I picked these up on my morning walk. The one with the yellow tip is especially beautiful. What a find. I’ve never seen one like this before. A new feather is like finding a new seashell, a differently constructed bird’s nest or if I’m in the land of porcupines, a plump quill. The bright yellow tip that I thought was a bit of pollen, is anything but. It looks like it was dipped into a pot of paint. Having no idea what bird shed this fine feather, I consulted Google. I think it’s from a cedar wax wing- one of the most under-appreciated birds around. In addition to their waxy wings and cadmium yellow tail tip, they wear a black mask over their eyes. These “Lone Rangers” of the bird world are endowed with spectacular “uniforms”- nothing extra and nothing lacking. Effortlessly. Naturally.
If only we humans looked as fetching in our face masks as the cedar wax wing! We might not give them up, even after taking flight in, this, the Age of Corona.