Month: October 2021

Monday (11-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Northern Mockingbird, American Robin, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow.


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

Flowers of the day: Cosmos.


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

A really scrawny buck with its ribs showing was just outside the patio fence.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (39.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (23.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Clouds and some sun. Deficit of 16.8 kWh.

Sunday (10-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

It was a rainy day, and the autumn leaves are starting to fall. My tractor is in for repair so I can’t used the Leaf Vacuum. ARRG!

Wet Autumn Leaf. (David J Mathre)
Wet autumn Maple leaf. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 105 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (David J Mathre)

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, House Finch.


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

Flowers of the day: Butterfly Bush, Burdock Seed, Canna, Cosmos, Morning Glory, Rose Mallow, Zinnia.


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


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

I still have hot peppers turning red in the garden. Some of the plants still are flowering so I won’t take them out until after the first freeze.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (45.2 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (8.7 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Clouds and rain. Deficit of 38.5 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (304 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (134 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Deficit of 170 kWh.

Saturday (09-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Nature in New Jersey. October Big Day.

This was the annual October Big Day for birdwatching. The morning was cloudy and cool (more like dreary). I first went to the Sourland Mountain Preserve. There were no Canada geese in the pond, so I hiked up the pipeline path. Lots of noisy Blue Jays. A Northern Flicker up in a tree. Some other small birds high up in the canopy that I wasn’t able to get pictures or identify. On the way back down to the pond, I got an image of a female (or immature) Eastern Towhee. When I got to the pond a Great Blue Heron flew to the other side of the pond. Several Turkey Vultures were also soaring over the preserve.

I then went to the local weekly Farmers Market in the parking lot of Village Shopper III in Rocky Hill. I was surprised to see two Black Vultures watching over the market from the roof of one of the stores.

The only birds I observed visiting my birdfeeder during the day were House Finches. I then went for a bike ride to look for other birds in the neighborhood. I did observe a flock of Canada Geese flying in a loose formation. Also, a Chipping Sparrow on a telecommunication cable.

Birds of the day. Great Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Eastern Towhee.


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

While out looking for birds I also took pictures of the late season wildflowers in the area. Because it wasn’t very bright out some of the images are noisy. At the Sourland Mountain Preserve: Eastern Daisy Fleabane, Honeysuckle, and Lance Leaf Coreopsis. While on the bike ride Knapweed and Yellow Toadflax (Wild Snapdragon).


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

Little planet time-lapse video of the bike ride taken with a Garmin VIRB-360 camera. Note: you can expand the video to full screen, and I added some piano music by John Matthew Rosenberg recorded on my last Semester at Sea voyage back in 2016.

Daily Electric Energy Used (42.4 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (15.4 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Cloudy. Deficit of 27.0 kWh.

Friday (08-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

The Troll family found some large mushrooms growing in the black wood mulch, and decided to have an autumn harvest party.

Troll Family Autumn Mushroom Harvest Celebration. (David J Mathre)
Troll Family Autumn Mushroom Harvest Celebration. Image taken with a Leica S2 camera and 24-90 mm lens. (David J Mathre)

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, House Finch.


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

Flowers of the day: Cosmos, Morning Glory, Partridge Pea, Rose Mallow, Zinnia.


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

Two different types of frogs. A well camouflaged Pickerel frog in the yard, and a Green frog (Kermit) in the pond. Apparently, the Pickerel frog is the only poisonous frog in North America.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (46.9 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (32.3 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 14.6 kWh.

Thursday (07-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Black-capped Chickadee, House Finch.


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

Flowers of the day: Babies Breath, Butterfly Bush, Cosmos, Marigold, Morning Glory, Rose Mallow, Zinnia. Also seed pods from Poppies and Burdock.


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

While cleaning the patio and getting the Grow Towers ready for the Ison’s Strawberry plugs, I harvested potatoes, carrots, and hot peppers. I wasn’t expecting any potatoes as the Raccoon’s already dug many out of the Grow Bags.


Garden Harvest. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

I found a very large and hungry Tomato Hornworm caterpillar eating the potato plant. Unlike the Tomato Hornworm I found last year that had been infected by wasp eggs, this one looked healthy. After taking the pictures of this alien looking vegetarian, I put it up on the birdfeeder. Some lucky bird, got a big meal.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (44.9 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (32.8 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 12.1 kWh.