From the archives - today 6 years ago

2007-07-20 Rock ptarmigan chicken. This little guy tried to follow its mother and siblings but got caught on a rather steep rock and was a bit reluctant to take the jump.

From the archives - today 6 years ago

2007-06-13 Very relaxed male rock ptarmigan.

From the archives - today 6 years ago

2007-06-03 Male and female rock ptarmigan. The female has changed to summer plumage before the male.

Rock ptarmigans at fox den 12

One day when out on skis checking on the fox dens, I found this pair of rock ptarmigans. They were just by fox den 12, so I could not miss them. I approached them slowly giving them time to relax and get used to my presence.



The male seemed a little less relaxed, and watched my every step.



The female on the other hand let me slowly approach to about a few meters. As I was done photographing, I very carefully backed off again and let them go about their business while I went on with mine; checking the fox den. There were not many signs of activity although a fox had clearly used the den fairly recently as judged from tracks in the snow and shed winter fur in the entrance of the only hole that was not covered with snow.

Great photo opportunity with 12 Rock Ptarmigans

I had had lunch at Pashytten, one of the old fox trapping huts, as I was out to check on a fox den. The weather was extremely mild on this very first day of October and I enjoyed the noon on the side of the hut while listening to the waves hitting the beach. A few days before Young Sound had been covered with a nice layer of ice but some rough wind had stirred it up. I was tempted to take a nap in the tiny but cosy hut but decided to look at the fox den. In spring I had seen an adult fox there but when I last visited in beginning of July there were no signs of activity. Some hundred metres before the den I saw two Rock Ptarmigans in their white winter plumage and as I dug down in the bag for the long lens, I discovered more and more. Snow drifts were spread among the red rocks and the birds were resting in small pits in the snow. I counted a total of 12 birds and got an opportunity to photograph most of them both with the long lens and with a wide angle as I moved slowly between them. It was excellent stuff and the snow acted as a big fill-in reflector for the back-lit birds. It was hard to leave them but I had to get home and cook dinner. At the fox den, I sampled a few droppings, and on the way back I found a Musk Ox carcass. It was well eaten and there were many wolf droppings around it. Hmm - I wouldn't mind another photo session with, if not 12, just a wolf or two...