It's All Front

It has been very mild today in Essex and butterflies have been on the wing. I got a nice image of a hornet on the ivy, earlier in the year they were too busy to stop long enough for a decent shot.

I've chosen to post this moorhen which was quite close to the hide at Fishers Green. The reason I've gone for it is because its frontal shield can be seen easily. This plate of specialised skin extends from the base of the upper bill and over the forehead. It might be helpful in protecting the bird's head when it is pushing through undergrowth but its main purpose is for courtship display and territorial defence. Moorhens are quarrelsome birds and those with brighter facial shields do better in competition with others. In both males and females the size and colour of the shield is governed by testosterone levels. For both, a bright shield is an indicator of good health and social status.


Today's poem is Joy by Susan Wicks. http://cacchieressa.tumblr.com/post/17148438347/joy-by-susan-wicks


The poem was inspired by a pas de deux and written after SW had been sent a morale-boosting note by another poet. She feels ecstatic, orgasmic even.