Bull Frog - David Mathre Photography

Friday (28-May-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Visitors backyard and the patio birdfeeder: Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, House Finch. Not many birds visiting during the emergence of the Cicadas.

Daily backyard visitors. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Even with the rain yesterday (0.25″) the water level in the back pond is still low, but still enough to support Kermit the Bull Frog and his many brothers, sisters, and closes cousins. I counted at least twelve today.

Kermit. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers blooming: Sweet William (Dianthus).

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

New Cicadas are still emerging from the ground. When the sun is out the volume goes way up.

Cicadas. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (43.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (39.0kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Cloudy and rain. A deficit of 4.8 kWh.

Thursday (27-May-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

It’s been a while. I’m over a month behind on posts. Spring has kept me busy in the yard. Although I have been taking pictures everyday, I end each day tired and sore from the yardwork and haven’t found the energy to review and post the images. Finally, it rained and I had time to rest and start catching up. New spring flowers, Cicadas, strawberries, birds, gardens, grow towers, hydroponic farms, and the yardwork.

Visitors backyard and the patio birdfeeder: House Finch. Not many birds visiting during the emergence of the Cicadas.

Daily backyard visitors. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

The water level in the back pond is getting low, but still enough to support Kermit the Bull Frog and all of his cousins.

Kermit the Bull Frog. (David J Mathre) — Kermit the bull frog in the back pond. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. (David J Mathre)

Spring flowers blooming: White Allium, Daisy, Yellow Star Thistle (invasive weed), Five-Spot, Crimson Clover, Baby Snapdragon (Toadflax), Baby Blue, Love-in-a-mist, Poppies (Oriental, Red, California), and Rhododendron.

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

Love-in-a-mist Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Poppy Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Rhododendron Flowers (some with Bumble Bees). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

I harvested the first batch of Strawberries from the Grow Towers. These are from the strawberry plants that the Doe didn’t eat last winter. Fortunately, the Cat Birds haven’t found the Strawberries this year. If/when they do, I will need to put a net up around the Grow Towers.

Fresh spring Strawberries from the Grow Towers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (58.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (84.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sunny. A surplus of 26.0 kWh.

Wednesday (24-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Morning Daily Walkabout. Nikon D850 camera with a 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens. Butterflies (Spiceberry and Tiger Swallowtails, Monarch, and Common Buckeye. Both Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) and Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) moths. I also saw one of the bull frogs near the pond. If you look closely at the final image you can see a Mosquito above the frog’s eye.

Butterflies. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.

Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) moth. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.

Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) moths. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.

Kermit the Bull Frog. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.

Kermit the Frog with a Mosquito above its eye (cropped). Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 100-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (ISO 900, 500 mm, f/5.6. 1/1000 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

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.

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Friday (26-August-2016) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Kermit the Bullfrog Chilling in the Sourland Mountain Preserve Pond. If you look closely, there are several mosquitoes on the frog. Summer Nature New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/7, 1/180 sec).

Kermit the Bullfrog in the Pond. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/180 sec). (David J Mathre)

Kermit the Bullfrog in the Pond. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/210 sec). (David J Mathre)

It was too hot Wednesday when I did my walkabout through the Sourland Mountain Preserve. I didn’t try it yesterday, but gave it a short try today as I am still recovering from Lyme disease. I told myself that I wouldn’t stay out more than an hour, but ended up spending almost two hours. I have three goals at this time of the year: 1) Monarch Butterflies, 2) Hummingbird Clearwing Hummingbird Moths, and 3) Praying Mantis. Bonus points for Praying Mantis with prey. I got all three plus a couple of bonus images I wasn’t expecting today. I ended up spending nearly two hours out on my walkabout and was really overheated when I got home. A short list of images I took : 1) Turtle; 2) Fritillary butterfly; 3) Hummingbird Clearwing moth; 4) Praying Mantis; 5) Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly mating; 6) Monarch butterfly; 7) Praying Mantis with a Tiger Swallowtail for lunch; 8) American Goldfinch; 9) Frog in the pond; and 10:) American Bittern. I ended up spending two hour in the Sourland Preserve, and was exhausted after getting home. It was way too hot.

Question for those that actually read this far. Should I only do single image in a post, or are albums/collections OK? If albums/collections are OK, only 4 images (so all will be seen, and users understand how to see the image in full screen mode) or as many images as I feel are good? Is it OK when I post images from this day of the year (going back 10 years)? Should they be as processed when first posted, or reprocessed using current photo editing tools (or both)? Is it OK when I post time-lapsed videos? It doesn’t seem like anyone views the time-lapse videos.

Both my “Image of the day” photo blog https://david.mathre.com
and my photo gallery http://davidmathre.com need significant updates and/or redesign. I am interested in comments about what does and doesn’t work as I start on a redesign project.

Wednesday (24-August-2016) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Kermit the Bullfrog staying cool in the mud at the Sourland Mountain Preserve pond. Image taken with a Nikon N1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 160 mm, f/5.3, 1/25 sec).

Kermit the Bullfrog in the Mud. Image taken with a Nikon One V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 160 mm, f/5.3, 1/25 sec) (David J Mathre)