Year: 2017

One-Year Ago (11-May-2016) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Flowers, some are native wildflowers, some are seeded wildflowers. The mushrooms are native and some of them are being guarded by one of my trolls.

Wasp in a white flower. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 60 mm f/2.4 macro lens (ISO 200, 60 mm, f/11, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
Wasp in a white flower. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 60 mm f/2.4 macro lens (ISO 200, 60 mm, f/11, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)


Troll guarding mushrooms. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 60 mm f/2.4 macro lens (ISO 200, 60 mm, f/2.4, 1/2000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Troll guarding mushrooms. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 60 mm f/2.4 macro lens (ISO 200, 60 mm, f/2.4, 1/2000 sec). (David J Mathre)


Nine-Years Ago (11-May-2008) — Colorado

Gone to See America. May 2008 Colorado Road Trip. Day 2: Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge.

American Bittern Hunting at the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge in Early Spring. Image taken with a Nikon D300 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/8, 1/1600 sec).

American Bittern Hunting at the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge in Early Spring. Image taken with a Nikon D300 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/8, 1/1600 sec). (David J Mathre)
American Bittern Hunting at the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge in Early Spring. Image taken with a Nikon D300 and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/8, 1/1600 sec). (David J Mathre)

Tuesday (09-May-2017) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

There are a number of new wildflowers showing up in my backyard. I am not sure of the identification of the yellow, orange, and blue ones. Any help with the ID is appreciated. They could be native weeds, or perennial ones from the wildflower mix that I planted last year. The flowers on the rhododendrons are also starting to bloom. Because of the deer, my rhododendron learned to grow tall — the only leaves and flowers are above where the deer could nibble last winter. I hope to see and photograph some  hummingbird moths on the Rhododendrons again this year.

Yellow wildflower. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/8, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
Yellow wildflower. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/8, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
Orange wildflower. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/8, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
Orange wildflower. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/8, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
Blue wildflower. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/8, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
Blue wildflower. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/8, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
Rhododendron blooms. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/8, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)
Rhododendron blooms. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/8, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)

One-Year Ago (09-May-2016) — New Jersey

Indoor spring nature in New Jersey.

A Brown Marmorated stink bug climbing a cactus. The stink bugs are supposedly vegetarian. The cactus spines are making it difficult for the stink bug to get close enough to suck sap from the cactus. I have observed stink bugs on my cactus plants going back to 2007.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug climbing a cactus. Indoor spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D810A camera and 60 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 800, 60 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug climbing a cactus. Image taken with a Nikon D810A camera and 60 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 800, 60 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)

Monday (08-May-2017) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

A cricket, spider, and mourning doves.

Cricket at my front door. Spring in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec) + SB-910 flash. (David J Mathre)
Cricket at my front door. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec) + SB-910 flash. (David J Mathre)
Spider at my front door. Spring in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec) + SB-910 flash. (David J Mathre)
Spider at my front door. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec) + SB-910 flash. (David J Mathre)
Mourning Dove in my Garden. Spring in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/125 sec). (© 2017 David J Mathre)
Mourning Dove in my Garden. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/125 sec). (© 2017 David J Mathre)
Pair of mourning doves in my Garden. Spring in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/125 sec). (© 2017 David J Mathre)
Pair of mourning doves in my Garden. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/125 sec). (© 2017 David J Mathre)