Can anyone ID this Feather? (photo included)

[Rebel]

I found this feather on my allotment yesterday and I'm not sure what bird it came from.

I'm intrigued by it and would appreciate an identification. Thanks

 

[Retired Member southey]

It's not a pigeon tail feather is it. I seem to remember they are quite bright and pattern in a similar way. i'm not sure though.

 

[pwb]

Maybe a Jay.

 

[JonathanD]

Easy, It's from a Jay.

 

[JonathanD]

Maybe a Jay.

Beaten to it. Yes it's certainly from a Jay, one of it's secondaries.

 

[_scorpio_]

your too quick!!!

 

[Rebel]

Thanks. I can see that now. It had me a bit puzzled.

 

[pango]

Time to come clean, Rebel!

You were hoping you had a tropical vagrant in your garden, weren't you? It is one of our closest to being exotic, though!

I was sitting on a lochside during a mad spell, repairing a pheasant-tail-nymph as the trout were hitting hard and quite literally tearing my flies apart. I saw a movement at my left elbow and looked down to see a jay, eyes fixed on my hands and cocking its head from side to side in fascination at what I was doing. I turned slowly and offered it a piece of pheasant tail, in response to which it hopped round to my right and sat on my fishing bag, eyes fixed on my hands, still cocking its head.

Love em!

 

[jonnie drake]

a useful wee feather for tying head hackles on irish style bumble flies. But yes its from a jay!

 

[naefearjustbeer]

That be used for the throat hackle for an invicta. I am sure I have some of those buried away in my fly tying box! I thought the irish bumbles used guinea fowl feathers?

 

[Rebel]

Time to come clean, Rebel!

You were hoping you had a tropical vagrant in your garden, weren't you? It is one of our closest to being exotic, though!

Not really I've got enough exotics, they are called Ring Necked Parakeets.

Here's a couple eyeing up my soft fruits.

I thought that the feather belonged to a blue coloured bird but I couldn't figure out what because the pattern didn't match the usual suspects. I didn't think of the Jay at all.

Interestingly there are Blue Jays in North America. If our Jay looked like this I think I'd have guessed it right away.

 

[jonnie drake]

guinea fowl is dyed blue and used as a sub for jay.