Spruce grouse season coming up
-- Photo by DON BARTLING A spruce grouse camoflauged in its natural habitat.
-- Photo by DON BARTLING A male spruce grouse pecks for food on a backwoods logging road.
-- Photo by DON BARTLING Grouse explores vehicle; finding no food, it moves on.
-- Photo by DON BARTLING Spruce grouse feel at home in pine, spruce or fir trees.
BOUNDARY COUNTY — Last week, I was on a photo trip, journeying on Ball Creek rail just off the west side road and back into the Selkirk Mountains when I came onto a fairly common sight for the month of August. It was a mother spruce grouse and three of her chicks who were almost fully grown. I can well understand why the spruce grouse are called “fool hens” because they just stayed in the road and let me watch them for awhile, uninterrupted by my presence. I got out of my vehicle and quietly walked forward when one of the grouse became uncomfortable and flew up into a tree. I curiously walked over within 15 feet of the bird sitting on the branch in a shaded area of the tree and took some more pictures. He eyed me suspiciously and then flew away, landing on the roof of my vehicle, which amazed me. I thought, “I hope you are more cautious during the upcoming grouse season!”