Owl Feather Study In Blue 2, BlackBerry Shots, Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 2011, photo © 2011 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
Owl Feather Study In Blue 5, BlackBerry Shots, Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 2011, photo © 2011 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
Owl Feather Study In Blue 4, BlackBerry Shots, Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 2011, photo © 2011 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
Owl Feather Study In Blue 3, BlackBerry Shots, Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 2011, photo © 2011 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
Owl Feather Study In Blue 1, BlackBerry Shots, Minneapolis, Minnesota,
February 2011, photo © 2011 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
It was a windy 10 degrees when I found this downy owl feather blowing across a parking lot. I decided to photograph it with my BlackBerry over a break. The bright sun made the shadows pop against the texture of my lunch bucket. Feathers are symbolic. Ordinary as extraordinary.
Yesterday we drove down to Monticello, Minnesota to see the wintering Trumpeter Swans. Again, two downy swan feathers floated across the observation site and landed by my foot. I’ve added them to my feather collection. Hope is the thing with feathers. And, thanks to Yves Klein, I think I’ve entered my Blue Period.
-posted on red Ravine, Sunday, February 20th, 2011
-related to post: WRITING TOPIC — LIGHT AS A FEATHER
Why are there swans wintering in Minnesota? Is this normal?
While you’re in your “blue period” you may be tempted to see the movie Blue Valentine. I’ve seen it, and it will definitely leave you with the blues.
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Sinclair, yes, it’s the new normal. There was a sign at the viewing area that said they started wintering there when the river opened up after a local power plant was built. Now it’s routine for them. I hope to do a short post on them and I’ll try to write more about the Trumpeter Swans. It must be right near the end of the season and they are heading back to their nesting places. Right as we were leaving a ton of them swooped off into the sunset. It was so magnificent to see them fly. They are stunningly beautiful with an ancient cry like the sandhill cranes.
Blue Valentine. I don’t know the movie. What’s it about? I’ll have to look it up. If it’s going to leave me with the blues, I want to be in an up mood when I watch it! I haven’t been in the most up mood lately. I think it’s the end of winter blues. We got another 18 inches of snow yesterday and I’m getting ready to head out to shovel. Lizzie fell on the ice about a week ago and hurt her ankle. I’ll miss her strong arms today!
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Beautiful, QM. And you may have helped me with the identification of a bird’s wing I found the other day. I thought it was either a hawk or an owl. I’m still not completely positive, but it does look like a close match.
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Oh, Robin. Cool. Where did you find it? Was it near your pond? The hawks and owls can have similar markings in their feathers. But the larger owls will have a much larger wingspan, maybe 48 – 60 inches for the Great Horned Owl. For smaller owls, maybe 18 to 24 inches. Typical hawk is about 42 inches, I think.
The thing about owl feathers is that they have huge tufts of down that follow a long way up the shaft. The feathers, including those on the wing, are soft, almost like fur, which allows the owls to fly silently when hunting their prey. So the owl feathers have a soft fringe on them. Hawks have stiffer feathers.
Funny but we were just talking to one of Liz’s friends about finding parts of birds and just needing to photograph them. I think there is an innate curiosity with artists to have to study that which other people steer clear of. I used to collect wings of birds I’d find, rabbit tails left from hawks, all kinds of feathers. Once I found a Great Gray roadkill. Long story to that one. Anyway, let us know what you find out!
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QuoinMonkey,
I look forward to reading your post about the trumpeting swans in Minnesota. I’ve never read E.B. White’s “Trumpet of the Swan,” but now I want to. In preparation of your piece.
Blue Valentine has fabulous acting, but the story is grim. Michelle Williams is up for Best Actress for her role. There is a bleak scene in an dizzyingly blue hotel room that would snap you out of your blue phase in a hurry. Maybe you should wait until you’re on to a red phase or a yellow phase or a green phase.
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QuionMonkey,
Thanks for the morning inspiration for a free write on feathers. I used to look for feathers a lot when I lived in Juneau Alaska. There were eagles everywhere and this was somewhat of a novelty for me when I first arrived. There is something special about finding a beautiful feather. A gift from the sky.
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Teresa, I believe that feathers are gifts from the sky, too. I have quite an extensive collection, some given to me by friends. Some that just came to me along a path or in a parking lot. It’s such a gift to run across a feather when I’m having a bad day. It wakes me up. Eagle feathers are huge. The first time someone showed me one they found in the wild, I could not believe the size of it. Astounding. I used to have feathers in glass bottles and vases all around my apartment. But since moving in with Liz, the cats don’t allow that! They love to chew and play with feathers. So sometimes I’ll bring one in and play catbird with them. I have befriended opposite ends of the food chain. I like the wild that still lives in domestic cats.
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Oh wow, QM, I’ve seen similar feathers on our long driveway, and yes, we do have an owl that sits high in the trees that line that walk. How did you know it was an owl? I bet it’s because you have spent so much time with them, including the time you picked up an owl that had been killed and took it home.
I am in a Blue Period myself. Have been hunkered down, introverted (for me, anyway) and kind of weepy and sad for a couple of weeks now. Just going with it.
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Roma, thanks for stopping by today. I enjoyed your flurry of activity and comments. I hope your Blue Period doesn’t last too long. I’m probably at the tail end of a short one. But still not out yet. I’ve been feeling pretty introverted (more than usual) and inside. Some days I like it there. If it goes on too long, I have to be careful I don’t stay there. Sending a big hug for you!
About the feather, I know certain feathers from having collected them and worked with them. Owls and hawks, I know pretty well. I used to not be able to tell them apart. Owl feathers are like none other, seriously, a lot like down or fur. I love them for that. Some think owl feathers are indicators of the death of something — an ending, a new beginning. Different cultures have different symbols. I view all feathers as gifts. But do look closely at the qualities of the birds that leave them. I’m especially fond of birds of prey. So strong and agile.
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