Black Grouse

In the beginning of the week my husband came home from his morning walk with Canelo. He said, can you believe I saw a black grouse ! I said, can you believe I don’t ! And you are not allowed to fool me as it’s not April first yet. I’m not trying to fool you, he said, I really saw one. Finally I understood it was true. Oh was I disappointed and sad ! I blamed him for not calling me. I so much had wanted to both see the bird and to take some pictures because I have never seen one, not in my childhood home on the country side or here in all the 38 years that we have been in this neighborhood.

Today on the way back home from the supermarket, just on the plot next to us, I saw the bird. I shouted, there it is, there it is, STOP THE CAR ! Both my husband and son looked a bit afraid. They had no idea why a was screaming but my husband stopped the car. I opened the door, hopped out, whispering through the teeth in order to not frighten the bird, it’s the bird. WOW ! My hands were shaking of excitement and the first pictures were just blurry. As soon as I realized the bird was not going to fly away I calmed down and was able to shoot a couple of sharp enough pictures before the bird disappeared under the branches of a spruce. A man, who also stopped to photograph said it was a small one. He said they usually are much bigger. Big or small I’m happy I had the luck to take the pictures.