I had just started the flow of gasoline into the tank, and was preparing to write the mileage into the log after a fairly disappointing day of lek surveys.

And the cell phone rang.

Not unusual in and of itself, except this was a Saturday. So I knew the caller had to be the wife.

I was wrong. It was the boss's boss.

On a Saturday.

He was sitting way out in the northern desert, surprised to find I was back in town already. He's been out surveying a few strutting grounds he checks for me each year, and was having a good morning.

And is all excited. He's sure he found a new strutting ground. Even hiked 3/4 of a mile out into the sagebrush to get a GPS reading for me.

So, I dig out the map where he is, and he starts giving me directions.

And I tell him where the lek was that he saw.

Yep, already knew about that one. Sorry.

You could hear the disappointment on the other end of the line. Finding a new strutting ground is always such a coup, and I just took that away from him. Not to mention that he made that hike for nothing, since my GPS reading for the lek was only a hundred meters or so different from his.

And I was able to tell him you can drive right up on the birds, if you come in from the east or west, rather than north. No need to walk so far.

So.

He's disappointed because he discovered something that has already been known for years. And has lost an opportunity to say "Gotcha" by finding an unknown lek in my country. And he's maybe a little impressed that I know most of my leks.

I'm sure there's some new ones out there waiting to be found, but it ain't gonna be easy.

And I'm disappointed, because I really was hoping we had a new lek to map and watch. And maybe feeling just a little smug, because I can say "Gotcha back."