Ruffed Grouse

We’ve had a neighbourhood visitor for a while now: a ruffed grouse. I tried to identify whether it was male or female, but the definite way to tell is by looking at the tail feathers, and I didn’t have any clear shots including the tail. If the band of black on the tail is unbroken, it’s a male; if it’s broken and not as bold, it’s a female. I assumed, from guessing and a gut sense, that this one was female.

This grouse has been wandering our hillside with her partner, departing with a drumbeat flight that usually manages to give me a mild heart attack. I’ve seen grouse before, but always from afar; it’s more often that I’ve heard the the males’ deep thumping beat during the courtship months. So when I saw our visitor through my telephoto lens, I was amazed at the beauty of her features and feathers.

Grouse are very musical birds. They’re associated with the sacred spiral, rhythms both internal and external, birth and rebirth, and synchronicity. It’s no mistake to happen upon a grouse – everything happens for a reason, and they exemplify this knowing.

This ruffed grouse in particular let me come fairly close to her. Her trust paired with my telephoto lens made for some admirable photos, and I felt extremely grateful that I was able to benefit from this meeting. After our encounter, I’ve been keeping my eyes open for synchronicities; and over and over again, it’s been proven to me that everything, indeed, does happen for a reason.