A New, Yet Old, Friend

Photo taken by Taylor Bracher

     We here at Castle Yonder have a special love for Grouse ever since one became friends with Rocky several years ago. He preceded Rocky in death by nine months as the result of an auto accident.

     So we are all delighted that Grouse I evidently had a son who has now made himself known. (Well, my good friend, Jay, has spotted him a couple of times in the woods while on mushroom forays, but I, the Queen of Castle Yonder, had never seen him.) 

     But he allowed an audience as he posed for a picture this past Sunday.  I imagine he had been flushed up into the trees because my good neighbor, Rudy, was chain sawing a tree that the Sat. night storm had pushed over and across the road.

     Now our new, old, friend needs a name (as well as a mate!) Perhaps I'll call him Grousey II until someone comes up with something better.

     I guess we could call him "Ruffie" or "Ruffles" since his specimen is called the Ruffed Grouse. They are noted by their sometimes elaborate displays of mating behavior, "drumming" the air by beating their wings rapidly. They also strut, raise their breasts upward, and spread special feathers on the head, neck, and tail. They strut their stuff; how could any gal resist? 

     Grouse are land birds who forage on the ground for seeds and insects. They can fly but they are not fast and seldom fly more than a few hundred feet. They can burst into flight from a sitting position when they feel the need to remove themselves to another location. This is called flushing and causes the heart to beat a little faster in any human observer who might be out for a walk.

      Flushing is likely why Grousey II posed for the photo in a tree.