground, likely because they were hidden behind the willows.<o:p></o:p></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-66995772846105241872021-04-16T13:46:00.001-07:002021-04-19T17:41:41.862-07:00<p>Wednesday morning, April 14th, was about 39 degrees with 30% could cover. No birds were seen at the site today. There was quite a bit of coyote activity, with one heading North around 6:20, a pair near the North lek at 6:40, and another seen at the North Meadow at 7:33.</p><p>Thursday morning, April 15th, was about 39 degrees F with 80% cloud cover. The high male count was 18 with no females seen. All birds were see at the East Ridge with none at the North Meadow. Three coyotes were seen near the main lek at 6:20.</p><p>Today was about 29 degrees F, with 90% cloud cover. It snowed lightly over the evening, stopping at by about sunrise. The ridge appeared to have more snow. No birds were seen today.</p><p><br /></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-71196345218789298442021-04-13T22:57:00.000-07:002021-04-13T22:57:12.461-07:00<p> <span style="font-family: Cambria;">Sunday was the first day of the viewing closure period, which will extend until April 17</span><sup style="font-family: Cambria;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Cambria;">. Thank you everyone for your understanding and cooperation in reducing disturbance to the Gunnison Sage-grouse of Waunita.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Sunday, April 11<sup>th</sup>: The temperature at the start of the morning was of about 25 degrees F. Skies were clear and with a wind speed of about 0 mph. Our high count was 34, and our high female count was 2, with a total of 36. The majority of the birds were in the North Meadow, with 11 on the East Ridge beginning around 6:47. Birds were observed in the North Meadow until 7:40 and on the ridge until about 7:48. Coyotes were heard calling at 5:30 and there was a coyote in the North Meadow for about half an hour beginning at 6:15, at one point moving as close as 50 meters or so to the birds. No response from the birds was observed. Other wildlife present included Western meadowlark, Mallards, Red-winged Blackbird, and a Vesper sparrow song.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Monday, April 12<sup>th</sup>: The morning had a temperature of 21 degrees F with about 25% cloud cover. Wind speed was about 0 mph. The high male count was 30, the high female count was 2, and 12 unknown, with a total of 44 birds seen. Most were observed in the North Meadow, with 13 on the East ridge. Birds were observed at the North Meadow until about 7:52 and on the East Ridge until 7:45. A coyote passed near the North Meadow around 6:55, but no response from the birds was observed.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Today, April 13<sup>th</sup>: The morning was about 36 degrees F with a cloud cover of 98%. Wind speed was about 15-20 mph. Less birds were observed today, with a high male count of 6, no females, and 2 unknown, with a total of 6. Three of the males were observed in the North Meadow from 6:18 until 6:42 and 3 on the East Ridge from 6:35 to 7:36. A coyote was observed in the North meadow at 7:08, but no grouse were present or visible at that time.<o:p></o:p></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-90365256411700255232021-04-10T21:24:00.004-07:002021-04-10T21:24:47.407-07:00<p><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The morning was clear today with temperatures about 16 degrees</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">F.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The high male count was 38 and the high female count was 7, with a total of 45. Two coyotes passed near the North Meadow lek, although no disturbance was observed. Other wildlife present included elk, Vesper Sparrow, Horned Lark and Western Meadowlark.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-58094055549312920212021-04-09T18:07:00.000-07:002021-04-09T18:07:02.388-07:00<p> <span style="font-family: Cambria;">Hello Everyone!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">We are currently 9 days into the viewing season and so far we have had some incredible days viewing the courtship of the magnificent and beautiful, Gunnison Sage–grouse. Throughout the last week or so, morning temperatures have ranged from 19 to 32 degrees. It warmed up a bit from the 4<sup>th</sup> to the 7<sup>th</sup>, but temperatures dropped back to about 19 to 20 degrees yesterday and today. There has been no precipitation. On average, we have counted 31 birds total per day with a high of 46 yesterday. Below are the counts from each day:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">April 1<sup>st</sup>: Males-23 Females-4 <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">April 2<sup>nd</sup>: Males-20 Females-4 Unknown-1<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">April 3<sup>rd</sup>: Males-17 Females-5<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">April 4<sup>th</sup>: Males-15 Females-1 Unknown-11<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">April 5<sup>th</sup>: Males-30 Females-4 Unknown-5<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">April 6<sup>th</sup>: Males-28 Females-4 Unknown-2<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">April 7<sup>th</sup>: Males-22 Females-2 Unknown-1<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">April 8<sup>th</sup>: Males-32 Females-6 Unknown-8<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">April 9<sup>th</sup>: Males-32 Females-2 <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">All of the birds seen were in the North Meadow and on the East Ridge, with a few birds on the southern outskirts of the North Meadow towards the Main Lek. No birds have been observed in the Main Lek. We have observed quite a bit of coyote activity, hearing calls throughout the mornings and seeing up to 3 individuals on one morning. A few coyotes have passed near the lek sites, but no response from the birds was observed. Additional wildlife seen at the site include: Elk, Common Raven, Black-billed Magpie, Rough-legged Hawk, Horned Lark, Western Meadow Lark, Mountain Bluebird, Red-winged Blackbird, and Mallards.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">A few reminders about viewing:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Beginning this year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife requires all non-commercial viewers to have a hunting or fishing license to visit the site. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Due to COVID-19, we do not have the viewing trailer this year and instead are having visitors view from their vehicles. Please be mindful about not turning on your engine or making other disturbances including opening/closing car doors or leaving vehicles until the volunteer has confirmed that the birds have finished their displays and left the lek. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">The site will be closed beginning this Sunday, April 11<sup>th</sup>, until the 17<sup>th </sup>to give the birds a break from the presence of visitors during this important stage in their reproduction. The site will re-open April 18<sup>th</sup>. Thank you so much for your cooperation in reducing disturbance to this imperiled and highly sensitive species that we are so privileged to observe, and have a wonderful time viewing!<o:p></o:p></p>Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-20946580265946614652019-05-07T13:08:00.002-07:002019-05-07T13:08:59.771-07:00Good afternoon!<br />
<br />
We had a successful last open day for the season today! It was warm with a temperature of 41°F, and cloudy skies. 13 birds were seen in the North Meadow, chasing, fighting, and displaying. 2 more birds were seen on top of the East Ridge, for a total of 15 birds for our last viewing day!<br />
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The 8th, 9th, and 10th will all be closed days.<br />
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Thank you all for a great season with lots of Gunnison sage grouse! We look forward to seeing you all next year!<br />
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Happy birding!Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-89689506810296082112019-05-06T09:25:00.000-07:002019-05-06T09:25:15.676-07:00Good morning!<br />
<br />
Over the weekend we had some typical days on the lek. About 2-3 males were seen on the East Ridge both mornings, and the temperatures were still pretty cold at about 28°F.<br />
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This morning was 33°F with a slight breeze and very little cloud cover. The ground was damp, and the meadow and traditional lek continue to be flooded from spring runoff and other precipitation. Birds in the North Meadow flushed at about 6:30, and the grouse on the ridge were visible for about 15 minutes before they stepped over to the other side. No birds were seen after 7:00am. A total of 7 males, 1 female, and 1 unknown were seen.<br />
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Tomorrow (Tuesday, 5/7) is the last open day for the season. May 8, 9, and 10th will be closed days.<br />
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Hope to see everyone out there tomorrow morning!<br /><br />Happy birding!Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-8411647444711629342019-05-03T13:35:00.000-07:002019-05-03T13:35:47.589-07:00Good afternoon!<br /><br />We have been having much better weather in Gunnison the past few days! The mornings are still pretty cold (around 27°F), but the days have been clear and warm with a little breeze!<br />
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For the past two closed days, three birds were seen today, and none were seen the day before. We are at a farther distance, and visibility is hard where we are parked on closing days, so don't let that worry you! There are still birds on the lek, and you still have a great chance of seeing them!<br />
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Only 13 more days for the Waunita watchable wildlife site to be open, so be sure to plan your trips and get out to see these incredible birds!<br />
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Happy birding!Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-41773272006193436982019-05-01T15:24:00.001-07:002019-05-01T15:24:49.474-07:00Good afternoon!<br /><br />This morning we had a snow storm on the lek! Visibility was very low with gusty winds, and no birds were seen. Hopefully we get some better weather soon!<br />
<br />Tomorrow and Friday are closed days. Hopefully this will give the chance for the grouse to warm up a little, and get back to their usual activities!<br /><br />See you on Saturday!<br /><br />Happy birding!Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-66334308205742484582019-04-29T10:01:00.002-07:002019-04-29T10:01:52.122-07:00Good morning!<br />
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Saturday 4/27<br />
Early in the morning, around 6:15 am, three Golden eagles were seen flying over the North Meadow and the East Ridge. 10 unknown birds were flushed from the top of the East Ridge and flew south and over the ridge when the eagles flew over. The Golden eagles stayed sitting on the ridge for the rest of the morning. 2 males were seen on top of the ridge later in the morning. 1 male and 1 female were seen in the North Meadow but not seen again after early morning.<br />
14 birds total, 3 males, 1 female, 10 unknown<br />
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Sunday 4/28<br />
The weather was cloudy and there was a light drizzle throughout the morning. Our volunteers saw 4 males throughout the morning.<br />
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Monday 4/29<br />
This morning was overcast and a temperature of 36°F. At 6:08 am, a coyote was seen in the North Meadow, heading into the thick row of willows. One minute later, 11 birds were flushed (I'm guessing from the coyote!) and flew to the west. 4 males were identified, but the rest were unknown. After this, there were no more birds viewed in the North Meadow for the rest of the morning. At 7:00 am, 1 male was seen on the top of the East Ridge, and about 30 minutes later, a total of 3 males were seen on top of the ridge. We saw a total of 14 birds this morning...much better than the last few days!<br />
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It is getting later in the season, and we are seeing fewer females. Once they have bred, they move to their breeding site, and stay there throughout the rest of the summer. The males will stick around the lek for a longer period of time, in case any females show up later in the season, which is why we are seeing more males than females.<br />
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Many elk have been seen on the East Ridge and North Meadow. They don't seem to bother the grouse, and are fun to watch!<br />
<br />Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-73854652163833752402019-04-26T14:30:00.002-07:002019-04-26T14:30:21.747-07:00Good afternoon!<br /><br />Even though its windy, rainy, and cold now, we had a beautiful morning this morning! There were mostly clear skies, no wind and it was 27°F at the lek site.<br />
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We saw 11 Gunnison sage grouse this morning. 7 males in the North Meadow, and 4 males on the East Ridge. The birds in the meadow have left by 6:30 this morning, and yesterday morning, and I am not quite sure why that is. There could be a predator that we are not seeing, or the weather could be affecting them. Not really sure why, but all I know is, they are leaving pretty early from the North Meadow. The birds on the ridge, however, can still be seen all morning long!<br />
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This storm is supposed to clear up late tonight, so hopefully in the morning we have nice weather!<br />
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Happy birding!Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-54513715295925354212019-04-25T16:03:00.000-07:002019-04-25T16:03:30.954-07:00Hello everyone!<br /><br />We had a great morning this morning! I believe it was our first morning with temperatures above 30°F! (Temp was 31°F!) We had clear skies, and no wind! Spring is here! There is no more snow left on the site, which is making it tricky to find the birds! Make sure you are watching for movement, and the males white chest!<br />
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This morning we saw 11 birds; 6 males in the North Meadow, and 5 males on the East Ridge. All of the birds in the North Meadow seemed to have flushed by about 6:30am. There was nothing seen as to why this was, but my guess is a predator that we just didn't see...but who knows! The birds on the ridge could be seen popping back and forth over the top all morning, and looked beautiful being back-lit by the sunlight!<br />
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See you all tomorrow and happy birding!Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-7064259118662698152019-04-23T11:08:00.002-07:002019-04-23T11:08:57.840-07:00Good afternoon birders!<br />
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Saturday was a closed day at the lek! We do this to give the birds a break from some of our noise!<br />
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Sunday morning we saw about 8 birds during the early morning. By 7:30am, the wind started blowing, and it started snowing! This made the birds hunker down, and they were not visible after 7:40am.<br />
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Monday was a great day, with a temperature of about 28°F, and 8 birds were seen!<br />
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Today we had another closed day, as we will tomorrow as well. We appreciate your understanding and willingness to work with us for our two closed days per week, and look forward to seeing you the other five days!<br />
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Happy birding!Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-53982777483625407222019-04-19T16:52:00.001-07:002019-04-19T16:52:30.524-07:00On our closed day this morning, we had beautifully clear skies, a temperature of 28°F, and no wind!<br />
From a far distance, a total of three birds were seen. During closed day, a volunteer parks at the top of the county road, and observes the lek as best they can and records anything they can see. We have two closed days a week, in hopes to reduce our noises and other disturbances.<br />
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We have one more closed day tomorrow, and will be back out bright and early Sunday morning!<br />
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See you all then, and happy birding!Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-45302319749597671832019-04-18T15:08:00.000-07:002019-04-18T15:08:26.611-07:00Hello everyone!<br />
We had a decent morning this morning with a temperature of 28° and clear skies. It is starting to get windy here in the Gunnison basin! We saw a total of 14 birds; 11 males and 3 females. There was a hawk near by, and the birds seemed to flush shortly after it was seen.<br />
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Please remember that we are lucky to get to see these birds at all, even though they are a little father away. It is a privilege that we have a site that is accessible, and lets us be able to view these wonderful birds. To keep being able to do this, we have to minimize our disturbances, especially noise levels! One day we want to see the birds back on the main lek, and the only way to do that is by reducing our disturbance on the birds.<br />
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Tomorrow (Friday), and Saturday are both closed days. See you bright and early Sunday morning!<br />
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Happy birding!Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438083486934974909.post-46696524779713353932019-04-17T14:56:00.002-07:002019-04-17T14:56:27.487-07:00Good afternoon!<br />
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This morning was a chilly 24°F with partly overcast skies. We are nearing the full moon, so things are bright! Sometimes this can cause the birds to display throughout the night, and by the time we get to the site, they are too tired to continue on, and we may end up missing them. We haven't seen this yet this season, but it is something to think about if you are planning a trip out!<br />
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This morning we saw 8 birds in the North Meadow, and by 7:00 am, most of them were gone, probably over to the East Ridge. After 7:00 am, we saw 13 males, 8 females, and 5 unknown birds on the top of the East Ridge. All 13 males were displaying beautifully, with their tails being back-lit by the rising sun!<br />
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A large heard of elk were seen beyond the East Ridge on a neighboring hilltop.<br />
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Most of the snow in the area is melted. There are still small patches in the North Meadow, and towards the north end of the East Ridge, otherwise most of the snow is gone. This is making it tricky to see the birds in certain areas, so be sure you are scanning slowly, watching for movement, and flashes of white from the males breast.<br />
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Happy birding everyone!Gunnison sage-grousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03019168852006974277noreply@blogger.com0