Spruce Grouse Pictures

[paddler]

I enjoyed looking at Steve Foss's spruce grouse pictures the other day. Some of you said you had never seen one of these birds. Here are some more pics of this colorful bird that I have taken when checking my trail cameras. I always bring my 100-400 with when checking my "trapline" of trail cameras. As I mentioned in his thread, the downside for these birds is they're not very smart. The upside for these birds is hunters don't usually shoot them because they like eating spruce needles and they don't taste very good!:)
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p190/paddler02/Spruce-Grouse2CDPF.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p190/paddler02/Spruce-Grouse1CDPF.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p190/paddler02/Spruce-Grouse4CDPF.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p190/paddler02/Spruce-Grouse5CDPF.jpg
Gerry
http://www.pbase.com/paddler

[tomcio]

Simply amazing... I have only seen this guy once while backpacking. Thank you for sharing.

[Reyno]

Beautiful series of images Gerry.

[colinradford]

Great posing from the the Grouse and fantastic settings for all 4.

#1 has to be my fave because of the apparent attitude.

[canonloader]

Really great shots Gerry. I have heard these guys before but never seen a live one. Amazingly beautiful bird.

[gjl711]

I clicked this link expecting to see a big old wooden airplane.:shock: I read the “r” as a “o”. :oops: Imagine my surprise. Anyway, lovely shots. I really like the second one, wonderfully framed.

[paddler]

Thank you Tom, Reyno, Colin, Mitch, and gjI711. If you ever see one in the wild, Mitch, you will have plenty of time to take pictures. They just don't want to move!
Gerry

[canonshooter4life]

All are VERY nice!

[dancinec]

Excellent series of shots, what do you do with the "trail-side" cameras? Part of a study?

[paddler]

Thanks, Dennis and Brandon. As far as the trail cameras, it's a hobby that's become, according to my wife, an obsession! Instead of buying the motion cameras all set to go, I make or "hack" my own setups . A person buys the camera, a control board that has the motion sensor, a waterproof case to put it in, along with some miscellaneous items. There are several good forums out there to help people to do this. The one I like best is http://hagshouse.ipbhost.com/forums/index.php?act=index.

I enjoy this hobby because it's catching the animals in their own natural environment doing what they do when there's no humans around.

Here's some of the pictures I have gotten with my trail cameras:http://www.pbase.com/paddler/trail_camera_pictures

Gerry
http://www.pbase.com/paddler

[Salmon]

Fantastic captures. I really love this bird. I have seen hundreds of them over my lifetime but not since I picked up the camera. I sure would be happy to get a pic near any of these. Thanks for sharing.

[bromm]

Very nice series, I got my first shots of these last spring with my S3IS at the time. well done.

[Miniflash]

These are so cool ..love the composition and color of this bird is awesome ..very nice ~

[dancad]

Nice shots. Beautifully coloured individual.

[hTr]

At first I thought you were going to post Ruffled Grouse, but these are beautiful. I have heard they are bad to eat because of diet of Spruce and Pine,

Very Nice group, Great color and detail.

Your going bto fit right in up there.

gary

[Stephen Stephen]

Just beautiful shots Gerry. This is a species that I'd love to photograph but so far no luck.

[paddler]

Thanks everyone!
Rick, keep lugging that big 100-400 around in the woods and you will find one. Bring a big enough memory card because they don't move!
Trevor, they are cool birds to photograph, aren't they? Thanks again for the hint on using the lasoo method and removing noise.
Deb, I completely agree about the colors. Next to the wood duck, I think a spruce grouse is the next most striking bird up here in the north woods.
Dan, thank you for the nice comment. The colors are awesome on this bird.
Gary, thank you. I guess I fit in up here. I've been here since 1971 but with some of these characters up here, I'm not sure I want to fit in!!! The problem is I had most of these outlaws in school over the years and now they're grown up and I'm old!:)
Gerry

[ak_powder_monkey]

nice!

[ngannet]

Excellent shots. I'd love to see one of these beauties. 2 and 4 are my favorites. Beautiful colors.

[downywp]

Beautiful shots of a great looking bird, I love the tail flare, makes him look like a chicken!:)

[KTollig]

Some really nice shots well done

[stevefossimages]

Nice work, Gerry. The pose on the first one makes it the best for me.

[paddler]

Thank you Ak, Ngannet, Downywp, Ktollig, and Steve! They are a beautiful bird. You just never know when you will run across one in the woods.
Gerry