Today's Wildlife Encounter

[IanDarkpeak]

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.

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