ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY

MUSCOVY DUCKS: THE MATING GAME

Published on February 28, 2012March 10, 2012 by Rolling Harbour4 Comments

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

WATERBIRD RECREATION: CORMORANTS, HERONS, SEAGULLS & COOTS

Published on February 26, 2012February 28, 2012 by Rolling Harbour3 Comments

A WATERBIRD RECREATION AREA… TAKEN FROM A DISTANCE

ADULT & JUVENILE CORMORANTS PREENING, GREY HERONS, SEAGULLS, & TWO COOTS PLAYING CHASE

WHITE HEADED DUCKS

Published on February 23, 2012February 24, 2012 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

WHITE HEADED DUCKS AT WWT BARNES

BIRDS ON A WIRE – A PAIR OF STONECHATS IN FEBRUARY SUN

Published on February 22, 2012 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

MALE STONECHAT

FEMALE STONECHAT

THE STONECHAT PAIR

RED CRESTED POCHARDS, FERRUGINOUS & WHITE FACED WHISTLING DUCKS

Published on February 21, 2012February 22, 2012 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

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

Published on February 20, 2012February 23, 2012 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

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

Published on February 19, 2012February 20, 2012 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

A BITTERN DEEP IN THE REEDS AT WWT BARNES (the first I have ever seen)

STONE PATTERNS, MAZES, MOSAICS and TILES

Published on February 8, 2012October 11, 2012 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

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

Published on December 5, 2011February 4, 2012 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

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

CLICK HERE

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…