In midsummer a quiet settles in here at the farm. Although it may be a strange simile at this time of year, to me the lack of sounds suggests the same sense as that of an early morning just after a winter's storm. It is an all-over quiet, conspicuously so.

While walking along the pasture lane on that midsummer day, I recalled the look of the northwestern hills in spring. From her palette of all shades of colors, Mother Nature selected from bright yellow to Hooker's green and bedaubed the hillside with them! Now, it was a surprise to find that those various brilliant green shades of spring were now darkened to become harmonized into the more somber shades of summer.

As one walks through woods and fields in midsummer, there is little distraction from wildlife. The furry mammals who live underground hide deep in their burrows, cooled by the damp earth. Those few that are out foraging glide along noiselessly within the shade.

Most birds have begun feeding their young or are starting a new brood, their last of the season. Others are being subjected to their post-nuptial molt and stay as well hidden as possible.

Actually, I do not see many birds during their molting period. At times, I have wondered if it were a matter of pride. But it is more likely that, as individual wing feathers are dropped, it becomes more difficult for them to perform aerial maneuvers to escape their ever-present enemies. Here at the farm, blue jays are a common exception, though, for they continue to slink about our feeding area searching out an easy meal.

Molting in young birds is almost a continuous process during their growth. Soon after they are hatched, most young birds are covered with down. Within a few days, their juvenile feathers push out the baby down. Frequently the down remains attached to the tips of the new feathers for a while and thus gives baby birds a scraggly appearance — an adolescent look, so to speak. When adult feathers finally arrive, the youngsters then look much like their parents.

Young males, though, do not always resemble adult males. This is true, for example, in the case of our state bird, the purple finch. First-year males, although individuals may exhibit a slight ruddy tinge, very closely resemble the female. This phenomenon explains why one sees what appears to be a female purple finch singing the next spring. In the case of the bald eagle, it takes from four to five years for immature birds to achieve adult plumage.

Molts usually take place following the breeding season but can occur before or at both times. Goldfinches are an example of birds that go through two annual molts. However, the spring molt is only a partial one as all but the wing and tail feathers are replaced. In the fall molt, little change in color takes place with the female. However, male goldfinches magically turn into what we know as “winter goldfinches” and end up looking very much like females.

That reminds me, readers often ask, “What is the name of the bird that looks like a baby evening grosbeak.” The answer; “'winter goldfinches, of course.”

Molting is a rather slow and continuous process, according to Lois and Louis Darling. In their book “Bird,” published by Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, in 1962, they wrote: “In most groups of birds the feathers are not shed from one area at the same time, and the bird is not handicapped by the loss of too many feathers at once. The remiges and rectrices — flight feathers of the wings and tail — are often shed in single pairs, one from the right and one from the left side, and this preserves aerodynamic balance. There are special exceptions to the above. For example, ducks and geese lose all their flight feathers at one time in their postnuptial molt. During the resulting flightless period, the males, in brightly colored species, molt into a coat of drab feathers very similar to those of the female. They become shy and secretive. The inconspicuous colors, called eclipse plumage, and the changing behavior protect the birds during a time when they have lost one of their principal defenses. The eclipse lasts for about a month or two and can be compared to the dull-colored winter feathers in males of many other groups.

“The replacement of feathers continues throughout the life of the bird. The papilla of each feather is permanent. A new feather grows from it whenever molt or accidental loss makes replacement necessary. This is why flight feathers of captive birds are clipped and not plucked. Plucking a feather from a living bird results in the immediate growth of a replacement.”

Stacey Cole's address is 529 W. Swanzey Road, Swanzey 03446.