Willow ptarmigan seeds and berries during the summer and largely subsisting on the buds and twigs of willow and other dwarf shrubs and trees during the winter. The willow ptarmigan is a medium to large ground-dwelling bird and is the most numerous of the three species of ptarmigan. Males and females are about the same size, the adult length varying between with a wingspan ranging from . The weight is . It is deep-chested and has a fairly long neck, a broad bill, short feathered legs and a moderately short rounded tail. In the summer, the male's plumage is marbled brown, with
Winter Mountain Smyth at his home in Donegal, Ireland, and shortly afterwards formed Winter Mountain. They began touring after winning a 'battle of the bands' competition in Derry, Northern Ireland. Their prize was two days at a local recording studio. They used the session to record what would become their debut EP, which featured five original songs. After a year of performing in pubs and folk clubs across the UK and Ireland, Winter Mountain were given the opportunity to accompany Northern Irish folk singer Cara Dillon at a theatre in Donegal. They presented their EP to Dillon's husband and manager Sam Lakeman