Landscape - David Mathre Photography

Twelve-Years Ago (29-July-2007) — Colorado

Summertime Nature in Colorado. Arapaho National Wildlife Preserve.

While visiting Arapaho National Wildlife Preserve in central Colorado, I heard what I thought was a hummingbird. But when I finally saw it discovered that it was a very large White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata). It was feeding on the Purple Nettle Flowers. It never landed, and kept flying while feeding, and thus the hummingbird sound of rapidly flapping wings. I’ve been told that the large catepillars that the Sphinx Moth come from are voratious eaters that farmers hate.

Hummingbird Moth (also known as the White-lined Sphinx Moth, Hyles lineata). It is as large as a real hummingbird. Extracting nectar from a Nettle Flower. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs Camera and 70-200 mm lens with a 1.7x Teleconverter. (ISO 100, 340 mm, f/4.8, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Sunday (28-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

The local lawn crew was out early (05:40) trimming the grass. The images are noisy since it was still dark out so the ISO was increased to 3200. Early evening (~19:00) another crew came by. It looked like one doe was left with the responsibility to watch four fawns. There was a bit of friction between the cousins. Captions for the 2nd slideshow.

1) Early Evening (19:00) lawn crew — Twins fawns with spots.
2)`Fawn Running Away.
3) Alpha Fawn.
4) Alpha Fawn telling the cousin she doesn’t smell good.
5) Alpha Fawn telling the cousin to go away.
6) Cousins running to mother.
7) Cousin telling Mommy “he was mean to me”
8) Alpha fawn — who me.
9) Cousin sticking her tongue out — Mommy said you shouldn’t be mean.
10) Alpha fawn — I didn’t do anything wrong.
11) Alpha fawn — Really, I didn’t do anything wrong!
12) Alpha fawn telling Mommy “She told a fib, I wasn’t mean”.
13) Mommy telling Alpha fawn to stop being a bully.
14) OK — Everybody play nice.
15) OK, Its time to move on.

Early Morning lawn crew. Click on the above image to access the individual images in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Early Evening lawn crew. Click on the above image to access the individual images in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (64.6 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (76.7 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. The temperatures have been going up outside, resulting in more energy needed to power the Geothermal HVAC system to keep the house cool. I also ran a load of laundry and the dishwasher. Daily surplus of 12.1 kWh. Weekly energy usage 409 kWh, solar energy production 488 kWh for a surplus of 79 kWh.

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Friday (26-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Afternoon Walkabout with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens + 1.4x teleconverter. Butterflies (including an amorous pair of Silver-spotted Skipper). And of course both Hummingbird Clearwing and Snowberry Clearwing moths. It is a target rich environment right now in my wildflower meadows.

Monarch butterfly on a Sunflower Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens + 1.4x teleconverter (DAVID J MATHRE)

Monarch butterfly on a Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens + 1.4x teleconverter (DAVID J MATHRE)

Pair of amorous Silver-spotted Skipper butterflies Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens + 1.4x teleconverter (DAVID J MATHRE)

Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) moth. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.

Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) moth. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (51.4 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (80.7 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Daily surplus of 29.3 kWh.

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Thursday (25-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

One of the wildflower meadows with lots of Zinnia flowers in bloom has attracted dozens and dozens of butterflies and clearwing moths. I set up a Garmin VIRB-360 camera for a time-lapse video of the wildflower meadow. [Note – the post will be updated later with the time-lapse video.] I also took a series of images with a Nikon 1 V3 camera with a 70-300 mm VR lens. Butterflies: Monarch, Tiger Swallowtail, and Common Buckeye. Moth: Clearwing Hummingbird (Hemaris thysbe). While walking back to the house I saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding on the taller Cosmos flowers. I was happy that I had this camera & lens since I was able to get a series of pictures from 10 meters away without scaring the hummingbird away.

Butterflies. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.

Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) moth. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (54.9 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (81.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. The amount of Electric Energy used was up a bit, mainly due to a load of laundry. It was a sunny day so the solar electricity production was up for a surplus of 26.6 kWh. Helps to make up for some of the previous very hot (increased usage) and rainy (decreased solar production) days.

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Wednesday (24-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Late Afternoon Daily Walkabout. Nikon Df camera with a 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens. Butterflies (Spiceberry and Tiger Swallowtails, Monarch, Silver-spotted Skipper, Common Buckeye, and another variety of a Skipper); Birds (Goldfinch and unknown); Flowers (Coneflowers, Partridge Pea, Sunflower, Four O’Clock, and Burma Water Gourd Vine). The yellow Partridge Pea flowers and Four O’Clock flowers are new. The Burma water gourd flowers open at night, and probably need a moth to be pollinated. Last year they didn’t bloom until too late in the season, and I only got small (zucchini sized) gourds.

Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (50.5 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (75.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. With lower temperatures the amount of Electric Energy used was down 1.5 kWh and with the sun out most of the day the solar electricity production was up 44.0 kWh from yesterday for a surplus of 25 kWh. Helps to make up for some of the previous very hot (increased usage) and rainy (decrease solar production) days.