Not quite as much travel in September as in August, but still a substantial amount. The backlog definitely doesn’t grow as much on a work trip as it does on a vacation. Was still +10 sets for September, but I think some of the sets are pretty small. Fewer sets processed, but went through a lot more pictures (there were 400 pictures from Thessaloniki). The backlog still has 3 days from September 2024 and 12 days from October 2024, so I’d better speed up. But let’s post the September summary first.

This month we have one set of pictures from an NZAC Wellington trip to Whakapapa in Aotearoa (September 2026); a set from the Kumano Kodo; three sets from Greece and one from North Macedonia, including a huge set of Thessaloniki bird pictures; some pictures from Rome 2005; another day of the TMB; and a day in Tokyo (September 2025).

Picture logs available, and, as always, pictures are clickable to go to the full gallery.

Sets of pictures processed: September=8, August=11
Total pictures selected: September=685, August=453
Total pictures in selection pool: September=2592, August=1618
Accept rate: 26% (min 16%, max 55%)
Pictures posted on this page: 137 (20% of selected).

The moat at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo; slightly snowy landscape; MP; Bella Comba view; cloud to windward; me; sun and cloud; MP on Louki; at Mytikas summit; broad scarlet; view from Korab summit; people descending to Radomir (Albania); Ruapehu Hut selfie; Paretetaitonga at Ruapehu.

General birds:

Japan: Varied tit; Japanese tit; Western little egret; Eastern spot-billed duck; Chinese bushbrown (ok not a bird); thrush; daurian redstart; Greece: chough; alpine accentor; pile of choughs; yellow-billed chough; N Macedonia: whinchat; alpine accentor; black redstart.

Greece & N Macedonia (August 2026)

Beervana ad at WLG; Sydney; Qantas aircraft outside; YVR; Mt Hood (I think); ATH arrivals board.

Peaks in a window; where to next?; make a move, Mario; layers in distance; backside of Olympus Stefani; a breather, and comms; under a cloud; Nikos w/ray of light; sun, blocked; three chamois; almost sunset; Apostolidis at sunset.

Sunrise and the Thermaic Gulf; shoulder of Olympus; Kakalos and tents; face of Zeus; MP looking on; plam & MP at summit; Muses Plateau and Kakalos; yawn; Balkan chamois and chough.

Squacco heron; African/Eurasian black-winged stilt; five pygmy cormorants; boat; pygmy cormorant; little egret takeoff; another African/Eurasian black-winged stilt; little egret; tern; cormorant and Dalmatian pelican; common greenshank ×2.

Dawn at Korab Trnica; MP by Korab sign; dusky meadow brown; bilberries; cricket; a building; grasshopper; polyommatus butterfly; valley; summer trail (avy danger in winter).

Rocky summits; landscape; me; clouds; Radomir (Albania); peak, peeking; Macedonia or Albania; katydid on MP; another katydid; cat at Korab Trnica; horses in Skopje; repacking again.

Rome (2005)

Quattro Fontane (9), December 18

Some pictures from the archives, of the Quattro Fontane.

Quattro: Arno river god; Tiber river god; sunrise over the rails.

Tokyo (September 2024)

Around Tokyo (109/302), September 22

Again a day walking around Tokyo before the IJF Academy course.

Kodokan: "Once a judoka, always a judoka"; veggies for sale; Hirakawa Mon gate; Edo Castle keep base; Tokagakudo Peach Blossom music hall; judo book; pedestrian-friendly street; commuter train; no smoking-and-walking; golden carp; multicultural wishes.

Kumano Kodo (February 2025)

Chikatsuyu to Hongo (102/390), February 19

Coffee (important in the morning, I hear); shelter on the Kumano Kodo; memorials in the snow; sign (snow-covered); view near Third Place; windy snowy road; Japanese Camellia; thatched roof (with snow); shrine detail; celestial dog; more sun on snowy road; snow on leaves; tunnel with art beside; MP on the detour; snowy hills; lunch shelter at Hongo.

Tour du Mont Blanc (July 2025)

Day 7: Rifugio Bonatti bus stop to Chalet Val Ferret (80/250), July 27

Well, at least I didn’t have to split this day into two sets. This is from the Rif Bonatti bus stop up to the refuge and then over to the Chalet Val Ferret (where we had the best food on the trip, with proper primi and secondi).