A suite of birds resides year-round on the Arctic tundra or on the taiga, the habitat of sparse trees just south of the treeless tundra. These birds include great gray owls, snowy owls and common redpolls.

Walking into the Volition Ski workshop in Bangor, I was struck by how much it felt like the ski tuning room we used in college. Loud music was blasting, skis were everywhere, and Chris Bagley and his fiancee were hunched over a pair of skis, hard at work.

Folks my age remember when Maine’s deer hunters in the regular firearms season often shot the first whitetail that offered a sure kill-shot. In those days, an old saying ruled, “If it’s brown, it’s down.”

Now that virtually every Maine ski area is in full, or nearly full, operation, thanks to a little help from Mother Nature, the arrival of what is traditionally the coldest stretch of the winter from mid-January through mid-February, and the extraordinary work of snow making crews whenever temps have allowed, perhaps it’s time to stretch your ski legs a little by exploring the rich variety of terrain and facilities that Maine has to offer.

This column is the last of three reviewing the results of the most recent Christmas Bird Counts in Maine. We’ll jump all around the state today.