Take A Tail Feather

I had to get MrQ to an appointment with a consultant at the local hospital before nine this morning. We planned to leave home in very good time as we had to cross town in the rush-hour. He decided to get up in the small hours to get ready and consequently we haven't had much sleep and are very tired. I decided to do an EB with some female mallard tail feathers that I found last autumn and have kept for the purpose.

The tail feathers of birds are called retrices and give stability and control in flight. They're used like a rudder, helping steering and balance and allow the bird to twist and turn. They also act as a brake for landing. There are six pairs.

I photographed a feather against one of my table mats which are decorated with paintings of wildfowl by ornithologist and artist John Gould 1804 - 1884.