Today's Wildlife Encounter

Wharfy, I'll keep you posted! it isn't completely frozen over yet, and I've always seen more along there in the winter than any other time.
Don't get down that way so much now, mind. Not unless I'm off for a quickie round Kildwick Moor. (ooh, matron!)

Just thought I'd up date this thread.

Ok you Orny bird lovers I need help.

Driving home today along the Strines road I saw first 1 then two PURE WHITE grouse.

One was by the road the other in the under growth at the side of the road both flew of as I approached.

They took off and flew like grouse they were grouse sized, infact I'd be happy to say they were grouse. but pure white, not a hint of grey or black anywhere??

Albino Grouse, Artic Grouse, Bleached grouse?

All I can come up with on Google is Ptarmigan but they have too much grey. mottleing

Wharfee, Derby,? help

Did they tell you to go back?

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Originally Posted by Grouse

Did they tell you to go back?

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they did shout something about marg? Ghost Grouse?

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Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak

Just thought I'd up date this thread.

Ok you Orny bird lovers I need help.

Driving home today along the Strines road I saw first 1 then two PURE WHITE grouse.

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Interesting. Willow Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) are white in the winter over the rest of their range (Scandinavia & points east). It's only the British/Irish race Lagopus lagopus scoticus (our "red grouse") that stays brown all year round. Maybe somebody's introduced some foreign birds. I suppose it's possible they or their ancestors made their own way across from Sweden or Norway in a storm, but grouse don't generally move away from where they were born according to my books.

There is precedent for this IDP. In late Autumn early Winter 2002 there was a white grouse like bird on the hill behind our house. I took a photo, and a member of Huddersfield Ornithological Society identified it as a Ptarmigan.

Ten deer yesterday morning cycling to work.
A squirrel today 8:00am walking home from the swim.

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Originally Posted by Splatcher

Interesting. Willow Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) are white in the winter over the rest of their range (Scandinavia & points east). It's only the British/Irish race Lagopus lagopus scoticus (our "red grouse") that stays brown all year round. Maybe somebody's introduced some foreign birds. I suppose it's possible they or their ancestors made their own way across from Sweden or Norway in a storm, but grouse don't generally move away from where they were born according to my books.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rodders

There is precedent for this IDP. In late Autumn early Winter 2002 there was a white grouse like bird on the hill behind our house. I took a photo, and a member of Huddersfield Ornithological Society identified it as a Ptarmigan.

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I'm about to head out the same way so will take a camera with me just in case.

I've seen plenty of Ptarmigan and it could be one of those I guess but I've never seen one pure white before, no grey specs any where

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Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak

I'm about to head out the same way so will take a camera with me just in case.

I've seen plenty of Ptarmigan and it could be one of those I guess but I've never seen one pure white before, no grey specs any where

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http://www.birdphoto.org.uk/USERIMAG...w%20Grouse.jpg

Thats as near to a perfect shot of what I saw. Definitely

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Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak

http://www.birdphoto.org.uk/USERIMAG...w%20Grouse.jpg

Thats as near to a perfect shot of what I saw. Definitely

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In winter female ptarmigan & Scandinavian female willow grouse look very similar (to me anyway, in all the books I've got) & grouse are a bit bigger than ptarmigan. Neither should be anywhere near Strines, so get photographing, Ian! A quick Google didn't turn up any references to white grouse in the Peak. I suppose any bird species can have albinos, but you'd expect to see only one if it was an albino.