Ptarmigan in camouflage – a daunting quest

Cairngorms National Park We've tried to spot this mountain dwelling grouse in its white-feathered finery, but it's elusive

Every birder has a "bogey bird", a species they have repeatedly failed to encounter. For my father and me, this bird is the winter-plumaged ptarmigan.

We have made numerous visits to the Cairngorms in the hopes of seeing this mountain dwelling grouse - Lagopus mutus - in its white-feathered finery. But it has proved to be frustratingly elusive. Previous attempts have been foiled by extreme weather, from 90mph winds and whiteout conditions to horizontal rain and shrouding cloud.