What a joy it is to observe common redpolls every day all winter long. When the bottom drops out of the thermometer they go about their cheerful, lively routine seemingly without regard to Interior Alaska’s dangerous temperatures. Redpolls are active from first light until sunset. Even at fifty below you will find them busy, usually in small groups feeding among bushes. But where they spend the nights is a mystery to me. They have been reported to spend some nights in snow burrows, like ptarmigan. Continue reading
Tag Archives: birds
WILLOW PTARMIGAN
I’ve spent the last four afternoons looking for willow ptarmigan. One of my photographic goals is to document more of their interesting behavior. On top of that list of photo wants are photos of willow ptarmigan in their snow burrows. Ptarmigan use snow to help insulate them against the frigid winter temperatures of interior Alaska. Their use of snow burrows can occur any time of the day but most common as they prepare to roost for the night. Willow ptarmigan are cyclic and their numbers have been quite low over the past two or three winters. But as Justin pointed out, they seem to be bouncing back. Continue reading
WINTER NESTS
Keeping tabs on your local wildlife is an important task for the naturalist. Take note of the locations of nests of all kinds. Continue reading