Four-Years Ago (29-August-2014) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey: Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Late Summer Blackberries. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 720, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014,

Late Summer Blackberries, Sourland Mountain Preserve in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 720, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014, (David J Mathre)
Late Summer Blackberries, Sourland Mountain Preserve in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 720, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014, (David J Mathre)

Sunday (19-August-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

It rained most of the morning, so I wasn’t able to get out until the afternoon to check out the garden towers on the patio. Between the timed sprinklers and all of the rain while I was in Germany, most of the plants survived. Indeed lots of invasive weeds and vines. I was able to pick  the ripe Italian and Cherry tomatoes. I had to discard a bunch of the tomatoes that had rotted. There were some giant cucumbers that I missed before traveling. A number of the hot peppers turned red, so I also picked them. There were flowers blooming on the morning-glory vines growing up the trellis on my chimney.

Monarch Butterfly on a Pink Zinnia Bloom. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Monarch Butterfly on a Pink Zinnia Bloom. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Garden Tower Harvest (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Hot Peppers). Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Garden Tower Harvest (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Hot Peppers). Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Garden Tower Harvest (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Hot Peppers). Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Garden Tower Harvest (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Hot Peppers). Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Morning Glory Blooms on the Chimney Trellis. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Morning Glory Blooms on the Chimney Trellis. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tree Fungus. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tree Fungus. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Horned Worm remnants after being eating by tiny wasp parasites. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Horned Worm remnants after being eating by tiny wasp parasites. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)

Saturday (18-August-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

I’m back from a 10-day trip to Germany. It was hot and dry in Germany, but apparently hot and wet in New Jersey. The grass needs to be mowed, the weeds need to be pulled, and the patio garden cleaned up. Some of the tomatoes are ripe, but others rotted. The tomato leaves are turning yellow (too much water, or need nitrogen fertilizer?).  Several of the hot peppers are bright red and ready to be picked. There was one remaining yellow squash, and two white eggplants. The wildflower garden continues to attract butterflies and bees. This was the first female black swallowtail butterfly that I have seen this season. A bumblebee was pollinating the basil flowers. There were several Monarch butterflies feeding on the zinnia wildflowers. I also made a quick trip to the local weekly farmers market. It is smaller than the daily markets I saw at several public squares in Germany.

Female Black Swallowtail Butterfly. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/4, 1/950 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Female Black Swallowtail Butterfly. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/4, 1/950 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Bumblebee on Basil Flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/4, 1/1100 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Bumblebee on Basil Flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/4, 1/1100 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)



Five-Years Ago (05-August-2013) — Iceland

Gone to See Iceland 2013 Photography Safari with Mike Hagen. Day 7: Cape Ingolfshofdi (ingólfshöfði) Along the South East Coast.

Pair of Puffins After a Successful Fishing Trip. Cape Ingolfshofdi (Ingólfshöfði) a private nature preserve on an isolated headland along the coast half way between Skaftafell in Vatnajokull National Park and Jökulsárlón ice lagoon in Iceland. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 80-400 mm VR II lens (ISO 720, 330 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec).

Pair of Puffins Image taken with a Nikon D4 and 80-400 mm VR II lens (ISO 720, 330 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Pair of Puffins After a Successful Fishing Trip. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 80-400 mm VR II lens (ISO 720, 330 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Five-Years Ago (05-August-2013) — Iceland

Gone to See Iceland 2013 Photography Safari with Mike Hagen. Day 7: Cape Ingolfshofdi (ingólfshöfði) Along the South East Coast.

Puffin Sunning Itself After A Successful Fishing Trip – The Young Ones Will Soon Get Breakfast. Cape Ingolfshofdi (Ingólfshöfði) a private nature preserve on an isolated headland on the coast half way between Skaftafell in Vatnajokull National Park and Jökulsárlón ice lagoon in Iceland. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera FT-1 Adapter and 80-400 mm VR II lens (ISO 160, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). This camera/lens combination has a field of view equivalent to a 1080 mm lens on a full-frame DSLR, and I was not using a tripod or monopod during the hike.

Puffin Sunning Itself After A Successful Fishing Trip Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera FT-1 Adapter and 80-400 mm VR II lens (ISO 160, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Puffin Sunning Itself After A Successful Fishing Trip Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera FT-1 Adapter and 80-400 mm VR II lens (ISO 160, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)