No owls — but a male spruce grouse (pics incl)

[Steve Foss]

It just seems to happen this way so often. I'm making one of my winter missions the search for and photo capture of saw-whet and boreal owls on the roost. We get both here.

So I started that today, searching carefully through young thick stands of jackpine, balsam and spruce. And, of course, knowing that there are a lot of other species that use such habitat beside owls.

Yep, you guessed it. No owls, but I ran into the male spruce grouse and was able to get a few. Man, they are handsome birds.

All with Canon 20D and 100-400L IS at iso400 and f7.1, handheld. And a note on zooms — Wouldn't have been able to get some of these without the ability to loosen the frame using a zoom lens.

Posing. Lens set at 300mm, 1/1000

Slanted branches, slanted bird. Lens at 400mm, 1/200

And finally, one display before he disappeared

Lens at 135mm, 1/60

[jonny_redhorse]

Dynomite images Steve!.....they certainly are the most beautiful of the upland birds!....that last photo of the tail fanned out is my favorite...jonny

[buzzsaw]

Very nice and unique capture Steve! I always like to see different images and you've come through!

[Dbl]

Nice Steve, sharp and clear. I love that last one like jonny with the fanned tail.

[Jim Almquist]

Really like the last 2. Thanks for sharing.

[Surface Tension]

Very nice Steve. I don't think I've ever seen one display.

[Deitz Dittrich]

LOL @ ST... I've never even seen one in real life.. Cool looking bird for sure..

[Swimmer]

fantastic shots Steve. Thanks again. Come to think of it, I've never seen one in the wild either.

[WifeKidsandDog]

Wow, great shots, Steve.

Cheryl

[mcary]

Very nice Steve! I've never actually seen a spruce grouse before. I guess it's a side effect of being born on the prairie and only immigrating to the north. I'm going to have to spend a little more time searching for one.

[Ely Lake Expert]

Great pics. I still have never seen a spruce grouse out in the wild.