Accidental Weathervane

This is the same feather from another angle – I liked the little glints of sunlight off the soft, plumulaceous barbs. Plumulaceous barbs: the part that looks like down and does not stick together.

Back_Forty_Winter2012_7010-feather

Swinging in the Wind - Small Weathervane

I was having trouble recalling that word, so I consulted The Feather Atlas, an online resource maintained by the US Fish and Wildlife service. Here is a link: http://www.lab.fws.gov/fa/glossary.php