Welcome to the fifth edition of the Carnival of Colors, the blog carnival that celebrates color in all its chromatic glory. I’m flattered to be the first host apart from its founder, Daniel of this beautiful blog anthology. Color is a subject near and dear to my heart. I’m a very visual person, which causes me no end of trouble when birding because I rely far too much on my eyes and not nearly enough on my ears. But who could fault a person for wanting to attentively observe avifauna? I’ve been exploring the different colors of avian plumage from cerulean to buff to vinaceous to, most recently, emerald. You can explore all of them from azure to violaceous at The Plumage Pages.

Today’s carnival presents eight essays on different aspects of color, including of course a few on birds and nature. Conveniently, some palettes identify eight distinct colors, apart from gray, brown, and white, and then separate shades from those eight. This scheme seems to make more sense than the traditional ROYGBIV paradigm, but who can say if it’s better; if the following fantastic posts tell us anything, it’s that color, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
redNeela Menon of One Hundred Years of Solitude identifies intensely with the color red, but her dreams described in Well Done, Director! range from black and white to luxuriant, opulent colors.

orangeTrevor of Trevor’s Birding lives in Australia and since he’s a perceptive fellow, he has the pleasure of observing Rainbow Lorikeets flocking in the wild. Orange is just one of the colors adorning these prismatic parrots.

yellowWe all know where John of A DC Birding Blog does to get his daily recommended allowance of vivid color. Leading a DC Audubon field trip, he spotted some Brightly-colored Birds in fetching shades of gold and scarlet.

greenAlejna of collecting tokens has been trying to live greener of late. To mark this wise course of action, she presents a green party of sixteen celebrities. Note that these aren’t famous figures known for their environmental awareness but rather their jade appearance. Ho ho ho…

cyanStroop, there it is! Daniel, the king of the Carnival of Colors himself, presents the treacherous Stroop Test at his blog, Colblindor. Can you read the colors?

blueWhen you think of Earth, Wind & Water, what color comes to mind first? Fans of Tai Haku’s adventures are well acquainted with the oceanic rainbow of aqua, azure, and ultramarine wherein he plies his trade. Explore Tai’s Sub-aquatic Homesick Blues.

violetHotStrategies.com explains how those with winter birthdays can perk up their days and wardrobes by aligning their wardrobes with the reds, blues, and purples of their birthstones in Winter Birthstones: Bright Colors For Dark Days.

pinkJulie Dunlap of Pines Above Snow is well-attuned to the awesome infinitude of colors in nature. She identifies a kindred spirit in the legendary author of A Sand County Almanac, describing Leopold’s Colors: Evanescent and Durable.

The Carnival of Colors is a monthly extravaganza looking for more contributors and more hosts. Ponder the pleasures of your favorite shades and hues and get in touch with Daniel at Colblindor about being a part of the next aesthetically enticing edition on August 1.

Written by Mike
Mike is a leading authority in the field of standardized test preparation, but he's also a traveler who fully expects to see every bird in the world. Besides founding 10,000 Birds in 2003, Mike has also created a number of other entertaining but now extirpated nature blog resources, particularly the Nature Blog Network and I and the Bird.