Category: Skyscape

Views of the sky. Sunrise, sunset, clouds, and weather

One-Year Ago (16-January-2019) –January

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, and Carolina Wren. I am beginning to believe that some of the Junco’s are partially brown. The Carolina Wren is not able to open sunflower seeds in its mouth like Cardinals and House Finches. When at the bird feeder with sunflower seeds, it will spend long periods of time pushing the un-husked sunflower seeds to the ground until it finds a husked sunflower seed. This makes the ground feeders (Squirrels, Mourning Doves) happy, and explains why the sunflower bird feeder empty so quickly.

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Black-capped Chickadee. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1250, 600 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Dark-eyed Junco. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1400, 600 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Dark-eyed Junco (immature?).. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1000, 600 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec)n. (David J Mathre)
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Carolina Wren. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1400, 600 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec) (David J Mathre)

Four-Years Ago (15-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 11: Crossing the Pacific Ocean.

As soon as the sun was up there were a number of Brown Boobies using the thermals above the MV World Odyssey as they searched for flying fish. As the sun was setting a Brown Booby landed on one of the ship’s mast and started preening. Later in the evening I came across a Masked Booby on the deck of the ship. We finally had close up confirmation that there were Masked Boobies following the ship. There wasn’t room for the large bird to take off from the deck. Crew members from the ship covered it with a blanket and brought it to an area that was windy and clear of obstructions so it could take off.


Brown Boobies soaring in the early morning sun viewed from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

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Brown Booby preening on a mast. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)


A large Masked Brown Booby Stowaway on the desk of the MV World Odyssey. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery. (David J Mathre)

Four-Years Ago (14-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 10: Crossing the Pacific Ocean.

During the voyage we had several discussions regarding the identity of the Boobies that followed the MV World Odyssey across the Pacific Ocean. We were in general agreement that the birds following the ship before Hawaii were Brown Boobies. Then after Hawaii, we had both Brown Boobies and Masked Boobies. The Brown Boobies had three color patterns — all brown; brown top with tan/mottled brown bottom; or brown top with white bottom. I now understand these are the different juvenile through adult forms of the Brown Booby. The Masked Boobies were mostly white with black on the ends of the upper wings. It was bright and sunny on this day. We had twenty plus of the Bobbies using the thermals from the ship to soar and then dive for flying fish. I actually captured a sequence of images where a Brown Booby caught a flying fish.


Brown Booby with dark brown top and bottom. The individual images in the slide show are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Brown Booby with brown top and and tan or mottled light brown bottom. The individual images in the slide show are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Brown Booby with brown top and and white bottom. The individual images in the slide show are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Masked Booby mostly white with black on the ends of the upper wings. The individual images in the slide show are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Brown Booby caught a Flying Fish The individual images in the slide show are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

One-Year Ago (13-January-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Lots of birds viewed from my backyard patio. Blue Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, Mourning Dove, Carolina Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, House Finch, and Turkey Vulture.

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Blue Jay at a bird feeder. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 320, 280 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Dark-eyed Junco under a bird feeder. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 320, 280 mm, f/3.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Mourning Dove under a bird feeder. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 320, 280 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Carolina Wren at a bird feeder. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 320, 280 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Red-bellied Woodpecker at a bird feeder. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 320, 280 mm, f/5, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Northern Cardinal at a bird feeder. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 320, 280 mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Tufted Titmouse at a bird feeder. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 320, 280 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
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House Finch perched on a wire. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 320, 280 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Turkey Vulture soaring. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 320, 280 mm, f/13, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)

Four-Years Ago (13-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 9: Crossing the Pacific Ocean.

At midday I noticed a Booby flying low to the water at a distance. It looked like a Booby. Later at dusk, four of the birds soared over the MV World Odyssey. We tentatively identified these as Masked Boobies rather than Brown Boobies.

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Masked Booby searching for food. Viewed from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 160, 224 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)
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Three Masked Booby flying above the MV World Odyssey at dusk. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 229 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)