Adrian Milliner

@adrmil.soapyfrog.com

670 Followers 435 Following

London based retired software dev. Here it’s about birds (feathered), books, retrocomputing, and happy, positive stuff. Everything mine unless stated or obvious.

A close-up shot of a young European robin with speckled brown and warm orange feathers. The small bird is perched on a rustic wooden fence rail, captured mid-action with its wings swept upward in a slight motion blur. A dark wooden post stands to the left, and the background is a soft-focus, vibrant green foliage.
A close-up shot of a male common blackbird perched on a flat wooden platform, likely a bird feeder. The bird has solid black plumage, a bright yellow-orange beak slightly open, and a distinctive yellow ring around its eye. Sunlight illuminates its back, and the background features a soft, blurred green foliage out of focus.
A small nuthatch bird is perched on top of a weathered wooden post, facing the camera with its head tilted sharply up and to the left. The sun is shining directly from behind the bird, creating a bright rim-lighting effect that illuminates the fluffy feathers along its back and sides. The bird has a pale, buff-colored underbelly, a dark streak near its eye, and a sharp, pointed beak. The background is a soft, out-of-focus dark green foliage with gentle bokeh circles.
A terrapin of some kind swimming in the brown murky water of the river Thames. Shot from above.
Closeup of the back of the head of an Egyptian Goose against a blurry green background.
This close-up photograph shows a wood pigeon standing on a bright, sunny patio. The pigeon has a grey head, a distinctive white patch on its neck, a pinkish breast, and its beak is slightly open as it looks to the left. It stands between a textured white planter on the left and a large, water-streaked terracotta flowerpot in the background. A fan-shaped shadow from a palm tree leaf is sharply cast across the ground next to the bird.
Seagull performing a poo bombing run on me.
A wide shot of a large, dark brown brick wall featuring a three-line quote in all-caps, light-colored wooden or metal letters. The letters are mounted on thin black metal scaffolding-like supports that attach to the brick. The text reads: "DREAMS ARE A LANGUAGE MADE OF IMAGES. IN CINEMA, EVERY OBJECT AND LIGHT MEANS SOMETHING, AS IN A DREAM." Below the dark brick wall is a lighter, textured stone or weathered brick foundation, and a cloudy sky is visible at the very top.
A large mural of a mallard duck and white roses on the side of a building, partially obscured by metal fencing and a bright orange excavator on a construction site, with modern apartment buildings in the background under a clear blue sky.
A vertical, eye-level shot captures three Egyptian geese and a white swan relaxing by a calm body of water. In the foreground, two Egyptian geese rest on a weathered wooden dock. The goose closest to the camera is positioned on the left side, showing its grayish-brown body, a distinct chestnut patch on its flank, a pinkish bill, and a dark brown patch around its eye. Next to it, a second goose sits tucked away. Behind them, a narrow wooden beam extends out over a blue cylindrical buoy. A third Egyptian goose stands balanced on one pink foot on top of this beam, looking toward the right. In the upper right background, a pure white mute swan floats gracefully on the dark, reflective water, preening its feathers with its neck curved tightly. The water mirrors the green and brown tones of the surrounding environment, creating a peaceful, rippled reflection across the surface.
Robot from the UK 1970s TV advert for Smash freeze dried potato.
A top-down, clear view of a large, torpedo-shaped fish swimming just beneath the surface of murky, greenish-tan freshwater. The fish, likely a grass carp, has a dark grey or olive-brown body with large, highly distinct, cross-hatched scales that form a prominent diamond pattern across its back and sides. It is swimming from the bottom left toward the top right of the frame. The water is relatively calm and translucent, revealing thin, wispy green aquatic weeds growing on the left side of the frame and a sandy, sunlit bottom below.
This overhead shot shows a square, wooden floating platform on dark water, serving as a nesting site for three Eurasian coots. The platform is heavily cluttered with a mix of natural nesting materials and human litter. In the center, an adult coot with distinct black plumage and a white facial shield sits nestled inside a shallow dip lined with green plastic sheeting, surrounded by dried twigs, straw, and various pieces of trash, including a red Maltesers wrapper and snack packaging. To the right, a second, slightly smaller or younger coot rests directly on top of a crumpled white plastic bag. A third coot stands on the bottom-left edge of the platform near the water's surface. Additional plastic bags, wrappers, and a black piece of cloth trail off the platform into the murky water.
This screenshot from the Duolingo app, titled image.png, features the character Vikram celebrating a milestone during a "Duo Cup" event. At the top of the image, the bald, bearded character stands happily on a light gray shadow against a soft blue and white background. He is wearing a USA-themed soccer uniform. The right side of his face is painted blue, and he wears novelty glasses where the right lens features white stars on blue and the left lens features red and white stripes. He wears a white soccer jersey with red vertical stripes, a soccer ball patch, blue shorts, white socks with blue stripes, and black cleats. Below him, a small light blue badge reads "DUO CUP • DAY 4". Underneath, bold text states, "You earned the USA suit for doing a lesson today!" At the bottom of the screen, a large, bright blue button reads "WEAR NOW," flanked by a small white share icon to its left, with the text "SAVE IN PROFILE" written in blue below it.
A white Thames Water sign on a metal gate reads “Wick Lane trunk sewers depot,” with emergency contact details and a what3words reference. Behind the gate are a cream wall, brick building, and trees in daylight. Text: Wick Lane trunk sewers depot In an emergency please call 0800 316 9800 Quoting site ref: WICKZ1ZZ What3words ref: best.festivity.flames
Two adult Egyptian geese and a fluffy gosling float on dark green pond water speckled with duckweed. One adult is near the upper left, another in the lower right, and the small gosling swims between them.
A grey heron stands on a weathered stone pier at the edge of bright turquoise sea water, facing right in profile. It has a dark crown, pale face and neck, grey wings, a long orange beak, and long yellow legs. The background shows a calm horizon with a soft blue sky and distant land faintly visible on the left.
A close-up of a white seagull looking directly at the camera, with an orange beak against a dark wooden deck background.
A TomTom GPS device sits on a table beside a laptop, connected through a Plugable USB hub with several cables, while its screen displays that it is connected to a computer.
A tightly cropped side view of a grey bird with a pale pink beak tipped yellow and loose, windblown feathers around its throat and crown, photographed through glass with a muted blurred background.
Close-up of a grey pigeon sitting in heavy rain with its eyes closed, bright streaks of light falling across its wet feathers, and a soft blurred background.
Duolingo 500 day streak badge.
Two pigeons on a rooftop ledge, one standing on the other with wings raised, with city buildings blurred in the background.
Two pigeons stand close together on a white rooftop edge, appearing to nuzzle, with blurred apartment buildings and a pale evening sky in the background.
Two pigeons perch on a white rooftop railing, one standing behind the other, with blurred apartment buildings and a pale evening sky in the background.
Close-up of a bumblebee flying near bright pink flowers on tall stems, lit by golden sunlight against an out-of-focus city backdrop.
A fuzzy black-and-yellow bumblebee clings to a bright red bottlebrush bloom, with glossy green leaves and small pale buds filling the softly blurred garden background.
A small dark waterbird with a white beak swims across pale green, sunlit water near the upper right of the image, trailing a thin strand of plant material from its bill. In the lower left, another bird is mostly underwater, visible as a splash and blurred dark shape beneath the surface, creating ripples. The rest of the frame is filled with softly textured green water with scattered sparkles of light, giving the scene a calm, minimalist feel.
A young swan chick with soft cream-white down drifts across dark green water, surrounded by circular ripples, with its neck curved left and one foot raised.
Front view of The Prospect of Whitby, a historic multi-storey London pub built of weathered brown brick, photographed from street level at a slight upward angle. The black-and-gold pub frontage has central double doors, two curved bay-style windows with white frames, hanging lamps, and signs advertising food, river views, and a function room. Above the entrance, large gold lettering spells out “THE PROSPECT OF WHITBY,” while higher up the building the name is also carved into pale stone near the roofline. A hanging sign on the left shows a sailing ship, and flower boxes sit beneath the upper windows. On the right side, a street sign reads “Pelican Stairs,” adding to the old riverside character of the scene.
An error popup on a Linux desktop saying “Something went wrong / We’re sorry, but we’re not sure what the error is.” There is a Red Cross in a circle at the top left and an OK button at the bottom right. It’s sitting atop the “App Center” [sic] running in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. The desktop is Gnome something or other. Even though it’s a “stable” LTS release and Ubuntu and Gnome have been around for donkey’s years, it still feels like a clunky toy from 1989.
A pop up panel on #ChromeOS saying: Updates end June 2026 You'll still be able to use this Chromebook after that time, but it will no longer get automatic software and security updates
Mobile app screen for the Audi Revolut F1 Team titanium card, showing a silver textured metal card with Audi rings branding, a short description, a Preview button, and a black button reading ‘Get card for £109.99.’
A black Nespresso pod coffee machine sits on a dark, speckled kitchen countertop against a white tiled backsplash, with a wall plug and a pod holder visible to the left and part of a stainless-steel microwave visible to the right. In front of the machine is a translucent plastic measuring jug filled with a cloudy orange liquid, positioned where a cup would normally go, suggesting the machine may have dispensed liquid into the jug instead of coffee. The machine looks slightly dusty around the front opening, and a round black drip tray labeled “KRUPS” has been removed and placed on the counter to the right of the machine. The overall scene is a close, eye-level view of a kitchen worktop, focused on the coffee machine and the unusually colored liquid in the measuring jug.
Ten brown, tan, and white Egypt geese swim across rippling blue water in bright daylight, spaced loosely across the frame
Class Macintosh gloved hand pointer with index finger pointing. A bit blurry against a white/grey chequered background.
Black waterbird standing on a floating patch of green algae and debris in murky green water, with wavering reflections on the surface and a small piece of orange litter nearby.
A black-and-white photograph of a person sitting on a rustic wooden bench in the gardens of Bodysgallen Hall, Wales, with dense trees and leafy shrubs forming a dark woodland backdrop; the person wears a dark jacket and light trousers and holds a camera on their lap. #selfportrait #bw #blackandwhite
Photo of an empty cinema showing Project Hail Mary.
Close-up of a white gull with a yellow-orange beak looking into the camera on a sunlit wooden deck.
Bright orange sunset with the sun partly hidden by clouds above a tall high-rise building in silhouette, creating a dramatic glowing sky.
A heron standing on the beach, looking at something in the distance, is hen taking off and flying out over the water.
Three ducks are resting close together on a sunlit, weathered dock beside deep blue water. Two male mallards with glossy green heads, yellow bills, chestnut-brown chests, and pale gray sides sit at the lower left and upper right, while a mottled brown female mallard rests between them slightly closer to the right side of the frame. All three birds are tucked low with their bodies rounded and their feet hidden beneath them, giving them a calm, settled appearance. The dock surface is rough and worn, with patches of faded paint, scratches, and small flecks of yellow and white. Along the upper left half of the image, the water reflects sunlight in rippling, wavy patterns that echo blues, blacks, and muted tan tones from nearby surroundings. The diagonal edge of the dock separates the textured brown surface from the smooth, reflective water, creating a strong line through the composition. Bright sunlight casts crisp shadows beneath the ducks and highlights the iridescent sheen on the males’ heads and the layered feather detail on the female’s back.
Orange-and-white cat wearing a red collar sits on a sunlit pavement beside a tan brick wall, looking back toward the camera.
A modern passenger ferry branded Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is docked on the River Thames beside a floating pier supported by tall black pilings. The boat has a low, angular profile with a glossy black roof and dark-tinted windows, and green panels on the side display the words “100% Electric.” An orange sign reading “FERRY” is attached near the rear boarding area, where railings and the dock connection are visible. The river water is brown and slightly rippled, and another white passenger boat can be seen moving across the Thames in the background. Across the river are brick and stone riverside buildings, with the Shard and other central London skyscrapers rising in the distance under a clear blue sky. The overall scene shows a bright, calm day in London, with a sleek electric commuter ferry arriving at or waiting at a busy riverside stop.
An adult Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) swimming on a green-tinged lake, accompanied by three fluffy brown-and-grey goslings. The adult displays characteristic chestnut-brown plumage on its back, a pale buff-grey body, reddish-brown eye patches, and a pink bill. The goslings are small and downy, lacking the adult’s distinctive facial markings. The adult appears to be watching over the young as they swim together in open water.
Two Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) on the stone ledge of a canal towpath next to a moored narrowboat. The standing bird faces left, showing its distinctive chestnut brown head cap, dark eye patch, pale buff-grey body, reddish-brown wings, and pink legs — typical markings of this African-origin species now common in southern England. A second bird sits curled on the stone beside it, with similar but slightly muted plumage. Behind them, a dark blue narrowboat is moored with colourful laundry — orange, teal, grey, and blue garments — hanging from a line with bright multicoloured pegs. Green grass and low wildflowers edge the towpath on the right. Taken in bright midday sunlight.
Close-up of the blunt end of an ironing board viewed head-on against a plain off-white wall. The board is covered in a dark navy blue fabric printed with the repeated text “scorchRESIST” and “minky” along a grey border. Mounted at the top is a white and light grey plastic iron rest holder in an oval shape, which anthropomorphically resembles a surprised robot or cartoon face: two dark grey rectangular slots form the “eyes,” a large open rectangular gap acts as the “mouth,” and four curved prongs extend outward and upward like arms raised in surprise, each tipped with rounded grey caps.
Text from a book chapter: RUSSIAN COSMONAUTS ONLY, it says on the door of the Russian WC. Correspondingly on the US toilet door, AMERICAN, EUROPEAN AND JAPANESE ASTRONAUTS ONLY. Because of ongoing political disputes please use your own national toilet. The idea of a national toilet has caused some amusement among the crew. I’m just going to take a national pee, Shaun will say. Or Roman: Guys, I’m going to go and do one for Russia.
Interior of a cozy, vintage-style pub or bistro. The room features dark wood-panelled lower walls, red-orange upper walls, and a purple accent wall on the left hung with small framed black-and-white photographs. Wooden tables are dressed in green and white checkered tablecloths. A green tufted leather Chesterfield chair sits beside one table, which holds a small potted plant. A decorative etched-glass window in the background displays the gold lettering “Fine Old Scotch & Irish Ales & Stout.” Vintage framed posters adorn the walls, including one for the film “Action for Slander” starring Clive Brook. On the right, a black chalkboard lists wines, alongside a wooden shelf unit stocked with books and magazines. Warm atmospheric lighting and a short staircase in the background add to the traditional pub ambience.
Movie poster for Cocoon, a 1980s science fiction drama directed by Ron Howard. The image is dominated by deep midnight blue tones. At the top, text reads “A Ron Howard Film” in small letters, with the title “COCOON” in large white letters below it. The central focal point is a dramatic vertical beam of bright white-blue light descending from a crescent moon in the night sky down to a wooden dock or pier. The dock stretches across the middle of the frame, flanked by silhouetted palm trees on the left and a moored boat on the right. Two small human silhouettes — one taller, one shorter — stand on the pier, dwarfed by the light. The calm water below reflects a glowing diamond-shaped light source beneath the surface. The overall atmosphere is ethereal and otherworldly, evoking themes of alien encounter and wonder.
A Greylag Goose (Anser anser) swimming on rippling green-tinted water. The bird faces right with its long neck extended upward, showing the characteristic grey-brown plumage with a distinctive concertina-fold pattern of barred feathers on the neck. The wings display dark brown and black flight feathers with pale cream-edged scalloping on the back coverts, while the white belly and undertail are clearly visible. One pink webbed foot breaks the water surface. The bird’s reflection shimmers in the calm water below.
A screenshot of the Windows Disk Clean-up utility dialog box. The window has a white background with a grey title bar reading “Disk Clean-up” and a standard close (×) button in the top-right corner. In the body of the dialog, there is a small icon of a computer with a broom on the left side, next to the text: “The Disk Clean-up utility is cleaning up unnecessary files on your machine.”
The interior of a GP surgery waiting room at The Limehouse Practice in London. The spacious, brightly lit room has a grey vinyl floor and white walls. A curved reception desk with a light wood counter runs across the back wall, with two open service windows protected by clear screens, and health information leaflets and posters displayed along the front. A wall-mounted analogue clock hangs above the desk between the two windows. Approximately fifteen blue plastic chairs with chrome legs are arranged in spaced rows across the room, facing the reception desk. Two doors are visible on the left side of the room, and a doorway and a wall-mounted monitor displaying information are visible on the right. A sign above the reception desk reads “Welcome to The Limehouse Practice — Reception.”
Two amber-coloured cocktails served over crushed ice in cut-crystal lowball glasses, garnished with dried citrus wheel slices, cinnamon sticks, scattered pink peppercorns, and sugarcane straw stirrers. The drinks sit on a glass table alongside a green Perrier bottle. In the soft-focus background, a person wearing a floral top and a watch works on a laptop.
A BMW iDrive infotainment touchscreen showing a saved destinations list in the navigation system. The time reads 14:46 and BBC Radio 2 is selected (muted). The top destination, highlighted in a red box with a checkered flag icon, reads “FUCKING (TARSDORF)” — the former name of a real hamlet in Upper Austria, part of the municipality of Tarsdorf, which renamed itself to “Fugging” on 1 January 2021 due to relentless mockery and stolen signs. Below it are further saved destinations: “TWATT (ORKNEY)” — a genuine small village in the parish of Birsay on the Orkney Mainland, Scotland, whose name derives from the Old Norse þveit meaning “small parcel of land”; “E16 2PB LONDON”; “SE10 0LN LONDON”; “HG4 3EL RIPON”; and “NOTTINGHAM KEVIN ROAD”. The overall effect is humorous, as the driver appears to have collected real but comically named places as saved destinations.
Interior of an Uber Boat by Thames Clippers passenger cabin on the River Thames, London. Rows of beige padded seats are filled with passengers facing forward toward panoramic curved windows at the bow. A crew member in a hi-vis yellow jacket stands at the front of the cabin. Green emergency exit signs are visible above two doors, and a “No Access Outside” notice is posted on the port-side wall. A folded Joie pushchair sits beside a passenger in the foreground. Through the windows, a Thames-side residential development and the river are visible under a partly cloudy sky.