Lost property

I got up early again this morning to empty the moth trap. It was colder than it has been lately - even had to put a fleece on! We didn't catch as many moths as on Friday night but we had more species (this partly because I'm starting to stick my neck out and attempt to ID some of the brown ones).

I had a wander around the garden when we'd finished, and found this feather near the pond. It was covered in tiny dewdrops so I guess it had fallen there overnight. The distinctive coloration gives it away as being a Barn Owl feather.

But if you look closely, you can also see the texture to the top surface of the feather. Owl feathers have a fluffier, rougher appearance to them (if you look at a feather from a normal bird's wing, it's pretty smooth and shiny). This helps to reduce the amount of turbulence created and means the owl can fly with hardly any noise at all.

Once I accidentally disturbed an owl from its roost in a barn. It flew right by me; the only noise I heard - as it took off - was the scratch of its talons on the metal beam it had been perching on.