Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/04/13

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Subject: [Leica] IMG: Hummingbird
From: kanner at acm.org (Herbert Kanner)
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:33:47 -0700
References: <CA+yJO1DnC9YstiDufcDxLBMpsW98+vZvTk=K=UMLu7E+zary+Q@mail.gmail.com>


Tine,

The bright colors on a hummingbird are created by iridescence, a 
fancy word for what in physics is known as "interference colors". It 
is the same phenomenon as the colors you see from a thin film of oil 
on water. The slight motion of the throat as the bird breathes will 
change the angle of throat surface relative to the direction of the 
incident light and that is enough to make the color disappear.

Herb


>PESO:
>
>A tiny hummingbird flew into my kitchen and could not figure out how to get
>out.  He finally knocked himself senseless against the window and I was
>able to pick him up and take him to the porch where he eventually recovered
>and flew away.  In the meantime, I got a few photos.  I never knew they
>could turn the red on their throats on and off!  It pulsed from red to
>black while I watched.
>
>http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley/peso_2012&page=5
>
>Which, if any, do you like?
>
>Tina
>
>--
>Tina Manley, ASMP
>www.tinamanley.com
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information

-- 
Herbert Kanner
kanner at acm.org
650-326-8204

Question authority and the authorities will question you.


In reply to: Message from images at comporium.net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] IMG: Hummingbird)