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| 1 | 2 |  » Stats |
Members: 50,126
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| | Welcome to our newest member, Kathy P | |  | 
15-02-2010, 11:11 PM
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Belvedere, Kent
Posts: 10,025
| | | Tail feathers?
Please ignore that I missed the focus on this one.  
I'm intrigued by the three feathers sticking out either side. Obviously not his wings as they're held up behind him so all I can think is that they're his tail feathers. They seem spread awfully wide though...
Dave P.
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15-02-2010, 11:20 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Gloucester
Posts: 1,735
| | | Re: Tail feathers?
It looks like you've caught the bird just as it's coming to the end of one of those loooong stretches, where the wings are coming back into the closed position and the tail is still widely spread! Odd view, but I think it's more of a strange capture than anything amiss with the bird.
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15-02-2010, 11:22 PM
|  | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: London
Posts: 11,830
| | | Re: Tail feathers?
Evening Dave,
He appears to be holding his wings up to give his tail feathers a better arc of movement to dry/fluff them up post-washing/preening.
All appears normal, but it shows how wide they can move them if they wish to 'Shake those tail feathers'! 
Good capture.
Take care, Jason  PS: I'd never have noticed the focus was missed on the head - you focused deliberately on the back-end to get the tail feathers clearly, didn't you?!  |
15-02-2010, 11:45 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Posts: 1,208
| | | Re: Tail feathers?
I caught one doing the same thing the day before, Dave  |
16-02-2010, 04:47 PM
| | Moderator | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Belvedere, Kent
Posts: 10,025
| | | Re: Tail feathers?
Thanks all! Quote:
Originally Posted by solus  It looks like you've caught the bird just as it's coming to the end of one of those loooong stretches, where the wings are coming back into the closed position and the tail is still widely spread! Odd view, but I think it's more of a strange capture than anything amiss with the bird. | Yep, he was doing that thing where they stick out a wing out and then scrape their foot underneath it... 
All part of the preening routine I guess. I was just really surpised to see the tail feathers sticking out at right angles like that.
By the way, talk about "man boobs"... 
Dave P.
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(a.k.a. "Horizontal Dave")
"A good man is hard to find, especially if he's hiding. In a field. With combat fatigues and a false beard." - Wilson Dixon |
16-02-2010, 05:17 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Gloucester
Posts: 1,735
| | | Re: Tail feathers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by pressld2 By the way, talk about "man boobs"...
Dave P. | I'd almost think you were jealous there...! 
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But as long as I can see the morning
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16-02-2010, 06:13 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: On the southern boundary of the Lake District National Park.
Posts: 4,559
| | | Re: Tail feathers?
Apart from the sunning / preening business, could the fanning extention of the tail feathers be a method used to stop the bird sinking into soft snow? | | |
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