Month: January 2020

Friday (31-January-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Scraggly young doe just outside my back door.


Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.


Daily Electric Energy Used (79.4 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (14.9 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Sunny in the morning. A deficit of 64.5 kWh.

Monthly Electric Energy Used (2315 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Monthly Solar Electric Energy Produced (766 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Previous January Electric Energy Used (3001 kWh) and Solar Electric Energy Produced (738 kWh). So better than last year. The Geothermal HVAC system was able to keep the house warm (~62-64 °F) with the emergency resistance heating only needed once. The background electric energy usage includes the indoor hydroponic gardens and server backups and upgrades.

Current Weather Conditions


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One-Year Ago (31-January-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

American Crow, Blue Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, Tufted Titmouse, and Turkey Vulture.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
American Crow. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 500 mm f/4 VR telephoto lens (ISO 640, 500 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec).
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Blue Jay. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 500 mm f/4 VR telephoto lens (ISO 320, 500 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec).
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Dark-eyed Junco. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 500 mm f/4 VR telephoto lens (ISO 200, 500 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec).
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Tufted Titmouse. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 500 mm f/4 VR telephoto lens (ISO 640, 500 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec).
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Turkey Vulture in Flight. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens with 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 160, 280 mm, f/3.6, 1/1000 sec).

Two-Years Ago (31-January-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

On these really cold days and nights, a flock of (50+) Turkey Vultures have been roosting overnight in trees and local neighbors roofs.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Turkey Vulture on a neighbor’s roof. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/750 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Five Turkey Vultures on a neighbor’s roof. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1700 sec). (David J Mathre)

Seven-Years Ago (31-January-2013) — Norway

Gone to See Norway 2013 Chasing the Northern Lights. Day 3: Bergen then Embarkation on the Northbound Hurtigruten MS Nordkapp Norwegian Coastal Voyage.

Prior to embarking on the Hurtigruten MS Nordkapp for a wintertime Norwegian Coastal Voyage, I spent the morning doing a walkabout in Bergen, Norway. During the walkabout I observed three birds. Several Mallard ducks, and an unknown Gull.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Mallard Duck swimming in a pond. Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon N1V2 camera and 30-110 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 110 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Mallard Duck swimming in a pond. Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon N1V2 camera and 30-110 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 110 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Gull on top of a statue in Bergen, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon N1V2 camera and 30-110 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 110 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)

Eleven-Years Ago (31-January-2009) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Afternoon walkabout with a Nikon D300 or D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens. This lens is rather heavy to use hand-held, and does not have VR so I used a monopod to stabilize the setup. Sparrow (unknown type), Black-capped Chickadee, White-throated Sparrow, soaring Turkey Vulture, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Dark-eyed Junco.

Sparrow (?). Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/3200 sec). (David J Mathre)
Sparrow (?). Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/3200 sec). (David J Mathre)
Black-capped Chickadee feeding. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/2000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Black-capped Chickadee feeding. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/2000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-throated Sparrow. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 250, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-throated Sparrow. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 250, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-throated Sparrow. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 320, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-throated Sparrow. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 320, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Turkey Vulture soaring. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 360, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Turkey Vulture soaring. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 360, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-breasted Nuthatch. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 320, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-breasted Nuthatch. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 320, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Dark-eyed Junco. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 800, 400 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)
Dark-eyed Junco. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 800, 400 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)