Friday (01-January-2021) — New Jersey

Wintertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Several Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures in my backyard and on my patio New Year’s Day morning. Hope it is not a portent for a bad year.

Black Vulture. (David J Mathre)
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus). Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (David J Mathre)


Black and Turkey Vultures. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Visitors to the birdfeeder: Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Wren, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal.


Backyard Birdfeeder. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (74.5 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (10.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Clouds and rain. Geothermal HVAC system on. A deficit of 63.9 kWh.

Tuesday (13-October-2020) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

The flock of feisty Pine Siskin descended on the birdfeeders in the morning. Then all of a sudden the birds disappeared. I noticed a Cooper’s Hawk perched on a tree in the backyard. After the hawk left, some of the local birds (Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch, and a few Pine Siskins) returned to the birdfeeders. Also in the afternoon a number of Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures found a dead critter.


Pine Siskins at the Birdfeeders. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Cooper’s Hawk. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Afternoon at the Birdfeeders. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Turkey and Black Vultures. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (36.2 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (20.7 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. Geothermal HVAC system off. A deficit of 15.5 kWh.

Saturday (04-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day: Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, American Goldfinch, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Song Sparrow, and Mourning Dove.


Backyard Summer Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Flowers of the Day: Poppies (Red, Pink, Icelandic), Black-eyed Susan, Moth Mullein, Blanket Flower, Larkspur, Foxglove, Spiderwort, Bergamot, Horsemint, Lemon-Mint, Bee Balm, Monarda, Mexican Hat, Teazel


Summertime Flowers of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Summertime Flowers of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Summertime Flowers of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Summertime Flowers of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (61.7 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (60.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Mixed clouds and some sun. A deficit of 0.8 kWh. Power glitch in the morning stopped data collection on the Sense Monitor until it was rebooted. The daily numbers are guesstimates.


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Saturday (06-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Brown-headed Cowbird, Blue Jay, Black Vulture, and Eastern Phoebe. One chick in the Eastern Phoebe nest fledged. I think it is an Eastern Phoebe rather than a Brown-headed Cowbird. The beak is sharper, and the breast is yellow rather stripped brown and white. Hope this one survives after all the trouble its parents went through feeding the previous two Brown-headed Cowbird chicks.


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

Lots of Poppies. Even after the thunderstorm last night again knocked the old flowers down, many new ones opened this morning. Spring flowers of the day — Red, Pink, and Oriental Poppies. Foxglove, Spiderwort, Evening Primrose, Daisy, Sweet William, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, 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 Wildflowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (55.2 kWh) from meter reading. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (72.8 kWh) from meter reading. Much more sun. A surplus of 17.6 kWh.


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Friday (05-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Mourning Dove, Tufted Titmouse, Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Blue Jay, and Eastern Phoebe. One chick remains in the Eastern Phoebe nest. Waiting to see if it is an Eastern Phoebe or Brown-headed Cowbird.


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

Lots of Poppies. Even after the thunderstorm last night knocked the old flowers down, new ones opened this morning. Spring flowers of the day — Red, Pink, Icelandic, Oriental, and California Poppies. Foxglove, Spiderwort, Evening Primrose, Daisy, Sweet William, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, 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.


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


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (44.7 kWh) from meter reading. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (38.7 kWh) from meter reading. Clouds and rain. A surplus of 6.0 kWh. Two days in a row with power outage.



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