Sunday (09-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Morning at the Birdfeeders: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, Gray Catbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Common Grackle, Northern Cardinal, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.


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

Afternoon at the Birdfeeders: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Common Grackle, and Northern Cardinal.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (69.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (65.8 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds, hot outside. A deficit of 4.1 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (302 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (213 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Power out for 2 days. A deficit of 89 kWh.

Saturday (08-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Morning at the Birdfeeders: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal.


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

Afternoon at the Birdfeeders: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (58.0 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (45.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. A deficit of 12.1 kWh.

Wednesday (05-August-2020) — New Jersey

Tropical Storm Isaias Aftermath and Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Last night I slept in a dark house with the windows open. It was silent in the house, but you could hear several of the neighbors generators running all night. Power from PSE&G remained off all day. Even though I have solar panels, I can’t used them for safety reasons when the external power is off. By mid-afternoon there was a puddle of water under the fridge/freezer. I don’t know how much food I will lose. I am able to continue working with my computer since the Range Rover can be setup as a WiFi hotspot and has 115 VAC outlets.

In the morning two crews from National Tree Service arrived to clear the two downed Oak trees blocking my driveway and Grandview Road. They worked until mid-afternoon. The cut up sections of the tree were pushed to the side of the road and into my front yard. I set up my Garmin VIRB-360 camera to record the activity. The following nearly 6 minute time-lapse video was extracted from the 8483 images.

After the trees were cleared I took another set of images to create a “blue sky” Little Planet view of the front yard. As well as the remains of the trees, brush, and rock wall that will ultimately need to be cleaned up.

Tropical Storm Isaias Aftermath. Little Planet View of my Front Yard after the Tree Crews Cleared the Downed Oak Trees. Composite of 27 images taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tropical Storm Isaias Aftermath. Little Planet View of my Front Yard after the Tree Crews Cleared the Downed Oak Trees. Composite of 27 images taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)


Individual images used to create the above Little Planet view. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Views after the Tree Crews Cleared the Two Downed Oak Trees — East Oak Tree, West Oak Tree, Neighbor’s Rock Wall on the other side of Grandview Road. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Tropical Storm Isaias Aftermath Day 2 -- Post Tree Clearing. Rock Wall on the other side of Grandview Road. Composite of  4 images taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tropical Storm Isaias Aftermath Day 2 — Post Tree Clearing. Rock Wall on the other side of Grandview Road. Composite of 4 images taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Even thought the power was off, I still could set the camera up to monitor the patio birdfeeders: Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Brown Thrasher, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal.


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

Monday (03-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Morning at the Birdfeeders: Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal.


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

NOAA predicted that Tropical Storm Isaias would pass through central New Jersey with heavy rains and high winds. I spent the afternoon moving all of the Grow Towers next to the house and moving the cactus and patio furniture inside.

Daily Electric Energy Used (75.7 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (70.7 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More sun, and hot outside keeping the Geothermal HVAC busy. A deficit of 5.0 kWh.

Friday (31-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

The Brown Thrasher is a relatively new visitor to the birdfeed. I like its intense yellow eyes. It comes in just below the Blue Jay in regards to the pecking order feeding rights. I was really surprised to have captured a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. It wasn’t there to feed as I don’t have a hummingbird feeder with sugar syrup — just happened to be in the field of view of the camera.

Morning at the Birdfeeders: Mourning Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal.


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

Afternoon at the Birdfeeders: Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Gray Catbird, American Goldfinch, and Brown-headed Cowbird.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (56.2 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (35.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Lots of clouds. A deficit of 21.2 kWh.

Monthly Electric Energy Used (1897 kWh) from Sense. Monthly Solar Electric Energy Produced (1942 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. A surplus of 45 kWh.