Down Time

 

So, today's images sort of follow of the them from my last post in that there is a story to each picture however unlike the last post where the story was different in every picture today three images share the same story while the final image has a connected story.

If you have ever been to Venice or seen the city in films or documentaries the gondola are an icon of the city and the famous gondoliers are just as iconic in their striped shirts and straw hats. The canals in the more popular parts of the city are teeming with them throughout the day and night and during the high summer season the gondoliers rarely seem to get a break. Sometimes however they manage to get a few minutes to rest and catch up with text messages and so on and those moments can make for an interesting picture. I think my favourite image today is the first one, where the gondolier is seen through the railings of the bridge.

In the final shot for today the gondolier is preparing his boat for the day ahead, no doubt he is hoping for good trade that will keep him and his family afloat.

Decoy Duck

This is not actually a decoy but is a living and breathing Mallard drake. He was sat enjoying the Saturday sunshine at Mere Sands Woods. He almost looks carved from wood and I think I caught him blinking or sleeping.

He was so still and the water was so calm I was able to capture such a good reflection.

One Swallow ...

... does not a summer make!

It is rare to see a swallow up close and perched so near to the ground as this one was. Normally they are seen flitting around in search of food, often sat high up on power lines and sometimes stealing a drink of water by skimming the surface of a pond. But perhaps on Skomer these birds have no fear of predators and that is why I was able to get so close. 

Anyway regardless of the reason it was a real treat to be able to approach so close and get these great pictures while it paused briefly before setting off again to feed.