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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!

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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.

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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/

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#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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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We had a distinguished visitor in our backyard today, hunting at our feeder. This is a Cooper’s Hawk or a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Absolutely stunning. A hawk perched in an elderberry bush. It has rust red bars on its white chest and a dark brown back. Both its yellowish eyes are looking forward toward something off to the photographer’s side.

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Good morning. The time changed so I’m now technically up an hour early but I got the usual hours of sleep. So here’s a likely Savanna Sparrow from the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge A small bird perched in dense brown reeds.

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I’m still amazed how the beta blocker Propranolol means I no longer have a physical tachycardic fight/flight response to normal situations like hobbies, people, and work. Game changer. Makes managing anxiety much easier.

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The Orange-crowned Warbler(s) is/are back! They found our cultivated native California grapes a few years ago and have been back annually. I like to think it’s the same one bird that returns. #OrangeCrownedWarbler #Birds An Orange-crowned Warbler, perched in a grapevine, feasts on a bunch of drying out grapes. The bird is slightly obscured by a grape leaf. The warbler is a brownish yellow with white around its eyes.

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KCIC (Chico Municipal) had an open house yesterday. Two BAE-146s, C-GRNT and N908AS, are stored there. Owned by Air Spray, a fire tanker company. I don’t know if they’re converted. Didn’t look like it. #AvGeek #BAe146 Two parked and stored BAE-146s with their high wings and four jet engines. They are stored so the engines are covered and doors taped off.

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Orland, CA government is pretty decent: “Groundwater recharge sites in Glenn County help provide water to households”

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I guess it’s good that the lost Budgie (parakeet) keeps returning to our bird friendly backyard. The neon green bird seems to be flocking with house sparrows. The sparrows constantly move while the Budgie preens.

A parakeet is perched on a Ceanothus branch. It has a neon yellow head and green body.
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I may have a breakthrough with my anxiety. A beta blocker. Forces my brain to stop being an adrenaline junky for low stakes things like… hobbies, people, & work. My heart rate is now not near to or tachycardic for no good reason and that hugely helps my anxiety. A cardiologist is in my future.

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Good morning from California, where Fall is finally reasserting itself.

A backyard with a weather station and native plants. Early morning sunlight is reflecting off the bottoms of low clouds, resulting in a bright orange glow.
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Some wildlife at the Red Bluff Recreation Area (managed by the Mendocino National Forest). Lots of amphibians at Ben’s Pond(?)! We also observed well camouflaged mule deer and a busy Downy Woodpecker. #RedBluffRecreationAreaA frog or toad sitting in an algae filled pond, sticking its head out into the air. At least three Mule Deer in tall brown reeds, looking back towards the human interlopers. A Downy Woodpecker on a tree branch with a slightly motion blurred head. It was pecking at the time. The woodpecker has a white belly and black wings with rows of white spots. Its head has some white with a black stripe up the middle and over its eyes.

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Happy new water year! According to WeatherCat software, my wx station recorded a total of 27.91” for Oct 1, 2022 - Sep 30, 2023 water year. Compare that to 13.66” for Oct 1, 2021 - Sep 30, 2022 water year! Nature gave us a 0.5” boost yesterday. I’m in the N. Sac Valley #CAWx