Birders in Michigan can observe three species of grouse. The Ruffed Grouse is the most common and widespread while the Spruce Grouse and Sharp-tailed Grouse are rarer and confined mostly to the Upper Peninsula. This spring I decided to try and photograph the two more difficult species. Of the two, Sharptails would be the most predictable to find since in the spring, every morning at dawn the birds will come to a lek to dance and mate. These leks or "dancing grounds" are open areas that the birds use yearly in the spring to allow the males to perform for the females with considerable foot-stomping, tail rattling, and twirling. It is said that the Plains Indians mimicked the dancing of grouse in their own ceremonial dances. Seney National Wildlife Refuge has allowed birders and photographers to observe this phenomenon at a blind built at one of the leks found in the refuge. Unfortunately for photographers the blind faces generally east, which in the morning, with the sun in your eyes causes some difficulties.
A late April morning found me sitting in Seney's blind with Mark, a non-birder friend, but avid hunter. Mark was amazed at the dance performance he was observing and the predictability of these birds-same place, same time, same performance year after year. It is one of the great spectacles of nature.
The next morning we went looking for Spruce Grouse in the Whitefish Point area. These birds are not so predictable. There is no lek to act as a magnet and the most efficient method of locating one is to slowly drive the back roads in the early morning, hoping to see one. There is no guarantee. Fortunately Mark spotted one just at sunrise. It was a male which we soon discovered had attracted several hens. Since these boreal birds are somewhat tame to start with and were totally interested in each other it was easy to slowly follow their activities for the next hour grabbing shots whenever the opportunity arose.
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| Female Spruce Grouse |
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| Male Spruce Grouse on forest floor |
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| This male spent about 70% on the ground but was just a comfortable higher keeping an eye on where the females were. |
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