worried spruce grouse for outdoor Wednesday

Earlier this week I had been driving slowly along an old dirt road when off to the side I spied what I thought was a Birch Partridge. It appeared to have something wrong with its right wing as it was held up outward and awkwardly from the bird's side. I couldn't get its picture as the bird disappeared in the roadside brush as I stopped. I could hear it calling amid many small cries and rustling sounds there. Standing outside my car




I got a couple of head shots of the bird as it was calling. I also had glimpsed what appeared to be a smaller bird in the brush. It was then that I realized I had come upon a mother bird and her babies. That would explain the awkward 'hurt' wing posture that I had seen the bird assume. The sounds in the underbrush continued for quite a while. At one point the female adult was midway up a small tree still trying to entice her young ones to come to her.


At first I had thought that this bird was a Ruffed Grouse, but there being no appearance of the tufted crest characteristic of this bird I have since concluded that it perhaps was a
rufus morph female Spruce Grouse (Please click the above pictureto enlarge to see the rufus colouring clearly)


I have no ending to this adventure in the wild of a worried mother and her babies. Next week I plan on driving to this area again to see what my camera can find.

Outdoor Wednesday found at http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ is a delightful meme that invites you to share the outdoors with others. The theme encompasses the outdoors, a topic within the theme of your choosing. to learn more of this meme or to share your view of the outdoors please click on the 'outdoor Wednesday' logo on the right of this page. Happy Wednesday outoor gathering to all