A late-winter walkabout in my backyard. Fresh snow on the ground. Tracks from a neighbor’s cat in the front yard, and tracks from many deer in the backyard. Based on the droppings, there was not much for the deer to eat. There were birds out. A turkey vulture soaring, a white-throated sparrow, a male house finch. I am not sure if the one with the crossed bill is a female house finch or something else.
Cat tracks in my front yard. Late winter snow in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 80 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Deer tracks in my back yard. Late winter snow in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 80 mm, f/12, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)Based on theses remains, not much for a deer to eat at this time of the year. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)Turkey Vulture in flight. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/9, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)White-throated sparrow on a vine. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/7.6, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)Male house finch on a vine. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)Crossed-bill/beak finch or female house finch (?) on a vine. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)Crossed-bill/beak finch or female house finch (?) on a vine. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/9, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)Crossed-bill/beak finch or female house finch (?) on a vine. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/10, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)Pine cones in the afternoon sun. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 220 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
I have two sycamore trees that frame my backyard. Theses are a few shots of the sycamore seed balls (pods). One by itself, one that a squirrel is checking out, and the final one of a black crow watching me from the tree. Unfortunately, the limbs on these trees are pretty brittle, and every winter more branches come down. I will see how much they block the solar panels on the south side of the house later this spring as the leaves emerge.
Lone sycamore seed. Late winter backyard nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)Squirrel checking out a sycamore seed. Late winter backyard nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 640, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)Crow in a sycamore tree. Late winter backyard nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)
Walkabout looking for birds. Found a Black-capped Chickadee and a pair of Northern Cardinals.
Black-capped chickadee. Backyard winter nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)Female Northern Red Cardinal in the afternoon sun. Backyard winter nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)Northern Northern Red Cardinal in the afternoon sun. Backyard winter nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
An inquisitive female Northern Red Cardinal posed for me during my daily backyard walkabout. It looked like it was just trying to get warm in the morning sunshine. The all red male bird wouldn’t stay still long enough to have its picture taken.
Inquisitive female Northern Red Cardinal perched in a sunny tree in my backyard. Winter nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)Inquisitive female Northern Red Cardinal perched in a sunny tree in my backyard. Winter nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)Inquisitive female Northern Red Cardinal perched in a sunny tree in my backyard. Winter nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec). (David J Mathre)Inquisitive female Northern Red Cardinal perched in a sunny tree in my backyard. Winter nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/750 sec). (David J Mathre)
Winter returned with more snow. A few images from a walkabout in my yard after digging a path from the house to the road. The snow plows hadn’t been through yet, so I wasn’t going anywhere. The only bird I saw was a White-throated Sparrow. It looked cold, and just wanted the snow to go away.
It snowed last night. This vehicle is covered and won’t be going anywhere soon. I dug a path from the house to the street (but the street hadn’t been cleared yet). Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 48 mm, f/13, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)Winter part II. It snowed last night. The RV is covered and won’t be going anywhere soon. The propane tank in the RV is full in case the power goes out. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 31 mm, f/7, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)Winter part II. Pine needles peaking up from the snow. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/9, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)White-throated Sparrow wondering when the snow will go away, and it will be spring again. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)Winter part II. Drip, drip, drip. Icicles above the front doorway. The gutter is frozen. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/5, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Cat tracks in my front yard. Late winter snow in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 80 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
