Nostr notes by Patrick Lam :tinoflag:

I thought Debian was one of the last ones to do this, but it does ...

2026-04-11T03:28:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…wjsj
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I thought Debian was one of the last ones to do this, but it does now.

There were so many kea! Haven't seen quite so many before. As ...

2026-04-04T02:01:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…lpwq
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There were so many kea! Haven't seen quite so many before. As I posted before, also takahē. Apart from that, here are some silvereye/tauhou. There were one or two fantail/pīwakawaka and South Island robin/toutouwai, but I didn't get good pictures of them. #BirdsNZ

What was also unusual was that the kea were hanging out at the huts. On a previous trip to Aspiring Hut we'd talked to a party who had gone up to Cascade Saddle and seen 6 keas. Here, there were about that number at Aspiring Hut, and also about that number at Dart Hut. It was the kea welcoming committee at Dart Hut: the hut is near a river with a bridge, and then there is a ladder down to the hut. The kea hang out near the ladder and at the hut.

In good conditions the Cascade Saddle is not that technically ...

2026-04-04T01:51:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…988m
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In good conditions the Cascade Saddle is not that technically difficult, with some moderate scrambling. It can go poorly if you fall, but you wouldn't fall if it was dry and not snowy. It did take us 11 hours from Aspiring Hut to Dart Hut, though, so a pretty long day. The posted time is 9 hours.

Here are some more views mostly from the Cascade Saddle walk, ...

2026-04-04T01:44:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…7r93
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Here are some more views mostly from the Cascade Saddle walk, including Mount Māori (thanks for the id!), a tarn with tufts, and a silty stream. #SouthernAlps #tramping

We went from Raspberry Creek to Aspiring Hut and then over the ...

2026-04-04T01:38:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…32l6
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We went from Raspberry Creek to Aspiring Hut and then over the Cascade Saddle to Dart Hut, finishing with the Rees Track and seeing takahē. There are a couple of pictures I've posted before. #SouthernAlps #BirdsNZ

I spent my copious free time in March writing a trip report for ...

2026-04-04T01:27:53Z

I spent my copious free time in March writing a trip report for our Cascade Saddle tramp in February. It sure is scenic. #NZ #tramping #SouthernAlps

https://patricklam.ca/post/20260331-trip-report-cascade-saddle/

Once again I was in the taxi when receiving the Air Canada text ...

2026-03-15T23:41:03Z

Once again I was in the taxi when receiving the Air Canada text that boarding has started.

Also, Easter kiwis from Whittaker's. At least kiwis lay eggs, ...

2026-03-14T04:11:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…hqtp
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Also, Easter kiwis from Whittaker's. At least kiwis lay eggs, unlike bunnies! #NZ

I noticed that many buses in Aotearoa have engine grates with ...

2026-03-14T04:05:50Z

I noticed that many buses in Aotearoa have engine grates with kiwi-shaped vents. #NZ

I heard that Wellington City Council was thinking of pausing new ...

2026-03-11T04:54:47Z

I heard that Wellington City Council was thinking of pausing new bike lane construction to keep rates increases down. So I wrote to the mayor, deputy mayor, and one of the Lambton Ward councillors.

https://patricklam.ca/post/20260311-wellington-bike-lanes/

In particular:

> Continuing the build out of safe and accessible bicycle infrastructure is thus one important thing that Council can do to help people with the cost of living, by enabling them to reduce their use of petrol.

(https://wellyclimatenerd.net/wellingtons-bike-lane-buildout-is-at-risk-we-can-do-something/)

#nzpol

interesting; I'm supposed to get an implant in 2 months so I ...

2026-02-26T04:30:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…z6qn
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interesting; I'm supposed to get an implant in 2 months so I should figure out whether I need any antibiotics.

because immunity debt has that property of sounding plausible ...

2026-01-31T01:04:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…vyp5
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because immunity debt has that property of sounding plausible even though it's BS. Sigh. Bich Nguyen :verified: (npub1nzj…pmgc) (^^) (npub148y…00j5)

what? You don't have to have a knot to start sewing? I just ...

2026-01-24T14:53:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…2lnr
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what? You don't have to have a knot to start sewing?

I just learned about better ways of tying shoelaces which don't come undone as much. I used to have to re-tie every few hours.

December photos post. The number of photos I put on my post pages ...

2026-01-20T01:39:27Z

December photos post. The number of photos I put on my post pages keeps on increasing, but there are some photos that I really like here.

https://patricklam.ca/post/20260114-december-photos/

So far in January I've done 1 set of 91 photos, so January's post might be slim.

here is a black backed gull at 2000m on the Ruapehu summit ...

2025-12-23T23:40:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…545g
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here is a black backed gull at 2000m on the Ruapehu summit plateau. It is flying over a temporary lake and so it is showing almost topaz underneath. #BirdsNZ

It turns out that my phone dropped out of the front pocket of my ...

2025-12-10T01:21:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…xyr3
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It turns out that my phone dropped out of the front pocket of my Aarn pack, I discovered a few minutes later.

There's no way I was going to be able to find it in this terrain, and I had no phone, because my spouse wasn't up for the 4 hour round trip to the summit after 5.5 hours to the hut. The track is relatively well marked but it is also easy to go off track, and the pockets were hanging a bit low, so away my phone went. Oops.

Spectacular terrain, though.

A windy day, but with excellent visibility, on Angelus Peak, this ...

2025-12-10T01:15:20Z

A windy day, but with excellent visibility, on Angelus Peak, this past Sunday. #NelsonLakes

That was the first time I climbed it on this trip, but not the last! #Aotearoa

number 2 in the Alpine Activity category at the Wellington ...

2025-12-04T18:02:25Z

number 2 in the Alpine Activity category at the Wellington Section New Zealand Alpine Club photo competition, by me: Above the Summit Plateau, Ruapehu. September, 2025.

More creatures from Lima this April: Belcher's Gull with a ...

2025-10-10T00:49:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…8gze
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More creatures from Lima this April: Belcher's Gull with a snack, Sally Lightfoot crab, cat, and red-masked parakeet. #birds

Estonia: seen in Tallinn and Tartu. "CARS RUIN CITIES", ...

2025-10-10T00:07:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…k7xr
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Estonia: seen in Tallinn and Tartu. "CARS RUIN CITIES", Estonian flag, Ukrainian restaurant, Estonian Students' Society building.

Canada, 2023: the streets of Montreal and Calgary, a yellowjacket ...

2025-10-09T23:21:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…f0ap
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Canada, 2023: the streets of Montreal and Calgary, a yellowjacket nest in Waterloo, and hundreds of peaches and nectarines.

Some creatures I've photographed. #birds ...

2025-10-09T22:50:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…pf0e
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Some creatures I've photographed. #birds

I posted this last weekend but didn't get around to a ...

2025-10-09T22:22:59Z

I posted this last weekend but didn't get around to a Mastodon thread about it. Here we go. I definitely processed fewer pictures in September than previous months, but here are pictures from Athens, Lima, Estonia, and Canada. There will be some Aotearoa content next month.

https://patricklam.ca/post/20251001-september-photos/

Let's start with some markets.

really less than ideal outdoors weather between the heat, the ...

2025-07-17T14:53:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…4dk3
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really less than ideal outdoors weather between the heat, the thunderstorms, and the smoke. Maybe I don't like Canadian summers.

So Mastodon is like the vegan Linux social network I heard. Here, ...

2025-06-15T22:25:31Z

So Mastodon is like the vegan Linux social network I heard. Here, have some Windows (-) content.

Kea is up to no good but just doesn't weigh enough to open ...

2025-06-02T23:02:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…hwpn
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Kea is up to no good but just doesn't weigh enough to open the lid. Poor kea (not). #birdsNZ

From Treble Cone (August 2023), spectacular views down to Lake ...

2025-06-02T22:59:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…njl5
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From Treble Cone (August 2023), spectacular views down to Lake Wānaka. #skiing

And other non-rare birds from around the world. #birds ...

2025-06-02T22:07:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…yzum
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And other non-rare birds from around the world. #birds

Rare endemic birds edition, again from Kapiti Island. #birdsNZ ...

2025-06-02T22:03:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…p0eh
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Rare endemic birds edition, again from Kapiti Island. #birdsNZ #birds

I also pulled out birds highlights. There were a lot of good bird ...

2025-06-02T21:29:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…wwvc
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I also pulled out birds highlights. There were a lot of good bird pictures from Kapiti Island last June. #birdsNZ #birds

May photos post. Here we go. I processed lots of pictures this ...

2025-06-02T21:20:23Z

May photos post. Here we go. I processed lots of pictures this month.

https://patricklam.ca/post/20250601-may-photos/

Let's start with some highlights from Aotearoa...

hope it's just tiredness! I was next to sniffling people on ...

2025-05-22T22:50:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…a48l
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hope it's just tiredness! I was next to sniffling people on the plane but seem to have dodged anything, n95s surely helped

those hills!!!

2025-02-14T22:29:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…zu8m
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those hills!!!

invading is easy, holding territory is essentially impossible?

2025-02-13T17:36:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…lvud
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invading is easy, holding territory is essentially impossible?

Here is an azure-tailed skink from Moorea. ...

2025-01-30T22:09:16Z

Here is an azure-tailed skink from Moorea.

Let's dedicate this post to #BirdsNZ. #BirdsForBecsNan ...

2025-01-03T20:34:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…93e7
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Let's dedicate this post to #BirdsNZ. #BirdsForBecsNan

More highlight pictures from the December 2022 photos. ...

2025-01-03T20:31:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…9xfl
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More highlight pictures from the December 2022 photos.

December photos post, with the vast majority from our December ...

2025-01-03T20:25:12Z

December photos post, with the vast majority from our December 2022 South Island trip (and yet I'm still not done with the photos from that month!)

https://patricklam.ca/post/20250101-december-photos/

I did get a clear shot of this silvereye though. Same one as in ...

2024-12-30T07:30:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…vas9
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I did get a clear shot of this silvereye though. Same one as in Aotearoa. #birds

Continuing on the branch-in-the-way theme... #birds ...

2024-12-30T07:23:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…0nv2
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Continuing on the branch-in-the-way theme... #birds

Sometimes there's a branch in the way. #birds ...

2024-12-30T03:50:44Z

Sometimes there's a branch in the way. #birds

I've been going through a massive backlog of photos from ...

2024-12-08T09:04:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…rj8k
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I've been going through a massive backlog of photos from December 2022. Here's a case study about how fast this goes on a glorious day at Mueller Hut (25 December). Pictures of Aoraki at 21:05, 21:17, 21:19, and 21:20.

it really is the kind of thing that doesn't wait

2024-12-08T08:51:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…qnv8
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it really is the kind of thing that doesn't wait

great shot!

2024-12-07T20:54:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…43gz
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great shot!

We saw a lot of Melbourne birds on our visit to Sherbrooke Forest ...

2024-12-02T21:17:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…04g8
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We saw a lot of Melbourne birds on our visit to Sherbrooke Forest this July, including the superb lyrebird. #birds #BirdsOZ

https://gallery.patricklam.ca/index.php?/category/1993

I have 600 more pictures from our trip up to Mueller Hut near ...

2024-12-02T21:05:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…jzcy
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I have 600 more pictures from our trip up to Mueller Hut near Aoraki Mount Cook and maybe only 100 more from the descent. Here's the first block of pictures from our ascent on Christmas Day 2022. #tramping

https://gallery.patricklam.ca/index.php?/category/1999

We went on a tramp in the Remutakas, almost all accessible by ...

2024-12-02T20:58:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…a0l2
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We went on a tramp in the Remutakas, almost all accessible by public transport (we needed to get a ride to Catchpool Valley). #tramping

https://gallery.patricklam.ca/index.php?/category/1987
https://gallery.patricklam.ca/index.php?/category/1988

Photos post from November. I sorted through 3000 (!) photos and ...

2024-12-02T20:53:04Z

Photos post from November. I sorted through 3000 (!) photos and put about 1000 of them on my gallery. There are 95 of them on this page:

https://patricklam.ca/post/20241201-november-photos/

Here are some pictures from the 2022 backlog, just around 2 years ago from today.

I posted my thoughts on this week's hīkoi (and also about ...

2024-11-21T22:50:58Z

I posted my thoughts on this week's hīkoi (and also about how Canada doesn't have an equivalent):

https://patricklam.ca/post/20241121-hikoi/

#NZpol

```
I’d characterize the mood of the hīkoi as “determined”. We wanted to send a strong statement that the Treaty Principles Bill should not be further considered. I should hope that the politicians are listening.
```

Also planning to write a short blog post on the hīkoi, but here ...

2024-11-20T01:19:00Z

Also planning to write a short blog post on the hīkoi, but here are my pictures.

https://gallery.patricklam.ca/index.php?/category/1992

#ToitūTeTiriti

Yep, back from about this time in 2021. #BloomScrolling ...

2024-11-16T22:48:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…tgfr
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Yep, back from about this time in 2021. #BloomScrolling

Saw them a couple Novembers ago, they are very pretty even if ...

2024-11-16T22:32:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…c8h7
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Saw them a couple Novembers ago, they are very pretty even if they are a weed. I think the council is only removing some, not all.

you'd think that @npub1k4f…kc9m would be a bit behind due ...

2024-11-10T22:32:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…muqw
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you'd think that Mr Salteena is not quite a gentleman (npub1k4f…kc9m) would be a bit behind due to being a bit more south than you? But could be sun or fertilizer. Anyway that is definitely not something I have expertise in!

hey I was just thinking that I've never actually had a good ...

2024-11-10T20:30:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…qy5c
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hey I was just thinking that I've never actually had a good strawberry in this country, are your home grown ones way better than those in stores?

I am taking an online course in te reo Māori and what pops up ...

2024-11-07T02:26:42Z

I am taking an online course in te reo Māori and what pops up but..

sometimes it also gives you the option to buy a first class meal

2024-10-18T12:21:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…yk3y
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sometimes it also gives you the option to buy a first class meal

Went for a walk yesterday in Tokyo and spotted some birds. Had me ...

2024-09-22T22:41:45Z

Went for a walk yesterday in Tokyo and spotted some birds. Had me reconsidering my choice to only bring my point-and-shoot (with lots of zoom, but still, the miss rate is much higher than with the mirrorless). #birds #japan

not that kind of doctor but I suspect that it probably ...

2024-09-19T02:42:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…x0v5
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not that kind of doctor but I suspect that it probably doesn't hurt and also that benefits have not been shown in randomized double-blind trials.

Day 3 on the Old Ghost Road, from Stern Valley to Specimen Point ...

2024-09-02T03:05:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…ancn
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Day 3 on the Old Ghost Road, from Stern Valley to Specimen Point (we combined two days due to the massive rain coming on day 4). #tramping

Dingo, grebes, orange-footed megapode, and a spectacled monarch. ...

2024-09-02T02:00:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…5f7c
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Dingo, grebes, orange-footed megapode, and a spectacled monarch. #birds #mammal

We took a 2-night cruise on Doubtful Sound this May. Here are ...

2024-09-02T01:44:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…svk3
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We took a 2-night cruise on Doubtful Sound this May. Here are pictures from the first day.

Wellington New Year's Eve 2022. ...

2024-09-02T01:25:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…77rr
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Wellington New Year's Eve 2022.

Let's add some Canadian content from Nelson BC. ...

2024-09-02T01:04:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…zluh
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Let's add some Canadian content from Nelson BC.

Photos that I posted in August, including Doubtful Sound, ...

2024-09-02T00:20:07Z

Photos that I posted in August, including Doubtful Sound, Melbourne and Cairns, Old Ghost Road, and Whakapapa. This month I processed more photos than I took, so that's progress I guess!

https://patricklam.ca/post/20240901-august-photos/

Going through yet more old photos. Here's a tūī eating ...

2024-08-25T03:40:35Z

Going through yet more old photos. Here's a tūī eating lunch as well as an eastern rosella. December 2022.

Is AI the devil? Well, I did use Topaz Photo AI on these pictures, and they do look clearer, but I wouldn't upload the enhanced ones to iNaturalist.

#birdsNZ

it seems like it may be hard to get for me as a visitor to the US ...

2024-08-21T21:37:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…p02m
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it seems like it may be hard to get for me as a visitor to the US in early October but maybe I can get it in Canada in mid October. No one seems to be talking about it in NZ.

next week? ...

2024-08-21T21:33:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…n896
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next week? https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/new-covid-vaccine-what-know-when-available-timing-rcna167121

I don't think I have exact GPS info for this picture but ...

2024-08-19T06:47:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…3ypk
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I don't think I have exact GPS info for this picture but it's near Canterbury somewhere this morning...

Finally, here are some birds from around Cairns. The bush ...

2024-08-13T23:14:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…r87s
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Finally, here are some birds from around Cairns. The bush thick-knee's call at night is... not peaceful. #birds

Here is some train content from the Kuranda Scenic Railway ...

2024-08-13T23:12:00Z

Here is some train content from the Kuranda Scenic Railway between Cairns and Kurunda. We took the gondola (misleadingly named the SkyRail) up and the train down. #trains

From the Atherton Highlands, some more birds (though our hit rate ...

2024-08-13T23:08:02Z

From the Atherton Highlands, some more birds (though our hit rate was pretty low). #birds

Let's get the Melbourne birds here too, from Sherbrooke ...

2024-08-13T23:03:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…w363
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Let's get the Melbourne birds here too, from Sherbrooke Forest. #birds

We meant to go hiking in the Cathedral Ranges near Melbourne, but ...

2024-08-13T22:59:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…ngcf
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We meant to go hiking in the Cathedral Ranges near Melbourne, but the weather was pretty hostile. I noticed that the Dingo Discovery Sanctuary & Rescue Centre was nearby, so we visited some dingoes.

I was at the Great Barrier Reef a few weeks ago, since we're ...

2024-08-13T22:54:29Z

I was at the Great Barrier Reef a few weeks ago, since we're about as close as we'll ever be, and it isn't likely to get any more colourful... With editing you recover some of the colours, but it's more colourful in the picture than in real life.

https://patricklam.ca/post/20240812-melbourne-cairns/

I think that Aitutaki has much better snorkelling than the Great Barrier Reef. I can't speak to the diving.