Fly fishermen and fly tiers love feathers, float makers love them, Victorian ladies loved them in hats in fact lots of people love them in head dresses. I can't resist them either. When I'm out with two terriers walking around the fields and orchards I simply can't resist picking them up, although I have to get there first before the terriers grab them and chew them up.
This delightful little group were all collected within a week on dog walks, no longer needed by the birds they're just lying around in the orchards and fields.
Anyway the little group above comprises donations from the following birds. From the top they are: two Pheasant tail feathers, two feathers from a Buzzard, one from a Tawny owl, one from a Barn Owl, two blue ones from a Macaw(?), two Jay wing feathers. Below them on the left there's one from a Partridge and below that one from a Crow. The two at the bottom right are grey heron feathers.
Treasure or what? Feathers are simply brilliant.
I have used several of those feathers in fly tying. The blue jay's feathers have a such a vibrant black barred blue color.
ReplyDeleteBefore that are used for anything they are little works of art and avian engineering.
ReplyDeleteDo love a feather too
ReplyDeleteI live close to the coast (Long Is. Sound) and collect discarded Herring Gull primary wing feathers. I convert them to a legacy fly rod lure called a Quillby minnow. Perhaps you're familiar with it.
ReplyDeleteJohn, Thanks for your reply, feathers are irresistible and the Quillby Minnow I don't know. There used to be trout spinners called Quill Minnows when I was boy. They had a vane at the head end and three(!) small trebles. The quill part that made the body was sometimes exquisitely painted. John
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