Thursday (27-May-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

It’s been a while. I’m over a month behind on posts. Spring has kept me busy in the yard. Although I have been taking pictures everyday, I end each day tired and sore from the yardwork and haven’t found the energy to review and post the images. Finally, it rained and I had time to rest and start catching up. New spring flowers, Cicadas, strawberries, birds, gardens, grow towers, hydroponic farms, and the yardwork.

Visitors backyard and the patio birdfeeder: House Finch. Not many birds visiting during the emergence of the Cicadas.


Daily backyard visitors. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

The water level in the back pond is getting low, but still enough to support Kermit the Bull Frog and all of his cousins.

Kermit the Bull Frog. (David J Mathre)
Kermit the bull frog in the back pond. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. (David J Mathre)

Spring flowers blooming: White Allium, Daisy, Yellow Star Thistle (invasive weed), Five-Spot, Crimson Clover, Baby Snapdragon (Toadflax), Baby Blue, Love-in-a-mist, Poppies (Oriental, Red, California), and Rhododendron.

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


Love-in-a-mist Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


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


Rhododendron Flowers (some with Bumble Bees). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

I harvested the first batch of Strawberries from the Grow Towers. These are from the strawberry plants that the Doe didn’t eat last winter. Fortunately, the Cat Birds haven’t found the Strawberries this year. If/when they do, I will need to put a net up around the Grow Towers.


Fresh spring Strawberries from the Grow Towers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (58.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (84.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sunny. A surplus of 26.0 kWh.

Friday (09-April-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Morning visitors to the backyard and patio birdfeeder: Chipping Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird. Squirrels kept busy in the Daffodil planters and birdfeeder.


Daily backyard visitors. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Daily backyard visitors. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (43.4 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (39.2 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Cloudy. A surplus of 28.5 kWh.

Thursday (01-April-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Morning visitors to the patio birdfeeder: Turkey Vulture, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, House Finch, White-throated Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Cardinal.

Turkey Vulture Yawning. (David J Mathre)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 500 mm f/4 VR lens. (David J Mathre)


Daily backyard visitors. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

The Turkey Vulture was up on the patio, just under the birdfeeder. At one point it tried to eat a rotten apple.


Turkey Vulture, portrait images. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Turkey Vulture, landscape images. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (43.1 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (50.5 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sunny in the afternoon. Geothermal HVAC system was off. A surplus of 7.4 kWh.

Tuesday (23-February-2021) — New Jersey

Winter Nighttime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

A doe got up onto the patio and ate my hibernating strawberry plants during the night.

Daily Electric Energy Used (77.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (7.8 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. The solar panels partially covered with snow. Geothermal HVAC system on. A deficit of 70.0 kWh.

Five-Years Ago (01-December-2015) — New Jersey

Late Autumn Nature in New Jersey.

While driving home from the grocery store I spotted a red fox at the side of the road helping itself to a venison meal (road kill). I was lucky to have a camera with a telephoto lens in the car with me to capture this shot. There were several turkey vultures wait their turn.  It is good to see the foxes returning, as they were almost completely killed off by rabies twenty years ago (along with the raccoon, opossum, and skunk).

Red fox on the side of the road with a road-killed deer. Late Autumn Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 1000, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red fox on the side of the road with a road-killed deer. Late Autumn Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 1000, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)

Daily Electric Energy Used (46.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (14.4 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Cloudy, not much sun. Geothermal HVAC system on. A deficit of 32.4 kWh.