This male ptarmigan couldn't care less about us sitting on the hillside. He and his mate (and their chicks) would wander around us as if we weren't there. But let a ground squirrel pop it's head out of it's burrow near the chicks and this male would go ape on it! This "ruffed" look is just part of the display he would put on as it stormed over to do battle with the furry rodentia.