Big Sage Grouse Brood

[fishvik]

Earlier this spring the BLM and IDF&G radio collared sage grouse hens to study various life history parameters,ie. nesting success, movements, habitat use, etc. I was asked to go out with one of the F&G bios and find a hen and get a count on her brood with my dogs. We located the hen, and moved in on her. When we flushed her we also flushed 8 chicks. Pretty good nesting success with that old girl. Hopefully most of them did this well.

[SCT]

Good news for sure. This year has potential to be a really good one for sage grouse and many other upland species!

[fishvik]

The needle and thread grass is knee high and still green in July. Lots of cover, which I think has protected nest and young from avian predators. Now if it just doesn't burn, it'll be a great year.

[Wyobio]

Lots of cover for sure, who woulda thunk the high sage country was going to green up like this at the end of April?

Kind of worried about all the rain that fell in May, hopefully the broods were far enough along to survive!

[Gertie]

That's fantastic news. Also sounds like a pretty fun day in the field!

[fishvik]

Also sounds like a pretty fun day in the field!

Gertie,It was a fun day in the field and it is giving me something to do in my recent retirement. Talking with the BLM and F&G bios they think while avian predation may have been reduced due to cover, they think the wetter conditions may have improved conditions for coyote and badger predation. I guess we'll see at the end of summer.

[SCT]

Yes, but the rabbit and other rodent population is up as well so the should even out!

[Gertie]

Congratulations on your retirement! That's great that you have the opportunity to get out and do some of the fun stuff. Good deal. I haven't seen Oregon's 2015 population data, it probably isn't out quite yet, but the past few years here the big problem, outside tough spring conditions, has been fire. That 500,000 acre fire in the southeast corner of the state really did some damage and we've had a bunch of large fires scattered throughout the range that have really fragmented a lot of habitat. Compound that with the invasive plant issues that come along after fire and our current drought situation and it's a bad scene. I'm crossing my fingers that the mild winter/spring has improved survivorship and that our fire season mellows out a bit. The birds could use a break for sure.