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Monday, June 28, 2010

Beauty and Beast?

I went to the Beacon Hill Park Children's Zoo yesterday to photograph the Running of the Goats, a daily event patterned after the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. I got sidetracked, however, by these two birds, both so strikingly shaped and colored yet calling forth such different human reactions. So far as I know there is no useful purpose to the decorative aspects of these birds beyond attracting mates and I am sure the turkey cock attracts female turkeys as ably as the peacock attracts peahens. Yet for most of us, the turkey is repulsive and the peacock is beautiful. Hmmm. As for the goats, they ran admirably but I misjudged the shutter speed/aperture combination required to capture the savage splendor of their morning stampede, so I'll be going back soon. It's no hardship since the Children's Zoo is one of my favorite places.

5 comments:

Mike Laplante said...

Nice thematic contrast between your subjects.
I just had to laugh when I saw that fugly turkey.
When I was a cadet at Royal Roads Military College, there were a large number of peacocks that wandered the grounds. Their spring mating calls would drive us nuts as we tried to study in the evenings. Once, we watched one beat itself to a bloody mess, as it kept attacking its own reflection in a car bumper. Colourful, yes, but not the 'brightest' of birds...

Dean Lewis said...

One theory about how such wide diversity in appearance happens in the animal kingdom is that it allows quick and easier identification between potential mates. Makes sense from a reproductive point of view.
So even though that turkey is uglier than an old boot, other turkeys may just find him more 'turkey-ish'.

JoJo said...

Aw, poor ugly turkey! :( I do love the peacock though! I covet those blue feathers!

T. Becque said...

Great detail photo of that turkey! From the thumbnail it looked like a crocodile with it's head cut off (glad it wasn't that!).

msdewberry said...

I have many pictures of my kids at Beacon Hill Park trying to catch the peacocks, or make them spread out thier tail feathers for them. Also in the goat pen playing with the babies. They have since sized down the Animals display, its not nearly as big as it used to be!! (or I've just grown up)