Peacock pigments

Stayed Easter weekend on Isola Superiore in Lago Maggiore, Italy. Day tripper hell, but peaceful dinner and breakfast in that wonderful time when the boats have stopped running. A visit to a neighbouring island, Isola Madre, produced a group of white peacocks - displaying frantically. Albinos, I hear you cry! But no. Abinism is a loss of melanin, so even the eyes have no pigment. This is Leucism: a loss of pigments specifically in the skin, hair or feathers. The eyes remain coloured. I used to have a partially leucistic crow hanging around my garden. Partial leucism is known as 'pied' - which comes from Magpie.

Also in monochrome, my quick sketch of Pallanza on the mainland opposite.