Tuesday (11-December-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Autumn Nature in New Jersey.

Critters on my patio and in my backyard. The bird feeder and the area below was busy (Mourning Dove, Yellow-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay, House Finch, American Goldfinch, and Northern Cardinal). One of the relatively new birds to visit is the Yellow-breasted Nuthatch. It like the woodpeckers are attracted to the suet. The squirrels stayed on the ground going after the Black Walnuts. Later in the afternoon one of the neighborhood cats stopped by causing the birds to fly away. The deer look awfully scruffy. Later in the evening I got an image of the waxing crescent moon. All of these image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens with a 1.4x teleconverter.






Individual images in the slide shows can be viewed here.

Thursday (06-December-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Autumn Nature in New Jersey.

I spent much of the day using the new Fujinon 200 mm f/2 lens with the included 1.4x teleconverter shooting the birds (house finch, blue jay, red-bellied woodpecker, common grackle, black-crested tufted titmouse, and junco) and other critters (cat, grey squirrel, and deer). in my backyard.








Friday (21-September-2018) — New Jersey

Last Day of Summer — Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Even though the rain has stopped, the sky remains overcast. I have  used more electricity than my solar panels have generated so far this month. Yesterday, the Sheep Shearer caught up with me for my annual hair reduction. My neighbor’s cat that normally runs away when it sees me, came up to me and allowed me to take her picture. So the cat noticed…

Post Sheep Shearer Portrait. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro OIS lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Post Sheep Shearer Portrait. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro OIS lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Neighbor's Cat. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro OIS lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Neighbor’s Cat. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro OIS lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

There were a pair of garter snakes mating in a tree in  my neighbor’s backyard. The female is the larger of the two snakes. He said they have be up there for at least a day.


With all the rain we have had in the last few weeks, mushrooms are popping up all over the place. I’ll have to let the house trolls go out hunting tomorrow.


Individual images in the slide show can be viewed here.

Tuesday (06-March-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Winter Nature in New Jersey — Spring is Near.

Little do the Snow Drops and Purple Crocus flowers in a neighbor’s backyard know that another Nor’easter storm is predicted for tomorrow with 1-12 inches of snow and lots of wind. While photographing the flowers, a wary cat kept track of my every move.



Individual images from the slide shows can be viewed here.

Eleven-Years Ago (29-December-2006) — New Jersey

Backyard Winter Nature in New Jersey: Cats.

This local cat started showing up every day. I could tell when it was around when the birds got quiet. I don’t mind when it is hunting field mice, and wish it would chase the squirrels that were moving into the attic.

Local Cat Caught Birding. Early Winter Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)
Local Cat Caught Birding. Early Winter Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)

Local Cat Leaving. Early Winter Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/350 sec). (David J Mathre)
Local Cat Leaving. Early Winter Backyard Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/350 sec). (David J Mathre)