Brown-headed Cowbird - David Mathre Photography

Thursday (30-April-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Not many birds at the feeder today: Brown-headed Cowbird, Tufted Titmouse, and Chipping Sparrow.

Brown-headed Cowbird at a birdfeeder. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Tufted Titmouse at a birdfeeder. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Chipping Sparrow. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (48.1 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (8.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cloudy and rainy all day. A deficit of 39.6 kWh.

Monthly Electric Energy Used (1683 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. Monthly Solar Electric Energy Produced (1474 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. A deficit of 209 kWh. Last year, April was net positive with a surplus of 67 kWh [Used (1542 kWh) vs. Produced (1609 kWh)]. Last year I wasn’t running the indoor AeroGarden Hydroponic farms that use ~ 20 kWh/day.

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Wednesday (29-April-2020) — Florida

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Not many birds at the feeder today: Blue Jay, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Northern Cardinal. Both the Cardinal and Cowbird are female, Jay sex undetermined.

Blue Jay below a birdfeeder. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Female Northern Cardinal at a birdfeeder. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (52.5 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (34.9 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Clouds and sun. A deficit of 17.6 kWh.

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Thursday (23-April-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily bird images. Early morning: Chipping Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco at and under the bird feeder; Mid-morning: Brown-headed Cowbird and Tufted Titmouse at the bird feeder; Noon: Mourning Dove, pair of Northern Cardinals, Chipping Sparrow, pair of American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, and Red-bellied Woodpecker at and around the bird feeder.

Chipping Sparrow. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Dark-eyed Junco. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Female Brown-headed Cowbird. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1400, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Tufted Titmouse. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 800, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Mourning Dove. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1400, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Male Northern Cardinal. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1400, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Female Northern Cardinal. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Chipping Sparrowl. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Female American Goldfinch. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Male American Goldfinch. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Black-capped Chickadee. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Tufted Titmouse. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Red-bellied Woodpecker. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1400, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (57.7 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (45.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of clouds. A deficit of 12.2 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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Friday (17-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: Blue Jay, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Cardinal, and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

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

Cowbird. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/4, 1/400 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Female Northern Cardinal. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

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

Daily Electric Energy Used (93.3 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (39.9 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More sun. A deficit of 53.4 kWh.