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
WHITE HEADED DUCKS AT WWT BARNES
MALE STONECHAT
FEMALE STONECHAT
THE STONECHAT PAIR
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…
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 
A BITTERN DEEP IN THE REEDS AT WWT BARNES (the first I have ever seen)
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.
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) 
ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY 