Tim H
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timhopper.bsky.social
Tim H
@timhopper.bsky.social
1.9K followers 2K following 1.2K posts
Content creator (hobbyist). Amateur ornithologist. Conservationist. Sometime whistle player. Audiobookworm. Esperantist. He/him. Kent, England 🔴⚪🌳⭐⭐
🔗 @mybirdcards.com
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timhopper.bsky.social
Reminding myself what spring looks like 🙂 Germander Speedway (Veronica chamaedrys), I think, taken on my phone back in early May '22 #Wildflower #Speedwell | #Kent #England
A close-up, top-down view of three small, delicate speedwell flowers nestled among vibrant green, serrated leaves. Each flower features four asymmetrical, sky-blue petals with fine darker blue veins and a bright white center. The flowers show distinct white pollen-tipped stamens. The surrounding foliage is textured and slightly fuzzy, with several small, unopened green flower buds clustered in the center of the frame. Gemini 3 (Edited)
January 3, 2026 at 5:56 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
Well, folks, you might be glad to know that the blast-off of my homemade space rocket was successful, and I'm now on my merry way through the Solar System! 👨‍🚀 I thought to take one last look back and at my former home and it's satellite 🙂 #MoonPhotography #Jupiter #LensFlare | #Kent #England
A phone camera shot of the moon (not the sun 😅) and Jupiter, the small dot, bottom left (not the moon 😁). The object that I imagined could be Earth is a lense flare "double" of the moon, I think 🤔 Still, quite the cool accident! 🌝😎
January 2, 2026 at 8:48 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
Back to clearing space on my cloud storage. Here's some truly "behind the scenes" footage of a TV mini-series that was filmed in my town and its environs. It's from Oct 2012 and featured Rory Kinnear and Eddie Marsan. Rory's wearing the tan trousers in this scene rehearsal #TV #Channel4 #Southcliffe
December 29, 2025 at 8:49 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
Well, looking at this accidental selfie from yesterday, you'd be forgiven in thinking that I'm back on the grog! 😅😂 (I'm not, I'm 6 years dry come April! ☺️) Hoping that everyone is having an enjoyable holiday week! 🎄🎅☃️ #SeasonsGreetings
A blurry photo of a somewhat chubby, bearded, middle-aged man wearing a green paper Christmas party crown 🎄🍽️🥳
December 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
We have this rather fine figurehead preserved undercover in the centre of my old town. It looks like Capt Alfred brought the Eaglet as a private yacht when he retired from the RN. Unfortunately I couldn't find any illustrations of her 😔 #MaritimeHistory #RoyalNavy | #Faversham #Kent #England
Photo showing the port side (left side) profile of a carved wooden ship's figurehead mounted in a short alleyway. It is painted gold and has a decorative red scroll below. Google Gemini came up with this concerning the sloop (If shes the same boat?): The sloop Eaglet, commanded by Captain A. C. Stannard, was a notable private yacht that gained significant attention in the late 19th century for its voyages, particularly in the waters around the British Isles and the English Channel. The Vessel: Sloop Eaglet Type: She was a sloop, a single-masted sailing vessel known for its speed and agility. Role: The Eaglet is frequently mentioned in historical sporting and yachting records as a pleasure yacht or racing vessel. Era: Active primarily during the 1870s and 1880s. The starboard profile of the same figurehead, this time showing more of the scrollwork and a plaque below. Google Gemini had this to say about Captain A. C. Stannard: Captain Alfred C. Stannard was a well-known master mariner and yachtsman based out of Southampton and London. Reputation: He was highly regarded for his navigation skills and was a member of prestigious maritime circles. Notable Voyages: He often made headlines in Victorian-era newspapers (such as The Field or The Shipping Gazette) for "fast passages" between ports. One of his most cited achievements was navigating the Eaglet during challenging weather conditions in the North Sea. Professionalism: In maritime records of the time, he is often identified by his initials "A. C. Stannard" to distinguish him from other members of the Stannard family, who were also prominent in the maritime and shipping industries (including shipbuilders). Photo of the old wooden hand painted plaque below the figurehead. The text reads: SLOOP EAGLET BUILT CHATHAM 1832 GIBRALTAR STATION 1836-1341 SPITHEAD GUARDSHIP 1847-1853 Commanded by Capt. A.C. Stannard OARE FAVERSHAM Here's what Google Gemini says about Capt. Stannard's famous voyage: The Famous North Sea Navigation The achievement often cited in maritime history occurred during a period of extreme weather in the North Sea (likely the late 1870s or early 1880s). At a time when many larger vessels were seeking shelter or being driven aground, Stannard successfully navigated the Eaglet—a relatively small sloop—through a sustained gale. The Feat: Stannard was lauded for his "seaman-like" handling of the vessel, maintaining control in a following sea where the risk of "broaching to" (being turned broadside to the waves and capsized) was extreme. The Recognition: His success was used in contemporary yachting journals as a case study in the stability of the sloop rig. At the time, there was a fierce debate among sailors about whether the "cutter" or the "sloop" rig was safer in heavy weather. Stannard’s ability to bring the Eaglet through the North Sea served as a powerful argument for the sloop’s seaworthiness. The Narrative: Accounts from the time describe Stannard as a "cool-headed" master who refused to abandon ship or signal for a tug, even when the Eaglet was reported overdue and feared lost.
December 24, 2025 at 4:21 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
How's this for an oddly satisfying 8 seconds of an historic Thames Barge motoring (not so historic) into Faversham Creek? It's grainy 'cos it's ten years old and three mobile phones ago 🙂 #MaritimeHistory #History | #Faversham #Kent #England
December 23, 2025 at 6:42 AM
timhopper.bsky.social
Ann, my octogenarian neighbour, wasn't too happy with me hanging back to take photos in the rain. In the video at around two third mark you can make out a plaintive "Tim." I was supposed to be walking her home 😊
A photo of a medieval town street on a dark and rainy evening in late December. An old lady is pushing a walker up a slight gradient. Festive lights and their reflections brighten up the scene.
December 21, 2025 at 10:27 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
Raindrops turning festive lights into fireworks💧🎆😍 If I'm not careful I'm going to get a reputation for staring into puddles! 😅 The church bells in the background were a Sunday evening bonus 👍 #FestiveSeason #Rain | #Faversham #Kent #England
December 21, 2025 at 9:31 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
Surveyor of their domain 👑 I'm back to clearing up space on my phone and thought these two worth posting. I think I was impressed with how proud they were standing atop the signpost, but she/he had definitely noticed me by the time I had zoomed in 😅 #Faversham #Kent #England | #birdsoftheworld
A European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) standing atop a signpost and eyeing me suspiciously. A large white and grey gull with an orange bill with a red spot, and pink legs. A slate roof and red brickwork is behind. The photo was taken on the 16th March 2024. The same gull, but a "zoomed out" shot showing his position in the street. The buildings behind (Shepherd Neame Brewery) are in three district styles, the central one is the red bricked building mentioned in the previous photo.
December 20, 2025 at 10:07 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
Why wasn't I entirely surprised to find, upon opening for the first time since winning them in a raffle a couple of months back, that the socks I won were adorned with chicken's feet? 😁 Since starting @mybirdcards.com I haven't gotten away from them! (Not that I would wish to!) #socks #birds
A pair of long socks, being modelled by a somewhat overweight amateur ornithologist 😊, sporting a pair of chicken's feet and legs (at least that's what guessing they are) 😁
December 15, 2025 at 4:03 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
Something reminded me this morning of a claim to fame that I have. I once travelled in a lorry with the actor, Terry Molloy, who played Davros, leader of the Daleks in the 1980s! It was in the early 90s, I think, which probably accounts for my nervousness on meeting him! 😅 #ClaimToFame #DrWho
Terry Molloy as Davros, the creator of the Daleks. I found the pic here: Terry Molloy - Bournemouth Film & Comic Con https://share.google/L9R06EH6qggxumOe2
December 13, 2025 at 12:07 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
Getting back to clearing up space on my phone, here's a short vid I took of a pair of pied wagtails (Motacilla alba yarrellii) looking for food along a kerbside near my home in Jan 2024 😍 #Kent #England | #birdsoftheworld #birds
December 12, 2025 at 8:40 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
How's this for spooky odd? The unedited pic has a figure dressed in black seemingly walking straight towards a wall! I honestly didn't notice him when I took the photo. One for the paranormalists? 😳😁 #paranormal #ghosts #meninblack #shadowfigures #oddbutreal 🙂
The same photo as in the original, but there's a man walking towards a brick wall towards the top. Foreshortening probably accounts for it 🙂
December 9, 2025 at 1:44 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
Keeping on the theme of festive reflections 🙂 #Faversham #Kent #England
Colourful Xmas lights reflected in the kerbstones of a lane in the centre of a medieval English town in Kent 😍
December 9, 2025 at 5:42 AM
timhopper.bsky.social
Almost a double moon halo a couple of nights back 🌝 #moonphotography #moon | #Faversham #Kent #England
A phone camera close-up of the moon. A smokey ring is clearly visible and some detail of the surface is apparent. An outer, or double, ring is faintly visible in the clouds around the moon in this less zoomed in photo 😍 Industrial buildings give some context to where the previous moon photos were taken.
December 8, 2025 at 10:17 AM
timhopper.bsky.social
I couldn't resist taking another short video of the Xmas lights reflected in a puddle on my way home from watching the GP at my mate's (Congrats Lando!) I really need to learn to be more careful holding my phone (this one took a lot of cropping and stabilising 🙂) I'm pretty pleased with it though 👍
December 7, 2025 at 6:47 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
No reflections tonight, but the town centre looked as picturesque as ever 😍 #Festive #Faversham #Kent #England
An old English town centre in the dark of a winter's early evening. Multi-coloured festive lights are hung above and down a wide cobbled street. A Christmas nativity scene is visible mid-left 🎄
December 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
Here's the full scene and a still I took. Better, I think 🙂 #Festive #Faversham #Kent #England
A view of an old English town's cobbled street at night in the rain. Christmas lights are reflected in the cobbles. Parked cars are spoiling the scene somewhat 😔 A close-up of the reflections on the Victorian cobbles 😍
December 5, 2025 at 9:09 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
I thought the festive lights reflected from a cobbled street in the centre of my old town looked magical in the rain this evening. The video I took on my phone really doesn't do it full justice though 😔
December 5, 2025 at 8:59 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
Someone didn't get the memo 😁
A small bunch of large red grapes with one little green one nestled amongst 🙂
December 4, 2025 at 10:58 AM
timhopper.bsky.social
More chess than Esperanto since they introduced the game 😔
December 2, 2025 at 8:53 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
I'm one of those who can't resist pointing my phone towards that bright thing in the sky whenever I get the chance. Not a great pic, taken this Sunday just gone, but it does show the "Bay of Rainbows" quite nicely (for a phone), I think. It's the big crater towards the top 🌔 #mooncrater #moon
An over-exposed phone pic of the moon (Waxing Gibbous 30/11/25) 🌔🌝
December 2, 2025 at 5:06 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
This was by far the best still I managed to get. Naturally focusing was a nightmare with all the twigs, but it was definitely a worthwhile experiment! #HouseSparrows #Sparrows | #Kent #England | #birdsoftheworld #birds
A male House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), possibly one of this year's late fledglings, looking wistfully in the direction of my phone, though I don't think he noticed me 🙂
November 30, 2025 at 9:28 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
There's a bush on my walk to my mate's house on a Sunday to watch the footie (least said the better concerning today's game 😔) that's always alive with bird chatter. I knew what they were, but thought to stop and carefully insert my phone. Mostly leaves and branches, but five seconds of joy! #birds
November 30, 2025 at 9:11 PM
timhopper.bsky.social
I took a quick pic of this amazing vintage silk embroidery in a Chinese takeaway that I visited this evening. Google Lens couldn't figure out the text: "birds, sell, phoenix" the best it managed. Quite the species list, I reckon! I was equally impressed that they also have a vegan menu! #birds
A framed silk embroidery depicting a wide variety of colourful birds.
November 26, 2025 at 9:52 PM