Prairie grouse are in the mood this month

WILDLIFE WATCHING — April is like party time for prairie grouse, as Montana outdoor photographer Jaime Johnson reminds us with this photo of a dancing male sharptail.

Johnson shot the image above this week in Montana from a blind at the site — known as a lek — where males congregate to display and win the opportunity to breed with nearby females.

Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have declined dramatically in Washington, where there are efforts to protect habitat and revive their numbers.