Gene -

Well, I dunno ...

I did see two BLGR the next day (this seems funny to me, since I use this
code all the time here in Maryland, but for Blue Grosbeak!) ... the OS bird
was light brown, not dark like the BLGR.

I guess it will forever be logged as a "grouse-like bird, sp."

Thanks, again.

Phil


At 09:08 PM 10/16/1997 -0700, you wrote:
>Phil,
>
>At least not too many years ago both Ruffed and Blue Grouse could be found
>in wooded areas on the Ocean Shores peninsula, especially when booming in
>the spring, but I haven't been out there looking of late. Ruffed might
>somewhat more likely than Blue, though a Blue now might be a wanderer from
>slightly higher areas to the northeast.
>
>Gene Hunn, Seattle.
>
>At 01:14 AM 10/16/97 -0400, you wrote:
>>Saturday, when I cruised Ocean Shores, I stumbled across a grouse along the
>>side of the road. Reconstructing my route and looking at a map, I think I
>>either turned right from Fairwood onto Marine View, or from Greenview onto
>>Fairwood. The grouse was on the right as I pulled up to make the turn. It
>>popped up from a drainage ditch next to road, looked at me, then flew away.
>>The habitat in the area is not wooded, more brushy as I recall.
>>
>>My first impression was another Ring-necked Pheasant since I had seen
>>several the previous day up near Hansville and Pt No Point. While those
>>birds were males, this one seemed to be a female.
>>
>>However, when it flew, it had a fan shaped tail, not the pointed,
>>wedge-shaped tail of a pheasant. My next thought was Ruffed Grouse, but
>>then I noted that there was no dark terminal tail band. The entire tail
>>seemed uniformly medium brown--same as the body.
>>
>>Unfortunately, I picked up no other notable field marks ... the head seemed
>>basically brown, with a small amount of white (I think).
>>
>>The bird seemed "large" but I don't think it was as large as the male RN
>>Pheasants I saw the day before. I know that female RN Pheasants have
>>"shorter" tails than males, but this bird's tail was definitely full and
>>fan shaped--not pointed.
>>
>>Any ideas? Would a Ruffed Grouse be a rarity at Ocean Shores on October
>>11th? Could I have missed the tail band?
>>
>>Thx.
>>
>>Phil
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>Phil Davis
>>
>>home: PDavis at ix.netcom.com Davidsonville, Maryland, USA
>>work: PDavis at OAO.com Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
>>------------------------------------------------------------