April 14 – April 16

It was my first trip to Mullin, Nebraska.

I was welcomed by 40 mph winds and blowing snow.  I spent the night in a motel room listening to the wind howl.

By the following morning, over 20 inches of snow had drifted in front of my motel room.  Mitch Glidden, the Sandhill motel owner and the grouse tour organizer, took me out to see Sharp-tailed Grouse.

This was the first time for me to use a commercial blind to photograph grouse. Mitch set a school bus as a viewing platform, from which I could see 7 male sharp-tailed grouse arrive almost exactly when Mitch told me they would.

The birds were slow at first, but the dance got intense when the hen showed up briefly.  It makes me smile every time I watch them as they perform their synchronized dances.