Pheasants and Grouse

Dusky Grouse - Fording River, BC This Dusky grouse hen froze on the side of the road as I travelled by. This survival strategy works when the predator doesn't have a projectile to make you part of dinner that evening. The Dusky Grouse was split from the Sooty grouse of the western rain forests which used to make up the Blue Grouse species with this grouse being slightly less gray and lighter overall. I have only seen dusky and sooty grouse in the mountains with this being no exception living along Fording River in the Rocky Mountain range. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Dusky Grouse - Fording River, BC
Ruffed Grouse - Kamloops, BC This first year bird was doing a very good job of showing off his
Ruffed Grouse - Kamloops, BC
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Sooty Grouse Chick - Cypress Mountain, BC
Chukar - Kamloops, BC On a cold morning, I stopped to see if I could get a look at some of the resident Chukar near Sun Rivers Golf in Kamloops. It turned out to be a very easy camera shot that day as several of the birds were picking the fruit from this Russian Olive quite near the road. They are a released bird here in this area but do very well in and around the golf course hiding in the dry wash as well as feeding in the fairways. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Chukar - Kamloops, BC
Sooty Grouse - Burnaby, BC On the top of a granite knoll in the middle of Burnaby that just couldn't be ground down by the glaciers was male Sooty Grouse that was looking for love. Its the highest location around that still has forests on several fronts. When I walked up the hill he was in full regalia, but by the time I got my camera out, his orange throat pouches were covered. He was very accommodating even after the displays in the way of a photo shoot. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Sooty Grouse - Burnaby, BC
Ruffed Grouse - Kane Valley, BC An Early morning drive up Kane Valley was very productive birding wise. Along the side of the road was this well camouflaged game bird. It apparently is used to the traffic as it casually walked to the poplar tree you see it in here and flew to the lowest branch and started eating the buds off the tree while I took a couple shots through the open window. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Ruffed Grouse - Kane Valley, BC
Ring-necked Pheasant - On an outting with a birding friend John Gordon, we came across a pheasant making his way across a farm road in Delta. He was looking very impressive for the ladies with some beautifully long tail feathers and bright red facial skin. Pheasants are an introduced bird to North America, and had done very well, but numbers are decreasing in many areas. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Ring-necked Pheasant - Delta