Monday (31-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

New bird for the day/location: Baltimore Oriole. They like fresh fruit, and seem to be between Blue Jay and Gray Catbird regarding pecking order.

Morning at the Birdfeeders: Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Gray Catbird, House Finch, Baltimore Oriole, and Northern Cardinal.


Morning at the Birdfeeders. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (41.3 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (32.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Lots of clouds. A deficit of 9.7 kWh.

Monday (31-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

The Theta Z1 camera has Dual 3 mm fisheye lenses and uses two back to back 1.0-inch back illuminated CMOS image sensors with an output size of approximately 23MP (6720×3360). The camera can be programed to collect images in JPG or Raw (as DNG) format. The JPG images are transformed in the camera from two 360 degree fisheye images to a single 360 degree equirectangular format (6720×3360 pixels). The DNG images are the two individual 360 degree fisheye images (6720×3360 pixels). In order for the DNG images to be used the two 360 degree fisheye images need to be transformed to a single equirectangular image. Ricoh provides the Theta program (runs on Windows 10) that can be used to view and rotate the 360 degree images. No save or output capabilities. They also provide Ricoh Theta stitcher plugin for Lightroom that can be used to transform the dual fisheye images into an equirectangular image. You have to export the file to the Theta stitcher to do the transformation (one at at time), no obvious batch transform capability. I found that I could do batch transformations with the PTGUI.exe

Backyard Sumertime Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Theta Z1 360 camera (DAVID J MATHRE)
JPG 360 degree equirectangular format image out of the  Theta Z1 360 camera (DAVID J MATHRE)
Backyard Sumertime Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Theta Z1 360 camera (DAVID J MATHRE)
DNG dual fisheye image format out of the  Theta Z1 360 camera (DAVID J MATHRE)
Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Theta Z1 360 camera (DAVID J MATHRE)
TIF 360 degree equirectangular format image transformed from Theta Z1 360 camera DNG image using PTGUI.  (DAVID J MATHRE)
Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Theta Z1 360 camera (DAVID J MATHRE)
TIF 360 degree equirectangular format image transformed from Theta Z1 360 camera DNG image using PTGUI then edited with Capture One Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Theta Z1 360 camera (DAVID J MATHRE)
DNG dual fisheye image format out of the  Theta Z1 360 camera then edited with Capture One Pro (DAVID J MATHRE)
Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Theta Z1 360 camera (DAVID J MATHRE)
Above DNG dual fisheye image format out of the  Theta Z1 360 camera  edited with Capture One Pro then converted to TIF 360 degree equirectangular format using PTGUI. (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (41.3 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (32.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Lots of clouds. A deficit of 9.7 kWh.

Sunday (30-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

More test images using the Leica SL2 camera with the Sigma 100-400 mm lens. Birds include Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, and Mourning Dove. Flowers include Cosmos, Red Coreopsis, Plains Coreopsis, and Lance-leaf Coreopsis.


Birds at and around the patio birdfeeder. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Flowers growing in soft-pots on the patio. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (48.2 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (52.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. A surplus of 3.8 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (399 kWh) from Sense. Weekly Solar Electric Energy Produced (366 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. A deficit of 33 kWh.

Saturday (29-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

I received the newly released Sigma 100-400 mm telephoto zoom lens with a L-mount and spent the day testing it with a Leica SL2 camera. Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma formed an alliance to use the L-mount system. This lens provides a bit more reach than the Leica 90-280 mm lens. The alliance means that Sigma was able to make a lens that is fully compatible with the Leica TL2, CL, and SL2 cameras (autofocus and aperture control).

Something has been nibbling on the May Apple seeds, and wonder if a turtle found them. The wildflowers (Cosmos, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Plains Coreopsis, Chicory, Marigold, Blanket Flower, Sunflower, Gloriosa Daisy, Shasta Daisy, Thistle, Lemon-mint, and Zinnia) are almost done for the season. I noticed an Eastern Chipmunk eating seeds under the birdfeeder. In 25+ years here, I’ve never seen a chipmunk in the yard before. I wonder if it will leave my Grow Towers alone. Kermit the bullfrog was out in the pond. Birds at the patio bird feeder today included Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal. At one point a Blue Jay and Mourning Dove were feeding when an immature Red-bellied Woodpecker chased them away.

May Apple Seeds. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 100-400 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
May Apple Seeds. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 100-400 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
May Apple Seeds. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 100-400 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
May Apple Seeds. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 100-400 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)


Wildflowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Eastern Chipmunk. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Kermit the Bulfrog. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 100-400 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Kermit the Bulfrog. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 100-400 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)


Birds at the Birdfeeders. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Blue Jay and Mourning Dove chased away by an immature Red-bellied Woodpecker. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (47.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (26.1 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More clouds. A deficit of 21.7 kWh.

Friday (28-August-2020) — New Jersery

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Midday at the Birdfeeders: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal.


Midday at the Birdfeeders. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (60.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (48.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun, clouds, and hot outside. A deficit of 12.6 kWh.