We were out on our usual jaunt in the woods looking for photos and my husband puts on the brakes of the truck and says two words I LOVE to hear: Look~! Partridge!
Here is what we saw:
Here is what we saw:
A beautiful male partridge, otherwise known as a ruffed grouse.
So of course, I grab the camera and get out and get a little closer, using the zoom and get this nice photo of him. I was surprised at this point that he didn't fly away:
So, I decided to try to get a little closer. As I start to approach, I hear him making clucking noises at me. So.....of course:
I clucked back.
Evidently, this turned him on.
(After all, I was wearing red):
Did you see that puffed up neck? It is part of their danger AND mating signals.
Since he couldn't decide if I turned him on (or if I meant danger), he fanned out his tail, and headed into the side grass as I approached. (Maybe he thought he could lure me to a private spot!):
Where he immediately proceeded to continue to look proud, dance a little circle and puff up his neck some more. Must have still been looking for love:
Did it work? He asked.
Because I am trying my hardest to puff up my neck and its starting to hurt!:
Here is a (somewhat blurry) closeup of his efforts.
I decided I better stop coo-ing and clucking at him, before he hurt himself.
He kept cooing, and clucking. 
Until fall , that is.
Here is a (somewhat blurry) closeup of his efforts.
Yikes!:
I decided I better stop coo-ing and clucking at him, before he hurt himself.
He kept peeking out at me and talking.
So, I waited until he went deeper into the woods and then followed him in.
He kept cooing, and clucking.
I kept answering back.
He kept peeking at me through the grass.
I kept laughing.
We finally had to go.
This will be my last memories of him:
Until fall , that is.
Because they are game birds for hunting here.
Did I mention they taste like chicken?????
28 comments:
...starting to hurt my neck...
Hee.
So, the retirement years don't mean the end of romance after all! tee hee
you certainly riled his feathers! he probably read your thoughts on the taste like chicken...
Oh, that little love story is priceless! I think he was saying, "the love that dare not speak its name. Come, my love!"
I think you were leading him on...
What a darling humorous written post & beautiful pics. Better be careful .. next time you may not get away ... chuckle! TTFN ~Marydon
That puffed up picture looked kind of scary. I've watched birds do all kinds of strange things, but that's the first time I've seen that. Maybe that partridge is Danny.
Lol on you teasing that poor bird! Now he's probably love sick! Great photos!
That poor love sick bird...what if you go hunting in the fall and one clucks back at you?
It lures you. It invites you. You are a female bird, a giant female bird that never look like a bird.
Going: Well, you saw it, didn't you??? It sure LOOKED painful! ha
Lesley: Luckily, my husband did not get jealous (although he IS a bird!) hahaaaaa
Brian: I was trying NOT to tell him telepathically about the tasting-like-chicken thing. Besides, he thought I was hot..you saw that right?
D-Jan: Of COURSE I was leading him on...I wanted that free show. ha
Blushing Rose: Had he turned and ran AT me...you would have seen a screaming photographer running out of the woods with wet pants!
Ratty: FUNNY!!! Danny Partridge. HAHAHAHAAAA....
Shellmo: Just as long as he gets dizzy enough in the fall to land in my frypan. ha
Wanda: That is what my husband is afraid of. He said: "I suppose now that you got close and personal with one, you won't let me hunt them." Secretly? He may be right!
PLEASE eat chicken and think it's partridge!!! I haven't seen one of those since my childhood!
Why, you little flirt, you!!! ♥
Superb shots. Thanks for sharing.
Ram
Poor little love sick fella, he is now wondering why you rejected his advances.
Oh, you tease!
Great photos and a very funny story.
Judy
A lovely love story!
Aw, he's so cute. I always wondered what a partridge looked like. Now I know!
Dana: Don't worry...we don't see them very often, and even though my husband does hunt them, he hasn't been very lucky. They hide much more during hunting season too.
Boomer: Shameless, I am!
Ram: Glad you liked them. I was SURE he was going to fly the closer I got...but when he started coo-ing back, I was amazed.
SquirrelQueen: It was such fun to interact with him!
Lotusleaf: Have you visited my blog before? If not, welcome! Make sure you sign on as a Follower!
Lynn: They are pretty cool birds, aren't they? They are about the size of a chicken and their feathers have really neat coloring. I love to see them fan their tails..but I never saw a neck like that before. ha
HAHHAH this was hysterical! Not only are you Master Photographer, you are Partridge Whisperer!
I am busy screaming and freaking over the bugs we find, then taking pix. Not quite as serene as your walks but, it's a hobby. ;p
You are such a tease!!! You probably broke his little birdie heart. Maybe there's a sweet little nest prepared just for you in those bushes.
Shame, shame on you ... you wanton harlot you!!
Insanity: I LOVE taking macro shots of bugs and bees...you keep it up...I will love seeing them.
Sandy: I hope you joined on as a Follower. You are hysterical.
Yes, I am a closet bird tease. Shhh..don't tell anyone. A girl just wants to have fun. I still wonder what kind of dirty talk I must have said to get him THAT excited. Lord help us! ha
A good photographer flirts with his models, but you had it the other way around, he was flirting with you! ROFL!! Very well done this post, I loved it. Reminds me of the pictures my husband took of an emu, and she started dancing to him, giving him "the eye" . Lovely pictures he made that day!
PS: Yes, they are delicious. I love to cook them in the game season, but they don't come cheap here.
I had never seen a Partridge in the wild and that was very interesting.
Jientje: We can't buy them in stores here. You have to buy a hunting license in your state and it is a limited timeframe when they can be hunted. But they are good. ha I would love to see the photo of the emu!
Grannyann: I am so glad I was able to post it then, so you could see what they looked like!
They taste way better than chicken! Is it wrong that all I could think of while looking at this post was what it would taste like to fry that baby up in some butter?? :) ha ha
Kim: hahahahaaaaaaa....
I knew that would get you drooling.
But he was cute, wasn't he?
Great photos of the grouse, he was a flirt! Handsome devil! :)
Rainfield: Evidently, this male partridge thought I was a bird for sure!
Far Side: He was a flirt..or else felt he was in danger. But they usually don't do the mating dancing if they feel in danger. I confused him maybe?
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