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> From: Kelly Cassidy <kelly at salmo.cqs.washington.edu>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Re: Blue Grouse-need ID help
> Date: Monday, August 11, 1997 12:42 PM
>
> Spruce Grouse are in dry, high forests, (Subalpine Fir/Lodgepole
> Pine/Engelman Spruce type). Recent breeding records are all east of the
> Cascade crest, though they probably come across the crest where mountains

> create rain shadow areas. South of Mt. Baker would likely be too wet,
and
> too far from the crest. My bet would be for Blue.
>
> Kelly Cassidy -- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
> Box 357980, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
> kelly at u.washington.edu --- 206-685-4195 --- 206-368-8076
>
> On Mon, 11 Aug 1997, Franny Drobny wrote:
>
> > Hi Tweeters:
> >
> > Saturday I was hiking up around Blue Lake, about 10+ miles or so west
of Baker
> > Lake around the 4,000+' elevation (NW Washington, in the Cascade
mountains,
> > south of Mt. Baker). Heading east back down the gravel forest service
road
> > towards Baker Lake (Baker Lake was about 7 miles to the east), a female
blue (?)
> > grouse crossed the road and went up the hillside with her two chicks.
A very
> > beautiful sight to watch. It was very mottled/molting looking, so it
was hard
> > for me to tell if it was a blue grouse or maybe a spruce grouse? I
watched it
> > at close range with my binoculars for about 15 minutes. I settled on a
blue
> > grouse because of the pale terminal band, with broken barring, on the
wedgey
> > tail. The grouse's mottling was mostly brown/some black/whitish (very
little
> > reddish-brown coloring). I also didn't really see any grayish
coloring. But
> > since I am unfamiliar with habitat and the different grouse, I'm
wondering if
> > someone could tell me a little about this. Are blue grouse around
there? Where
> > are spruce grouse usually found? The only grouse I've seen in Western
Washington
> > is a lot of ruffed grouse, and it definitely wasn't that. If there are
some
> > habitat limitations, that would take care of my questions.
> >
> > Franny Drobny
> > Seattle, Washington
> > fdrobny at cairncross.com
> >
> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >
> >