turning toward the light

our mallards are molting. molting is that painful process of replacing old feathers with new ones. the process leaves the birds very vulnerable while their new feathers grow in, and it can only be done during periods of relative safety and abundance of food. the blue on these mallard feathers is not pigment, but iridescence (reflected light). to make the photo, i had to keep rotating the feathers until the light (on my kitchen counter) hit at just the right angle. anything less, and the blue was half as vivid. there is probably a lesson in here about  how we must turn toward the light if we want people to really see what we are capable of. hiding in the shadows makes us all a little dull.

mallard feathers (Anas platyrhynchos)