While driving south along Route 14 between Sharon and W. Hartford
yesterday noonish, carefully watching the road in an effort to avoid
frost heaves, something large to my right caught my eye.  I got enough
of a glimpse to realize that it was a Ruffed Grouse--perched at the top
of a very spindly 8-foot tree right next to the guardrail.  The
good-sized bird looked quite out of proportion to the tree; it was quite
a sight to see.  When I related the sighting to the friends I was
visiting, Jim, an astute observer of everything nature, said, "Oh, sure.
He was budding."  Accordig to Jim, buds are a staple food of grouse and
the birds will go wherever they have to to get them.

Just one more piece of (what I consider) interestng bird trivia.

Sherry Mahady
Essex Jct.


"If we indeed do not know where Iraq's arsenals of weapons are, what is
it we will be targeting with the proposed 3,000 "precision" bombs?  Will
it not be innocent civilians, just trying to survive under already
horrendous circumstances?  How do we know we will not accidentally
unleash some of the chemical/biological agents we fear?"    - Madalyn
Benoit