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I didn’t think I would get any photos of drumming grouse this year as all three grouse that I photographed last year in Cascade River State Park vanished over the winter. Fortunately, a friend of ours told me about this ruffed grouse on one of the ski trails west of Cascade.

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I got to spend the better part of four bug free days with this red phased ruffed grouse. Since no black flies or mosquitoes have come out it was a treat to sit in the woods and not experience even one bug bite.

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His red tail is so colorful that our friend named him Rusty.

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Rusty was the second friendliest grouse I have had the opportunity to photograph. After spending several hours letting him get to know me he let me sit next to him on his log. Only two grouse in my 45 years of wildlife photography have let me do that.

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Every half hour he would fly into the trees or go for a walk to grab a tasty snack.

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After a few minutes he would be back drumming.

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A friend took this photo of me sitting on the log with Rusty. It is quite the experience to sit that close to a drumming grouse. Their wings move so much air while drumming, that like a leaf blower, it will clear the area in front of the log of any loose leaves.

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At the end of each drum he would fan out his tail feathers, brace his wings, hold his chest high and broadcast to the other grouse that this part of the forest belongs to him.

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I was fortunate to be there when a female grouse showed up. Rusty put on quite the display.

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A perfectly fanned tail.

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When he puffs up his neck feathers it looks like his head is floating.

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Even when you look close up.

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Rusty is looking up at the female in the tree and putting on quite the show. The female apparently likes what she sees and flies down right in front of him and it is off to the races. He jumps off the log and they both run into the thick brush. This has been one of my best experiences with a ruffed grouse and I am so thankful for the outdoor adventure.

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