Hi Dave,
A good source of info on ptarmigan in sw B.C. is Campbell et al. Birds of
BC, published by the BC Provincial Museum. Rock Ptarmigan do indeed breed
sparingly in the rugged fiordland from just north of Vancouver north. The
habitat apparently is at the uppermost edge of the mountain hemlock belt
where small patches of wet alpine vegetation exist on these super snowy
ranges. Winter records at sea level straight below these magnificent
glacier sculpted peaks at the fiords edge make sense to me. What better way
to escape the rigors of the hostile ice, hoar frost and rime-encrusted
alpine at that season? Winter records of Rock Ptarmigan also exist south to
Crescent Beach just north of Blaine. It seems plausible that some future
(and very lucky) birder will chance upon a Rock Ptarmigan in Washington by
walking the beach at Semiahmoo Bay some winters day. That is, unless resort
and condo development obliterates the natural scene there.

Regarding Willow Ptarmigan: this species also is recorded fairly close to
Vancouver. A breeding record is cited for Garibaldi Park 100 km north of
Vancouver. I was the Park Naturalist there in 1972 and 73 and have made
numerous trips there in other years and have only noted White-tailed
Ptarmigan on the coastal slopes. I presume the Willow Ptarmigan breed on
the easterly, leeward alpine slopes of the Coast Mountains there. I suspect
it is a very small number, just as there are only a few Willows south in
the Canadian Rockies to the Jasper/Banff area. The broad alplands with
abundant willow scrub, their favored habitat, is not well developed on the
windward Coast Mountains, On the eastern slopes from latitude 51 north
this becomes a common habitat type along the western margins of the
Chilcotin Plateau. Willow Ptarmigans are fairly common in such areas (such
as around Lorna Lake). Incidentially, this is about the southern limit in
the Coast Mountains for regularly breeding "northern" birds such as
Solitary Sandpiper, Bohemian Waxwing and mammals such as woodland caribou.
Great country, makes a wonderful vacation from heading west out of Williams
Lake, BC. Of course its wild, one would need to be a backpacker.

The only spot in Washington where I have seen habitat suitable for Willow
Ptarmigans (if only it were contiguous with the Chilcotin Plateau!) is the
Horseshoe Basin area of the norheastern Paysayten Wilderness. Incredible
country with a diverse sparrow fauna (Chipping, Vesper!, Savannah, Fox,
Lincoln's, and White-crowned). A Golden-crowned wouldn't be too exotic for
there is a breeding record at nearby Hart's Pass. Rosy Finches, W.t.
Ptarmigan, Spruce Grouse and Pine Grosbeak are all regular in the area as
apparently is Boreal Owl.

Well, I've gotton wound up, huh?!

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato, WA