It was a sunny morning for the Banff’s Community Bird Walk, but without the community. Birding season 2022 for group walks. I got an early start to the bird count. Right away, I had the more common birds spotted, like the ravens, magpies, crows, geese, mallards, juncos, chickadees and more.
But I had a heat issue, too many bottom layers. My long-johns had to come off. I decided to pop into the woods and remove them. There was an old fallen tree, on which I placed my backpack, gloves and the camera on. Boots came off first, followed by unzipping of the jackets and then the pants. As I was in the process of removing my long-johns, I heard what sounded like a motor starting. I quickly realized it was a grouse making the drumming sound. As soon as I saw it, I grabbed my camera and with the long-johns at my ankles, I took a few pictures before it moved.
Less than ten meters away, a Ruffed Grouse was on an old fallen tree, looking toward me while moving its wings back and forth. Compressing the air to create a vacuum to produce a sound similar to a running motor in the distance. The male grouse was performing a mating ritual, sound of which can be heard from 400 meters away.
I assumed my long-johns coming down and the grouse’s drumming starting at the same time was just coincidence. Nonetheless the less, the long johns were put away in the pack and the pants and the boots were back on. The grouse stayed put and repeated the drumming a few more times as I got better pictures. I then quickly left in case the grouse was not impressed with the untended strip show. I had no intentions of ruffling any feathers.
