Cosmos - David Mathre Photography

Saturday (05-September-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Walkabout with a new Sigma 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 telephoto zoom lens on a Leica CL camera. Hand-held, the combo is a bit awkward with the camera being smaller than the lens. On the smaller sensor (APS-C), the field of view is equivalent to 150-600 mm. The invasive “Mile-a-minute” vine is taking over. Flowers in the soft-pots on the patio. Zinnia, Cosmos, Coreopsis, Zinnia, Sunflower.

Invasive "Mile-a-minute" vine. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and Sigma 100-400 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

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

Need to catch up on mowing the lawn. Finally a clear day when the grass was dry.

Daily Electric Energy Used (43.0 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (61.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More sun. A surplus of 18.9 kWh.

Friday (04-September-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Walkabout with a new Sigma 70 mm f/2.8 macro lens on the Leica SL2 camera. Flowers in the soft-pots on the patio. Zinnia, Cosmos, Coreopsis, Forget-me-not, Sunflower. Hand-held, but somewhat windy out. Narrow depth of field, so not all are completely in focus. Something I need to work on. This camera does have a higher resolution mode (but not a focus stacking mode). The higher resolution mode requires the camera be stabilized on a tripod. The same is true for the focus stacking mode on the Fuji X-H1 or Nikon D850.

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

Tropical Storm Isaias aftermath. Current status of the downed Oak trees after one month.

Tropical Storm Isaias Aftermath. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (56.5 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (57.4 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More sun. A surplus of 0.9 kWh.

Sunday (30-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

More test images using the Leica SL2 camera with the Sigma 100-400 mm lens. Birds include Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, and Mourning Dove. Flowers include Cosmos, Red Coreopsis, Plains Coreopsis, and Lance-leaf Coreopsis.

Birds at and around the patio birdfeeder. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Flowers growing in soft-pots on the patio. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (48.2 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (52.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. A surplus of 3.8 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (399 kWh) from Sense. Weekly Solar Electric Energy Produced (366 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. A deficit of 33 kWh.

Saturday (29-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

I received the newly released Sigma 100-400 mm telephoto zoom lens with a L-mount and spent the day testing it with a Leica SL2 camera. Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma formed an alliance to use the L-mount system. This lens provides a bit more reach than the Leica 90-280 mm lens. The alliance means that Sigma was able to make a lens that is fully compatible with the Leica TL2, CL, and SL2 cameras (autofocus and aperture control).

Something has been nibbling on the May Apple seeds, and wonder if a turtle found them. The wildflowers (Cosmos, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Plains Coreopsis, Chicory, Marigold, Blanket Flower, Sunflower, Gloriosa Daisy, Shasta Daisy, Thistle, Lemon-mint, and Zinnia) are almost done for the season. I noticed an Eastern Chipmunk eating seeds under the birdfeeder. In 25+ years here, I’ve never seen a chipmunk in the yard before. I wonder if it will leave my Grow Towers alone. Kermit the bullfrog was out in the pond. Birds at the patio bird feeder today included Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal. At one point a Blue Jay and Mourning Dove were feeding when an immature Red-bellied Woodpecker chased them away.

May Apple Seeds. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 100-400 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

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

Eastern Chipmunk. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Kermit the Bulfrog. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 100-400 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Birds at the Birdfeeders. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Blue Jay and Mourning Dove chased away by an immature Red-bellied Woodpecker. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (47.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (26.1 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More clouds. A deficit of 21.7 kWh.

Thursday (23-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Wildflowers of the day: Cosmos, Teazel, and Larkspur.

Wildflowers of the day. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Butterfly of the day: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly.

Butterfly of the day: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Moth of the day: Clearwing Hummingbird Moth. The Lemon-Mint/Bee-Balm are starting to dry up, and the Clearwing Hummingbird moths now favor the Thistle flowers. I know some folks consider Thistle weeds because of the spines, but I still like them because they do attract butterflies, moths, and bees. Also, deer hate them.

Clearwing Hummingbird Moths (Hemaris thysbe) captured with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Birds of the Morning: Gray Catbird, House Finch, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Chipping Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, American Crow, Carolina Wren, and Song Sparrow.

Birds of the Afternoon: Gray Catbird, House Finch, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Chipping Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, American Crow, Carolina Wren, and Song Sparrow.

Daily Electric Energy Used (59.5 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (48.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Rain, clouds, then more rain. A deficit of 10.9 kWh.