Tweets:

The "tame" behavior that Mike Patterson describes in
his car chaser reminds me of a similar experience I had
a number of years ago with a Ruffed Grouse on a Tiger
Mtn. trail. Tiger Mtn. is immediately east of Issaquah, WA.
Seven of us hikers were on the easy South Tiger seven-mile
loop trail when we encountered a Ruffed Grouse in the middle
of the trail. We stood and watched the bird for at least five
minutes while it wandered along the trail between us while
pecking at our boot strings and eyelets. Any of us could
have picked it up if we had wanted. After we walked
on, I turned back at one point to see that it was still moving
along the middle of the trail. Through the years when I have
pondered about this type of behavior and wondered how the
grouse, as a species, have survived with such easy to approach
behavior. They certainly don't have much in the way of equipment
with which to defend themselves.
Irene Potter, Tacoma, WA
isparrow at seanet.com