The heeler sisters and I resumed our spring strutting ground surveys yesterday morn. I was making the third run of my standard lek route in the desert, which means of course, that everything needs to go well on each of five leks for the route data to mean anything. Unfortunately, it was clear and windy, which makes for good, early hunting by eagles.

We got to the first strutting ground before sunrise, but I was surprised to see only one cock out there, and he was hunkered down, rather than strutting. When the sun rose a little higher, I could see the #%$*&! eagle enjoying grouse breakfast on the southern portion of the lek. No wonder nobody was strutting. I did manage to see a dozen grouse hiding in the sage, but most of them left as soon as it got light.

The second lek had a pickup next to it, with a photographer freezing her buns off out near the lek. Marion has been taking photos of grouse on this lek every spring since I told her about it 4-5 years ago. She does good work, and has sold and published some of her strutting grouse photos (along with other wildlife). One of her sons is the owner of the heeler sisters' father (and a brother). His kids swarm all over the heeler sisters when they come through my check stations in the fall. Sisters don't know quite what to make of that.

Marion is really careful not to disturb the birds, and as I requested, usually waits until after the peak of hen attendance and breeding before coming out. Last year she kept records on male attendance on this lek for me. Just the same, I wish she wouldn't set up her tripod smack dab in the middle of the lek. But there were still 57 cocks and 5 hens there, one within about 4 meters of her, so I guess she's not a problem. If nothing else, she keeps the eagles away from this lek for a few mornings.

Everything went well at the third lek, with a total of 138 cocks! Highest number in many, many years (17 to be exact). Only had a high of 132 in 2000. Of course, there were over 200 cocks attending this lek when I first found it in 1978. Yes, I have been counting these same leks for 24 strutting seasons now. And only 12 left to go. This is my largest strutting ground, it had 239 cocks when it peaked in 1980.

Just as I was turning the truck to head for lek #4, we and the grouse were buzzed by another golden eagle. Nobody flushed, but the eagle was on a straight compass course for lek #5.

No birds at all on lek #4. Probably a damn eagle again. Heelers were happy, they finally got a break out of the truck and a game of "I'll race you down the road!"

As expected, not much on lek #5. A couple dozen birds were still there, but most were headed into the sage (despite the fact that there were hens there). I blame it on the eagle from lek #3.

Today was much better, no wind and a nice haze. Did see an eagle flying while headed to lek #1 of the dunes route, but it was headed to a powerpole, not breakfast.

Had good number of birds on five of the six leks (and the empty one has been emptying for years, the birds shifting to a better site less than a mile off). Had a total of 311 cocks on the five leks, comparable to last year's numbers. Also had 59 hens, which is a surprisingly large number of hens so late in the strut. Saw one copulation. Assume the hens are attending late this year because of the late spring and late full moon. Still had almost a quarter-moon high in the sky this am.

Drove like hell to a seventh lek in the dunes, but we were too late... nobody there. Spent the next five minutes replacing the door handle, which had vibrated off at the first strutting ground.

Heelers were disappointed, with only two runs (the poisin-bait ranch, remember?).

If any of you know Corky IRL, please let him know his truck is here.