A few of my favorite plumes from the girls in the garden.
Look carefully at this Welsh Harlequin contour feather…
Presto, change-o…iridescence!
The iridescence ranges from black to green to blue.
Our Buff’s fashionable blush-colored flight feather.
Cayuga’s delicate semiplume feather.
The Welshies’ offer the most variety–this is semiplume.
How painterly!
Same feather, different background, new details emerge.
A downy one.
For more on feathers, general and duck-related:
Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle; Thor Hanson; Basic Books; New York, NY; 2011.
Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks; Dave Holderread; Storey Publishing; North Adams, MA; 2011.
Copyright 2012, Lori Fontanes
What the Ducks! 