Ruff and Sharp-tail Grouse

The last few days we have had Ruff Grouse take over our yard. They have been leaving tracks all around the house and acting as if they own the place.

Just yesterday I looked out the back door window and one was sitting on the roof of the basement stairs entry.

It took off when it saw me and flew to some dense woods south of the house. As soon as it took flight four more joined if from various spots in the yard where they were roosting or feeding.

Now that the small crabapples are covered by the snow they have gone back to their main food which is Hazelnut bush catkins. They love to tightrope walk out to the end of flimsy branches to pick off the catkins.

Occasionally they lose their balance when the branch fails to sustain their weight. When that occurs they take flight and move to another location and make it appear that was their intention in the first place.

When the weather turns cold or a storm occurs, the Ruff Grouse takes shelter in deep snow and then lets the snow completely cover it. It seems to know in advance when bad weather is on the way and they make sure their crop is full before taking shelter.

Once the weather improves they push aside the snow and go back to their quest for more food.

The photo shows where one Ruff Grouse spent a day or two waiting out the last storm. The dark red droppings in the middle of the pile are obviously from crabapples taken from our trees.

This afternoon while snowshoeing we flushed two Sharp-tail Grouse as we came out into a clearing. They flew rapidly off into the open field cluck, cluck, clucking into the distance.

Ruff Grouse prefer woods to open country while the Sharp-tail Grouse prefer open fields. They can be seen occasionally in the other’s territory but it is rare.

A few weeks ago we counted exactly fifty Sharp-tail Grouse flying in a long group from one field to another

No snow!!

Here we are the middle of November and no snow.

This really makes tough sledding.

Now I am not praying for snow, but you cannot call it winter without snow. It does make life easier and safer for the elderly, a class which I have no intention of joining.

My dog lays out in the yard, staring at me as if the lack of snow is my fault. No snow, no snowshoeing. No snowshoeing, no joyful treks through the woods making trails.

The most noticeable change the lack of snow has caused, involves birds and other wildlife’s struggle for food. Many birds head south when the snow covers the ground and makes it difficult to find food. This year many have not yet left as food is easy to find.

The Ruff Grouse in our woods stay all year round and they adapt to the seasons and weather easily. This fall one of them discovered the small crabapples from my tree were lying in abundance on the ground and in plain sight.

It was not long before we had two of them and last night the crew grew to four. They arrive just before dark and have a little feeding frenzy for about five minutes and then zip back into the woods. The dog has learned it is pointless to chase them as they leap into the air and are off with a loud whirrr,…whirr of their wings.

They cannot swallow the cherry size apples so their first choice are the ones that have been stepped on. They quickly pick them up, shake them a few times and swallow what has not fallen off. The larger ones have frozen and thawed each day so they are becoming very soft and easier to eat.

The grouse have been eating here for more than a week and they are starting to fill out and will be in fine shape to deal with winter. I have noticed they eat seven to ten apples and when the crop is stuffed they either run at high speed for the brush or leap into the air, and with a burst of speed melt into the dark woods.

The Ruff Grouse are not hunted in my woods nor in the property around me as my neighbors feel as I do.
Each spring we have one or two batches of eggs laid and if we are lucky we get the odd chance to watch the chicks running about, catching bugs as if it is the last one they will ever see. As they get older the group starts to thin out. Owls and fox are the biggest threat.

During the winter I listen for the drumming sounds of the Ruff Grouse and it confirms we still have them in the woods. On some occasions I have heard three drumming in different directions around me.
The yard visitors better eat their full as the snow has got to fall shortly.