Day 300: As a birder, I know that grouse frequently perch in trees, but it always amuses me to see one of these fat brown "chickens" take wing from the side of the road to land on a branch. I half-expect the ungainly thing to pitch off the other side in a cartoon-like demonstration of Newton's First Law, "an object in motion tends to remain in motion," yet it compensates for its mass. The claws dig into the rough bark, perhaps the wings flutter a little, and the bird comes to rest with barely a wobble. Blue (Sooty) Grouse are relatively common in Mount Rainier National Park. I've been surprised by them on many occasions when a piece of "trail" ten feet in front of me suddenly lifted off with an enormous clatter of wings. Their colouration camouflages them well against dirt and gravel or, for that matter, against the grey-brown bark of conifer boughs. There is some confusion regarding the proper scientific name of this species, and field guides may have it listed as "Blue Grouse," separated further into "Sooty" (Pacific) and "Dusky" (interior) forms. The difference is only noticeable in males of Dendragapus obscurus; females of both forms are visually similar.
365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Saturday, August 8, 2020
Blue (Sooty) Grouse, Dendragapus Obscurus
Day 300: As a birder, I know that grouse frequently perch in trees, but it always amuses me to see one of these fat brown "chickens" take wing from the side of the road to land on a branch. I half-expect the ungainly thing to pitch off the other side in a cartoon-like demonstration of Newton's First Law, "an object in motion tends to remain in motion," yet it compensates for its mass. The claws dig into the rough bark, perhaps the wings flutter a little, and the bird comes to rest with barely a wobble. Blue (Sooty) Grouse are relatively common in Mount Rainier National Park. I've been surprised by them on many occasions when a piece of "trail" ten feet in front of me suddenly lifted off with an enormous clatter of wings. Their colouration camouflages them well against dirt and gravel or, for that matter, against the grey-brown bark of conifer boughs. There is some confusion regarding the proper scientific name of this species, and field guides may have it listed as "Blue Grouse," separated further into "Sooty" (Pacific) and "Dusky" (interior) forms. The difference is only noticeable in males of Dendragapus obscurus; females of both forms are visually similar.
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