Saturday (20-August-2011) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey: Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Back at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. This is the same Dragonfly like insect that was in my 19-August-2011 post.  It is as large as a Dragonfly, but is not one since it only has one set of wings. When they are not mating, they are aggressive carnivores, catching and eating other insects. [Finally identified as a Robber-Fly. Thanks to Hans for sending a link.]

Robber-Flies Mating Insects. Sourland Mountain Preserve. Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 320, 105 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
Robber-Flies Mating Insects. Sourland Mountain Preserve. Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 320, 105 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)

Monday (15-August-2011) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

The Fawn and the Horse Fly. There was a fawn trying to rest in my back yard this evening. However, it was being incessantly harassed by a large horse fly. Finally, the fawn gave up and tried to run away.

Fawn and the Horse Fly. Summer Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Fawn and the Horse Fly. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/400 sec).
Fawn and the Horse Fly. Summer Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Fawn and the Horse Fly. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec).
Fawn and the Horse Fly. Summer Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Fawn and the Horse Fly. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/1000 sec).
Fawn and the Horse Fly. Summer Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/6400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Fawn and the Horse Fly. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/6400 sec).
Fawn and the Horse Fly. Summer Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Fawn and the Horse Fly. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec).
Fawn and the Horse Fly. Summer Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Fawn and the Horse Fly. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 400 mm f/2.8G II lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/2.8, 1/1000 sec).

Posts From This Day in the Past.

15-August-2009: I picked up “White Ram”, my Roadtrek RS Adventurous RV at Campers Barn in Kingston, New York.

Monday (08-August-2011) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Cicada Invasion. The last few weeks it has been very loud as the male cicadas sing their song. I can hear them, but have not climbed high enough in the trees to get some images. I did notice a large number of holes in the ground below one of my Maple trees. Following up the tree trunk, I did find a number of cicada exoskeletons from their final molt. Based on the dried mud on the exoskeleton, they must have climbed out of the ground just after the last rain storm.

Cicada Exoskeleton Post Final Molt. Backyard Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 1600, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec) (David J Mathre)
Cicada Exoskeleton Post Final Molt. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 1600, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec)
Cicada Exoskeleton Post Final Molt on a Maple Leaf. Backyard Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro + TC-E III teleconverter (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/45, 1/60 sec) and SB900 flash. (David J Mathre)
Cicada Exoskeleton Post Final Molt on a Maple Leaf. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro + TC-E III teleconverter (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/45, 1/60 sec) and SB900 flash.
Cicada Tunnel Exit. Backyard Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 1250, 145 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
Cicada Tunnel Exit. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 1250, 145 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec).
Cicada Exoskeleton Post Final Molt. Backyard Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/511, 1/60 sec) and pop-up flash. (David J Mathre)
Cicada Exoskeleton Post Final Molt. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/511, 1/60 sec) and pop-up flash.
Cicada Exoskeleton Post Final Molt. Backyard Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro + TC-E III teleconverter (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/22, 1/60 sec) and SB900 flash. (David J Mathre)
Cicada Exoskeleton Post Final Molt. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro + TC-E III teleconverter (ISO 100, 210 mm, f/22, 1/60 sec) and SB900 flash.

Tuesday (02-August-2011) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

When I got home tonight after being away from the house for a day, I found that the tomato plants on my deck wilting. It continues to be very hot here in New Jersey. I did water the tomato plants Sunday before I left, and from where I was in Pennsylvania yesterday thought that there would have had been some rain on Monday. Apparently not. I added 3 gallons of water to each of the planters. Hopefully they recover.

While doing the watering a Dragonfly and a very large white moth (?) flew by. The moth was about twice as big as a Monarch butterfly, and I have not seen a white moth this big before — but I didn’t get out in time with a camera (what did I say in my previous post — the best camera is the camera with you). I did get a couple of images of the Dragonfly and you can see one below.

Earlier this year I was on a Semester at Sea (SAS) Enrichment Voyage “Central America and Panama Canal” and last spring a SAS Enrichment Voyage “Caribbean Islands. ” These were both done as part of “Ultimate Travel Photography Workshops” run by Michael Mariant.  Several images from these trips are on previous blogs from this site. While on the voyage this spring I heard that there was going to be an Enrichment Voyage starting this December, going into next year that would start in Nassau Bahamas, stop in several Caribbean Island then go to Brazil and up the Amazon river, and then back through some more Caribbean islands before ending in Fort Lauderdale Florida. This trip was not part of the “Ultimate Travel Photography Workshops” but I was still very interested.  I didn’t sign up while on the last trip, mainly because of issues at work and amount of remaining vacation time this year. SAS extended the early sign-up time until 31-July-2011. I sent a reservation application in by the deadline late Sunday. Unfortunately, I got a call today that the voyage is well subscribed, and that my request for a single supplement  would not be 150% (as advertised), but now 200% because of bookings. I’m not going to pay 2x because I am traveling single. I did a little bit of research and it looks like the Road Scholar group may have taken up the rooms since they are charging the same amount per room for the voyage for either single or double occupancy. ARRG.

I may be disappointed, but now will have extra vacation time next year to do an extended road trip across America, and possibly an Alaska Marine Highway ferry trip to Alaska and Canada.

Dragonfly -- Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 28-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5. (David J Mathre)
Dragonfly — Summer in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 28-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 6, Nik Define 2, and Photoshop CS5.

One-Year Ago (24-July-2010) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey. Bald Faced Hornet Hive Video.

A year ago I recorded this DSLR video of the entrance to a Bald Faced Hornet Hive. It was recorded with a Nikon D3s camera and a Questar 3.5″ Birder Telescope. I needed the telescope so I could be at least 30 feet away from the basketball sized nest/hive. I understand that the bald faced hornet is easily upset, and unlike a honey bee is able to inflict multiple stings.

Question regarding the video. Should it be shorter and only show when the hornets swarm out? Should I include background music and/or bee swarming sound effects? Is the title sequence too long? Leave a comment to let me know.