Ruffed Grouse in the Olympic Mtns

[Didereaux]

Ruffed Grouse on Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Nat'l Park WA. Obviously they rely on camouflage.

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Nice

 

[rodbender]

Nice shot but its not a Ruffed Grouse take a look at Blue Grouse

 

[squirl033]

Nice! They totally rely on camouflage... I remember one I saw by the roadside a couple of years back... it was the color and pattern of the leaf litter along the road, and when I drove by, it simply froze. I recognized the shape that didn't belong there, so I turned around and came back on the other side of the road, and it was still standing there, not moving. I stuck my lens out the driver's window and shot it from about 4o feet away...

 

[LarryLomona]

Excellent !

 

[zombiesniper149 14]

Great shot.

 

[Didereaux]

Nice shot but its not a Ruffed Grouse take a look at Blue Grouse

nope Ruffed. A blue , and since it is on the coast it would be a Sooty, has white on the tend of the tail, and the barring on the chest runs all the way under on the belly. Also this bird was one of six or seven, and such a group of 'Blues' would be unusual.
btw/fyi the Blue Grouse is no more, the bird 'brains' have split it into two species, the Sooty, mostly on the coastal ranges, and the Dusky inland in the Rockies and its foothills. Used to hunt Ruffed with large sticks and rocks to save on shotgun shells, they are known aka 'Fool Hens' for a reason.. they rely so heavily on their camouflage that they will sit for several bad throws before showing their disgust and leaving.

 

[rodbender]

Nice shot but its not a Ruffed Grouse take a look at Blue Grouse

nope Ruffed. A blue , and since it is on the coast it would be a Sooty, has white on the tend of the tail, and the barring on the chest runs all the way under on the belly. Also this bird was one of six or seven, and such a group of 'Blues' would be unusual.
btw/fyi the Blue Grouse is no more, the bird 'brains' have split it into two species, the Sooty, mostly on the coastal ranges, and the Dusky inland in the Rockies and its foothills. Used to hunt Ruffed with large sticks and rocks to save on shotgun shells, they are known aka 'Fool Hens' for a reason.. they rely so heavily on their camouflage that they will sit for several bad throws before showing their disgust and leaving.

100% it's not a Ruffed Spruce was my first thought

Heres a link to Ruffed Grouse none look like your bird even juvi's

ruffed grouse - Google Search

 

[Didereaux]

Nice shot but its not a Ruffed Grouse take a look at Blue Grouse

nope Ruffed. A blue , and since it is on the coast it would be a Sooty, has white on the tend of the tail, and the barring on the chest runs all the way under on the belly. Also this bird was one of six or seven, and such a group of 'Blues' would be unusual.
btw/fyi the Blue Grouse is no more, the bird 'brains' have split it into two species, the Sooty, mostly on the coastal ranges, and the Dusky inland in the Rockies and its foothills. Used to hunt Ruffed with large sticks and rocks to save on shotgun shells, they are known aka 'Fool Hens' for a reason.. they rely so heavily on their camouflage that they will sit for several bad throws before showing their disgust and leaving.

100% it's not a Ruffed Spruce was my first thought

Heres a link to Ruffed Grouse none look like your bird even juvi's

ruffed grouse - Google Search

Ruffed Grouse in the gallery 1/2 down page. You have to be EXTREMELY careful IDing birds by pictures alone! Compare the odd topknot feathers of the ruffed to the Sooty. Also note again the lack of distinct white bar across the tail feathers. And once again I point out the behaviour(flocking) I lived many years up in the NW and hunted a lot of grouse. Game Warden never got me with the wrong one. This is pretty much as far as I am going on this. Believe what we will the bird could give a tinkers dam less.