I also saw a flight of geese (based on honks and flight pattern) going north-north west, but they had disappeared by the time I had adjusted my device for photography. Weird.
The night after that, it was really windy. There was a tree branch on the sidewalk, when I was getting to my car. The morning wind came from north, soon after it turned and arrived from east. There were a few more geese, seemed to be going sort of westward (towards the Bay). The direction does not matter, I was surprised to see any, going any direction.
Pink magnolias are beginning to bloom, Dec 26th or Boxing Day in Berkeley, CA. The weather was variable, in the afternoon it began to rain again.
I also saw a bold humming bird. It initially shied away, but when it saw that I was not attacking, it returned to feed close enough to video. It must have been hungry. Once it flew away, I continued on my way.
Christmas Eve, Berkeley, CA. The rainy season (winter) has started and new, hopeful green shoots are peeking.
Mosses are green, too.
Magnolias are blooming, different species than the big white ones in the summer. Those are now producing seeds. There seems to be always flowers in Berkeley, CA.
Berkeley palms against December sky. Later, it began to rain.
Then some Christmas ornaments. Or seed pods of a gumball tree (assuming I identified the species correctly.)
Finally, some late ginkgo leaves, most of the ginkgo leaves around here are already down, but there are some trees that even have some green left.
Hello, again! I have not abandoned my blog, just neglected it.
Here is a photo I took last week’s Saturday, while walking in Berkeley. Juxtaposition of red and yellow leaves and palms in sunlight at the beginning of winter (for me, the winter months are December, January and February)
Today was the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. It was raining. I am still trying to decide which photos to use where, but I think these leaves on the ground have seasonal color.
December 21st, Berkeley, CA
Merry Christmas!
Maybe I should make colorized versions of these photos and post them as jigsaw puzzles?
And now for something different, a silent video of a skipper butterfly I saw September 14th 2025. Yes, I know it is mostly plants, but the butterfly is there, doing nothing very interesting.
Sometimes you need a moment of rest and relaxation.
Today, while walking with my mobile ready to snap a picture or even a video, I noticed a number of hummingbirds, not as a flock but a hummingbird or two every now and then. More than I could photograph. Aside from being fast, the little birds are well camouflaged when sitting among the green leaves of a tree. Also, they are small, which means my camera’s resolution will not be sufficient for a good picture or a video. Hummingbirds are migratory, moving south for winter and flowers. I don’t know if they stay here in Berkeley for winter, maybe they are just passing through, but some were singing.
A photo of a hummingbird and a bottle brush plant, October 19th, 2025, Berkeley, CA
Monday’s rain had apparently inspired little green shoots to peek from the ground. Hopefully this was not a false start. The best part of the winter is the greenery as the rainy season ushers new growth.
Skipper butterflies were still around, though this time I did not see a swarm. There were also occasional Monarchs and smaller white butterflies.
I was lucky enough to be aiming for a red bottle brush flower, when a hummingbird flew to feed. Quick switch to video mode captured a few seconds of hummingbird and red flower.
A short video of a hummingbird and a bottle brush plant, October 19th, 2025, Berkeley, CA
Sometimes you need to take a break and appreciate the small things
So, I got a temp job as a scientist starting late September and have been busy. But I am planning on keeping posting, even if the intervals between content get lengthy.
About a week ago I was walking around taking snapshot and videos, and was impressed at the amount of butterflies fluttering around, multiple species of them, multiple places. I am still trying to process my videoclips (I have quite a few of them taken this year) into YouTube videos, but here is a little sample at lower resolution.
There was a bush (or a cluster of them) with yellow and pink flowers, which seemed to be very popular with small brown and quick butterflies. I had seen them occasionally around, but their numbers had been increasing towards autumn. They look like online photos of skippers, which are common in California and North America, and though I would not presume to identify the exact species with 100% certainty, an Umber Skipper or a Fiery Skipper seems a possibility.
I think this swarm was from the latest brood that had eclosed and was preparing for winter and / or having a mating season. I have some earlier clips of similar-looking butterflies, but those were difficult to obtain because the insects were skittish and quick to fly. The butterflies in this swarm seemed to be more interested in feeding, occasionally chasing each other, but I could get close to this specimen without it flying away. Maybe they were preparing for winter or for laying eggs.
Pure speculation, since Winter in California is the rainy season, with new green shoots, so it may be a good time for new caterpillars to hatch. On the other hand, maybe the adults were preparing to hibernate through the wet and cold.
A skipper butterfly in pink inflorescence, October 04, 2025
Just another free jigsaw puzzle via Jigsaw Explorer. A depiction of light on Finnish forest lake water.
For people who have only a short break, 24 pieces. Access the puzzle by clicking the image. For those who want more challenge, the number of pieces can be adjusted at the beginning of the game.
I wanted to make something for Pinterest, but of course, it should be here, too.
This is a color saturated bubbles rendering of a close up view of tree bark I photographed this month (August 3rd) in Berkeley. Unfortunately, I have forgotten which tree.
After processing the photo for different versions (maybe one or more of them will make it to POD designs), I uploaded this image here and copied the planktonpunkt.com image link to Jigsaw Explorer to make a puzzle.
PlanktonPunkt 