Out on the bike, on trails I’ve ridden for many years. Cannot think of anything else it could’ve been. Pretty cool – but the internet reckons they live on high moorlands and such. This was just outside Cardiff in some Beech woodland mixed with farmland. Is this unusual? Have I mistaken it for something else?

Quite surprised, but a lovely sighting.

First sighting of a red grouse for me – a fortnight ago on Holcombe Moor. Good to keep your eyes peeled out there!

Might have to email the RSPB, their distribution map is about 50 miles out…

Melanistic pheasant?

I was astonished to see a black grouse in the upper Goyt Valley (Peak District), about 7 years ago. They’re mentioned on a few bird-watching groups, so it wasn’t just a figment of my imagination.

I love them! There’s a grouse moor near us and we see them quite often. We came across a pair just sitting in the snow in the dark on a night ride once.

Chris Packham likes blackcock in the morning.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PPgdQoT5e0[/video]

They do often live in pine woodland, and scattered trees etc, on the edge of moorland etc. Whereas the red grouse mostly just lives on moorland.

What Jonny said.

I’ve seen a couple around the Tweed Valley but yes I think you saw some kind of pheasant.

Bloomin’ loads of em by us…..if you go riding early.And the odd Chris Peckham too.

Loads around us. Their specialty is scaring the crap out of me by taking off squawking when I’m about a foot away.

That Chris Packham moment is legendary…

I’ve seen a few black sheep around here as well. My elderly MIL is worried about it; she said recently: “These darkies are everywhere!”

Funny how spotting a grouse during a ride makes my day. Such a beautiful sight.

I once spotted a ruddy great owl sitting on a rock no more than 30ft away during a night ride. I stopped and we stared at each other for a few seconds, then it casually and completely silently swooped away into the night whilst I followed its flight with my helmet light. Felt magical.

completely silently swooped away into the night

CLose encounters with owls are amazing, I think my top wildlife moment was sitting by a reservoir at sunset in the long grass when a barn owl completely silently glided over the grass towards me and right past me, a few metres away. I’d love to go back with the camera and get a shot of it but the chances are so slim of it ever happening again.

I’ve seen a couple around the Tweed Valley but yes I think you saw some kind of pheasant.

A bluey black one? Without the long tail feathers?

I think that would be more of a stretch than seeing a grouse 50 miles out of its nominal range, no?

The long tail would be a bit of a giveaway! I only asked as I was caught out myself on the train to Machynlleth in a similar environment to what you described. Looked out and got rather excited at the black grouse I could see until it dawned on me what they really were 😳

See loads of them up near black hambleton, there’s quite a few black rabbits about too which look odd!

Actually – not a bad suggestion:

Looks like you saw a big black cock

Unlikely I’m afraid. they are really local in Wales, generally confined to heather moorland and edges to young or restock plantation forestry. Most are up on Ruabon moor adjacent to Llandegla. Last time I was there the keeper said there were in the region of 350 birds plus even more Red Grouse

Only time I’ve seen one was at Llandegla.