Sage Grouse and the French Glen Hotel

Located at the western edge of the Steens Mt, French Glen and its hotel are a historic link to the vast cattle ranching operations that occurred in Oregon in the late 1800's.  The hotel is owned by Oregon Parks, and run by John Ross, a private concessionaire.  The rooms are comfortable, and John has hosted and cooked at the Hotel since 1989. Meg and I always enjoying staying in this family friendly venue, and using it as a staging point to explore the area, and to watch the sage grouse strut.  We arise at 5:30 AM to make sure we reach the "lek" before daybreak.  Here is the Wikipedia description of this annual spring mating ritual.

This display is a delight to observe.  Besides the incredible chest puffing and tail display, the sound of air being compressed in the males chest creates a unique thumping sound.  Enjoy the pictures.  They are worth clicking on to enlarge.

"Sage Grouse are notable for their elaborate courtship rituals. Each spring males congregate in leks and perform a "strutting display". Groups of females observe these displays and select the most attractive males to mate with. The dominate male located in the center of the lek typically copulates with around 80% of the females on the lek. Males perform in leks for several hours in the early morning and evening during the spring months. Lek generally occur in open areas adjacent to dense sagebrush stands, and the same lekking ground may be used by grouse for decades."

Snow geese, Sandhill Cranes and the Malheur Bird Refuge

Located in Harney County in the southeastern part of Oregon, the Malheur Bird Refuge is a vibrant and delightful place to bird anytime of year.  In late winter and early spring, snow geese fill the skies and fields outside of Burns, the county seat. Elegant sandhill cranes also move around in this area. The refuge itself was established in 1908 by Theodore Roosevelt to prevent the near extinction of egrets, grebes, herons, and similar birds that were being decimated for their plumes. Now, its more than
187, 000 acres offer superb bird and wildlife viewing.