Birds Of A Feather

Feathers abound at Farview.  Chicken feathers in all colors, enough to stuff pillows for an army; sapphire blue feathers from the jays; coal black feathers from crows and blackbirds; spiffy black and white feathers from woodpeckers; mousy brown sparrow feathers; iridescent bronze feathers from the turkeys; tiny, tiny hummingbird feathers.  With all the feathers on the ground, one might think there were a lot of naked birds here.  With the exception of the chickens in moult and wearing summer bikinis, all other birds appear fully clothed.

This is the first feather from a red-tail hawk I've ever found.  I came across it down in the goat pen, so I'm assuming its donor was hunting ground squirrels.  I don't know enough to say whether it is a wing or tail feather, but am thinking wing.  The picture is somewhat deceptive; the feather is big, nine inches long and two inches wide, cream colored at the base and darkening to strawberry blond, with subtle dark striations and a black band toward the tip.  It will look quite nice tucked in the band of my hat.