chipping sparrow - David Mathre Photography

Monday (28-March-2022) — New Jersey

Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in the backyard: Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, European Starling, American Robin, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Cardinal. It’s cold out there and the birds return.

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

Indoor Hydroponic Flowers. The California Poppies continue to produce flowers. A new yellow Icelandic Poppy joined the white Icelandic poppy. Also a white Poppy with pink lace bloomed (probably a Red Poppy). Unfortunately, both started opening before the LED Hydroponic Farm lights went on at 05:30 AM. So the time-lapse video today is the later part of the flower opening. The flower bud for a Turkish Tulip Poppy is ready to open. So I will have a camera ready to capture it tomorrow morning (before the Hydroponic LED lights go on).

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

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

Pink and White (Red) Poppy Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (104.7 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (45.1 kWh) from Sense. Sun and clouds, but much colder. Deficit of 59.6 kWh.

Tuesday (15-February-2022) — New Jersey

Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in the backyard, at the birdfeeder and on the patio: Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal. First Chipping Sparrow this year.

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

Indoor Hydroponic Update. AeroGarden Bounty 01 (Day 30): Bok Choi doing well. Harvesting leaves almost every day. Drinks a lot of water, and needs extra liquid fertilizer. AeroGarden Bounty 02 (Day 30): Rouge d’Hiver, Black-seeded Simpson lettuce, Genovese Basil, Thai Basil, and Dill doing well. Harvesting leaves from the lettuce so not to block light from the basil plants. AeroGarden Bounty Elite 03 (Day 22 and 30): Genovese Basil and Dill doing well. Two of the Parsley and one Thyme sprouted. The 2nd Thyme and Chives have not sprouted. AeroGarden Bounty Elite Seed Starter 04 (Day 7) Heirloom Red Cherry Tomatoes (4/5) sprouted. Golden Harvest Tomatoes (2/4) sprouted.

AeroGarden Bounty. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm 01L (Day28): California Poppy, Oriental Poppy, Laurin’s Grape Poppy. Farm 01R (Day 28): Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Red Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy. Farm 02L (Day 28): Somniferum Mix, Red Poppy, Red Poppy Mix. Farm 02R (Day 28): Oriental Poppy, Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy, Red Poppy, Somniferum Mix Poppy.

AeroGarden Farms 01 and 02. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm 03L/03R (Day 22): Swiss Chard, Kale, Collard Greens, Spinach, Mustard Greens. After taking the images, harvested some of the larger Kale and Collard Greens leaves that were blocking the smaller plants. May have to re-think the number of plants per farm. AeroGarden Farm 04L/04R (Day 22): Oregano, Rosemary, Tarragon, Thyme. The larger plants in row D are supposed to be Sage, but I think they are something else???

AeroGarden Farms 03 and 04. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm 08L (Day28): California Poppy, Oriental Poppy, Laurin’s Grape Poppy. Farm 08R (Day 28): Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Red Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy. Farm 09L (Day 28): Somniferum Mix, Red Poppy, Red Poppy Mix. The poppy plants were pruned to leave only 1-2 plants per position. Farm 09R Seed Sprouting Tray (Day 23): Row A: Snapdragon, Max Orange Wonder, Outside Pride (5/8); Row B: Chrysanthemum, Robinson’s Mix, Outside Pride (7/10); Row C: Iceland Poppy, American Meadows (8/11); Row D: Calendula Mix, Outside Pride, (5/10); Row E: Sweet William Mix, Outside Pride (5/8); Row F: Columbine, Multicolor, PopCool Seeds (1/10); Row G: Osteospermum, Ecklonis Mix, PopCool Seeds (6/11); Row H: Osteospermum,, Whirligs, PopCool Seeds (0/9); Row I: Blue Eyed Daisy, PopCool Seeds (1/8). I will start transplanting the larger seedlings to a regular farm. I have also included a time-lapse video of the Farm O9R seedlings.

AeroGarden Farms 08 and 09. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (121.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (27.6kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Solar Panels mostly clear of snow, but the temperature dropped below 10°F so supplemental resistance heating was required. Deficit of 92.4 kWh.

Monday (18-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Colorful clouds at dawn. I haven’t done a dawn landscape image for a while. Both single and composite images taken with a Leica CL camera and 23 mm f/2 lens.

Dawn view from the backyard. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Canada Geese, Mourning Dove, Turkey Vulture, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, American Robin, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinal.

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

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

Flowers of the Day: Cosmos, Marigold, Plains Coreopsis. One set of images of a Honey Bee feeding on a white Cosmos flower.

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

White Cosmos and Honey Bee. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

When I returned from the Post Office, there were deer inside the fenced wildflower meadow. The doe jumped over the fence, but the fawn had a hard time finding a place to go under the fence. After regrouping, I noticed a 6-point buck watching the activity from a distance.

Critters of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (39.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (24.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 15.0 kWh.

Thursday (14-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, European Starling, Gray Catbird, American Robin, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

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

Flowers (and plants) of the day: Blanket Flower, Butterfly Bush, Cosmos, Daisy, Marigold, Nasturtium, Plains Coreopsis, Roselle, Sweet Alyssum, Zinnia, Hot Pepper.

Flowers and Plants of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (40.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (35.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sunny. Deficit of 4.9 kWh.

Monday (11-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Northern Mockingbird, American Robin, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow.

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

Flowers of the day: Cosmos.

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

A really scrawny buck with its ribs showing was just outside the patio fence.

Deer of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (39.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (23.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Clouds and some sun. Deficit of 16.8 kWh.