ruffed grouse

It was sneaking around the yard, nibbling something off the Burning Bushes. Not sure if it was berries or bugs or both, but it spent quite a bit of time doing it.

I didn't see it till it moved. Their camouflage is pretty good. It came into the yard to have a helping of fallen Hawthorne berries. Watching it's slow motion, super cautious approach was almost comical. It came out of the bushes and crossed about 5 meters of space and it took about 10 minutes...

The Tree Chicken...oops I mean, Ruffed Grouse, paid another visit yesterday. It's feather pattern is great camo, but when you get a close look at it, it's also rather beautiful.

A bird that at one time I rarely saw. Now, this particular Grouse visits my yard several times a week.

I kept shooting at the direction of the noise and movement..hahaha....there is a Ruffed Grouse in there. I'm just at awe at the way it blends into the foliage. Wow.

A TTW shot. Actually a Ruffed Grouse. But we jokingly call them tree chickens One would think such a plump, awkward looking bird would be clumsy climbing around in the branches of a tree, but they are actually quite adept at it. .

My wife happened to look out our bedroom window and spotted this grouse nestled deep in a dense hemlock tree in our back yard.It was late afternoon and it might have decided to roost there for the night. A TTW shot.

She is the Queen of Camo; military uniform designers take note! She was following me, so I bent down and scratched the ground and she ran over and slapped me with her wing. Not a welcome gesture. Perhaps her nest was nearby!

Sitting pretty under the feeders.

Saw some movement in a far corner of my yard, as something ran sround the base of a small tree. Wandered over, camera in hand, and was lucky to spot this ruffed grouse doing its best to be invisible. If I hadn't had a pretty good idea where it had gone, I never would have spotted it. As it was...

The other day saw this bird up in a tree across the road from our place. A ruffed grouse, or, as we sometimes call them, a tree chicken. LOL!

Not so easy to get your food (buds) when it's all coated in ice.

Camouflaged Ruffed Grouse.

This is the first useful photo of this species I've ever taken. And yes, that is the winter sun reflected in his eye.

Thought I'd share this closeup. Taken in October. They have become quite tame.

Feeding on young poplar leaves. It was beginning to rain and it spent the rest of the day under a spruce bow.

not positive on the ID

This shot of the other Ruffed Grouse chick from this AM isn't as good or clear a shot but I liked it with it's wings spread attempting to fly. Mom guided both back to her with her low cluck.

One of the Ruffed Grouse chicks from my encounter this AM.

Was in the Saratoga National Park today looking for Indigo Buntings and Scarlet Tanagers, both of which nest there. This Ruffed Grouse Mom crossed in front of my car with 2 chicks. I stopped and after they had crossed, using the car as a blind shot a few. The mother got wise to the shutter sound...

First day with my new camera! I'm impressed with the camera, but not so much with myself! I have much to learn. Anyways...My boyfriend and I drove by this (he drives too fast) and I only caught a glimpse and thought it was some sort of hawk (my birding skills aren't real impressive, either!)...