[obol] Sharp tailed grouse (Wallowas)

[khanh tran]

Hi Tom and Obolers, 

According to Mike Hansen, a local biologist, who is solely responsible for monitoring the Sharp tailed grouse population in the Wallowas, the birds are doing very poorly. The extremely small population now consists of about 4 birds.  It has been a hard winter and several birds were lost due to in inadequate supply and selection of proper food.  It has been a frustrating effort for the last 15 years to get the birds fully established. 

I am not surprise as this area near Leap Lane in Enterprise is so open  with little protection and thus allowing ground and sky predators to feast on the grouse.  Even with alot of ground squirrels to somewhat deter the raptors from heavily preying on the grouse, the area is devoid of many low shrubs, aspen, and other ornamental birch trees for the birds to optimally feed on. 

The birds are on private property and are protected from any chances of being shot by hunters.  The owner has gracious cooperated with the biologists to help the birds become stable but their hard efforts are unsuccessful. 

It is a shame as I was lucky this weekend to observe a lek of 20 birds in the Okanogan area display.  They are very interesting to watch and hear. The birds in Northcentral Washington are much more confiding as the area offers better protection, optimal habitat for establishing a viable population. There are copious amount of adequate ground cover, birch trees, and elevated hills with flat grasslands for the birds to display.  

The Wallowas are so devoid of the dry grassland where sagebrush, Artemisia spp. (especially A. tridenta) occurs on plains and low hills.  I really think this is why we are seeing their demise. 

The FWD is in the process of translocating about 30 birds from Utah and Idaho to the Wallowas.  We can only hope for the best but I am not optimistic. 

I have only seen one or two birds at most in the winter from time to time, being most recently in last December (two birds). I recall Steve Shunk seeing about 10 or so birds a couple of winters ago. 

Good birding, 

Khanh Tran (Portland, Oregon)



Subject: Sharp-tailed Grouse
From: "Tom Crabtree" 
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 14:15:14 -0800

I don't have my reference sources available to me at the moment, but could
someone tell me approximately when the last Sharp-tailed Grouse were seen in
the state?  I know that there have been some attempts to reintroduce them in
Eastern Oregon.  What is the status of those reintroductions?  Since I
haven't seen anyone reporting them on obol as long as I can remember, I'm
guessing they are no longer doing that, but I'd appreciation some
confirmation.



Thanks,



Tom Crabtree

"Grousing" in Bend