Animal

Country diary: moulting birds leave treasure for collectors


In late summer and early autumn there is treasure to be found on pathways and shorelines. The mass moult of British birds begins in August; the old year’s feathers are shed, replaced by new plumage ready for winter and next year’s mating season. As an avid collector of nature finds, this is a time of year when my eyes scan the ground as I walk.

The colour and pattern of feathers is the result of millions of years of evolution, tweaking the genetic code that controls the production of keratin, the protein from which they are built. The azure blue of jay feathers, sought after by collectors, is not a pigment; it is caused by minuscule holes in the keratin of the barbs (fibres) of the feather that have evolved to be the correct size to reflect blue wavelengths of light. Humans are trying to emulate these sophisticated nanostructures for use in paints.

On a recent walk on Old Hunstanton beach I discover tens of shed seabird feathers tucked among fronds of seaweed and sea-worn pebbles. I spot a wing feather hatched beautifully with deep brown and white. A search of the Featherbase website tells me it’s the calling card of a moulting curlew, that beautiful wader with the haunting cry whose numbers have plummeted in recent decades: an immensely precious find.

A collection of feathers



‘The colour and pattern of feathers is the result of millions of years of evolution.’ Photograph: Emma Mitchell

In the wood behind our cottage a scrap of unexpected pattern catches my eye: a dark, curiously pointed feather with subtle stripes. I examine it closely and notice the hint of olive green. It’s something I have longed to find: the feather of a green woodpecker, the small plume of a yaffle, its colour caused by yellow pigment in its barbs present with cavities in the keratin reflecting blue wavelengths into my retina. Together the blue and yellow trick my brain into thinking I am seeing green.

Each of these feather finds brings me intense elation, but for the birds the moult can be a challenging time. If there is heavy rainfall they may become waterlogged and grounded and patchy feathers mean that flying may be less efficient, increasing the risk of predation. Our garden blackbird is looking distinctly scruffy just now: he has a near-bald head and spends much of the day skulking beneath the hedge while he grows new plumage.



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