Brian Dolan
LightNews LightNews
banner
smarterdonkey.net
Brian Dolan
@smarterdonkey.net
150 followers 130 following 59 posts
Hobby photographer - Hispanophile - Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society - air traffic wrangler. He / Him.
Posts Replies Media Videos
smarterdonkey.net
Angry birds. #birdsofbluesky #wildlifephotography #WildIreland #stork #birds More residents of www.wildireland.org
Two storks walking towards each other. As the storks approach, both stretch open their wings. Two storks facing each other rising into the air simultaneously - here about 20cm off the ground. One stork with outstretched wings running on the ground chasing another as it flies quickly away.
January 26, 2026 at 6:46 PM
smarterdonkey.net
Arctic and red fox - residents of Wild Ireland, Donegal. #fox #wildlife #wildlifephotography #ireland #donegal #WildIreland
An all white arctic fox, sitting on a grass slope facing to the right. A red fox sitting on a grassy mound, facing left.
January 25, 2026 at 9:01 AM
smarterdonkey.net
Common teal duck, barn owls, and a house mouse, all at Wild Ireland - Donegal. #duck #owl #mouse #wildlife #wildlifephotography #WildIreland #ireland #birdsofbluesky
Eurasian (Common) Teal duck in a pond with water falling behind. Barn owl perched on a wooden beam, looking towards the camera, with white wall behind. Two barn owls standing together at the top of a wooden ladder, with wooden beams in the roof visible behind them. A house mouse, sitting with front feet raised to it's mouth, tail off to one side.
January 24, 2026 at 4:29 PM
smarterdonkey.net
More snow, and some new visiting back garden birds. #birds #birdsofbluesky #wildlife #backgarden #backyard #crow #robin #blackbird #sparrow #snow #photography
Two sparrows waiting in a snow covered bush for their turn to feed. A crow taking off from a snowy branch. A female blackbird sampling a large piece of bread from the snow. A robin breaking off a bite size piece of bread.
January 4, 2026 at 10:09 AM
smarterdonkey.net
From my new series... Backyard Birds on Bins. #BirdsOfBluesky #BackyardBirds #Photography #BirdPhotography
A blackbird standing on top of a snow covered bin. A sparrow on top of a snow covered blue bin eyeing up some pieces of bread. A sparrow on a wooden fence with a snow covered bin with some bread crumbs in the foreground. A blackbird on the edge of a snow covered bin, ready to jump down to grab some lunch.
January 3, 2026 at 11:10 AM
smarterdonkey.net
A good 20 years since I last shot on 35mm… two new (well 40 to 50 year old) toys to start the year. #photography #film #35mm #olympus #OM10 #FED4 #analoguephotography
An Olympus OM10 and a FED4 camera, side by side with a spool of 35mm film in front of them.
January 2, 2026 at 1:35 PM
smarterdonkey.net
2025 - a year of international gulls (English, Dutch and Spanish shown here) and an Irish robin. #gulls #travel #travelphotography #birdsofbluesky #robin #spain #netherlands #London #ireland #españa #nederland
A small gull floating on the surface, with a black spot on the side of the head, and back feathers at the tip of their tail. Two gulls on the surface as another flies over them. A gull standing on one foot, on the edge of an infinity pool, as the sun sets over Malaga harbour behind them. A robin perched on some twigs, red breast highlighted by the low sun, clear winter blue sky behind.
December 31, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Reposted by Brian Dolan
theverge.com
Cutting-edge research shows language is not the same as intelligence. The entire AI bubble is built on ignoring it.

Read more from @benjaminriley.bsky.social: www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
Verge headline: Is language the same as intelligence? The Al industry desperately needs it to be by Benjamin Riley Illustration of a polygonal persons face in profile, laid out a bit like a heat map. The person has an empty speech bubble where their brain should be
November 25, 2025 at 7:53 PM
smarterdonkey.net
Family wins appeal in UK Supreme Court over N Ireland schools religious education www.bbc.com/news/article...
UK Supreme Court rules RE taught in NI schools is unlawful
The Christian religious education taught in schools in Northern Ireland is unlawful, the UK Supreme Court has ruled.
www.bbc.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:44 PM
smarterdonkey.net
Rooftop bar - sitting by the infinity pool - sun going down - views of Malaga port with Gibralfaro Castle in the distance. #travel #travellgotography #Spain #España #malaga #thegoodlife #wintersun
View with an infinity pool in the foreground, to the left is a hotel, and on a hill to the right can be seen the remains of the Gibralfaro Castle. A harbour with some luxury yachts on one side, a small white lighthouse in the middle, and a cruise liner to the right. Blue sky and blue seas. A wide view showing both Gibralfaro Castle and Malaga harbour with a few clouds in a mostly blue sky. View is seen over an infinity pool from a rooftop bar.
November 18, 2025 at 4:48 PM
smarterdonkey.net
Starting the day watching the parakeets coming and going to their beachside palm trees. #spain #españa #malaga #travel #travelphotography
Four palm trees with the sun behind them. The sun is reflecting off the sea, with blue lies and only a few clouds on the horizon.
November 18, 2025 at 9:47 AM
smarterdonkey.net
Getting colder and wetter here. Maybe time to pop back to the sunshine, like these very sensible characters in La Malagueta. #malaga #lamalagueta #gatonegro #cat #bee #wintersunshine #travelphotography
A cafe window, with a large black cat with yellow eyes in one frame, facing a smiling bee in the other.
November 16, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Reposted by Brian Dolan
microsff.com
A spaceship landed in the park. A door dilated. A strange-looking alien with artificial antennae made from tin foil emerged.

"Greetings, Earthlings!! We come in..." It consulted a device. "In trick or treat?"
October 31, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Reposted by Brian Dolan
rgsibg.bsky.social
For our latest geovisualisation, we spoke to leading climate scientist Professor Ed Hawkins about his climate spiral, which shows global temperature change over the past 170 years. It notably featured in the 2016 Olympics opening ceremony!

Read here👉 ow.ly/W7fX50WZmTf
September 25, 2025 at 8:30 AM
smarterdonkey.net
A few photos from a morning stroll in Madrid. #Madrid #Spain #España #travel #travelphotography #OMSystems
Street name sign with an image of a three eyed yellow fish from The Simpsons. The Spanish royal palace in Madrid framed by trees from a nearby park. A panoramic photo with the palace, cathedral, and another church on the horizon with trees in the foreground and clear blue skies behind. A view of the cathedral in Madrid.
September 17, 2025 at 10:36 AM
smarterdonkey.net
Almeria morning. #Almeria #España #Spain #travel #travelphotography #OMSystem #sea #sky
A view looking out to sea with harbour walls on either side. In the centre is a small white yacht passing a commercial ship. At the end of the harbour wall to the right of them is a small white lighthouse with red top. The sea and sky are both clear blues.
September 12, 2025 at 8:41 AM
smarterdonkey.net
25c / 77f outdoor in September. Maybe just a little beer to make the tapas appear. #tapas #travel #photography #travelphotography #Almeria #Spain #España #LeicaLux
Black and white image of a small glass of beer. It is sitting on an outdoor table with some trees and an old stone wall behind it. Text on the image says it was taken using Leica Lux app, in Almeria Spain.
September 11, 2025 at 6:20 PM
smarterdonkey.net
Some cavalry training in Hyde Park this morning. #travelphotography #photography #HydePark #London #OMSystems
A cavalry rider with sword raised cantering on a black horse in a sand arena. Cavalry rider with red plumes from his silver helmet, and sword raised, on a black horse with all 4 feet in the air as he canters past. Two riders on black horses with cavalry silver helmets with red plumes. Swords raised. Practising in a sand arena. A row of cavalry riders. The front rider on a white horse with mane blowing as he canters past the fence.
September 10, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by Brian Dolan
microsff.com
"Sir! I challenge you to a duel!"

"Very well, sir! As the challenged party, I believe it is my prerogative to choose weapons?"

"Go ahead!"

"I choose swords!"

"Then I will choose mode of transport!"

"Wait, what?"

"I choose unicycles!"

"What?"

"I'll see you at dawn, sir!"
August 26, 2025 at 5:40 PM
smarterdonkey.net
The butterfly bush in the garden is earning its keep today, at least a dozen small tortoiseshells snacking at once. Of course the camera wanted to focus on anything except the butterflies. #Butterfly #Flutterby #ButterflyBush #Buddleja #SmallTortoiseshell #Wildlife #Nature #summer #garden
Three butterflies, with reddish orange and black wings on a purple flower, with lots of green foliage in the background. They are Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies on a Buddleja plant (known as a butterfly bush) One butterfly, with reddish orange and black wings, showing the much darker underside of the wing, on a purple flower, with lots of green foliage in the background. It is a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly on a Buddleja plant (known as a butterfly bush)
August 17, 2025 at 3:32 PM
smarterdonkey.net
A small selection from today’s Rotterdam Port Boat Tour. #Rotterdam #Netherlands #Travel #Photography #Travelphotography
A series of cranes on the horizon as seen from a boat in Rotterdam Europort. Traditional Dutch windmill. More cranes - lined up behind each other but with jibs sticking out in different directions. Some boats and barges in the foreground.
July 7, 2025 at 3:13 PM
smarterdonkey.net
Spent an hour virtually pottering around South Africa, from Andrews Field to Capetown, in the @justflight.com P28R Arrow III using Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. #msfs #msfs24 #piper #p28r #virtualtravel #travelphotography
A view from behind a single engine light aircraft as it flys over the water. The coastline is to the right, with some small mountains rising up. The sky has scattered clouds, with the sun is reflecting off the water directly under the aeroplane.
June 8, 2025 at 2:04 PM
smarterdonkey.net
San Cugat, Catalonia, Mar 07. Festival in the forest, with the formation of Castells, human pyramids, watched by giant traditional wooden figures. #photography #travel #travelphotography #españa #spain #catalonia #castells #traditions #humanpyramids (forgot to add the tags to the later posts)
A group of people wearing matching green tops prepare to form Castells, human pyramids. One man is having a large length of black material wound tightly around his torso for support A small child in the green and white traditional outfit reaches the 6th and highest level of the Castell, trees in the background, and large groups of locals in the clearing watching The large wooden male and female figures on the left look over the heads of the locals, watching another castell forming amid the crowds in the forest. In a final close up, the two youngest and smallest members of the team are standing on the shoulders of 5 more levels of people, arms in the air waving to the crowds below.
June 3, 2025 at 5:56 PM
smarterdonkey.net
San Cugat, Catalonia, March 2007. Local festival in the nearby forest, with the formation of Castells, human pyramids, watched by giant traditionally dressed wooden figures. #photography #travel #travelphotography #españa #spain #catalonia #castells #traditions #humanpyramids
Casually dressed marching band leads 3 horse riders carrying a large flag into a forest clearing. A group of people wearing matching green tops prepare to form Castells, human pyramids. One man is having a large length of black material wound tightly around his torso for support. Two giant wooden figures, a man and a woman, in traditional dress are surrounded by local people in the forest clearing waiting for the castells to form The beginning of a castell. The third layer is being formed, a group of youths in green tops and white trousers help each other climb up. Some younger children are waiting to climb to their places at the top.
June 3, 2025 at 5:42 PM
smarterdonkey.net
The multicoloured beer shop. #RecycloBikeCafe #malaga #spain #españa #travel #photography #travelophotography #leicalux #leica
A row of beer bottles with brightly coloured labels on a bar in Malaga.
May 12, 2025 at 3:05 PM