Blue (Dusky) Grouse

Gallery: AvianPosted July 20, 20063,205 views32 comments

We were a bit suprised to find this male grouse in full courtship display just after sunrise one morning in Yellowstone this late in the year (late June). He allowed my son and I an hour or so to make various portraits and habitat photos.

Canon 20D, 28-135mm IS, ISO 400

All your comments and suggestions are very much appreciated.

Ken Archer

Comments

32 comments

Comment posted by Garth McElroy on July 20, 2006 at 6:45 PM

Wow!!! I've only seen one and it was 100' up in a pine on the side of a mountain!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 248 Posts, 4406 Comments

Comment posted by T. Williams on July 20, 2006 at 6:47 PM

Ken you did a great job on this beautiful bird. That blue sky really makes it pop

Troy Williams

Registered on June 9, 2006, 36 Posts, 326 Comments

Comment posted by Bob Steele on July 20, 2006 at 6:54 PM

Oh man, I'm sooooooooo jealous... Killer!!!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 354 Posts, 13896 Comments

Comment posted by Graeme Guy on July 20, 2006 at 6:56 PM

Ken
Excellent shot.....has an in-built target.
Graeme

Registered on January 19, 2004, 33 Posts, 438 Comments

Comment posted by Christine Adams on July 20, 2006 at 7:02 PM

Hi Ken! Nice find and capture!! Nice and sharp!!

Registered on January 24, 2006, 119 Posts, 1871 Comments

Comment posted by Odell Garrison on July 20, 2006 at 7:13 PM

Sweet shot Ken! I like the fact that you placed the subject off center. Great detail and IMO you nailed the DOF.

Registered on May 6, 2006, 109 Posts, 556 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Fusco on July 20, 2006 at 7:26 PM

Ken -

The light looks a little hard, but its a great shot!
Congrats!

- Paul

Registered on November 17, 2003, 283 Posts, 1163 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Zipp on July 20, 2006 at 7:38 PM

Ken, This image stands out among photographs. The intimate view along with habitat and place make it different than probably 98% of images posted. Outstanding!!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 86 Posts, 940 Comments

Comment posted by Tom Grey on July 20, 2006 at 7:42 PM

Oh my, what a capture!

Registered on December 2, 2003, 144 Posts, 2069 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on July 20, 2006 at 7:54 PM

Wonderful, Ken!

Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments

Comment posted by Joe Vincent on July 20, 2006 at 9:03 PM

Very nice Ken!

Registered on August 16, 2005, 69 Posts, 792 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on July 20, 2006 at 9:08 PM

Fantastic shot Ken, congrats

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Duane Rosenkranz on July 20, 2006 at 9:32 PM

Awesome! Gorgeous shot. I have some blue grouse but nothing out in the open like this.

Registered on October 13, 2004, 280 Posts, 2661 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Garber on July 20, 2006 at 9:50 PM

Awesome!

Registered on November 17, 2003, 704 Posts, 3535 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on July 20, 2006 at 11:55 PM

Congratulations Ken, a real beauty.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Hans Spiecker on July 21, 2006 at 12:21 AM

Is he still sitting there? Tell me where??

Wonderful shot of a bird most of us don't get more than a glimpse of.

Registered on March 23, 2006, 366 Posts, 4649 Comments

Comment posted by Scott M on July 21, 2006 at 1:56 AM

Neat shot. It almost looks like a taxidermy specimen. Very cool.

Registered on May 16, 2006, 27 Posts, 388 Comments

Comment posted by Kevin Thompson on July 21, 2006 at 7:28 AM

Killer stuff Ken!

Registered on March 15, 2005, 114 Posts, 2639 Comments

Comment posted by Pete Bengeyfield on July 21, 2006 at 10:40 AM

Wow, you sure got that one at the right time! Where was he? Hope you had a good trip.

Registered on December 2, 2003, 1247 Posts, 3439 Comments

Comment posted by W. Tracy Parnell on July 21, 2006 at 10:44 AM

Fantastic shot-love the low angle!

Registered on March 4, 2004, 27 Posts, 1638 Comments

Comment posted by Satie Sharma on July 21, 2006 at 2:13 PM

Awesome!!

Registered on November 11, 2003, 189 Posts, 5335 Comments

Comment posted by Marty Preslar on July 21, 2006 at 2:47 PM

WOW! This is an amazing shot!!!!! Great capture!! Bravo!!!!!

Registered on June 10, 2006, 51 Posts, 111 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Royse on July 22, 2006 at 12:04 PM

WOW!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 218 Posts, 2427 Comments

Comment posted by David Williams on July 22, 2006 at 1:52 PM

So good it hurts!

Registered on March 8, 2005, 315 Posts, 2291 Comments

Comment posted by Neil Losin on July 22, 2006 at 8:53 PM

Hi Ken,

Spectacular! The fact that you got this with a 28-135 is just ridiculous. Nice work!

Registered on September 16, 2005, 145 Posts, 3524 Comments

Comment posted by Krijn Trimbos on July 24, 2006 at 11:31 AM

I'm sorry I missed this one Ken! Congrats on the EP, well deserved IMO. The bird is lovely, and the colours beautifull. Excellent shot!

Registered on October 18, 2005, 260 Posts, 2979 Comments

Comment posted by David Kjaer on July 24, 2006 at 12:25 PM

Excellent - well deserved EP!

David

Registered on January 4, 2006, 128 Posts, 4170 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on July 24, 2006 at 6:23 PM

Nice shot. I really like the bright colors. Congratulations on the editors pick!

Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments

Comment posted by Rod Gilbert on July 24, 2006 at 10:31 PM

Oh yeahh!!

Rod

Registered on October 10, 2004, 45 Posts, 268 Comments

Comment posted by Kirk Greene on July 26, 2006 at 11:28 PM

SWEET!!

Congrats on the EP

Registered on May 12, 2004, 191 Posts, 1578 Comments

Comment posted by Doug Benner on August 1, 2006 at 6:53 AM

Nicely captured

Registered on December 8, 2003, 482 Posts, 1868 Comments

Comment posted by Ralph Kerr on February 11, 2007 at 12:22 AM

Ken, this is great. I have been looking for one of these guys, and like some of the others, I am jealous.
Ralph Kerr

Registered on January 30, 2007, 369 Posts, 852 Comments