Red Grouse Study Introduction

Earlier this year I told you that I was planning a couple of projects for 2010...One features migrant birds and should hopefully get underway next month and the other was to capture Owl species in my home borough of Stockport.

Frustratingly the Owls are becoming a very time consuming venture and the rewards have been very few up to now.

I've decided to take a far more leisurely approach to the Owls and while not abandoning the idea altogether, I feel that my time could be better spent on another species in the meantime...

The species I have chosen is my old favourite, the Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus).

My reasoning behind this choice is, despite being a fairly common sight on the bleak moorlands of Britain, it still remains an elusive and in my opinion a very interesting subject.

I propose to study these birds at regular intervals throughout the seasons for the next 12 months.

Starting now makes perfect sense to me because obviously it's the start of spring and hopefully I'll get to witness new arrivals in the next couple of months.

Now, I'm calling this my 'Red Grouse Study'...Don't get me wrong, I'm not a scientist nor do I have any aspirations to be so.

I do however want to observe these birds the best I can and hopefully learn a little more about their behaviour.

I have said before on these pages about how much I admire the hardy Red Grouse and hopefully over the next year or so, should you choose to follow this project you will find out exactly why I hold it in such high esteem.