austin, texas // day four // peacocks mating

Today we visited the Mayfield Nature Preserve, which is full of wild and crazy (and horny) peacocks! Aren't they lovely? We had wild peacocks in our neighborhood in Miami, but they were much more afraid (or angry) at the humans. These birds were pretty chill.This is called "peacock flirting." That's a female in front. The male is shaking his back feathers so that his front feathers are pushed forward and make the sound of a table fan. I always thought "fanning" just described the opening of the tail, but I had no idea this sound was part of it.I love the colors in the tail feathers...From the front... More fanning...And from the back. So interesting how all the color disappears from behind! Those tall feathers in back are what push against the longer feathers to make the sound.And he scores!