I picked up my girlfriend to go clam digging this morning. As she came out the front door I heard a grouse drumming. This was the exchange.
Me: Hear that?
Her: That guy is back again.
Me: What?
Her: That guy trying to start that motor.
Me: That's a grouse.
Her: No, There is somebody in the woods trying to start a motor. I've heard it before when I was feeding the chickens in the morning.
Me: A, that is a grouse drumming. They do it in the spring to attract a mate.
Her: How could a grouse drum?
Me: They do it with their wings.
Her: You should go out there and run him off.
Me: The grouse?
Her: Agravated look.
Me: We better go or we will miss the tide.

Way back when I heard a grouse drumming for the very first time, I thought it was a farmer trying to start his tractor.

Ha ha ! Keep the faith my friend I just delt with a similar situation here myself .

How's things with the water well ? Better I hope !

Yep was out turkey hunting sounded like a old 2 cylinder John deere trying to start.

Had an old friend that lived in the woods in an old falling in mobile home. Real back woods fella. He liked to trap and hunt. He called me one day and explained about this noise that bothered him in bed early in the morning daily.

I said I would come out to take a look. Come to find out it was a grouse that liked to perch upon an old empty 250 gal oil tank just behind his mobile home. It would drum daily he couldnt figure it out. Way to funny to make this up. He has been gone many years now. It appeared that the old empty oil tank would act as an amplifier when it drummed.

maybe play this for her tonight so she can see the noise.

Those are such a cool bird and the best eating wild game there is.

I love it when people who don't know, ask what something is. The tell you you're wrong.....

I say it was Sasquatch practicing for a drum solo at the annual Big Foot convention at Snoqualmie pass.

Thank you, Pete for posting that video. Our grouse sound nothing like that at all, it’s more of a constant steady drum drum drum.

I was grayling fishing at 9th and Plumb, 9 miles up and Plumb out of sight and heard the drumming for the first time and thought it was someone in another channel of the Chena River trying to start his boat. I went towards the sound expecting a channel of the river but there wasn’t one.

Good story about you and your girl friend!

She blonde?

My Dad told me it was a jeep stuck in the swamp and they were trying to start it Since I didn't know what a jeep was I was satisfied

gets her the idea that it could be a bird , getting good video and audio on one has to be a bit of a challenge

Funny you mention it, yes.

if she is going with and digging clams and cooks and eats them , take that win and don't worry about the guy behind her house

thats basically fishing and you are winning at life when they go fishing with you

LOL, good thing she's pretty!