Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: smallest grouse in North America

The first 13 photos in my White-tailed Ptarmigan album were taken a year ago. Three visits were made with different friends on 22, 23 and 29 November, 2016. A friend invited me to go with him three days ago, on 27 November 2017, with plans to meet four other mutual friends out there. What a great day we had, with amazing scenery, beautiful weather until we got into the mountains and closer to our destination, and a wonderful sighting of 11 of these fascinating birds. I know for sure that I would never have found them on my own, especially as I don't own a pair of snowshoes, just my warm, winter boots. Out there, one absolutely has to have snowshoes, as the snow is knee- or thigh-deep, and walking is impossible without them. Mind you, last year, I did do the walk without snowshoes, but it was brutal and I was dragged uphill by a very kind friend, with help from others along the way! I was so grateful to everyone, as that was my very first sighting of these Ptarmigan, that I had longed to see for quite a few years. What a thrill it was! I had seen photos of them against the snow, and I longed to have the chance to try and take photos like that. So, three days ago, my friends had snowshoes and went off searching in all directions, while I searched close to where we were parked, and also enjoyed myself taking photos of the winter wonderland that surrounded us and that I so rarely see, especially in winter. From 1 December each year, the winter gates in Kananaskis close for months, partly for safety reasons, but also to allow the wildlife some peaceful time, especially when their young are born. Towards the end of our time out there, guess what my friends found. If these birds had a sense of humour, I can just picture them laughing at all the effort that everyone was putting into looking for them. At first, they flew just a short distance - actually in my direction! - but only one of them landed within my sight, and far, far away. It took me a while to see it, as especially from a distance, a white bird on white snow just isn't seen, except for the black beak and the little, shiny, black eyes. Friend, Lynn, called out to me and was waving her arms, telling me that there were four birds near where she was standing. When I reached the spot, one had taken off, but three remained. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw one against a darker background of bushes, along with two others near it, but completely against a snowy background. Sun would have been most welcome, but unfortunately, we had to make the most of the low light. Unlike last year, my photos of these newest birds have practically no detail in their feathers - but I will very gladly take whatever I can get. Just as big a thrill to see them again as it was to see them for the very first time a year ago. Thanks, everyone, for walking so far in difficult surroundings. The gusts of fine, blowing snow didn't exactly make it more pleasant, but actually were quite refreshing in a strange way. Lovely to spend time with you all, and you did such a great job of finding our target birds and making sure that each one of us was able to see them. Thanks so much, Tony, for inviting me and for the ride, including that extra stretch of magnificent scenery that we unexpectedly drove through after we missed a turn : ) Also, it was nice to see a Shrike perched on a fence post along the back way home. My photos were pretty bad, very blurry, but I tried to rescue the 'best' one with a touch of filter in post-processing, just so that I could add it to the album for this trip. Such a great day! "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan

The first 13 photos in my White-tailed Ptarmigan album were taken a year ago. Three visits were made with different friends on 22, 23 and 29 November, 2016. A friend invited me to go with him the day before yesterday, 27 November 2017, with plans to meet four other mutual friends out there. What a great day we had, with amazing scenery, beautiful weather until we got into the mountains and closer to our destination, and a wonderful sighting of 11 of these fascinating birds. I know for sure that I would never have found them on my own, especially as I don't own a pair of snowshoes, just my warm, winter boots. Out there, one absolutely has to have snowshoes, as the snow is knee- or thigh-deep, and walking is impossible without them. Mind you, last year, I did do the walk without snowshoes, but it was brutal and I was literally dragged uphill by a very kind friend, with help from others along the way! I was so grateful to everyone, as that was my very first sighting of these Ptarmigan, that I had longed to see for quite a few years. What a thrill it was! I had seen photos of them against the snow, and I longed to have the chance to try and get photos like that. So, two days ago, my friends had snowshoes and went off searching in all directions, while I searched close to where we were parked, and also enjoyed myself taking photos of the winter wonderland that surrounded us and that I so rarely see, especially in winter. From 1 December each year, the winter gates in Kananaskis close for months, partly for safety reasons, but also to allow the wildlife some peaceful time, especially when their young are born. Towards the end of our time out there, guess what my friends found. If these birds had a sense of humour, I can just picture them laughing at all the effort that everyone was putting into looking for them : ) At first, they flew just a short distance - actually in my direction! - but only one of them landed within my sight, but far, far away. It took me a while to see it, as especially from a distance, a white bird on white snow just isn't seen, except for the black beak and the little, shiny, black eyes. Friend, Lynn, called out to me and was waving her arms, telling me that there were four birds near where she was standing. When I reached the spot, one had taken off, but three remained. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw one against a darker background, along with two others near it, but completely against a snowy background. Sun would have been most welcome, but unfortunately, we had to make the most of the low light. Unlike last year, my photos of these newest birds have practically no detail in their feathers - but I will very gladly take whatever I can get. Just as big a thrill to see them again as it was to see them for the very first time a year ago. Thanks, everyone, for walking so far in difficult surroundings. The gusts of fine, blowing snow didn't exactly make it more pleasant, but actually were quite refreshing in a strange way. Lovely to spend time with you all yesterday, and you did such a great job of finding our target birds and making sure that each one of us was able to see them. Thanks so much, Tony, for inviting me and for the ride, including that extra stretch of magnificent scenery that we unexpectedly drove through after we missed a turn : ) Also, it was nice to see a Shrike perched on a fence post along the back way home. My photos were pretty bad, very blurry, but I tried to rescue the 'best' one with a touch of filter in post-processing, just so that I could add it to the album for this trip. Such a great day! "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan

The first 13 photos in my White-tailed Ptarmigan album were taken a year ago. Three visits were made with different friends on 22, 23 and 29 November, 2016. A friend invited me to go with him yesterday, 27 November 2017, with plans to meet four other mutual friends out there. What a great day we had, with amazing scenery, beautiful weather until we got into the mountains and closer to our destination, and a wonderful sighting of 11 of these fascinating birds. I know for sure that I would never have found them on my own, especially as I don't own a pair of snow shoes, just my warm, winter boots. Out there, one absolutely has to have snowshoes, as the snow is knee- or thigh-deep, and walking is impossible. Mind you, last year, I did do the walk without snowshoes, but it was brutal and I was dragged uphill by a very kind friend, with help from others along the way! I was so grateful to everyone, as that was my very first sighting of these Ptarmigan, that I had longed to see for quite a few years. What a thrill it was! I had seen photos of them against the snow, and I longed to have the chance to try and get photos like that. So, yesterday, my friends had snowshoes and went off searching in all directions, while I searched close to where we were parked, and also enjoyed myself taking photos of the winter wonderland that surrounded us and that I so rarely see, especially in winter. From 1 December each year, the winter gates in Kananaskis close for months, partly for safety reasons, but also to allow the wildlife some peaceful time, especially when their young are born. Towards the end of our time out there, guess what my friends found. If these birds had a sense of humour, I can just picture them laughing at all the effort that everyone was putting into looking for them : ) At first, they flew just a short distance - actually in my direction! - but only one of them landed within my sight, but far, far away. It took me a while to see it, as especially from a distance, a white bird on white snow just isn't seen, except for the black beak and the little, shiny, black eyes. Friend, Lynn, called out to me and was waving her arms, telling me that there were four birds near where she was standing. When I reached the spot, one had taken off, but three remained. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the one seen in this photo, against a darker background, along with two others near it, but completely against a snowy background. Sun would have been most welcome, but unfortunately, we had to make the most of the low light. Unlike last year, yesterday's birds have practically no detail in their feathers - but I will very gladly take whatever I can get. Just as big a thrill to see them again as it was to see them for the very first time a year ago. Thanks, everyone, for walking so far in difficult surroundings. The gusts of fine, blowing snow didn't exactly make it more pleasant, but actually were quite refreshing in a strange way. Lovely to spend time with you all yesterday, and you did such a great job of finding our target birds and making sure that each one of us was able to see them. Thanks so much, Tony, for inviting me and for the ride, including that extra stretch of magnificent scenery that we unexpectedly drove through : ) Also, it was nice to see a Shrike perched on a fence post along the back way home. My photos were not good, very blurry, but I tried to rescue the 'best' one with a touch of filter in post-processing, just so that I could add it to an album for yesterday's trip. Such a great day! "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan

We have been plunged back into severe winter weather again. The temperature this morning is -22C (windchill -28C) and tomorrow will be a few degrees colder, at -28C (windchill -35C!!!). globalnews.ca/video/3229197/snow-route-parking-ban-for-ca... There is a Snowfall Warning Alert in effect continuing today, Monday, 6 February 2017. It snowed overnight, but it's falling more lightly at the moment. "Issued at 10:33 Sunday 05 February 2017. A long period of snowfall, with total amounts of 15 to 25 cm continues." Isn't that what we all just longed to hear, lol?! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On 22 November 2016, I was finally able to remove the White-tailed Ptarmigan from the top of my mental Wish List! Over the last few years, I have been with a friend maybe four or five times to look for these in the mountains, without any luck. I had told friends that this year, if I didn't see one of these grouse, I would build a snowbird and photograph it. It was just so exciting to see 15 of these beautiful birds that day with friends, Dorothy and Stephen. We would definitely never have found them without help from several other friends. As you can imagine, spotting a white bird against a snowy background from a great distance is pretty well impossible, especially if they are in the shade - this photo was taken at Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm with my point-and-shoot. I am so happy to have seen these birds and get any kind of photos. As photographers know, shooting white on white is never easy. These birds tend to walk around in just a small area for a while, feeding on the Willow buds, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process and then rest again. As you can imagine, a turn of the head so that a bird is looking away from you, all that remains is something that looks like one of the many lumps of snow everywhere. This photo was taken on the first recent trip to look for them. I was so very fortunate to go out with different friends on two more days, on 23 and 29 November 2016, and lucky enough to see these birds both times. I didn't have to trudge through very deep snow on this and the second trip, but was up to my knees in the white stuff for part of the third visit. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan

Something tells me that this photo is not being seen as my MAIN photo. So far, there are more comments on a blurry, grainy photo that is my third photo today, one that I almost deleted. On 29 November 2016, I was fortunate enough to have a third trip into the mountains to look for and photograph these wonderful White-tailed Ptarmigan. Friend, Shirley, had been out there before, but just missed seeing them. She asked if I wanted to go with her, and I jumped at the chance. I knew several other people who were planning to go, so felt a little more confident that we would probably be able to find these birds. Find them, we did - but, oh, what we had to go through in order to see them! Unlike the other two times I had been, on 22nd and 23rd November, this time the birds were not near the main road area but, instead, were first spotted way across the valley, low down on the mountainside. A few years ago, I had done a short walk along this valley in deep, deep snow and vowed I would never be so foolish to do it again. You need snowshoes and, even then, the going is difficult. Of course, I don't have snowshoes, nor did a few of my friends. When I heard that some people ahead of us had seen a few of the birds closer than the mountainside, I decided I would at least start 'walking' and see how far I got. The first short distance through the snow was flat, but then we had to climb upwards through knee deep snow. I almost had to give up, but thanks to friend, Tony, who basically dragged me up some of the most difficult parts, I was able to plough my way to where the closest Ptarmigan were. A few other helping hands, too, made this climb possible. Several of the birds were in the sunshine for a while, either resting or taking a few short steps. So different compared to seeing and photographing them on a cloudy, gloomy day. These birds tend to walk around in just a small area for a while, feeding on the buds of the low Willow bushes, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process and then rest again. As you can imagine, from a distance, a turn of the head so that a bird is looking away from you, all that remains is something that looks like one of the many lumps of snow everywhere. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan Eventually, it was time to head back down and along to the cars, repeating the difficult process of 'step and plunge' through the snow. It felt so good to finally reach the car! Shirley and I had left the city and travelled south via Turner Valley, but came back to the city via Barrier Lake and Highway 1. While driving out to Highway 40 in the morning, we had stopped to watch a beautiful female Moose along the road from Turner Valley and then later, we stopped to watch a couple of Bighorn Sheep on Highway 40. Other than that, there was no sign of wildlife, other than their tracks in the snow. From 1 December onward, the north and south winter gates are closed across Highway 40, so these birds will be left in peace for the rest of the winter, until 14 June 2017. All the wildlife in the area will be free of human presence while they have their young ones in the spring. Thanks so much for a great day, Shirley! I'm so glad you were finally able to see a few of these beautiful Ptarmigan in their winter white. It was very unfortunate that one person was not able to do the difficult walk and so will have to wait till next fall to hopefully get a 'lifer'. Most people I know have/had never seen this species, especially when white, so I'm feeling extremely lucky! Of course, even if one doesn't find the Ptarmigan, the scenery alone is just breathtaking.

Hope everyone had a happy Christmas Day yesterday. Always makes me shake my head when I think how much time and preparation many people put into that one day a year - and then it's over in the blink of an eye. Today, 26 December 2016, Boxing Day, the temperature is -16C (windchill -19C) around 11:00 am. The forecast reckons that tomorrow should be a few degrees warmer, which will be good, as there is another Christmas Bird Count. Today, I have no choice but to open my front door and go and clear off all the recent snow from my car, so that I won't have to do it very early tomorrow morning. Just slipping in another White-tailed Ptarmigan photo while most people are away from Flickr over Christmas. It's far from one of the better photos I was lucky enough to take of these amazing, beautiful birds, but I did just want to add it to my Ptarmigan album (where I do have much better photos). It was taken on the second of three visits, on a day that was completely sunless, making it even more difficult to photograph white on white. Friend, Tony, had asked me if I'd like to go with him on 22 November, but I explained that I had already been asked if I'd like to go with mutual friends, Dorothy and Stephen. Tony was free the next day, which was wonderful, and so off we went. On 29 November 2016, I was extremely lucky to go a third time, and the sun was shining that day. The snow was so deep out there, that it made walking extremely difficult, so after our first search from the road, Tony put on his snowshoes and away he went. He quickly disappeared from sight, travelling through the trees. After a long time, there was still no sign of him - at which point I started to get concerned. Then, all of a sudden, there was an explosion of white and a flock of what turned out to be about 14 white birds flew over my head and out of sight, across to the far side of the road. What a beautiful sight! Tony, who is an excellent, very experienced birder, had been unable to find any birds, until he accidentally flushed them! When I first saw this flock in flight, my mind whirled, as I never thought of these birds flying, lol. Then it clicked in that maybe that was what I had just witnessed. I walked as fast as I could down the road and eventually spotted the white on white. The lack of sun made it more difficult than ever to see them, at first huddled under a tree. Thank goodness they were still there by the time Tony arrived, as this was the first time he had ever seen White-tailed Ptarmigan. The two of us had tried several times in the last few years, without any luck. I believe most people haven't seen them when they turn white for the long winter months. So, to have seen this many individuals and on two days running, plus again on 29 November, I feel extremely fortunate! Thanks so much for this second chance, Tony, and I am so relieved that you finally saw this lifer! These birds tend to walk around in just a very small area for a while, feeding on the buds of small Willow bushes, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan

This morning, I slept right through my alarm clocks, finally waking up a couple of hours later. So, I'm just posting this one photo, as I am running so late. I have a doctor's appointment to get to, about the dizziness I have had for more than a week now. Yesterday wasn't too bad and I managed to get out on a Christmas Bird Count for the town of High River, south of Calgary. I didn't have to drive and there wasn't much walking. After the Count, we stayed for a delicious potluck supper, which was so welcome! I know I would have been so disappointed if I'd had to miss this Count. I've already had to cancel two of them. On 29 November 2016, I was fortunate enough to have a third trip into the mountains to look for and photograph these wonderful White-tailed Ptarmigan. Friend, Shirley, had been out there before, but just missed seeing them. She asked if I wanted to go with her, and I jumped at the chance. I knew several other people who were planning to go, so felt a little more confident that we would probably be able to find these birds. Find them, we did - but, oh, what we had to go through in order to see them! Unlike the other two times I had been, on 22nd and 23rd November, this time the birds were not near the main road area but, instead, were first spotted way across the valley, low down on the mountainside. A few years ago, I had done a short walk along this valley in deep, deep snow and vowed I would never be so foolish to do it again. You need snowshoes and, even then, the going is difficult. Of course, I don't have snowshoes, nor did a few of my friends. When I heard that some people ahead of us had seen a few of the birds closer than the mountainside, I decided I would at least start 'walking' and see how far I got. The first short distance through the snow was flat, but then we had to climb upwards through knee deep snow. I almost had to give up, but thanks to friend, Tony, who basically dragged me up some of the most difficult parts, I was able to plough my way to where the closest Ptarmigan were. A few other helping hands, too, made this climb possible. Several of the birds were in the sunshine for a while, either resting or taking a few short steps. So different compared to seeing and photographing them on a cloudy, gloomy day. These birds tend to walk around in just a small area for a while, feeding on the Willow buds, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process and then rest again. As you can imagine, from a distance, a turn of the head so that a bird is looking away from you, all that remains is something that looks like one of the many lumps of snow everywhere. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan Eventually, it was time to head back down and along to the cars, repeating the difficult process of 'step and plunge' through the snow. It felt so good to finally reach the car! Shirley and I had left the city and travelled south via Turner Valley, but came back to the city via Barrier Lake and Highway 1. While driving out to Highway 40 in the morning, we had stopped to watch a beautiful female Moose along the road from Turner Valley and then later, we stopped to watch a couple of Bighorn Sheep on Highway 40. Other than that, there was no sign of other wildlife. From 1 December onward, the north and south winter gates are closed across Highway 40, so these birds will be left in peace for the rest of the winter, until 14 June 2017. All the wildlife in the area will be free of human presence while they have their young ones in the spring. Thanks so much for a great day, Shirley! I'm so glad you were finally able to see a few of these beautiful Ptarmigan in their winter white. It was very unfortunate that one person was not able to do the difficult walk and so will have to wait till next fall to hopefully get a 'lifer'. Most people I know have/had never seen this species, especially when white, so I'm feeling extremely lucky! Of course, even if one doesn't find the Ptarmigan, the scenery alone is just breathtaking.

On 22 November 2016, I was finally able to remove the White-tailed Ptarmigan from the top of my mental Wish List! Over the last few years, I have been with a friend maybe four or five times to look for these in the mountains, without any luck. I had told friends that this year, if I didn't see one of these grouse, I would build a snowbird and photograph it. It was just so exciting to see 15 of these beautiful birds that day with friends, Dorothy and Stephen. We would definitely never have found them without help from several friends. As you can imagine, spotting a white bird against a snowy background from a great distance is pretty well impossible, especially if they are in the shade - this photo was taken at Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm with my point-and-shoot. A bit more grainy than I would have liked, but I am still so happy to have seen these birds and get any kind of photos. As photographers know, shooting white on white is never easy. These birds tend to walk around in just a small area for a while, feeding on the Willow buds, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process and then rest again. As you can imagine, a turn of the head so that a bird is looking away from you, all that remains is something that looks like one of the many lumps of snow everywhere. This photo was taken on the first recent trip to look for them. I was so very fortunate to go out with different friends on two more days, on 23 and 29 November 2016, and lucky enough to see these birds both times. I didn't have to trudge through very deep snow on this and the second trip, but was up to my knees in the white stuff for part of the third visit. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan

Hope no one is already getting fed up of seeing White-tailed Ptarmigan photos - I still have lots I could post : ) On 22 November 2016, I was finally able to remove the White-tailed Ptarmigan from the top of my mental Wish List! Over the last few years, I have been with a friend maybe four or five times to look for these in the mountains, including this very spot, without any luck. I had told friends that this year, if I didn't see one of these grouse, I would build a snowbird and photograph it. A lot of very deep snow in the whole area! It was just so exciting to see 15 of these beautiful birds on this day, with friends, Dorothy and Stephen. We would definitely never have found them without help from several friends. As you can imagine, spotting a white bird against a snowy background from a great distance is pretty well impossible - this photo was taken at Focal Length (35mm format) - 1110 mm with my point-and-shoot. Shooting white on white is never easy. These birds tend to walk around in just a small area, feeding on the Willow buds, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process and then rest again. As you can imagine, a turn of the head so that a bird is looking away from you, all that remains is something that looks like one of the many lumps of snow everywhere. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan

Today, our temperature is -22°C, with a windchill of -33°C! We are in a deep-freeze, that now looks like it will be here for another week. Today, I am posting just this one photo - I have been spending far too many hours researching other websites and posting a few photos to one of them. With the IPERNITY website shutting down at the end of January 2017, which is very sad, people are looking at alternative websites for posting their images. A lot of Flickr people moved over to ipernity, especially in May 2013, many of them leaving Flickr completely. I have exactly the same photostream on ipernity as on Flickr (i.e. 12,659 photos) and I do like the ipernity layout and use. Basically, I only use it as another place to store my photos and descriptions, as I just don't have time to comment, etc. Of course, I have my photos backed up on external hard drives, so it is really all the descriptions that I want to back up at yet another place. Far, far too time-consuming to post more than a handful of my photos elsewhere, and I have to admit I am getting REALLY fed up of having to spend so much precious time. Quite a few people are suggesting the 23hq website, so I thought I would take a look at it yesterday afternoon. Just in case anyone from ipernity (or Flickr) is wondering what 23hq layout looks like, I'm adding a link to my newly created photostream there - only about 70 photos (so far?). Sorry, but of all the websites I have checked out over the last few years, I still reckon Flickr is the best - despite the fact that there have been two sudden major loss of views in Stats (for me, at least, plus some others) since May 2016, which I don't understand. Too obvious to be a coincidence, and I'm not impressed! Of course, the future of Flickr is uncertain, but hopefully that will all be sorted out with a happy ending! www.23hq.com/annkelliott Another website I tried ages ago (only 8 of my photos there) is 500px: 500px.com/annkelliott I like Smugmug and have quite a few of my photos on there: annkelliott.smugmug.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ There was no sign of the sun on 23 November 2016, when I had the chance to go back a second time to look for the White-tailed Ptarmigan in Kananaskis. Friend, Tony, had asked me if I'd like to go with him on 22 November, but I explained that I had already been asked if I'd like to go with mutual friends, Dorothy and Stephen. Tony was free the next day, which was wonderful, and so off we went. On 29 November 2016, I was extremely lucky to go a third time, and the sun was shining that day, The snow was so deep out there, that it made walking extremely difficult, so after our first search from the road, Tony put on his snowshoes and away he went. He quickly disappeared from sight, travelling through the trees. After a long time, there was still no sign of him - at which point I started to get concerned. Then, all of a sudden, there is an explosion of white and a flock of what turned out to be about 14 white birds flew over my head and across to the far side of the road. What a beautiful sight! Tony, who is an excellent, very experienced birder, had been unable to find any birds, until he accidentally flushed them! When I first saw this flock in flight, my mind whirled, as I never thought of these birds flying, lol. Then it clicked in that maybe that was what I had just witnessed. I walked as fast as I could down the road and eventually spotted the white on white. The lack of sun made it more difficult than ever to see them, at first huddled under a tree. Thank goodness they were still there by the time Tony arrived, as this was the first time he had ever seen White-tailed Ptarmigan. The two of us had tried several times in the last few years, without any luck. I believe most people haven't seen them when they turn white for the long winter months. So, to have seen this many individuals and on two days running, I feel extremely fortunate! Thanks so much for this second chance, Tony, and I am so relieved that you finally saw this lifer! These birds tend to walk around in just a very small area, feeding on the buds of small Willow bushes, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan

It has just started snowing here in Calgary this morning, 4 December 2016 - again. There is a Snowfall Warning Alert in effect. The temperature is -4C (windchill -10C). "Snowfall Warning. Issued at 10:24 Sunday 04 December 2016: A heavy band of snow has developed from near Didsbury to north of Claresholm. This band has produced 8.5 cm of snow in the Sundre region thus far. Snowfall totals of 10 cm is expected to fall in much of the area and near-zero visibilities are expected at times. This band of heavy snow will continue to track southward throughout the morning and impact areas along the Alberta foothills. The snow is expected to taper off late this morning to early this afternoon." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Five days ago, on 29 November 2016, I was fortunate enough to have a third trip into the mountains to look for and photograph these wonderful White-tailed Ptarmigan. Friend, Shirley, had been out there before, but just missed seeing them. She asked if I wanted to go with her, and I jumped at the chance. I knew several other people who were planning to go, so felt a little more confident that we would probably be able to find these birds. Find them, we did - but, oh, what we had to go through in order to see them! Unlike the other two times I had been, on 22nd and 23rd November, this time the birds were not near the main road area but, instead, were first spotted way across the valley, low down on the mountainside. A few years ago, I had done a short walk along this valley in deep, deep snow and vowed I would never be so foolish to do it again. You need snowshoes and, even then, the going is difficult. Of course, I don't have snowshoes, nor did a few of my friends. When I heard that some people ahead of us had seen a few of the birds closer than the mountainside, I decided I would at least start 'walking' and see how far I got. The first short distance through the snow was flat, but then we had to climb upwards through knee deep snow. I almost had to give up, but thanks to friend, Tony, who basically dragged me up some of the most difficult parts, I was able to plough my way to where the closest Ptarmigan were. A few other helping hands, too, made this climb possible. Several of the birds were in the sunshine for a while, either resting or taking a few short steps. So different compared to seeing and photographing them on a cloudy, gloomy day. These birds tend to walk around in just a small area for a while, feeding on the Willow buds, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process and then rest again. As you can imagine, from a distance, a turn of the head so that a bird is looking away from you, all that remains is something that looks like one of the many lumps of snow everywhere. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan Eventually, it was time to head back down and along to the cars, repeating the difficult process of 'step and plunge' through the snow. It felt so good to finally reach the car! Shirley and I had left the city and travelled south via Turner Valley, but came back to the city via Barrier Lake and Highway 1. While driving out to Highway 40 in the morning, we had stopped to watch a beautiful female Moose along the road from Turner Valley and then later, we stopped to watch a couple of Bighorn Sheep on Highway 40. Other than that, there was no sign of other wildlife. From 1 December onward, the north and south winter gates are closed across Highway 40, so these birds will be left in peace for the rest of the winter, until 14 June 2017. All the wildlife in the area will be free of human presence while they have their young ones in the spring. Thanks so much for a great day, Shirley! I'm so glad you were finally able to see a few of these beautiful Ptarmigan in their winter white. It was very unfortunate that one person was not able to do the difficult walk and so will have to wait till next fall to hopefully get a 'lifer'. Most people I know have/had never seen this species, especially when white, so I'm feeling extremely lucky! Of course, even if one doesn't find the Ptarmigan, the scenery alone is just breathtaking.

Note to anyone who belongs to the ipernity website (includes me): ipernity will be closing. A great shame, but also frustrating. I have all 12,644 of my images and descriptions on ipernity - exactly the same as on Flickr. No idea where we are supposed to move to now, if anywhere. Does anyone have any ideas for good sites? www.ipernity.com/blog/team/4642052 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On 22 November 2016, I was finally able to remove the White-tailed Ptarmigan from the top of my mental Wish List! Over the last few years, I have been with a friend maybe four or five times to look for these in the mountains, without any luck. I had told friends that this year, if I didn't see one of these grouse, I would build a snowman bird and photograph it. A lot of very deep snow in the whole area! This photo was taken from the road before I climbed half way down a short slope. These birds tend to walk around in just one very small area at a time, feeding on the Willow buds, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the process. It was just so exciting to see 15 of these beautiful birds with friends, Dorothy and Stephen. Of course, to see just one bird would have been thrilling, too. We would definitely never have found them without help from several other friends. As you can imagine, spotting a white bird against a snowy background from a great distance is pretty well impossible - this photo was taken at Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm with my point-and-shoot. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan Thanks so much, Dorothy and Stephen, for inviting me to go out for a day in the mountains. A day that turned out to be really great, helping us to see these beautiful 'lifers'.

Yesterday, 29 November 2016, I was fortunate enough to have a third trip into the mountains to look for and photograph these wonderful White-tailed Ptarmigan. Friend, Shirley, had been out there before, but just missed seeing them. She asked if I wanted to go with her, and I jumped at the chance. I knew several other people who were planning to go, so felt a little more confident that we would probably be able to find these birds. Find them, we did - but, oh, what we had to go through in order to see them! Unlike the other two times I had been, on 22nd and 23rd November, this time the birds were not near the main road area but, instead, were first spotted way across the valley, low down on the mountainside. A few years ago, I had done a short walk along this valley in deep, deep snow and vowed I would never be so foolish to do it again. You need snowshoes and, even then, the going is difficult. Of course, I don't have snowshoes, nor did a few of my friends. When I heard that some people ahead of us had seen a few of the birds closer than the mountainside, I decided I would at least start 'walking' and see how far I got. The first short distance through the snow was flat, but then we had to climb upwards through knee deep snow. I almost had to give up, but thanks to friend, Tony, who basically dragged me up some of the most difficult parts, I was able to plough my way to where the closest Ptarmigan were. A few other helping hands, too, made this climb possible. Several of the birds were in the sunshine, either resting or taking a few short steps. As you can see in this photo, these birds almost look as if they have a small light under their body, lighting up the lowest feathers and making the bird glow. So different compared to seeing and photographing them on a cloudy, gloomy day. These birds tend to walk around in just a small area, feeding on the Willow buds, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process and then rest again. As you can imagine, a turn of the head so that a bird is looking away from you, all that remains is something that looks like one of the many lumps of snow everywhere. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan Eventually, it was time to head back down and along to the cars, repeating the difficult process of 'step and plunge' through the snow. It felt so good to finally reach the car! Shirley and I had left the city and travelled south via Turner Valley, but came back to the city via Barrier Lake and Highway 1. While driving out to Highway 40 in the morning, we had stopped to watch a beautiful female Moose along the road from Turner Valley and then later, we stopped to watch a couple of Bighorn Sheep on Highway 40. Other than that, there was no sign of other wildlife. From now onward, the north and south winter gates will be closed across Highway 40, so these birds will be left in peace for the rest of the winter, until 14 June 2017. All the wildlife in the area will be free of human presence while they have their young ones in the spring. Thanks so much for a great day, Shirley! I'm so glad you were finally able to see a few of these beautiful Ptarmigan in their winter white. It was very unfortunate that at least one person was not able to do the difficult walk and so will have to wait till next fall to hopefully get a 'lifer'. Most people I know have/had never seen this species, so I'm feeling extremely lucky! Of course, even if one doesn't find the Ptarmigan, the scenery alone is just breathtaking.

There was no sign of the sun on 23 November 2016, when I had the chance to go back a second time to look for the White-tailed Ptarmigan in Kananaskis. Friend, Tony, had asked me if I'd like to go with him on 22 November, but I explained that I had already been asked if I'd like to go with mutual friends, Dorothy and Stephen. Tony was free the next day, which was wonderful, and so off we went. The snow was so deep out there, that it made walking extremely difficult, so after our first search from the road, Tony put on his snowshoes and away he went. He quickly disappeared from sight, travelling through the trees. After a long time, there was still no sign of him - at which point I started to get concerned. Then, all of a sudden, there is an explosion of white and a flock of what turned out to be about 14 white birds flew over my head and across to the far side of the main road. What a beautiful sight! Tony, who is an excellent, very experienced birder, had been unable to find any birds, until he accidentally flushed them! When I first saw this flock in flight, my mind whirled, as I never thought of these birds flying, lol. Then it clicked in that maybe that was what I had just witnessed. I walked as fast as I could down the road and eventually spotted the white on white. The lack of sun made it more difficult than ever to see them, at first huddled under a tree. Thank goodness they were still there by the time Tony arrived, as this was the first time he had ever seen White-tailed Ptarmigan. The two of us had tried several times in the last few years, without any luck. I believe most people haven't seen them when they turn white for the long winter months. So, to have seen this many individuals and on two days running, I feel extremely fortunate! Thanks so much for this second chance, Tony, and I am so relieved that you finally saw this lifer! These birds tend to walk around in just a small area, feeding on the Willow buds, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process and then rest again. As you can imagine, a turn of the head so that a bird is looking away from you, all that remains is something that looks like one of the many lumps of snow everywhere. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan

www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/31091966052/in/dateposted-public Today, I am posting just this one photo - I have been so busy and too tired to even think about doing more than that. Also, with this being the very busy Thanksgiving for Americans, there was very little activity on Flickr yesterday and the same again today, anyway. There was no sign of the sun on 23 November 2016, when I had the chance to go back a second time to look for the White-tailed Ptarmigan in Kananaskis. Friend, Tony, had asked me if I'd like to go with him on 22 November, but I explained that I had already been asked if I'd like to go with mutual friends, Dorothy and Stephen. Tony was free the next day, which was wonderful, and so off we went. The snow was so deep out there, that it made walking extremely difficult, so after our first search from the road, Tony put on his snowshoes and away he went. He quickly disappeared from sight, travelling through the trees. After a long time, there was still no sign of him - at which point I started to get concerned. Then, all of a sudden, there is an explosion of white and a flock of what turned out to be about 14 white birds flew over my head and across to the far side of the road. What a beautiful sight! Tony, who is an excellent, very experienced birder, had been unable to find any birds, until he accidentally flushed them! When I first saw this flock in flight, my mind whirled, as I never thought of these birds flying, lol. Then it clicked in that maybe that was what I had just witnessed. I walked as fast as I could down the road and eventually spotted the white on white. The lack of sun made it more difficult than ever to see them, at first huddled under a tree. Thank goodness they were still there by the time Tony arrived, as this was the first time he had ever seen White-tailed Ptarmigan. The two of us had tried several times in the last few years, without any luck. I believe most people haven't seen them when they turn white for the long winter months. So, to have seen this many individuals and on two days running, I feel extremely fortunate! Thanks so much for this second chance, Tony, and I am so relieved that you finally saw this lifer! These birds tend to walk around in just a very small area, feeding on the Willow buds, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan

Yesterday, 22 November 2016, I was finally able to remove the White-tailed Ptarmigan from the top of my Wish List! Over the last few years, I have been with a friend maybe four or five times to look for these in the mountains, without any luck. I had told friends that this year, if I didn't see one of these grouse, I would build a snowman bird and photograph it. A lot of very deep snow in the whole area! It was just so exciting to see 15 of these beautiful birds yesterday, with friends, Dorothy and Stephen. We would definitely never have found them without help from several friends. As you can imagine, spotting a white bird against a snowy background from a great distance is pretty well impossible - this photo was taken at Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm with my point-and-shoot. A bit more grainy than I would have liked, but I am still so happy to have seen these birds and get any kind of photos. Shooting white on white is never easy. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id