Found this Ruffed Grouse near town happily feasting of last fall's fruits. As people went by and I got out of my car to take pictures , the bird was unruffled, so to speak. But when three crows came along to claim the territory , the grouse took off. I believe this is a gray variant of the species.

I'm also including some shots of Ruffed Grouse behavior. In cold weather, Grouse will dive into the snow and snuggle up in a hole to keep warm. The snow photos are clear evidence of this amusing behavior. I find these marks in the woods and have seen Grouse burst out of their snow dens when approached. Sorry- no photos of that...yet!