Spruce Grouse male

We were happy to see this beautiful male Spruce Grouse on a day trip to the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail on 15 December 2013. One end of this gravel road through the mountains begins near Canmore. When we first saw the bird, it was walking on the road in the distance, picking up gravel to help its digestive system - and then a vehicle comes round the bend in the opposite direction, making the Grouse fly up into a tree. We stood and watched it feeding, but the mass of tangled branches made it impossible to get even a half-decent photo. Still nice to see its beautiful feather colours and patterns.