Return the ladybird to a shrub outdoors when you have finished viewing it. Occasionally you can find a pile of feathers and bones in the countryside, where a bird of prey or fox has had a meal of a bird. Feathers are always worth studying in close-up especially if you can compare the small downy feathers and the larger display feathers. There are a number of types of feather, which have specialised functions ie insulation, flight display and sensory reception. The barbs possess further branches called the barbules, and adjacent barbules are attached to one another by hooks which stiffen the vane.
Large feathers are easy to study under a hand lens or low power stereo microscope.
Try using transmitted light, and also reflected light from various angles to fully appreciate their structure. They are an attractive sight and provide welcome colour to the countryside at this time of year. The catkins are worth studying under a low magnification, to examine the structure of the flower. Just dab a little pollen with your fingertip on a slide and cover with a cover-slip. You will have to vary the focus to appreciate the structure because the depth of focus will be small.