All three species are alike in having feathered feet, which are partly for warmth, but also for easier walking in soft snow. It is the only ptarmigan found on Vancouver Island. The summer season in the alpine extends until the first snows of autumn. The wildflowers should have set seed for next year, and die back to their roots. Most of the birds will fly into warmer valley bottoms, or further south.
Ptarmigan spend much of their time under an insulating blanket of snow.
Small mammals use a variety of tactics. Some enter the long sleep and slow metabolism of hibernation. Others rely on food stored in their burrows. And except for the wind, the alpine regions are silent again for another winter. All Rights Reserved.