Camouflage & the Cat

Eichhörnchen · 02-23-19, 01:48 PM

When I was a teenaged Army Cadet my favourite subject was always Camouflage and Concealment. I remember one evening we were all sat a few yards from the edge of a wood and asked just what we could see. Nothing but trees, bushes and grass, I thought. Then a whistle was blown and the wood suddenly came alive as a dozen camouflaged guys stood up and walked out onto the grass... I was very impressed

Now, we have been visited often of late by a black and white cat who regularly kills large numbers of birds in our garden. But he is so easy to see... often I've watched him steal down the edge of the field opposite our kitchen, yet the birds don't seem to see him coming... why? The other day I looked out the window and saw him away across the field, but then realised that it wasn't him at all but a magpie. Could it be, I thought, that the birds (all busy at the feeders) sometimes make the same mistake? Exponents of the art of camouflage know that it's not always a matter of not being seen, but instead being seen as something else

I've always meant to read the biography of Jasper Maskelyne, the magician employed during WW2 to help fool the Germans using deception and disguise rather than bland obfuscation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper_Maskelyne

Dazzle camouflage of warships and the geometric 'boxkite' patterns painted on WW1 aircraft are also examples of 'fooling' the enemy and I'd like to hear more thoughts and stories about camouflage & concealment here... to me it's such an amazing and fascinating science

02-23-19, 01:48 PM	#1
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 17,389 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Camouflage & the Cat When I was a teenaged Army Cadet my favourite subject was always Camouflage and Concealment. I remember one evening we were all sat a few yards from the edge of a wood and asked just what we could see. Nothing but trees, bushes and grass, I thought. Then a whistle was blown and the wood suddenly came alive as a dozen camouflaged guys stood up and walked out onto the grass... I was very impressed Now, we have been visited often of late by a black and white cat who regularly kills large numbers of birds in our garden. But he is so easy to see... often I've watched him steal down the edge of the field opposite our kitchen, yet the birds don't seem to see him coming... why? The other day I looked out the window and saw him away across the field, but then realised that it wasn't him at all but a magpie. Could it be, I thought, that the birds (all busy at the feeders) sometimes make the same mistake? Exponents of the art of camouflage know that it's not always a matter of not being seen, but instead being seen as something else I've always meant to read the biography of Jasper Maskelyne, the magician employed during WW2 to help fool the Germans using deception and disguise rather than bland obfuscation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper_Maskelyne Dazzle camouflage of warships and the geometric 'boxkite' patterns painted on WW1 aircraft are also examples of 'fooling' the enemy and I'd like to hear more thoughts and stories about camouflage & concealment here... to me it's such an amazing and fascinating science __________________