July

 July 2025

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I got lucky with this male Ruby-throated hummingbird.

A momentary synced pose in the middle of a feeding session. Fledgling on left, dad on right, Red-bellied woodpeckers.

July 5.

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First Monarch, yay! It's a lady but if she left any eggs I didn't find them.

Downy woodpecker sunbathing

July 2

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This is from late June but I only just finished it: another Carolina Wren sequence.

June

JUNE 2025 (Reverse chronological this time)

Note: If videos won't play full screen, you can always view (some of) them via my Youtube channel.

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May 2025

May 2025

May 1

May 2, Red-header woodpecker in slow-motion.
Shot with GoPro 11 Black at high speed but I don't think I'm getting the best results in either Pinnacle Pro 23 or Kdenlive. I wanted to capture what it looks like when flying away, which is usually how I see it. Youtube link (in case video doesn't work above).

Ma Bluebird hard at work on the second nest of the season.

May 10

May 9

May 19, Gray Catbird's meow.

My first ever AI* video. May 20 at Kent Lanes open mic. The audio is a bit fake too, I wasn't pleased with my playing and attempted to make it suck less by adding 2nd guitar the next day at home. 
*I used an online thing called DeeVid. I thought it did pretty well animating a static image.

U.S. Blues (No fake video or audio edits on this one)

May 22, male Red-bellied woodpecker. 

May 22, the lovely male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

May 24, I'm hoping this Red-headed woodpecker is delivering some suet to a youngster in a nest somewhere.

May 24 This female Baltimore Oriole was rapping on the kitchen window. I'm quite sure the message was "Hey! Grape Jelly, now!".

May 25, she's back at 7:30 in the morning.

Spring 2025 (April)

Some photos I've posted recently on FB, for those who aren't on that odd virtual space.
I think these were all taken through the kitchen window except the asterisked ones.

First hummingbird of the season April 30

*Ma Bluebird "dive bombing" me when I got too close to her family April 28

Coopers hawk April 29

Just to prove it, there really were two at once.

April 29 the glorious Red-headed woodpecker arrived

House Finch in the Autumn Olive, April 27

Composite, April 27

Composite, April 27

I didn't know the flowers were nutritious

Catbird showing colourful undertail coverts, April 27

April 23

*Bluebirds. There were 6 eggs, possibly hatched yesterday or today April 18

One of my faves, the Field sparrow. Who could be meeker? April 22

Warblers

 WARBLERS

October 17 2022, Cape May warbler (female/immature)

Yes it's fuzzy, but you can see white tail markings not apparent in the still shots, further evidence of yellow rump too.

October 2022 Homeowner's Disease

Thursday October 13

 First - a new load of limestone for the driveway.

Upper deck wall looking a bit ratty.

Well on the way.

Yet Another Sax Change Operation

October 27, 2021

I have two saxophones, an alto and a tenor. The tenor is newer (circa 1965) and has a feature that the 1923 Buescher alto lacks: left-pinky-pushing the Bb/B/C# key also activates the G# key. On the alto the G# key is completely independent.

The electronic Yamaha YDS-150 acts the same as the tenor.

All I had to do was add some bits and pieces to the G# key in the right places so the other keys would push it down. Sorry, no before-mod shots.

Step 1 - a bit of aluminium* scrap (gutter)

Step 2 - a bit of wood (like a popsicle-stick) glued to the aluminium

Step 3 (not shown) - a bit of cork glued to the wood was needed for the D# key.

*Google says: "The word was first proposed by Davy in the form alumium, and changed by him to aluminum; but was finally made aluminium to conform to the analogy of sodium, potassium, etc. ... And so we land today: with aluminum used by the English speakers of North America, and aluminium used everywhere else."

Above: two clips showing how the Evette Schaeffer tenor keys activate the G# key.

Below: a clip showing my modification allowing the same on the alto.

The discerning viewer will note how the last push takes a bit more effort, and that I'm not even using my pinky finger for the demonstration. 

I may undo the whole thing as I already have difficulty with pinky finger-strength. This mod is completely non-invasive and reversible. On the other hand, as of yet I don't spend much time on those lowest notes as they're hard to hit on that horn.

Lastly, one might ask why did I do this?

1: Because I have a neurosis about kluging things.

2: I think there are occasions when this fix would eliminate the need for the left pinky to move between Bb, B, or C# and the G# key. I discovered one such instance in a passage I was practicing on the tenor. My instructor said something like 'you found a hack'. That was before I noticed that the alto couldn't do the same.