A Western Blue Bird living its best life. First time we’ve seen them feasting on our cultivated natives California grapes. #Birds #WesternBlueBird #Fujifilm A Western Blue Bird in defoliated grape vines, showing off its rust red chest atop a bunch of dried out grapes. The bird has a blue head and is looking to the left.

Some birds spotted today at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge: a Bald Eagle, a Merlin, and a Black Phoebe. 🪶 #Birds #SacramentoNationalWildlifeRefuge #BaldEagle #Merlin #BlackPhoebe #Fujifilm Bald eagle, looking left across its left shoulder, perched on a Willow tree branch surrounded by foliage.

A Merlin perched on a leafless tree branch against a clear blue sky.

A Black Phoebe bird in mid-flight over a calm body of water with light ripples and reflections of vegetation on the surface.

Here’s my RaspberryShake’s recording of the M7.5 earthquake at Japan. #RaspberryShake #Earthquake #Japan

A seismograph of the M7.5 earthquake at Japan on 1/1/2024

#SilentSunday A tranquil wetland scene with dry, reedy plants protruding from the water and a single red and white fishing bobber visible among the stalks. The bobber reflects in the placid water below.

COVID Sucks (Stay Fully Vaccinated )

Glad I’m fully vaccinated as my post-Germany COVID symptoms/disease could be lots worse. Took several days to test positive. The infection started with an on/off fever, sore throat, cold-like symptoms, & general malaise. My finger tips tingled for a few hours (immune system must have gone after my nerve myelin)! Two weeks later, my head is congested (ears not at right pressure) and I’ve a minor cough. Get vaccinated & protect yourself. Don’t travel during peak respiratory virus season. Avoid poorly ventilated (we’ve learned… nothing) trains. Still, Germany was pretty great! Photos will be randomly posted.

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#SilentSunday #Deutschland #Berlin A person bundled in winter clothing and a small dog patiently looking up to that person on a snow-covered path in a park with trees, a bench, and a trash can covered in grafiti. It is snowing.

A Hooded Crow harasses a generally unflappable Kestrel at Berlin Tempelhof. #Fujifilm #Birds 🪶#Deutschland #Berlin In shallow snow, a hooded crow chases after a small brown kestrel. Dead brown weedy plants frame the background. The image is watermarked, Copyright Ryan Mikulovsky

After two weeks in Germany, Fujifilm’s new XApp was ace for geotags and JPEG transfers to my iPhone. Tips: set custom saved settings’ power management to never turn off; wait to transfer at end of the day; geotag backup: use Pedometer++ for GPX, and HoudahGeo to geotag using GPX #Fujifilm

#SilentSunday #Tempelhof #Berlin #AvGeek A snowy landscape with runway direction signs reading “27” with an arrow pointing left and “09” with an arrow pointing right, indicating runway headings at an airport. The background features a flat horizon with the sun trying to shine through an overcast sky and distant buildings. There’s a crow sitting on a bench in the foreground.

I’ve been waiting for this compact flight simulator controller for over a year. I’m pretty excited about it. Made in the USA, which for electronics, isn’t easy! #AvGeek #FlightSim #YawManArrow Orders for the Yawman Arrow begin Jan. 8 – Yawman

Love getting out of the bus at the departure stand. Returning today to SFO from Germany. #Travel #Deutschland #B77W #Fujifilm #AvGeek ✈️

United 777-300 engine on a damp tarmac 777 wheel undercarriage with a man next to them for scale.Front nose gear of the 777 with the aircraft ID of 2143. A bus is driving off on the background.

Guten Morgen! Yesterday, after arriving at Frankfurt, Germany, we had lunch with jet-lag friendly alkoholfrei Bier. Today, in an hour, we’re catching a train to Berlin. #TravelPhotography Alcohol free beer in a Paulaner hellis glass. At the top corner within a glass window reflection an aircraft can be seen flying over. There’s a Christmas tree in the reflection too!

My 3-year old 777-300 ride tonight to Frankfurt. SFO gate G9 has decent views of that gate’s aircraft. Lucky me! (Not sarcasm; most gates here are awful for avgeeks) #Avgeek #B77W #Fujifilm United 777-300 parked at SFO gate G9 just as it’s towed in. It’s a cloudy day and the tarmac is wet and shiny.

On PetaPixel:

“Science Explains The Rainbows That Appear in Hummingbirds’ Wings”

https://petapixel.com/2023/12/01/science-explains-the-rainbows-that-appear-in-hummingbirds-wings/

#SilentSunday It is night in the city where there’s a five story building where the front is only lit up. Small li windows reveal shops are along the dark street. There are a few red unlit Chinese New Year lanterns strung across the street.

Yellow-Rumped Warbler was on the backyard cultivated Native California Grapes just long enough for this fortunate shot. #Birds #YellowRumpedWarbler #Fujifilm 🪶A Yellow-Rumped Warbler in a grape vine that’s losing its red to brown leaves. The pointy beaked warbler has a yellow neck and chest. It’s gray and white elsewhere. The bird is staring at something off-frame to the left.

Here’s the turkey that appeared out of a hollow at Point Reyes National Seashore (years ago) and tried to steal our lunch. #Birds 🪶A turkey, showing its side, staring menacingly at the camera. The bird is about waist high and is standing next to a well-worn log. Its beak is bright and sharp.

Orange-crowned Warblers are back, feasting on dried out grapes. We’ve also observed Yellow-Rumped Warblers in the grapes. #Birds #OrangeCrownedWarbler 🪶 #Fujifilm A yellow bird straddles a thin grape vine among red and yellow grape leaves.

Snow Geese are back in Northern California. It’s nice living in a fly-way. #SnowGeese #Birds #Fujifilm 🪶Snow Geese fly above in a haphazard V formation. They’re all white with black wing tips. The sky is blue with wispy clouds.

Walnut trees in Northern California right now. 20 foot or so spaced rows of walnut trees with their bright yellow fall foliage.