Today, it’s part 2/2 of Willow Ptarmigan coverage at Presque Isle State Park, from a couple days ago, featuring long distance shots in rather heavy underbrush along the Gull Point beach trail:
After a ‘shade break’ + preening, this lovely/amazing bird popped out briefly for mid-day foraging. (Willow Ptarmigan mostly eats vegetation and, opportunistically, insects.) It seemed to be very much enjoying this plant, which is probably young Sandbar Willow (Salix interior):
It’s nice to see the cartoon character see the P bird! Better than that wedding!!!
Great shots of the bird. She seems curious! “Who are those weird Americans???”
If the Ptarmigan (silent P) is a female, could she lay some eggs and have a family? If she was pregnant when she left Canada (or wherever she was from), she could lay eggs and have babies. According to the internet, the ‘incubation’ period of a bird can be from 14 to 30 days. Wouldn’t it be something if she did have babies?
It’s a very interesting thought, but I suppose she would have to have a nest and would be mostly sticking to it. This individual has been very active and seen in quite a few locations, including the Lawrence Park Golf Club (requiring flying across outer Thompson Bay) and at the Waterworks ponds at Presque Isle. I.e., she’s definitely not at or near an established nest.