I got out for an 8-hour drive yesterday, 15 May 2024, because our parking lot and stalls had to be cleaned of all the gravel. It had been postponed from a previous date. So, I got up around 6:30 am and after I was ready, headed SW to one of my favourite areas and wherever else I might end up. Drove first to see if I could see a Wilson’s Snipe, was very happy to find three of them, and was finally able to get the first photos of this species this season. I was happy to see a little White-crowned Sparrow, too, as it had been quite a while since I last saw one. A few Mountain Bluebirds were seen along various roads.
Drove further west and then headed south and, eventually turned eastwards. Nothing really much to see. So, had a good long drive and, though tiring, was enjoyable. Nice to have a few more new photos instead of digging into the archives.
"In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id
www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i... 
