Friday (27-April-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Several varieties of Daffodils are in bloom. The deer ignore the daffodils. I found a couple of Grape Hyacinths (muscari). It looks like the deer nibble on the green leaves, but leave the flowers. I am not sure where they come from as I don’t remember planting these. There are also wild violets in the lawn all through the backyard. Way back from the house is a tree covered with small white flowers. I think it is a Bradford pear tree. I didn’t see any bees near the flowers? My Plum tree is about to bloom, and the Japanese Maple tree is turning bright red. I assembled a Garden Tower to plant Herbs and Vegetables up on the patio (hopefully away from the deer). I also moved the cactus that have spent the winter inside the house out onto the patio.





Monday (23-April-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime in New Jersey.

The temperatures have warmed a bit, so it is time to get started on the red-brick walkway around the house. The path was laid out last fall with gravel and fine stone dust. The Japanese Andromeda shrub is in bloom. This, and the daffodils are some of the few flowers ignored by the ravenous deer.



Thursday (19-April-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Spring Nature in New Jersey.

Chipping Sparrow at the bird feeder, and a very scrawny yearling deer. It was a long winter, and weather in March was difficult for finding food. Now the grass is turning green and starting to grow — which becomes the major food source for the deer.



Individual images can be viewed here.

Thursday (12-April-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Dawn.

I am getting to like this Leica CL camera. I think it will become a great travel camera. It is light-weight, has a 24 MP sensor, and accepts the Leica T series lenses. This panorama is a composite of 18 images, and really needs to be viewed on a large screen or as a large print.

Springtime Dawn Panorama; Silhouettes, Colorful Clouds and Sky. Composite of eighteen images taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 18 mm, f/10, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)
Springtime Dawn Panorama; Silhouettes, Colorful Clouds and Sky. Composite of eighteen images taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 18 mm, f/10, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)

Sunday (08-April-2018) — New Jersey

Early Springtime Backyard Nature and A Geology Walk at Rock Mill Preserve.

Several small birds working the bird feeder greeted me in the morning. I switched to a Nikon D4 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens on a Wembly tripod just inside the patio door. The camera is just past the minimum focus distance for this camera/lens combination. Birds captured include: Tufted Titmouse, Black Eyed Junco, Chipping Sparrow, House Finch, American Robin, and Black Crow. Later, in the afternoon I attended a monthly “Sunday Walk in the Park” events. This month the subject was the geology in central New Jersey and took place at Rock Mill Preserve, located within walking distance from my house.



Individual images from the slide shows can be viewed here.