October 24, 2014
August 24, 2008
Spruce Grouse
Maybe because I told her that her babies were beautiful when I encountered her today on an old road just east of Baldy Mountain, this little spruce grouse stayed around and showed me every pose she knew. (I usually consider myself very fortunate to get even one shot.)
Spruce grouse live in 12 of our northern states including Alaska and widely across Canada and, although they are endangered or nearly so in some of the northeastern states and are losing habitat to development in many other areas they are not exactly rare. I seldom see one here though and consider it a real treat when I do.
Spruce Grouse, Falcipennnis canadensis
August 19, 2008
Grouse
A long, wet, cold hike in a thunderstorm is worthwhile (at least for me) to get to see these:
(Photographed at the upper end of Spring Creek in the Cabinet Mountains just below Bighole Peak where the colors of fall are already beginning to show.)