[CT Birds] Ruffed grouse - Washington, CT

[John D Babington]

Interesting about the decline in ruffed grouse numbers in CT. Near where I live here in Washington, CT I used to see or hear ruffed grouse on a regular basis. I remember 15 years ago or so returning from a walk near my home and seeing a very "pissed" off ruffed grouse on the road I was walking on. The grouse would not leave the road as I walked by and when a car came along the driver had to slow down for the grouse. I have to assume the grouse might have been had a brood of young grouse very near by for the grouse to be on the road. The last time I was aware of grouse near my home was about 5 years ago doing a Christmas bird count with Renee Baade. While I was further down on Nichols Hill Rd  looking for the remains of grouse I had found along the road earlier in the week Renee flushed grouse.
The DEP survey for ruffed grouse is covering the Hidden Valley section of the Steep Rock Preserve in Washington, CT, which has been a good place in the past for ruffed grouse. With goshawk nesting in Hidden Valley I suspect the grouse have a bit of "challenge " here. One spring about 5 years ago, while helping set up set up points for another DEP survey in Hidden Valley, I heard 3 ruffed grouse drumming. The last time I heard a grouse drumming in Hidden Valley was about 3 years ago and just one grouse was drumming. Of course ruffed grouse do drum through out the year, I remember hearing a grouse drumming in Hidden Valley on a late October day. Habitat loss is the biggest trouble for ruffed grouse in CT of course.
 
David Babington
Washington, CT