LIFER🚨 No...really! I SWEAR there IS A BIRD IN THIS PHOTO! Sooty Grouse! I 100% slammed on the brakes and backed uphill on a blind corner on two-lane highway (then pulled onto shoulder) to get these "amazing" shots with my iPhone 😂 But I got to see her & she was SO CUTE! #birds #becurious
Cuuuute!
Oh so cute!
Excellent! 👏🏻 Conga-rats 🎶🐀🐀🐀🐀🎶
Hurray!! I can’t believe she stayed put through all that
I got so lucky!
Congrats! What a sharp eye! (And good brakes!) 🤣👍
Ohhh yeah - must have good brakes on our 2 lanes lol
That’s great, congrats!
Thanks! If I'd have had my real camera - pics would've been SO GOOD - she just froze for a bit!
Even just to see her is amazing!
Oh heck yes! Their camo is A++
Grouse can blend in so well!
As evidenced by the fact I've never seen one before!
🤣 yes!
Woo woo! Congrats!
She was the cutest thing! I did cross highway but WOW she blended in lol & I couldn't get closer shots.
At first glance, I could not figure out how you'd spotted her, and then, like a Magic Eye puzzle, I understood! Nice! Having almost stepped on grouse before, I'm really impressed that you spotted that one!
😂 When I first drove past she was standing up in "Quail Up Periscope" mode!
I have no experience with grouse, but it sounds like they follow the Pheasant Survival Strategy of "Remain absolutely still as the predator approaches until it goes away or you panic and explode into flight in the predator's face."
yes. That's it exactly. Grouse are woodland heart attacks waiting to happen. They're nature's jump-scares.
And they always sound like an apex predator when they bolt!
🤣 Yup - she didn't scurry until I crossed the highway, then she went into a tree, then back into the brush.
I have told many a bird that has scared the shit out of me that they should have held still. I have no idea they’re there until they make a fuss. Don’t think they speak English.
😂
wow!
😁
Do the same thing when driving and it drives my husband crazy lol
😂 I got spoiled by Colorado where every highway everywhere has a shoulder you can pull off on right away. Not so much in Oregon!
A photo after my own heart! I can definitely see this special bird.😍
They're so cute!
Hooray!🥧
Thankies!
I see it 🥰 Congrats! 🎉
Thanks!
Yay! She does camouflage well!. And I'm glad no cars were damaged. 😆
Me too!
Is the bird here with us now Cri? :) (JK, definitely see it, congrats!)
😂
Common name: "Camo chicken"
TBH It reminds me a little of those moths that look like the broken end of a twig? Except bigger, obivously. Log mimic. :)
😂
LOL I did not see that <3
Congratulations on your sooty lifer! 🎉🎉
Thankies! Such a cutie!
Ahhhh! Congrats!!! Happy #LiferPie time!
Thanks! Must admit first thought was "That's the biggest quail I've ever seen!" Then 💡‼️ and slammed on brakes.😂
😂😂😂 First (and only time so far) I saw a Fisher dart across the road in front of me, I blurted out “Look at that giant flat raccoon!” 😅
🤣
😂 Be careful!! And awesome lifer pie!
Yeah...my instinct WAY outweighed my brain on that maneuver.
But but but… it’s a whole brand new bird and it Sooty! 😂
IKR? Normally I'd whip a questionable u-turn, but was afraid the bird would be gone by the time I found a spot (NO shoulder on the road - the bird was miraculously across from a small pullout - which the road has a few of because...no shoulder lol
I stood out on a highway once to get a pic of kestrels eating crawfish. We are our own kind of people. 😂
That we are! And how cool!
😂
You have clearly developed a keen eye. I can’t believe you saw her! Congrats!
She was standing in "alert quail" posture when I initially drove up on her - that helped!
Y’know getting a lifer is supposed to involve NOT DYING? (Congrats!)
🤣
Congrats!
Thankies!
How awesome! Congrats!
SO glad you've posted vids - having never seen one IRL yours and others pics must be the ONLY reason my brain had a clue lol
It’s funny that you mentioned that, but I’ve never seen a sooty grouse. We have a spruce grouse up here. 😊
Yes, but your spruce (we have those too) gave me the "grouse shape" to pull out of the memory banks! It's so weird that I almost immediately knew what she was (in time to slam on brakes lol) never having seen one ever.
I'm glad I could help. I've also had that experience with a Townsend's solitaire that I spotted on Hecla many years ago. I've never seen one before or since.
Our brains are pretty amazing! I've seen two Townsend's! And didn't even know I'd gotten a pic of one until my Auntie told me what it was lol (we were together at the time)
She's marvelous--and thank the universe you didn't get killed! We appreciate seeing her, as I imagine our chances otherwise might be very low. . . .
Luckily it's a pretty empty highway
Very cool!
Camo chicken!😂
I see her!
Woohoo!
It's gotta be done for little Grouse! If you'd have turned round, she'd have been long gone!
Exactly my fear! Luckily it's a pretty vacant highway.
Congrats! I see it!
They're camo is amazeballs!
Congratulations! Lifer pie?
Excellent spotting!
I'm really floored I saw her.
Woohoo ! (on the lifer, not the maneuver 😄) I can see it!
🤣
😄
Wooo 🥧!
Thankies!
Am I just blind or is the compression getting to my eyes? Where is she?
Left of center just past the lowest conifer branch in front of the dried orange leaf!
Congrats! That huge. What a great bird (questionable traffic manoeuvre aside)
Yeah...not my best decision ever - but it sure all worked out! Never thought I'd see one & sure didn't know they are so cute!
Dusky is out of my range, but I still have high hopes of seeing spruce grouse. I just love these chickens
Learned when I looked them up yesterday we have FIVE species of grouse in Ore. Like we're hoarding them.
Whoah. I think we’ve only got three. That doesn’t seem fair somehow
Neat! What a great name. The analogous introduced species here is grey partridge but I think you’ve got those there, too
Yes! And we have pheasants too
Another supposedly delicious introduced species 😂. I’ve never tasted one but they sure are pretty
Chukar are the best-tasting bird out there. But they’re next to impossible to get, which is maybe why they taste so good.
Can't for my life remember what they taste like, but have had them
Well done on your lifer!
Thankies! If I ever luck out again (doubtful ha ha) hope I have a real camera!
Woohoo! Happy Lifer Day!
