Cosmos - David Mathre Photography

Wednesday (10-August-2022) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in my backyard: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, Brown-headed Cowbird. The American Goldfinch are feeding on Cosmos, Sunflowers, and in the Zinnia patch. The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are feeding on Canna flowers and in the Zinnia patch. I did notice in some of the closeup images that there are white spots on the beak and head of one of the hummingbirds — mites???

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

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds feeding on Canna flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in a field of Zinnia flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (108.5 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (57.2kWh) from Sense. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 51.3 kWh.

Friday (22-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Mourning Dove, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Bluebird, Cedar Waxwing, House Finch Northern Cardinal.

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

Flowers of the Day: Cosmos, Marigold, Morning Glory, Zinnia

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

Bumblebee feeding on a Marigold, Hoverfly feeding on a Cosmos. Hoverflies are camouflaged to look like bees. Great Nature program on PBS the other night “My Garden of a Thousand Bees” Made me go out with my Loawa 24 mm macro lens to get some images of bees in my garden.

Bumblebee feeding on a Marigold. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Hoverfly feeding on a Cosmos. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (40.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (27.1 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 13.5 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.

Friday (15-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Mourning Dove, Turkey Vulture, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Black-capped Chickadee, European Starling, American Robin, House Finch.

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

Flowers (and plants) of the day: Chinese Forget-me-not, Cosmos, Marigold, Plains Coreopsis, Teasel.

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

Time-lapse video of a day in the wildflower meadow. This section was plated late in summer with Cosmos and Plains Coreopsis. The earlier planting in this section failed, mainly coming up with tall grass instead of the spring to summer wildflowers. I mowed the grass down, rototilled, and covered with a black-agricultural fabric to kill off the weeds for several weeks before replanting. I am now starting to get some flowers even though the plants are not very tall. Another section was planted with Marigold and Zinnia. They are not growing very fast, and have not bloomed. It also doesn’t help that the Deer and Ground Hog continue to nibble on the small plants. [Click on the full screen button, bottom right corner to view a larger image.]

I haven’t seen any Monarch butterflies until today since August. Usually there are some of the group that migrates south to hibernate around in October. One of the places that I usually see them in October is at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. This year the brush along the high-pressure underground gas line was mowed, and there are no flowers to attract the Monarch butterflies. Today, while rototilling one of my wildflower meadows to prepare for next spring I noticed the shadow of a butterfly flying. When I turned around, I saw a Monarch. It landed on a Zinnia flower. I dropped everything and ran inside to get a camera. When I got back outside, I found the Monarch feeding on a Marigold flower.

Monarch butterfly feeding on a Marigold flower. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Deer in the backyard. They keep trying to get into the fenced off areas. Some look pretty scrawny.

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

Waxing Gibbous moon with my new Sigma 150-600 mm sport (L-mount) lens on a Leica SL2 camera.

Waxing Gibbous moon. (David J Mathre) — Waxing Gibbous Moon. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 150-600 mm OIS lens (handheld). (David J Mathre)

Daily Electric Energy Used (53.4 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (33.3 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sunny. Deficit of 20.1 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.