Subject: [Tweeters] Ruffed Grouse near Lake Quinault
Date: Thu Jun 3 09:28:23 PDT 2021
From: dgrainger at birdsbydave.com - dgrainger at birdsbydave.com

June 1st, on the gravel road that encircles Lake Quinault, approximately
half way around, spotted male Ruffed Grouse in roadway. We stopped the
car, stayed inside at a distance. Observed him walk over to lush low
greenery, climb in whereupon a second head appeared. We think nest was
right there on ground under the leafy cover. I didn't want to get out of
car for fear of disturbing the pair, so I wriggled my upper body out of
the passenger side window in order to get my camera in play without the
side mirror in view. I managed to get three good frames before he was
too hidden by leaves. [I will be posting one of the resulting images on
birdsbydave.com.]

Area is dense forest cover, big trees with a lot of moss, big sword
ferns, plenty of ground cover, This was far enough around the loop that
we had just passed a faded wooden sign saying that we had entered the
Quileute Nation territory. The road is one lane dirt or gravel over most
of the loop; it starts at the Lake Quinault Lodge which is National Park
Service, goes through an area of private farms and ranches, which, after
a few miles, gives way to deep forest with almost no other vehicles all
day. It reconnects to US 101 just short of the village of Amanda Park,
which in turn is a very short distance to the turn off for the road to
Lake Quinault lodge. This place is about sixty miles beyond Forks.