Either I got lucky, or this Ruffed Grouse seemed fairly comfortable (somewhat) for me to get that close to getting a couple of pretty fantastic photos of this visitor.

But I will admit that I harkened back to my learned knowledge of “putting the sneak on” a game bird such as this. I moved very slowly, kept calm and as quiet as possible, and utilized the utmost disciplined patience that I could muster, just so I could at least get some really decent and memorable shots I can keep forever.

Fortunately, I had my telephoto lens (Canon EF 70-300 mm f/4 – 5.6 IS USM) hooked onto my old Canon Rebel XS DSLR.

This was shot near Barrhead, AB, Canada, on January 3, 2018.