Willow Ptarmigan, male

Early in the month of June, male Willow Ptarmigan are easier to spot as you drive the roads outside Nome, as they actively court females. This male played a game of hide-and-seek with us in the brush, occasionally emerging and posing for shots in nice, soft sunlight. One advantage of Arctic photography is that the sun never gets very high, and is close to the horizon for many hours each day (except when it's raining, which it does a lot!).