Early this afternoon I had an interesting experience. I was walking around my evergreens picking up sticks prior to mowing the lawn. I saw a low branch of a balsam fir begin to wiggle and heard a pitiful cheeping. Out came what must have been a juvenile ruffed grouse, judging by its size. It ran right at me cheeping and batting my legs with its wings, while it also extended the ruff feathers up and down. It ran around me several times doing the same thing and then ran across the lawn to the evergreens on the other side.

I went back to the place it had come from to see if there was a nest under the fir and heard another cheeping. I decided to wait until tomorrow to mow that part of the lawn.

Nancy
Chazy,NY zone 4

Wow how lucky you are! I would love to see a ruffed grouse They are the state bird of Pennsylvania and I've never seen one.

sarah merion station, Pennsylvania zone 6B

I see them mostly in the late summer when this year's offspring are looking for their own space. I'll tell a couple that you would love to have them.

Nancy
Chazy,NY zone 4

Yes please do I'll treat them royally

sarah merion station, Pennsylvania zone 6B