Photo: A trio of ptarmigans seen over Christmas

These three ptarmigans are observed by Brian Zawadski during the annual Christmas bird count drive outside Rankin Inlet on Dec. 27. He counted 146 common ravens, three willow ptarmigans and three common eiders. The Christmas bird count is a census of birds in the western hemisphere, performed annually in the northern hemisphere’s early winter by volunteer birdwatchers and administered by the National Audubon Society. (PHOTO BY PUTULIK PHOTOGRAPHY)