Ptarmigan on Hoy, Orkney, 7 February 2023 - the first modern Orkney record

G. CAMPBELL

Being a keen wildlife photographer living on mainland Orkney, I try to make an annual trip over to the island of Hoy during winter to photograph the Mountain Hares in their winter coats. Generally, they can be found on the highest point of Ward Hill on Hoy, which stands at 481 m (1,579 ft). 7 February was a nice calm winter’s morning when I took the ferry on the short crossing and started my hike and climb up from the west side of the hill. My intentions were to hike across the summit and make my descent down via the south side.

I was slightly disappointed during my climb to the summit as I hadn’t spotted any Mountain Hares, so I decided to take a break and have a snack, followed by taking some pics of the scenery with my camera and launching my drone for a few aerial photos. I was just packing up and getting ready to set off across the summit when I noticed a white object behind some rocks and immediately thought “Yes, a hare”. I got my camera ready and slowly crept around at a distance, so as not to disturb it. Just at that, this white bird stood up from behind the rocks and stared at me! I immediately thought “It’s a white grouse” then “No, it can’t be a Ptarmigan, as we don’t get them on Orkney” . After photographing the bird for a few more minutes, I decided to retreat and hike across the summit and start my descent from the hill, where I finally encountered a few hares in their white coats.