MALE STONECHAT
FEMALE STONECHAT
THE STONECHAT PAIR
RED CRESTED POCHARDS, FERRUGINOUS & WHITE FACED WHISTLING DUCKS
THREE SPECIES OF REDDISH DUCK AT WWT BARNES
1. RED CRESTED POCHARDS 
2. FERRUGINOUS DUCKS 
3. WHITE FACED WHISTLING DUCKS 
THESE TWO WERE LITERALLY ‘NECKING’ FOR ABOUT A MINUTE…
TUFTED DUCKS, MARBLED TEAL & CAPE TEAL
DUCKS AT WWT BARNES FEB 2012
1. TUFTED DUCKS
FEMALE TUFTED DUCK – in many ways this one is my favourite photo of the day. None of these photos has been modified, so the water is just as it was
2. MARBLED TEAL
3. CAPE TEAL 
BITTERNS BOOM AT WWT BARNES
A BITTERN DEEP IN THE REEDS AT WWT BARNES (the first I have ever seen)
STONE PATTERNS, MAZES, MOSAICS and TILES
TWO STONE CLOTH MEASURES, ITALY
RIMINI – COMMUNAL MEASURING STONE dated 1544 (used in particular for fabrics). A very sophisticated multi-measurement example. See below for a rustic one.
CALENZANO ALTA – a simple cloth measure incised in side-stone of an archway. This standard medieval length is known as a “Braccio”, an arm’s length.
VENICE, GRAND CANAL – STONEWORK DETAIL on a quayside wall
The complete fragment, tastefully set off by a drainpipe
CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF ST DENIS (Paris) – PAINTED FLOOR TILE
TWO ITALIAN MAZES
1. MAZE IN THE ENTRANCE PORCH OF THE DUOMO S. MARTINO, LUCCA
This maze is embedded in the right pier of the portico and is believed to date from the 12th century or 13th century. Its importance is that it may well pre-date the famous Chartres maze, yet is of the Chartres pattern that became a standard for mazes. The attractive and rustic incised Latin inscription refers to ancient pagan mythology: “This is the labyrinth built by Dedalus of Crete; all who entered therein were lost, save Theseus, thanks to Ariadne’s thread.”
HIC QUEM CRETICUS EDIT
DAEDALUS EST LABERINTHUS
DE QUO NULLUS VADERE
QUIVIT QUI FUIT INTUS
NI THESEUS GRATIS ADRIANE
STAMINE JUTUS
2. BASILICA DI S. VITALE, RAVENNA – LARGE FLOOR MAZE
Both these maze images are now featured in the excellent and fascinating maze website at MAZES & LABYRINTHS This site covers the history of mazes, with prolific examples both photographic and diagrammatic, and a multitude of links to other maze-related material. Once you start in there, you may never find your way out…
RAVENNA- BASILICA DI S. VITALE Small Floor Mosaic
SHERBORNE, DORSET: MASONIC EMBLEM ON THE LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE (1896)
STONE PLAQUES FROM EITHER SIDE OF A RAILWAY BRIDGE OVER THE HIGH PEAK RAILWAY, DERBYSHIRE (NOW DE-COMMISSIONED AND OPERATING AS THE TISSINGTON TRAIL FOR CYCLISTS & WALKERS) 
CLOCKS – THE PUBLIC FACE OF TIME
HAMPTON COURT PALACE – HENRY VIII’s WONDERFUL ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK
HAMPTON COURT PALACE – THE LESS ELABORATE CLOCK IN BASE COURT 
TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
GREAT COURT CLOCK
The Trinity Clock has a Denison Double Three-legged Gravity Escapement and was installed in 1910.
This is the timepiece that governed my life for 3 formative years…
To find out more, and to see photos of the complicated-looking works
Small image credit © Trinity College
TWO MODERN(-ISH) CHURCH CLOCKS IN DORSET
1. SHERBORNE ABBEY DORSET
2. LONGBURTON CHURCH DORSET – ST JAMES THE GREAT
ITALIAN CLOCKS
RIMINI – TORRE OROLOGICO, PIAZZA TRE MARTIRI
PRATO – CATTEDRALE DI SANTO STEFANO Sunlight clearly showing the change of numbering
PRATO CATHEDRAL – THE INTERIOR CLOCK IN A CORRESPONDING POSITION
PRATO – PALAZZO PRETORIO
PALAZZUOLO SUL SENIO, MUGELLO – CHIESA DI SANTO STEFANO Impossible to date this ancient-looking clock. The church has had several restorations, the latest after WWII 
SANT’AGATA, MUGELLO
SCARPERIA, MUGELLO – PALAZZO DEI VICARI
This image: Tourist Info 
BRISIGHELLA, EMILIA ROMAGNA – A REMARKABLE TOWER ON A PROMONTORY Taken in the days when a 2mb digital camera was quite something. But not enough for a good quality distance shot…
AMSTERDAM – OUDE KERK 
OCTOBER BEES FEASTING ON FUCHSIA
BEES FEASTING ON FUCHSIA IN EARLY OCTOBER – DORSET 
GET A GRIP
NICE HAT
HANG IN THERE
CALENZANO ALTO’S ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL, ITALY
This excellent analemmatic sundial is installed in the square at the very top of the small medieval town of Calenzano Alto, which perches on a hill above the major industrial sprawl and motorway network of the Arno plain between Prato and Florence.
The sundial takes up a substantial area of the large piazza, and consists of a central sun/moon stone mosaic with radiating ‘sight’ lines to small brass plates numbered from VI to XVIII (in fact number VI is missing, the rest are there). The gnomon is the person who stands at the centre of the sun. There are no buildings close enough to obstruct the sun’s light, so on a sunny or even a bright day, the time can be easily told at least approximately… were it not for the cars that are normally parked all over the square!
SUNDIALS FROM AMSTERDAM (a change from Tulips)
1. MODERN 1993 SUNDIAL ON PRINSENGRACHT ON A c17 HOUSE (? a midwife’s house)
2. MUSEUM VAN LOON, KEIZERSGRACHT – THE OLDEST (1578) OF THREE
2. MUSEUM VAN LOON, KEIZERSGRACHT – ARMILLARY SPHERE
3. MUSEUM VAN LOON, KEIZERSGRACHT – ARMILLARY SPHERE (CLOSE-UP)
4. MUSEUM VAN LOON, KEIZERSGRACHT – A FINE SOUTH-FACING SUNDIAL ON THE GARDEN SIDE
OLD MAN’S BEARD (CLEMATIS VITALBA) – DORSET
OLD MAN’S BEARD (CLEMATIS VITALBA) also called TRAVELLER’S JOY – DORSET
ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY 