Category: Technology

Views of science and technology from around the world

Tuesday (02-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

First Butterfly of the season — an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail feeding on the Rhododendron flowers.

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly feeding on Rhododendron flowers. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 500, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly feeding on Rhododendron flowers. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 500, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Birds of the Day — Gray Catbird, Northern Cardinal, House Finch, and Eastern Phoebe. The large nestling, in the Eastern Phoebe nest was finally convinced to jump out of the nest. The now fledgling spent the night on a cardboard box just under the nest. I suspect the fledgling is a Brown-headed Cowbird (later confirmed by the reviewers from eBird).


cBirds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Eastern Phoebe Nest with a Brown-headed Cowbird chick. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — Red, Pink, Icelandic, Oriental, and California Poppies. White Allium, Foxglove, Bachelor Button, Cornflower, Baby Blue Eyes, Spiderwort, Johnny Jump Up, Love-in-a-Mist, Evening Primrose, Daisy, Sweet William, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Beard Tongue, Baby’s Breath, Rhododendron, and Tulip Tree.


Poppies — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppies — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


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


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (40.5 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (48.6 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of clouds during the day. A surplus of 8.1 kWh.


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Monday (01-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, and Eastern Phoebe. The Eastern Phoebes are feeding the two remaining young chicks in the nest. One of the chicks is larger and dominating the nest. I see the parents trying to tempt the larger chick to leave the nest.


Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — California, Oriental, Red, Pink and Icelandic Poppies; Foxglove, Spiderwork, and Daisy.


Poppy flowers — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppy flowers — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


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


Poppy flowers — Landscape II. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (41.9 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (78.0 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. A surplus of 36.1 kWh.


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Sunday (31-May-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Brown-headed Cowbird, Black-capped Chickadee, House Finch, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, and Eastern Phoebe. The Eastern Phoebes are feeding the two remaining young chicks in the nest. One of the chicks is larger and dominating the nest.


Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — Oriental, Red, Pink and Icelandic Poppies; Foxglove, Love-in-a-Mist, Rhododendron, and Daisy.


Poppy flowers — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppy flowers — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


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


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (46.2 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (88.2 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. A surplus of 42.0 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (343 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (427 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. A surplus of 42.0 kWh.

Monthly Electric Energy Used (1562 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (2000 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. A surplus of 438 kWh.


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Saturday (30-May-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Gray Catbird, House Finch, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Eastern Phoebe. The Eastern Phoebes are feeding the two remaining young chicks in the nest.


Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — Oriental, Red, Pink and Icelandic Poppies; Foxglove, Johnny Jump Up, Daisy, Bachelor Button, Cornflower, Rhododendron, Tulip Tree, and Sweet William flowers.


Poppy flowers — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppy flowers — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring flowers — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


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


Poppy flowers — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (62.3 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (85.8 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of Sun. A surplus of 23.5 kWh. Note that the geothermal HVAC system was turned on to cool the house for the first time this year.



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Friday (29-May-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Eastern Phoebe. The Eastern Phoebes are feeding the two remaining young chicks in the nest.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — Oriental, Red and Pink Poppies.


Poppies — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppies — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (55.2 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (39.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Fog in the morning and clouds in the afternoon. A deficit of 15.7 kWh.



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