Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Photos | Gators, pigeons and the people who feed them

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I was driving by Promenade Park in Melbourne on Monday afternoon, so I decided to stop to see if there was anything happening. I spotted this small alligator in Crane Creek. An orange and yellow medical office building on the opposite shore was being reflected onto the creek's surface, surrounding the gator with colors similar to its own skin.

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The main attraction for the people, though, were the pigeons. They were scouting out the riverside boardwalk from the electric wires.

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Then they flew around a bit.

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And finally, they landed, attracted by the loaves of bread that a large family brought with it to feed them. The building in the background is the one that provided the colors in the alligator shot above.

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The birds grouped around whomever had the most bread. So when they got startled and flew, it was a bit overwhelming for this girl.

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Not sure why I focused on the girl in the background. In addition to feeding the pigeons, the children and adults threw bread to a school of large catfish and a few turtles that were swarming along the edge of the boardwalk. The aquatic life didn't show up well in the photos, though.

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The whole family got in on the act. They also tried to throw crumbs to the gator, but it was not biting.

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A pigeon has flourishes of color, especially on its throat and feet, that can be pretty.

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Overhead, two planes crisscrossed, making an X in the sky. I thought it was somewhat interesting.

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