In May 2017 we were on Vancouver Island for a week and headed up to Mount Washington Ski area, a spot that gives easy drivable access to some highish altitude birding sites. In contrast to our previous September visits though the area was unseasonably snow covered and we were only able to walk around the resort on the open roads with deep snow preventing access to the meadows and trails. Soon after getting out of the car Julia heard a booming sound that we quickly worked out was a displaying grouse of some sort but it was fairly faint and nothing was visible. By listening to the Sibley Guide app on the phone I was able to work out that it was a Sooty Grouse, a new bird, but it remained invisible and I gave up looking transferring my attentions to Red Crossbills, a White-winged Crossbill and the local Dark-eyed Juncos but Julia didn’t give up and about 15 minutes later she located the grouse high in a distant tree (image below). It was a tick but hardly a view. We then went for a walk and some lunch seeing Band-tailed Pigeons, Hermit Thrush, Sooty Fox Sparrow and a pair of Varied Thrushes. A good haul but as we walked back to the car park the booming grouse sounded closer and edging round some small pines in the car park there was a stunning male Sooty Grouse at the back of a small open area in the snow strutting and booming away! We sat down and it slowly walked towards us booming loudly. I took many images and even a bit of video and in the end it walked onto the snow in front of us - what a bird and what a privilege. Later in the day three females came out to give him a look but they were rather drab in comparison.

Canon 5D4 with Canon 400 DO2 lens and 1.4x converter

1/1250th at 5.6 and ISO800