Attack of the killer grouse
Posted: August 27th, 2021, 11:47 pm
I was wandering on a moorland above Sheffield yesterday and saw a red grouse fly into the heather a few yards beyond the drystone wall. I kept quiet and waited, and after a couple of minutes the bird hopped onto the wall just a couple of yards from me. It started making a variety of calls, and seemed pretty tame, so I guessed it associated people with food, as it lives on a grouse moor, and may have got used to seeing gamekeepers spreading feed. The bird walked back and forth along the wall, pretty much keeping pace with me. A couple in a car stopped to watch it, and tried leaving some cheese for the grouse, but it turned its beak up at the cheese. I took quite a few photos and videos of it, and then wondered how close I could get to it - within about 2 feet, as it turned out.
I then left the grouse on the wall, but the sun came out, so I went back to take photos of it in the sun. When I approached, it suddenly launched itself off the wall at my head, which was a surprise to say the least. It made about 4 or 5 sallies at me, and I fended it off by swinging my backpack at it. Unfortunately I'd unzipped my bag to take photos, and my wallet and car keys also came out, so I had to retrieve these while keeping an eye on the bird. It jumped down a couple of feet in front of me, zig-zagging with its wings outstretched, then had another few pops at my head. It kept this up for about 100 yards and for well over a minute before giving up.
It wasn't really a killer grouse, because it didn't draw blood - though maybe it was actually going for my jugular, but missed! Possibly it had rabies or perhaps the grouse moor owners are breeding specially aggressive birds to add a bit of extra excitement to grouse shooting, slogan "You better not miss".
I also got my first definite sighting of red kites around Sheffield moors (they're normally only seen north of Leeds). Happily they didn't attack me.
I checked the internet when I got home and couldn't find any UK examples of grouse attacking people. Has anyone heard of this kind of thing happening in the UK?
I then left the grouse on the wall, but the sun came out, so I went back to take photos of it in the sun. When I approached, it suddenly launched itself off the wall at my head, which was a surprise to say the least. It made about 4 or 5 sallies at me, and I fended it off by swinging my backpack at it. Unfortunately I'd unzipped my bag to take photos, and my wallet and car keys also came out, so I had to retrieve these while keeping an eye on the bird. It jumped down a couple of feet in front of me, zig-zagging with its wings outstretched, then had another few pops at my head. It kept this up for about 100 yards and for well over a minute before giving up.
It wasn't really a killer grouse, because it didn't draw blood - though maybe it was actually going for my jugular, but missed! Possibly it had rabies or perhaps the grouse moor owners are breeding specially aggressive birds to add a bit of extra excitement to grouse shooting, slogan "You better not miss".
I also got my first definite sighting of red kites around Sheffield moors (they're normally only seen north of Leeds). Happily they didn't attack me.
I checked the internet when I got home and couldn't find any UK examples of grouse attacking people. Has anyone heard of this kind of thing happening in the UK?
