Had a neat feathered visitor at his morning

[Sahara]

We get eagles and ravens around all of the time, ptarmigan from time to time, and the occasional grouse. Had this guy drop by this morning. What’s cool is how he’s fluffed up to stay warm. It’s minus 34 without the pussy windchill and this guy has fluffed up his feathers to add insulation value. Looks like a bowling ball with a tiny head. Ravens do it too, and look amazing but they generally aren’t close enough to get a good photo.
I never get tired of watching nature. It’s tough surviving outdoors here, I have a lot of respect for the animals that stay all winter and tough it out.

 

[5.7 hemi]

Probably got tired of the windchill flying around.

 

[dadsbee]

You could have invited him where it's warm for supper!

I had a "pet" grouse for years that would follow me around the property. Would meet me at the back door many mornings and walk with me to the shop and come in the shop. Would even run behind the tractor when I was cutting the grass...

 

[Sahara]

You could have invited him where it's warm for supper!

I had a "pet" grouse for years that would follow me around the property. Would meet me at the back door many mornings and walk with me to the shop and come in the shop. Would even run behind the tractor when I was cutting the grass...

I used to think that they weren’t that bright, and in some ways they aren‘t. But as I study animals more I realize that many have more intellect then I thought and I treat them with more respect then I did when I was younger.
We spent a winter morning watching ptarmigan play a few years ago. Now ptarmigan are generally thought to be dumber than even domestic chickens and turkeys. But this group of three or so were sliding down my neighbours roof, just like children on a playground. They would trudge all the way up to the roof peak, then slide on their tail feathers down to his porch roof, then repeat the process for an hour or so. This couldn’t have served any other purpose in their life other then the sheer joy of sliding in the snow. Or it cooled their hemorrhoids. Either way it was cool to see.
We ate probably a few tons of these when I was a kid. It was nothing to go and shoot forty or fifty on a cold autumn morning. The sharp tails have white meat and are pretty good to eat, the spruce grouse are larger, stronger tasting and have dark meat. Ptarmigan aren’t great, and it takes a lot to make a meal. That’s why we’d shoot fifty of them. Now I just shoot a few every year or so. Generally to show a kid or a city person how it’s done.

 

[440 4 speed]

I used to think that they weren’t that bright, and in some ways they aren‘t. But as I study animals more I realize that many have more intellect then I thought and I treat them with more respect then I did when I was younger.
We spent a winter morning watching ptarmigan play a few years ago. Now ptarmigan are generally thought to be dumber than even domestic chickens and turkeys. But this group of three or so were sliding down my neighbours roof, just like children on a playground. They would trudge all the way up to the roof peak, then slide on their tail feathers down to his porch roof, then repeat the process for an hour or so. This couldn’t have served any other purpose in their life other then the sheer joy of sliding in the snow. Or it cooled their hemorrhoids. Either way it was cool to see.
We ate probably a few tons of these when I was a kid. It was nothing to go and shoot forty or fifty on a cold autumn morning. The sharp tails have white meat and are pretty good to eat, the spruce grouse are larger, stronger tasting and have dark meat. Ptarmigan aren’t great, and it takes a lot to make a meal. That’s why we’d shoot fifty of them. Now I just shoot a few every year or so. Generally to show a kid or a city person how it’s done.

I like the taste of our ruffed grouse more than sharp tails. And don’t even shoot spruce hens. But it has to be about 25. Years since I did any bird hunting. Miss it.

 

[eldubb440]

minus 34? ....... Holy Shrinkage Batman!

 

[KiwiKid72]

I think I recognise that bird. Isn't that...