white | ebirder blog

I have no regret in every winter announcing that Ptarmigan are my favourite subject. There is something about the fact that whatever happens in life they will never come to you – there is no easy way to see them. You always have to go them; their environment, their altitude and most of all suffer their conditions.

This winter has been exceptional compared to recent years. Exceptionally mild, with little snow, but also exceptionally windy. So whilst the conditions at low levels and in the forests seem benign up on the tops access has been more unpleasant than in recent years.

Still we managed a 100% success rate with all three of our winter workshop groups getting up close and personal to these hardcore grouse. To be fair one group were stuck in the cloud base with the Ptarmigan. but not be put off all managed frame filling shots.

So having said how much I like them – well its the challenge in getting into their environment – here’s the reason I love them so much. They are just so rewarding. Spending time in their company and they accept you as part of their day and soon enough go about there business, which sometimes isn’t a lot, but there is something unbeatable about being on the tops just us and the Ptarmigan.

Despite being one of our few endemic mammals, there is very little known about Mountain Hares. Unfortunately they are also currently being culled on quite a large scale. Why? Well they carry a tick that may affect the breeding success of Red Grouse. It’s just not in the press in the same way as the Badger cull, but it’s happening and in staggering numbers. There are different views on the success of this eradication – indeed, my local keeper says that other ground nesting birds such as Dunlin, Golden Plover and Curlew have also increased on his land. So it’s a complex issue at best. Another gamekeeper I meet up with regularly says sheep are best at ‘mopping up’ ticks and less costly option than other methods.

More research is being conducted, which will hopefully vindicate the Hares or at least pose a way forward that considers the pros and cons of various approaches.