Colourful

It was too windy for owls today (or so I decided, even if what that really meant was that I didn't fancy being up on top of the scarp in dubious weather conditions), so I went to Stratford instead, where R and I eventually met up, drank coffee, and ate cake. I then went to M&S and bought some new socks and handkerchiefs, which may turn out to be the highlight of the month.

Before that though, I stepped into Holy Trinity churchyard, baited a few stones, and watched to see who would come down for a free snack. Best of the day was this Jackdaw, displaying subtle colours in its plumage that I'd had no idea were there. Far from it being just a boring black corvid with a grey collar, there's blue and violet in those feathers, and even a hint of dark teal. They're also subtly iridescent, with a slight marl that puts me in mind of a slub silk dress I wore to a wedding many decades ago. (To my great chagrin it didn't survive the event - but that's a different story.)

The more I look at this bird, the more impressed I am with it. And I must stress that all my photos show the same colours and texture in the plumage, and I've done nothing to them beyond the most basic processing. The light was very flat, though what there was did catch this spot, which is a clearing in the middle of a group of yew trees, and the colours in the image are true to life.

So. The Jackdaw: a rather splendid bird. Who knew?