Bird of the Week – Willow Ptarmigan
We’re still months from Spring, but it probably doesn’t violate Mudflats Rules to think about Spring.
Willow Ptarmigan Male
This male Willow Ptarmigan is in transition from winter to summer plumage. It’s an alpine bird, on the east end of the Denali Highway, where the spring comes a little later. The male trails the female’s molt by a few weeks, serving as a more obvious target for predators than the female, huddled on the eggs.
For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.
So, how does ptarmigan rate as table fare? Is it dark meat like a pheasant? Please don’t say they look and taste like grouse. The only grouse I was ever around I divorced thirty plus years ago. Come to think of it,she nagged,too.
Too long ago now but my memory was sorta like cornish game hen.
They don’t nag though 🙂
I used to enjoy a cornish game hen on occasion,until I learned from whence they came. Thanks to you and Slip for furthering my adjudication. 🙂 🙂 One like for each of you.
Tastes kinda like chicken, mikey.
There’s a mining town in Alaska named Chicken. The legend is that the early claim stakers got together and wanted to name the town Ptarmigan. But then nobody could agree on the spelling. Somebody said “heckydarn” [okay, I have cleaned this up considerably], “let’s just call it Chicken.”
And so it was.
Can you really knock them down by throwing a stick at them ???? I have this most WONDERFUL mental visual of “She who shall not be named” trying to demonstrate this method of hunting them for her new “hunting” show… throwing, chasing after the stick to throw and throw again… If it’s anything like her last hunting trip, could be an hour long special entitled, “Throw, Sarah, Throw !”… 🙂
A stick sometimes works. I have a better success rate with a nine iron. And the rangers in Denali National Park haven’t figured out what I’m up to, with my off-road Yamaha and the golf club.
Hope they don’t read this.
😀
busted!
I had no idea Willow’s middle name is Ptarmigan.
Wouldn’t happen. Snookie would be lecturing the ptarmigan about the evils of liberalism and Obama and the bird would kill itself. 1 deep slash sideways,one straight up the belly and a chosen second ptarmigan would lop the first one’s head off.
Beautifully fierce..design..captured in that picture. The evolution..of colors, and cascading feathers..season..by season..I can..almost feel the waves of colors..shifting..before my eyes. The broken wing act..has kept so many coyotes, wolves..whatevers..at bay..and around here..the newfoundland..falls for it..everytime. I look at my ..big girl..and giggle..and she stops..looks back..like..whatAM.. I missing… I have not felt a blouse or tunic design, coming-on..for several years now..perhaps..I feel a stirring of a handmade top..for sewing, by hand..to let the elements..suggest themselves..more fully. A Vogue pattern..for which I did not have to pay for it..many thanks!
I’ve never seen them, except in photos. I got to “know” them through the Earth’s Children books by Jean M. Auel. Lovely photo as always.
Me too!
I hate to say it, but Willow Ptarmigan are rilly dumb though pretty in winter plumage .
In the summer when I come across them in the mountains they are fierce about trying to protect their babies but mama bird’s broken wing act always makes me laugh. I’ve never had papa bird come after me, though supposedly they will.
If one is lucky and sitting very, very still in the right place, at the right time, watching babies trailing along with mama is a delightful thing to watch.
I don’t think they’re dumb, they’re just convinced they’re invisible. They think we can’t see them – and usually that is correct, given their plumage’s amazing ability to blend in, especially if they don’t move.
And I’m guessing they’re only wrong about that belief just once in their lives.
Once upon a time I walked behind one for about 10 minutes as it marched along on the road shoulder ahead of me. It was winter, everything was white. Was sort of like following a small walking bowling pin. And then it decided it could get where it was going faster by flying.
🙂 You’re right about that think-they-are- invisible thingy.
Marmots do the same thing sometimes- I had one close its eyes and simply pretend I wasn’t right there next to it once…
I’m guessing they learn that from friggin’rethuglicans!
Naw. The average critter is ‘way, ‘way smarter than the average Republican.
And more moral, too. Also.
Dang straight!
🙂