Thought I would post a Grouse or two.

[John 2]

No not that sort. Needed to be patient for these. They seem to be very timid birds that immediately go to ground if you so much as stop the car. I waited 20 - 30 mins before this one stuck its head up once more. A Red Grouse I think.

Fuji X plus 100-400mm
1.


2.


3.

[Wavelength]

Very lovely...is this a flightless bird? also i could not assess its size

[Urbanflyer]

glad you waited.. Nice shots!

[Dave Humphries]

Very lovely...is this a flightless bird? also i could not assess its size

No, it can fly.
Size is described as "medium-sized game bird", probably not terrifically helpful for you, but I couldn't find dimensions anywhere. I would say; think large chicken/hen, but John actually saw his, so may be able to do better - I think I have only seen them in wildlife reserves.

RSPB Red Grouse link

Have you increased the contrast on these shots John? (I ask because of the vignette)

Well done for your patience!

Cheers, Dave

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[Rita]

Well worth waiting for John. In #2 the grouse sure doesn't look like it trust you

[John 2]

Thanks all for the comments.

Nandakumar, Dave is right. It is not flightless and it is about the size of a large chicken. It is hunted for sport in the UK although only during a four month season from August to December each year and becomes a luxury food item in restaurants and Pubs as a result.

Dave, I have selectively added contrast to just the birds to bring out the feather detail. The vignette is deliberately applied. I tend to finish off an image like this with a vignette where the subject is fairly central in order to concentrate the eye where it matters, particularly where the BG has fairly flat consistency.

[Donald]

Nandakumar, Dave is right. It is not flightless and it is about the size of a large chicken. It is hunted for sport in the UK although only during a four month season from August to December each year...

I could head off here on a long political rant about the most archaic system of land ownership in the world that we in Scotland have and the desperate need for radical land reform to stop 84% of the land being owned by 7% of the population and used as a playground by the very rich .... and even at that a huge number of those landowners are non-domiciled or are cover trusts and companies registered in some very dodgy places.

But I won't!!

I'll just confine myself to saying that these are superb images.

[John 2]

You won't find me disagreeing with you Donald - and I'm not referring to the images.

[CaolIla]

Very very nice.

[marlunn]

blast, now I want a whiskey,

very nice images of a - for very good reason - shy bird

[terrib]

Nice photos of a beautiful bird. Especially like the 2nd one with the angle of the foreground and nice separation of background.

[Donald]

blast, now I want a whiskey,

No you don't, Mark. You want a whisky!!

[Ziggy]

Nice captures. My pick i #2.

[John 2]

Thanks all for the continued comments. I would agree. The second image is my favourite also.

[Dave Humphries]

No you don't, Mark. You want a whisky!!

Mark may be closer to Whiskey than Whisky though

OTOH Geography was never my strongest point.

[John 2]

Thanks for the comment Dave.