Cock Pheasant peanut hunting

The iridescent feathers of a cock pheasant are a fly-tier's delight. This one was absolutely shimmering in the light from the flash. We see only a small proportion of the colour spectrum which birds see. The iridescence is produced by something called Bragg reflection, and obviously is a powerful attractant to his harem. The minute structures that compose the barbules of the feathers display different colors based on their individual and differing lengths...I learn something new each day :-)