Re: Ptarmigan below treeline,
I have been compiling info on Yakima County birds over the past several
years. I don't have much experience with ptarmigan in this county so I put
in a request to the Cascadians, a local outdoors group based in Yakima
about the whereabouts of ptarmigan in winter here. I received five replys
in 1993, all were from areas below treeline. Habitat was either willow or
alders in basin bottoms. Four reports came from Morse Creek at 4,800'. One
was from east of Chinook Pass amongst the abundant slide alder and mtn ash
just east of the pass. Based on my experience in coastal B.C (1972-74), I
contend few W.t. Ptarmigan winter above treeline in the Coast Mountains
there and suspect few do in the Cascades. The "maritime" snow zone noted
for its copious snowcover surely buries most alder and willow buds, their
major sustenance in winter. I suspect avalanche paths in the North Cascades
are the main wintering grounds for Washington W.t. Ptarmigan. A parking lot
with some willow/alder/mtn ash around might suit them just fine.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato, WA