American Goldfinch - David Mathre Photography

Monday (20-April-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Tufted Titmouse and American Goldfinch at the bird feeders. I was amazed at how fast the American Goldfinch emptied the sunflower seed bird feeder. An American Robin was looking for worms. Although some robins stay for the winter, I think this one is a spring migrant after spending the winter in Florida. Lots of spring flowers are out. Grape Hyacinth, Tulip, and Daffodils. The Japanese Maple tree now has red leaves. Another of the local Raccoon pack wandered into the Havahart trap on my patio. This one didn’t figure out the Houdini trick to escape and had to spend the night in jail. After being processed, it will need to find a new home away from my patio and Victory vegetable garden.

Tufted Titmouse. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 640, 600 mm, f/4. 1/1250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Pair of American Goldfinch. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/16, 1/250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

American Robin. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/80 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Purple Grape Hyacinth flowers. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Spring tulips that survived the winter and deer. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Fancy Daffodils. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Backlit spring red Maple leaves. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/4, 1/200 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Not Houdini. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (60.0 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (46.4 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of clouds. A deficit of 13.6 kWh.

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Thursday (16-April-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily bird images. Early morning Female Northern Cardinal and Female Brown-headed Cowbird at the bird feeder, Mid-morning American Goldfinch, Male House Finch, and Male Northern Cardinal at the bird feeder, and Turkey Vulture soaring in the late afternoon.

Female Northern Cardinal. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1000, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Female Brown-headed Cowbird. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1250, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

American Goldfinch. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1000, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

American Goldfinch fighting. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 360, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

American Goldfinch. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 250, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Male Northern Cardinal. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 280, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Male Northern Cardinal. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 400, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Turkey Vulture in flight. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 600 mm, f/5, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (53.7 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (71.3 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of sun (some clouds). A surplus of 20.5 kWh.

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Saturday (11-April-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Chipping Sparrow and American Goldfinch at the bird feeder today. Not getting much traffic at the bird feeders these days…

alt_title. (David J Mathre) — Chipping Sparrow feeding at a bird feeder. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 180, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (David J Mathre)

Daily Electric Energy Used (60.0 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (74.3 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of sun with short intermittent clouds. A surplus of 14.3 kWh.

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Friday (26-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Noontime Walkabout with a Nikon D5 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (using a monopod because of the weight). Birds, Bees, Butterflies (including a pair of Sulphurs mating). And of course Hummingbird Clearwing Moths. The final slideshow is of Hummingbird Clearwing Moths in flight. It is a target rich environment right now in my wildflower meadows.

Goldfinch looking for a Cornflower for lunch. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Pair of Bumblebees on a Sunflower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on a Sunflower. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Monarch butterfly Zinnia flower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE) — Monarch butterfly on an orange Zinnia flower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Pair of Sulphur butterflies mating. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) 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.

Current Weather Conditions

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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.