Season changes often give us more positive attitudes to approach the next season outdoors.
Splashes of bright colors come as some animals approach another mating season; or not unlike the beginning of autumn when a leaf here, a fruit there, or a mushroom from a stump is enough to put a smile on our faces, quickening our step.
Late winter and early spring show blankets of white followed by browns, grays, and blacks before a grand green curtain is dominant.
But there is more, or maybe less, as a drake wood duck shows his spring plumage. But why now?
Goldfinches seem brighter yellow and ring-necked pheasants’ plumage brighter still when feeding on the last yellow kernels in matted corn stubble. Or a tom turkey’s head goes red, and then blue depending on his mood or fright.
The primary purposes for these bright colors in a bird, trout, and blooms aid reproduction, or being noticed, or just competing with others of their kind.
We can, and often do, enjoy splashes of intense spring colors without giving much thought to the reasons they are there.
Colors make conversation and fantastic photographs after a blah winter and that boring before-spring period.
Sometimes these red and iridescent forms help us pursue turkeys and make us long for pheasant season, wood ducks being decoyed, and red-winged blackbirds for listening.
Wild turkeys and ring-necked pheasants head areas become more colorful when the tiny blood vessels expand and contract depending on a bird’s mood causing the color to shift from red when excited and agitated to blue and or white when calming indicating a bird’s mood.
It’s not only feathers that develop colors but skin around the face, legs, and beaks color up, too. These colors are due to tissue pigmentation or structural coloration in the tissues and the light that is reflected back to our eyes.
For the animals’ brighter colors can signal good health and genetic quality to potential mates, as well as a bird’s suitability for reproduction.
Camouflage, communication, and territorial displaying to attract mates and warn rivals to stay away sometimes comes into play. Red shoulder patches on red-winged blackbirds are used to warn other males to stay away from their territories.
Animals don’t just dress up for spring, they dress up because spring is mating season for many.
Regardless of the method of coloration or the purpose we marvel at an iridescent rooster ring-necked pheasant, tom turkey in display, ruff on a grouse’s neck, intense speckling on a brook trout, or cardinal red on a male cardinal but subtle on the female.
This dimorphism is usually brighter in males and duller on females giving the female better camouflage when ground nesting. Try to pick out a hen pheasant or a grouse incubating a nest of eggs.
Some birds have the ability to see colors we can’t detect so the feathers may be even more beautiful than we will ever know, but their mates do.
It’s suspected that manufactured turkey decors don’t work as good as real feather decoys because in the right light, real turkey feathers are iridescent.
As beautiful as a bluebird, indigo bunting or blue jay is, the results are from non-iridescent feathers, the opposite in turkeys.
It’s bonus turkey permit time. Many permits remain for periods D, E and F. The proposed license fee increases are not approved so costs will be the same as last year to hunt, fish or trap.
“It seems most turkey hunting gear and equipment are same old, same old, but tried and true,” said Doug Williams, at D W Sports Center, Portage, Wisconsin. “Hunters have been seeing large rafts of birds, but first they should enjoy the sights of other wildlife, too. I saw a six adult bald eagles feeding in a field last week. Beautiful sight, with all those white heads.
It is likely there were six other eagles, the females, incubating eggs somewhere.
Birds of many sorts are on the minds of many who have been scouting turkeys or just out and about. Wayne Smith, Blanchardville, Wisconsin outdoorsman listed a dozen or so spring birds, particularly the red-winged blackbirds that seemed to show up overnight.
Wayne Whitemarsh, Sauk City, Wisconsin outdoorsman, commented on how colorful brook trout and perch are at this time of the year. “Turkey hunters should take time to enjoy the colorful plants and animals appearing as spring approaches.”
Contact Jerry Davis, a freelance writer at sivadjam@mhtc.net or 608.924.1112.
