And a partridge (sprucie)....

[finnbay]

...in a pear (Norway pine) tree!!

These guys always present a challenge because they sit in the shade with the bright sky shining through the branches.

lunch:

portrait:

And mama was around, too:

[reinhard1]

beautiful pictures. good luck.

[Jim Almquist]

Nice find Ken and some sweet shots

[Dbl]

Very nice work Ken!

[Brooky]

Fantastic shots.

[Steve Foss]

Great stuff, Ken. I especially like the one where he's reaching for the needles, and that first shot of the hen in snow is excellent.

[mixxedbagg]

Nice photos.....but with the spruce grouse, you probably just walked over, picked it up, put it in the tree and lighting you wanted and staged that eating pose! I'm a HORRIBLE photographer, but I've managed to get a few shots of sprucies just 'cause they're so darned tame they'll put up with even the most clumsy attempts to get close. I remember once on a portage in the BWCA, a buddy and I found a covey of spruce grouse. None of them were spooky at all, but one bird in particular actually stood in the portage treadway and let me nudge it up the trail with a canoe paddle a couple of times like an obstinate cat. After a couple of nudges, it finally hopped up in a tree, where I nudged it again and it finally flew off. Rude, I know, but it was grouse season at the time and I had seen feather piles on prior portages that day....I figure I might have saved it's life.

Of course, you know I'm just giving you a hard time, finnbay....those shots really are some nice work and that third one really is a neat capture.

[bottomdweller]

Cool pics, thanks.

[eyeguy 54]

Very nice set!

[HawgMan]

Nice Work!!

[Hwood]

Nice stuff there fella.