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Re: Status of Ruffled Grouse in Carolinas



Re: the mention that a Ruffed Grouse did not seem afraid of hikers, several
species of grouse occasionally produce an individual that has no fear of
humans and in some cases have even attacked them. I can think of two
occasions when I have encountered Ruffed Grouse that stayed within a few
feet of me. In one case the bird was in the same location for several weeks
and I encountered if numerous time.
                                                    Reece
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robin Carter" <rcarter@sc.rr.com>
To: "CarolinaBirds" <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2002 7:26 AM
Subject: Fw: Status of Ruffled Grouse in Carolinas


>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Robin Carter" <rcarter@sc.rr.com>
> To: "Linda Sharp" <nljsharp@worldnet.att.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2002 7:26 AM
> Subject: Re: Status of Ruffled Grouse in Carolinas
>
>
> > Linda,
> >
> > I have observed that the Ruffed Grouse is a fairly common, but easily
> > overlooked, species in the mountains of South Carolina. I find them most
> > often on Sassafras Mountain in Pickens County, but have also found them
at
> > various places in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness area (Caesar's Head,
the
> > Ashmore Heritage Preserve and vicinity) of northern Greenville County,
and
> > in the mountains of Oconee County.
> >
> > The easiest way to detect the grouse is to get out in the mountains at
> dawn
> > in the spring and listen for their drumming. In the early summer I have
> > often encountered a hen with chicks along back roads in the Pisgah
> National
> > Forest southwest of Asheville, NC. Just get into the habitat a lot and
> > sooner or later you will luck onto one.
> >
> > While Ruffed Grouse are found in the South Carolina mountains they are
> much
> > easier to find in the North Carolina mountains, but ever there they are
> not
> > as common as they are in the woods of New York, New England, and
southern
> > Canada. I have not yet found a Ruffed Grouse in Georgia, but I am sure
> that
> > is because I have not spent enough time there looking.
> >
> > Robin Carter
> > Columbia, SC
> > rcarter@sc.rr.com
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Linda Sharp" <nljsharp@worldnet.att.net>
> > To: "Carolina Birds Post" <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
> > Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 8:42 PM
> > Subject: Status of Ruffled Grouse in Carolinas
> >
> >
> > > Two weekends ago I went on a Sierra Club outing which was lead by my
> > husband
> > > Norm of the Ashmore Heritage Trust Preserve in northeastern Greenville
> > > County. I was a rather rigorous hike which ended up being almost nine
> > miles.
> > > When I pulled out my pack and boots the night before and announced to
my
> > > husband and son I was coming along,  I was told since the hike would
be
> > > moving fast I was not to think about holding up the group to look at
> > birds,
> > > so I put my binoculars in the bottom of my pack. I felt this was good
> > > compromise in a marriage between an avid hiker and a birder. About an
> hour
> > > in to the hike my son Jacob who was walking slightly ahead of the
group
> > > spotted a Ruffled Grouse on the trail. The bird moved slightly off the
> > trail
> > > as the group approached, but stayed in view for several minutes as if
it
> > had
> > > no fear of humans, which delighted the rest of the group. In my six
> years
> > of
> > > birding, I  have only encountered Ruffled Grouse one other time on my
> > > sister's property in Northern Vermont. From looking at range maps in
my
> > > field guides it occurs in the mountains of both Carolinas and is on
many
> > > checklists I have for those areas. Since I have not heard in mentioned
> > > mentioned much on Carolinabirds,  I was wondering if it is seen often
in
> > the
> > > Carolinas?
> > >
> > >  Linda Sharp
> > > Greenville, SC
> > > (864)  268-9409
> > > nljsharp@worldnet.att.net
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>