HONEY BEES, EAST SUSSEX ON 1st APRIL These bees are from four hives, and were thirsty. During the day there were always several drinking in the birdbath. Although the water level was quite low, sadly there had been a couple of casualties early in the day. Adding bits of plant solved the problem. Also shown below is the first honey of the year. 
ALPACAS IN DORSET – THE 3 LAWNMOWERS…
I realise that these creatures are not strictly – or in any sense – equines [the page where they are kept] , but South American camelids related to llamas. I don’t have a separate category for them, however. Our neighbours keep these 3 in our paddock, where they act as lawnmowers, mobile fertilisers and exotic livestock eye-candy in the Dorset countryside. They are very stupid, and wince-makingly shy – except when they are being violently aggressive…
And here is their modelling portfolio in slideshow format. Some might say the brown one has “IT”, but the white one clearly needs some expensive orthodontistry…
HOUSEMARTINS – CWMDU, POWYS, WALES These little birds moved too fast and too acrobatically for the small camera I had with me. They were nesting under the eaves of the cottage I was staying in
A FROG IN THE GARDEN
My reflection can be seen in the frog’s eye (click twice to enlarge image), an unintentional result
THE NEXT GENERATION… We went away for the weekend, and came back to find a bird bath full of fresh frogspawn! I have put some wire over it – the blackbirds use it for their lengthy ablutions, often nearly emptying it. The frogspawn wouldn’t stand a chance… Strangely, there’s also a tiny freshwater shrimp in the bowl. I’ve no idea how that came to be there. Updates will follow 
The sundials shown below are in Coaraze, a small medieval ‘village perché’ (650m) in the Alpes-Maritimes, Provence, north of Nice. They include sundials by artistic polymath Jean Cocteau, novelist, poet, dramatist, designer, artist and filmmaker; Ponce de Leon; and Henri Goetz, among others. They are located in two places in the village (1) on the front and side walls of the Marie (2) at the top of the village on a south-facing walls in the square in front of the church
MONA CRISTIE – LA CHEVAUCHÉE DU TEMPS
GEORGES DOUKING – LES ANIMAUX FABULEUX
JEAN COCTEAU – LES LÉZARDS (lizards are the historic symbol of the village)
GILBERT VALENTIN – LES TOURNESOLS 
FABIENNE BARRE (2008) – on the side wall of the Marie, with a view of the village
ANGEL PONCE DE LÉON – BLUE TIME (1961) 
HENRI GOETZ – LE PYTHON ET SA COURONNE EN VERT ET OR (1961) 
SACHA SOSNO (2007) 
“BEN” – BENJAMIN VAUTIER (2008)
THIS LOVELY DOG was enjoying a cold early March swim as the sun went down. I started to photograph it while it was still in the sun, then moved round and took some more photos against the light, producing the silhouette effect of the dog and its owner on the rocks
A TINY GINGER BEE FORAGING ON A SUNNY MARCH DAY IN THE HILLS OF SE PROVENCE
This is going to be a bit awkward for me. And for you. We are all going to have to be very adult about this. If you are sensitive about discussing… intimacies, then look away now. Because we are going to have to confront the facts with courage and fortitude. Ducks have sex. Oh, you didn’t quite catch that? They have Sex. SEX. SEX. Let’s call it something less.. well, I think mating is the correct word, although given the fact that the female suffers total submersion during the proceedings, ‘ducking’ would not be wholly out of place…
Muscovy ducks turn out to be very interesting in this area. A quick piece of research about them unearthed this unbeatable wiki-nugget of anatidaean life: “Male Muscovy Ducks have spiralled penises which can become erect to 20 cm in one third of a second. Females have cloacas that spiral in the opposite direction to try to limit forced copulation by males”.
SPRINGTIME. I THINK IT’S TIME TO FIND MYSELF… A LADY FRIEND
OH MY GOODNESS. THAT “1/3 OF A SECOND THING” IS STARTING TO HAPPEN…
QUICK. AH. THERE’S ONE. SHE LOOKS NICE. LET’S SEE HOW THINGS DEVELOP.
YAY! I ENJOYED THAT
ME TOO… I THINK 
YES, ALL OK NOW 
A WATERBIRD RECREATION AREA… TAKEN FROM A DISTANCE
ADULT & JUVENILE CORMORANTS PREENING, GREY HERONS, SEAGULLS, & TWO COOTS PLAYING CHASE
ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY 