John Patrick
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jstcpatrick.bsky.social
John Patrick
@jstcpatrick.bsky.social
740 followers 92 following 220 posts
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jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A "hummingborb"

An Anna's Hummingbird perched on a branch of a cherry tree.

At UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #HummingBird #AnnasHummingbird #borb
Photo: A female Anna's hummingbird, with its head turned slight to image right, is perched on a twig of a branch of a cherry tree. Right behind it is a thicker twig of a branch that goes from the middle left to lower right of the image. The hummingbird's body is facing the camera and, as its head does not extend above its back and its tail is not visible, it appears to be as round as a ball or an orb. Hence the caption for the image A "hummingborb"
November 14, 2025 at 4:22 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
"Me and my shadow"

A pair of Dark-eyed Juncos in a fir tree.

At UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #DarkEyedJunco
Photo: A pair of Dark-eyed Juncos perched at different levels of a branch of a fir tree angled across the image from bottom left to top right. Both Juncos are in profile facing picture left. The lower of the two birds is in the early morning sun, the other is a dark silhouette against the light coloured wall of a building serving as a background to the picture. The caption for the post, "Me And My Shadow" is a reference to a song of that name written in 1927 by Al Jolson, Billy Rose, and Dave Dreyer.
November 13, 2025 at 6:06 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A cloud wolf howls at the rising waning gibbous moon.

At Vancouver, BC.
Photo: In the centre of the picture is a slightly less than full moon. There is a cloud with an outline lit by the moon in the lower foreground that looks vaguely like wolf staring at the moon with its mouth open. Also in the picture, above the moon and to the left the star Elnath in the constellations Taurus and Auriga is visible. In Taurus it marks the tip of one of the bull's horns. The other tip star is Tianguan, which, if it were visible, would be below the moon. If it were a clear night the moon would be caught in the horns of Taurus.
November 8, 2025 at 3:54 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A pair of Starlings perched on antennas atop an apartment at UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #Starlings
Photo: A pair of Starlings perched on antennas. One, perched on a 3" tube antenna with a spike at the top, has its body facing left while its head is turned around to face right. The other is on a 1" elongated hoop antenna, it is facing right and appears to be hunched forward.
November 6, 2025 at 6:57 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
Happy Halloween!

#Halloween #Halloween2025 #JackOLanterns #Pumpkins
Photo: Against a dark background seven Jack O'Lantern faces are visible - each one different with the words "Happy Halloween" written in the font "Buffied" (named after the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show). Left to right the pumpkin faces are: Scared looking up, Cat like, Frowning Vampire, cross-eyed goofy grinner, Odd with serrated eyes and mouth, half round eyes with pupils upside down T nose and serrated grin, and finally one with traditional triangle eyes triangle nose and two tooth grin. Happy Halloween!
October 31, 2025 at 4:22 PM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
I was walking along the street when I had the oddest feeling that something was watching me. I turned and in a bush I spotted a wee eldritch berry beastie winking and blinking!

#HappyHalloween #weeeldritchberrybeastie #animation
October 31, 2025 at 3:34 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A Chestnut-backed Chickadee perched for a moment on a maple tree branch below my balcony.

At UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #ChestnutBackedChickadee #Chickadee
Photo: A Chestnut-backed Chickadee perched on a twig of a branch of a leafless maple tree. The bird is facing picture left and is seen from three-quarters from above (meaning its back and left side are both mostly visible.)
October 28, 2025 at 3:50 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet paused briefly among the maple leaves.

At UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #RubyCrownedKinglet #Autumn
photo: A Ruby-crowned Kinglet is in profile facing the upper right corner of the picture. It is perched on a twig of a maple tree branch and is surrounded by leaves in the midst of turning from green through yellow orange and red.
October 26, 2025 at 2:51 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
Vaccines Save Lives
jatetro.bsky.social Jason "The Germ Guy" Tetro @jatetro.bsky.social · Oct 22
If you believe #vaccines help to save lives and keep us all safe - then share the slogan and repost the logo that defines their use.
#VaccinesForLife #V4L
#vaccineswork
#vaccination
#GetVaccinated
A logo design for Vaccines 4 Life.
October 22, 2025 at 5:38 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A Lincoln's Sparrow on a log in Canyon Creek on Spanish Banks Beach, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #Sparrow #LincolnsSparrow
Photo: A Lincoln's Sparrow in profile facing the left side of the picture is standing on a broken branch of a log that is out of frame. The background is filled by a green leafed shrub.
October 21, 2025 at 6:08 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
Here's a Pacific Wren in profile looking like one of those wind-up hopping bird toys.

At Canyon Creek, Spanish Banks Beach, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #PacificWren
Photo: A Pacific Wren in profile facing right with its body tilted such that its beak is pointing to the upper right corner of the photo.
October 16, 2025 at 6:47 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A female Bushtit on a rainy October morning.

At UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #Bushtit #Autumn
Photo: A female Bushtit in profile facing left. The bird is partially hidden by maple leaves that have an orange-yellow colour associated with autumn, though one is still green. Behind the bird to the left are green cherry tree leaves. We can tell this is a female Bushtit because its eye has a yellowish ring around the black pupil. The eyes of a male Bushtit are all black.
October 12, 2025 at 4:02 PM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
The waning gibbous moon was near the Pleiades star cluster Thursday evening.

#Stargazing #Moon #ThePleiades #Astronomy #NightSky
1 of 2 Photo: A slightly less than full moon is in the lower left corner, it is surrounded by a bright halo of light. In the upper center of the picture are ten barely visible dots - these are the stars in the Pleiades star cluster whose light is being overwhelmed by the nearness and extreme brightness of the moon. 2 of 2 Photo (same as picture 1 but with labels): A slightly less than full moon is in the lower left corner, it is surrounded by a bright halo of light. In the upper center of the picture are ten barely visible dots - these are the stars in the Pleiades star cluster whose light is being overwhelmed by the nearness and extreme brightness of the moon. In this picture the stars have been labelled. From the bottom to top anticlockwise: Pleione, Atlas, Alcyone, Merope, Electra, Celaeno, Taygeta, Asterope 1 and 2, and Maia. Lines have also been added to connect them.
October 10, 2025 at 7:58 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A moment of tenderness as a female Wood Duck pecks the cheek of a male.

At the pond in Lelem Park, UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #WoodDucks #Ducks #kissing
Photo: A pair of Wood Ducks in a pond. The female, on the right side facing left, is pecking the cheek of a male, who is facing three quarters to the right.
October 10, 2025 at 3:03 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
It's as if a switch was flipped as the maple leaves seem to have suddenly taken on the reds and oranges of autumn with the start of the month.

A Black-capped Chickadee in a maple tree

At UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #Chickadee #BirdPhotography #Autumn
Photo: A Black-capped Chickadee, in profile facing right, with its beak open caught in the midst of calling "Chicka-dee-dee-dee-dee!". Around it are maple leaves, a few still green, some darkening to red, others bright orange. Autumn is here.
October 4, 2025 at 1:31 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A Wood Duck on the wood rail of a wood deck.

At Lelem Park, UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #birdphotography #WoodDuck #duck
Photo: An adult male Wood Duck stands in profile facing right on a wooden handrail.
September 27, 2025 at 4:34 PM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A Northern Flicker greets the dawn from the top of a tall cedar.

At UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Bird #Birds #NorthernFlicker #Woodpecker
Photo: A Northern Flicker, facing three quarters right, is perched almost at the very top of a cedar tree.
September 26, 2025 at 5:29 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A Pacific Tree frog atop the cone of a wilted Black-eyed Susan.

At Lelem Park, UBC, Vancouver.

#Frog #PacificTreeFrog #LastDayOfSummer
Photo: Pacific Tree Frog sitting atop the cone of a Black-eyed Susan, which has lost its petals. Petalled Black-eyed Susans can be seen in lower left background.
September 22, 2025 at 3:31 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
The waning crescent moon, Venus, and the star Regulus were very close together in the sky this morning.

#Moon #CrescentMoon #Venus #Regulus #StarGazing #Astronomy
Photo: The waning crescent moon, lit by sunshine (brightly) and earthshine (dimly) is in the left side of the picture. Venus is in the upper mid right and Regulus is below Venus and to the right. The background sky is dark.
September 19, 2025 at 3:55 PM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
The waxing gibbous moon around quarter past eight this evening.

#Moon #moonrise #moonglow
Photo: The nearly full moon seen through a light haze of smoke, which gives the moon a slight orange glow. In the foreground of the picture below and to the left of the moon is the top of a fir tree. To the right of the moon at the edge of the picture is the silhouette of a leaf on a tulip tree..
September 6, 2025 at 3:58 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
Combining bird watching and stargazing.
Well, planetgazing really as that's Mercury. The bird is either a crow or a gull.

Taken looking east from UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Birds #Mercury #Stargazing #Astronomy #Planets
Photo: The planet Mercury, in the upper third of the picture and to the left of centre, appears as a small white dot against a beige background. Below it and to the right in the lower third of the picture is the silhouette of a bird in a flattened curved 'm' shape. In the lower left corner of the picture in three tiers one above the other is the name of the photographer, John Patrick; the date the picture was taken, 26-August-2025; and the time 5:47 AM.
August 27, 2025 at 5:23 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A queue of planets!

Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury were in a neatly spaced row at dawn this morning.

Mercury is fairly faint, so if you can't see it, zoom in to the lower left. Also, I've labelled it and the other planets in the 2nd picture.

#Planets #Dawn #Jupiter #Venus #Mercury #Stargazing
1 of 2 Photo: A pre-dawn sky with orange at the horizon transitioning to dark blue at the top of the picture. Silhouettes of various sized and shaped coniferous and deciduous trees line the foreground. In the sky are three white dots. There is one close to the bottom of the picture left of the picture, this is the planet Mercury. At the top third of the picture and just right of centre is the brightest dot, which is Venus. Near the top and to the right of Venus is a dot which is not as bright as Venus, but brighter than Mercury. This is Jupiter. 2 of 2 - Same as photo 1 but with labels beside each of the planets. Photo: A pre-dawn sky with orange at the horizon transitioning to dark blue at the top of the picture. Silhouettes of various sized and shaped coniferous and deciduous trees line the foreground. In the sky are three white dots. There is one close to the bottom of the picture left of the picture, this is the planet Mercury. At the top third of the picture and just right of centre is the brightest dot, which is Venus. Near the top and to the right of Venus is a dot which is not as bright as Venus, but brighter than Mercury. This is Jupiter. Thank you for reading this.
August 22, 2025 at 9:00 PM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
The waning crescent moon lit by sunshine and earthshine.

The bright star to the right of the moon is Kappa Geminorum of the constellation Gemini.

#Moon #CrescentMoon #Stargazing #Astronomy #Gemini
Photo of the Moon taken at 5:08 AM on August 20, 2025. In the picture the moon has a white crescent of light that curls up the sides of the moon from the bottom, this is the part of the moon lit by sunshine. The rest of the moon is visible because it is lit by earthshine, the light of the sun reflected by the Earth. To the right of the Moon is the star Kappa Geminorum of the constellation Gemini. There is also a lens flare in the shape of a faint mirrored crescent, one point of which touches the top of the Moon like the tail on a mouse.
August 21, 2025 at 6:09 AM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
Early morning stargazing.

The Moon, Venus, and Jupiter were near each other in the constellation Gemini this morning.

Taken from UBC, Vancouver, BC, looking east.

#Moon #Venus #Jupiter #Gemini #Astronomy #Stargazing
1 of 2 - The Moon, Venus, and Jupiter in the constellation Gemini. Photo: A large dot, two smaller dots, lots of tiny dots, and clouds against a dark background. The large dot is the waning crescent moon, which doesn't look like a crescent because it is being lit by sunshine and earthshine. The lower of the two smaller dots is the planet Venus, while the other dot, near the centre of the picture, is the planet Jupiter The tiny dots comprise the stars of the constellation Gemini. The clouds were there just gathering together to obscure the stars. Which they did a little later on just before the sun could. 2 of 2 - The Moon, Venus, and Jupiter in the constellation Gemini. Photo: A large dot, two smaller dots, lots of tiny dots, and clouds against a dark background. This picture has lines added that connect the stars in Gemini and labels for the Moon, planets, and stars. The large dot is the waning crescent moon, which doesn't look like a crescent because it is being lit by sunshine and earthshine. The lower of the two smaller dots is the planet Venus, while the other dot, near the centre of the picture, is the planet Jupiter The tiny dots comprise the stars of the constellation Gemini. The clouds were there just gathering together to obscure the stars. Which they did a little later on just before the sun could.
August 20, 2025 at 4:25 PM
jstcpatrick.bsky.social
A Pacific Chorus Frog and a bee on a Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta).

At Lelem Village, UBC, Vancouver, BC.

#Frog #PacificChorusFrog #Bee #BlackEyedSusan #RudbeckiaHirta
Photo: A Tiny Frog sits on the petals of a Black-eyed Susan flower, while a bee just a bit smaller than the frog inspects the flower's central cone.
August 20, 2025 at 4:55 AM