One-Year Ago (18-January-2019) — New Jersey.

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds at the bird feeder on a snowy day. Dark-eyed Junco, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, and Carolina Wren.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Dark-eyed Junco on a wire. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 560, 600 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Blue Jay at a bird feeder. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 400, 600 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Tufted Titmouse on a wire. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 250, 600 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Black-capped Chickadee at a bird feeder. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 320, 600 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Carolina Wren at a bird feeder. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 400, 600 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)

Thursday (16-January-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

There have been a number of comments in the local neighborhood site about the lack of birds at bird feeders this winter. I am still seeing some, maybe not as many as last year. It has been warmer, so maybe some of the birds are finding other sources of food. Today, the following birds have been feeding on my patio and at my bird feeder: Black-capped Chickadee, House Wren, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse.

Black-capped Chickadee. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1250, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Black-capped Chickadee. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1250, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
House Wren. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 640, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
House Wren. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 640, 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 lens (ISO 720, 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 lens (ISO 720, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tufted Titmouse. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 220, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tufted Titmouse. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 220, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (81.0 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (28.0 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More sun. A deficit of 53 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

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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.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
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)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
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)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
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)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
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)

Wednesday (15-January-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

There have been a number of comments in the local neighborhood site about the lack of birds (or squirrels) at bird feeders this winter. I am still seeing some, maybe not as many as last year. It has been warmer, so maybe some of the birds are finding other sources of food. Today, the following birds (and a squirrel) have been feeding on my patio and at my bird feeder: Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, House Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse.


Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.



Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.


House Wren. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/4, 1/320 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
House Wren. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/4, 1/320 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)


Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.



Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.


Squirrel with a black walnut. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/4, 1/320 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Squirrel with a black walnut. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/4, 1/320 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Squirrel with a black walnut. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/4, 1/320 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Squirrel with a black walnut. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/4, 1/320 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (77.3 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (36.1 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More sun. A deficit of 41.2 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

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One-Year Ago (11-January-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

The following birds were observed on the patio and bird feeder: Northern Cardinal, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Black-capped Chickadee, and Tufted Titmouse.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Northern Cardinal feeding on the ground. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 1250, 280 mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Dark-eyed Junco. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 1250, 280 mm, f/2.8, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
House Finch 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/3.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Black-capped Chickadee 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)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
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)