Month: May 2020

Sunday (31-May-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Brown-headed Cowbird, Black-capped Chickadee, House Finch, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, and Eastern Phoebe. The Eastern Phoebes are feeding the two remaining young chicks in the nest. One of the chicks is larger and dominating the nest.


Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — Oriental, Red, Pink and Icelandic Poppies; Foxglove, Love-in-a-Mist, Rhododendron, and Daisy.


Poppy flowers — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppy flowers — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Icelandic Poppy flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (46.2 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (88.2 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. A surplus of 42.0 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (343 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (427 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. A surplus of 42.0 kWh.

Monthly Electric Energy Used (1562 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (2000 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. A surplus of 438 kWh.


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Saturday (30-May-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Gray Catbird, House Finch, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Eastern Phoebe. The Eastern Phoebes are feeding the two remaining young chicks in the nest.


Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — Oriental, Red, Pink and Icelandic Poppies; Foxglove, Johnny Jump Up, Daisy, Bachelor Button, Cornflower, Rhododendron, Tulip Tree, and Sweet William flowers.


Poppy flowers — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppy flowers — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring flowers — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring Flowers — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppy flowers — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (62.3 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (85.8 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of Sun. A surplus of 23.5 kWh. Note that the geothermal HVAC system was turned on to cool the house for the first time this year.



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Friday (29-May-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Eastern Phoebe. The Eastern Phoebes are feeding the two remaining young chicks in the nest.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — Oriental, Red and Pink Poppies.


Poppies — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppies — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (55.2 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (39.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Fog in the morning and clouds in the afternoon. A deficit of 15.7 kWh.



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Thursday (28-May-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Northern Cardinal, Pileated Woodpecker, and Eastern Phoebe. I haven’t seen the Pileated Woodpecker in my yard for some time. I’ve heard it working on the neighbors trees looking for grubs. The Eastern Phoebes are back to just feeding the two young chicks in the nest.


Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Pileated Woodpecker. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — Poppies (California, Oriental, Red), Bachelor Button, Crimson Clover, Tulip Tree, Cornflower, Forget-me-not, Rhododendron, Baby Blue Eyes, and Johnny Jump Up, Evening Primrose, and Daisy.


Spring Flowers of the Day – Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring Flowers of the Day — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

I got part of the yard mowed before it started raining. Time-lapse video recorded using a Garmin VIRB-360 camera

Daily Electric Energy Used (47.3 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (24.9 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Fog in the morning and clouds in the afternoon. A deficit of 22.4 kWh.


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Wednesday (27-May-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

While taking the trash out for the weekly pickup, one of the tiny hatchlings from the Eastern Phoebe nest jumped out of the nest. It could barely fly, mainly a controlled landing. I got some pictures of the bird on the ground. I have a strong suspicion that it is a Brown-headed Cowbird. The remaining two birds in the nest are much smaller. Also, the Eastern Phoebe parents didn’t seem to be too concerned about the bird down on the ground and continued to feed the two birds in the nest.


Eastern Phoebe or Brown-headed Cowbird?. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Birds of the Day — Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Northern Cardinal, Chipping Sparrow, Carolina Wren, and Red-bellied Woodpecker. Many of the birds at the feeder these days are young and are trying to figure out the pecking order.


Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — Poppies (California, Oriental, Red), Allium, Cosmos, Forget-me-not, Rhododendron, Baby Blue Eyes, and Johnny Jump Up.


Spring Flowers of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppies of the Day – Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppies of the Day — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (43.0 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (58.6 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Fog in the morning, Sun and clouds in the afternoon. A surplus of 15.8 kWh.



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