Along Kildare Road I spotted a Ruffed Grouse along the roadside about 50-60 yards ahead of my car on the right hand side. We got to enjoy long looks at the crested grouse, certainly the best I have ever had, before her 3 chicks made a brief appearance. The young were excitable and before long flew across the road and into the brush. Soon after the mother did the same, revealing her grayish rump feathers, indicating this was a Grayish Phase Ruffed Grouse.
Later my friend Andy needed to commune with nature, and that stop turned out to be the exact timing we needed. For once we started up again it wasn't another hundred yards before I spotted another grouse, this time on the left hand side of the road. Immediately we saw the black barring and red eyebrow of the male Spruce Grouse, then Andy spied the chestnut colored ends of the tail which further confirmed the species.
So the two days at Spring Pond Bog gave me two exciting sightings which I will always remember as the "Moose and the Spruce" !
