I was on my fourth strutting ground of the morning. It was late when I arrived, but there were still seven sage grouse cocks out there, strutting away. As I wrote my notes, at 08:10, it suddenly struck me.

It's Saint Patrick's Day!

I shoulda gone out to check St. Patrick's lek, instead of the route I ran this morning.

'Course... it's only 12 miles away...

Fifteen minutes later, I had tarveled 12 miles of gas field roads and found myself glassing St. Patrick's strutting ground. So named because I confirmed its location on Saint Patrick's Day. (There's a May Day lek out there, too. I'm still looking for Easter lek.)

But there were no grouse on St. Patrick's lek.

Until I looked close, and spotted three roosters, quietly shuffling away in the sagebrush next to the lek.

St. Patrick's grouse...