Mt Field Spruce Grouse

[J&J]

I did a solo hike up Tom, Field and Willey last Friday 10/13/06 and had a great photo opportunity with a most co-operative male Spruce Grouse near the summit of Field. He just lingered and modeled for me all the time making little utterances while I uttered back to him. Maybe he understood what I was saying?

I also met Marjorie (sp?) aka Boreus (once again sp?) on the summit of Field who hails from Chicago but is a former easterner who gets her yearly fixes in the Whites a few weeks a year. She is like the rest of us who are on the boards 20 times a day seeing what's up with everyone else. Nice meeting you Marjorie!

Pictures of the Spruce Grouse here:

John

 

[SAR-EMT40]

Wow, what great photos. My grouse never cooperate like this.

Tell us the kind of camera you used, etc.

Keith

 

[grouseking]

Those are awesome! The grouse that I see either fly away or attack me!

grouseking

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Those are great photos. You might notify the NH Audobon Society - they have a newsletter and are looking for great photos. I had a similar opportunity a couple of years ago.

 

[BorealChickadee]

You are so lucky! I've come across them on the trail but they've walked away when I got close.

 

[bobandgeri]

Great photos! We were lucky enough to have similar experiences on Isolation and Liberty. Great birds when you get to see them up close.

 

[kmac]

Awesome shots. How close were you to the grouse and what kind of camera did you use?
kmac

 

[arghman]

fyi -- spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) are on the NH rare list. If you see a nest or young, please report the location to NH Natural Heritage. (It's not enough just to see a bird, they want evidence of breeding / habitation.)

 

[J&J]

Tell us the kind of camera you used, etc.

How close were you to the grouse and what kind of camera did you use?

I have a Canon S1 IS. The IS stands for image stabilization which helps one to handhold the camera for longer shutter periods or when the zoom is extended to its maximum length. The zoom on this camera extends out to 10x optical. If I remember right I wasn't fully zoomed. Also my camera model has been updated a couple of times now so they are up to the S3 IS and I hear there's an S4 IS on the way. They've basically upgraded this model every year for three years.

The grouse was sitting in a tree at about seven feet off the ground and I was standing about five feet away and I'm six feet tall. The most important thing is that this grouse was incredibly cooperative. I photographed him for about 1/2 hour or so. I've seen a lot of grouse and I've never had one acting so mellow in my presence.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

Great info arghman. I didn't know that.

I photographed him for about 1/2 hour or so. I've seen a lot of grouse and I've never had one acting so mellow in my presence.

OK, now I have to ask. Are you sure it was alive.

Keith