From: "Mary Pat Larsen" <mplarsen173 at gmail.com>
To: Tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2011 1:13:57 PM

>One thing I have noticed in places like Lake Chapalla, MX and Boulder, CO: >bright colored birds, like Myrtle warbler and Vermilion flycatcher become >shockingly irridescent in sunlight. How come that doesn't happen (except >for hummingbirds, but then even those not quite so blindingly florescent) >in the maritime Pacific Northwest? To get that effect, does there need to >be high altitude? Low latitude?

Ms. Larsen, I enjoyed your description of your trip and your comments
about the iridescence of birds meant more to be than ever because I have
been reading the National Geographic Bird Coloration book by Geoffrey
Hill. Not only is it a beautiful book, but the information about why we
perceive bird feathers as we do and how birds (probably) perceive color
is fascinating. Certainly it has made me much more conscious of the
details of the plumage of birds I see. An obliging Steller's Jay even
dropped a feather in my yard, so I have been able to observe structural
coloration first hand.

Thanks again for sharing your trip. (I saw my first Kingbirds in San
Diego at Christmas and was so impressed with those lovely yellow
breasts.)

Darlene
Cinebar