Ruffed Grouse: for Bird Photography Weekly
Another road side find on the weekend was this Ruffed Grouse. I saw it sitting in a driveway when driving by so I stopped further down the road and turned. Before driving back up the road I rolled down my car window and got my camera ready for I know from experience these birds can sometimes take of in a hurry - like a shot! 
This one looked at me a bit suspiciously but then just ambled along slowly picking up gravel as it went along. Grouse will eat gravel to help them in digesting their food. My most frequent sightings of this bird is often at the beginning of a side road or driveways where gravel can be found.
Interested in viewing other bird photos, check out this Bird Photography Meme here.
19 comments:
Always on the ready, you are, to capture what you encounter. Congratulations on catching this grouse. How excited you must have been! I am always very thankful to those animals that allow me to photograph them...so I say Thank you to this bird too!
Sharon:
It has become a habit now, I never leave home without my camera. Glad that you enjoy, thank you for your comments.
Great capture..You live in such an interesting birdie area.
how interesting. i had forgotten birds would eat gravel, and i don't believe i've ever seen one of these lil guys out and about. you do such a wonderful job capturing all kinds of birds!
These guys used to go for the wild rose hips in Alberta winters. Early in the season they'd have to really flutter up to reach them, but once the snow drifted, they could just browse along! Never saw one take gravel though; they would be neat to see! Don't know if they are that common here in s. Ontario. Evey time an old favorite bird comes up I stil have to check the range maps to see if they occur here in my 'new' area.
He looks indignant.
Lovely shot of a bird not seen often aroud here.They are around,but fairly secretive.
Blessings,Ruth
Nice shot! Your camera must be around you neck at all times! Grouses are such neat birds. My favorites is the spruce grouse. When I lived up north we had one in the yard that would come to the drive for grit. The dog would bark wildly at, and the grouse would move slowly across the drive, "If i move in my super grouse glacial slow mode you can see me cur-ah ha fowled again evil nemesis!" The slower the bird moved the more insanely the dog on the porch would bark. They were an unlikely comedy duo!
There is a remnant ruffed grouse population in ne Alabama. I fear the feral hogs will do them in though.
As usual, keen eye and great post!
Great light on your Ruffed Grouse find. Ruffed Grouse definitely like to Ramble and escape from the camera lens. They are a bit mistrusting except for when the females have chicks. On several occasions they have bluff charged me as I was walking on trails through the forest. Quite the interesting bird.
Great shots! Helen
How cute it is and I have never seen one...
We have plenty of those Grouse around here. They sure can scare you if you cme upon one out in the woods.
You do capture the most amazing birds. I am very impressed!
How beautiful! Don't you love when a bird doesn't fly off and lets you get a decent photo? Gravel sounds so "yuck".
How chicken-like they look! I have seen these before in the east. Nice shot!
That one is interesting. I've never seen one like that before.
What a cool find on the side of the road. I love such luck. I've enjoyed looking through your blog. The Jay photos are amazing!
The first time I saw a grouse, it was standing by the side of the road. I could have sworn it was a chicken. I wonder if they taste the same.
Happened to stumble upon this picture while I was searching google for "why Grouse eat gravel"..
I'm a hunter and Ruffed and Blue Grouse are not hard to find around here (Western Washington), They do taste quite a bit like chicken, I loveeee eating them sadly.
Great photo of a beautiful bird :)
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