Red Grouse at Stanage Edge

Red Grouse at Stanage Edge, Peak District National Park, UK

As I mentioned in the last post I had a rare chance to get quite close to a female Red grouse. They don’t have the red "eyebrows" and blend exceptionally well with the heather. Usually as you walk across the moors, they burst to flight 2 meters away from you. Then it is of course to late to photograph them. But here I was positioned in front of a small boulder against the sun, so my outline was not visible and the bird apparently did not see me. It went on with his search for food raising his head every 2 seconds. The last picture shows the "I'm not here" phase - the bird noticed me and stood still, but since I knew where it was I could wait patiently for the light to change. As the sun rose a bit higher it shone nicely on the grouse. I did my part and withdrew quietly.

These photographs were made with a 70-200mm lens plus 1.4 converter. In the last picture I was about 2 meters away from the bird, hiding behind a boulder.

Derwent Edge

Rocks along the Derwent Edge, Peak District

A very nice walk from Strines Inn to Back Tor, the eastern edge above Derwent Reservoirs. Excellent views from the top. This Part of the Peak is much less populated (if at all) and less frequented and so we met no one but red grouse. We're going there tomorrow, but a bit earlier to have time to explore those stone sculptures at the edge.

Back Tor, Peak District

Red Grouse

Birds of Dark Peak

The bird pictured above is Red Grouse. We heard them first. I took my kids to climb Stanage Edge from Upper Burbage before the snow came. We kept hearing those croaking sounds and I really thought they were made by frogs! It is nesting season and the male grouse  has really bright red spots on both sides of the head. While its colour blends exceptionally well with dry heather the eyebrows really stand out. From time to time they burst into a short flight and when one did quite close to us we knew then these were no frogs, but birds we have never seen or heard before.

This gentleman was dueling another gentleman, 5m from the road. This is a car window shot! Luckily they did not escape and my camera with the telephoto lens on was lying next to my seat, switched on (I always keep it on) and without the lens cap. Wikipedia says the Common Pheasant is of Asian origin and was introduced worlwide as a game bird.