A stunning male verdin brandishes the feather of a much larger bird, then poses for the camera. I spent the better part of a week watching him delicately place sticks amidst treacherous cholla spines. Mr Verdin would take periodic breaks to hop around the nearby treetops, earnestly singing for a hypothetical lady. On multiple occasions, this feather was carried to the slowly-progressing nest, delicately placed, then shifted a few times before being blown away by the wind. Finally, while Mr Verdin was too far away to notice, the wind blew this prize away to never be retrieved again. Poor fellow! Photo taken in Tucson, AZ.

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