Ruffed grouse are gorgeous ground birds that have eluded me since I was a child. Though I’d frequently hear them in the woods, I seldom caught more than a fleeting glimpse of them. Even the ones that visited my backyard were so skittish and quick to run off, that I had almost given up taking a photograph of one. Until this past week.
The one shown here is in its rufous phase. Its feathers seem to swirl in a beautiful palette of brown and copper tones, highlighted with white. These birds also have a gray phase.
Unlike ring-necked pheasants, larger ground birds that act like they own the neighborhood in this neck of the woods, ruffed grouse are quiet, unassuming birds with feathered legs. They keep to the woods where they blend in wonderfully with the ground cover. Apparently, they prefer woodlands with second growth, which should make my backyard an ideal habitat. I wonder if there’s a nest nearby…
Spring has finally arrived here on Flandrum Hill, and with all the activity that takes place in nature at this time of year, it’s a great time to get outdoors.
Text and photographs copyright Amy-Lynn Bell 2013
Flandrum Hill 
It is a pretty bird. One might not think so with a name like that. Thanks for sharing.
Patti, it is pretty. I love its rounded shape.
Awesome that you got to see it and get a great photograph.
Welcome back to the blog-o-sphere.
Thanks Sybil. After getting frustrated so many times trying to capture a non-blurred image of one, I just had to post about it.
That little bird is so beautiful it looks like a painting. Nice to hear from your part of the world today.
Pamela, its Rubenesque form make it an ideal subject for a painting. My part of the world is abuzz with spring. So glad to share its noise with you:)
Amazing to get such good pictures. Very nice.
Thanks Bonnie. I was lucky. Or perhaps the grouse simply wanted to be photographed that day 😉
What a beautiful bird ! Thank you for sharing these special pictures with us and welcome back 🙂
Thanks Isabelle. It is beautiful 🙂
Well-captured images, Amy-Lynn – so glad the weather is getting warmer and that you’re able to spend time outdoors with your camera. 🙂
Thanks Reggie. Yes it certainly has warmed up and there’s so much happening with nature that it’s impossible to stay inside and ignore it all.
Nice pictures, Amy Lynn! I know the elusive nature of this bird. They fly up so quickly. I love listening to their drumming songs in the woods.
Kathy, my heart always jumps in my throat when they unexpectedly flush nearby. That used to happen frequently when I’d be walking in the woods with my dog. I don’t think I’ve heard them drumming.