Monday (29-March-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Morning visitors to the patio birdfeeder: Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Wren, House Finch, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal.


Daily backyard visitors. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Early Springtime Flowers: The Purple Crocuses are almost gone, Daffodils everywhere (and the deer don’t eat them), some Forsythia (that survived the deer). The Tulip plants are getting bigger, but haven’t bloomed yet (deer permitting).


Spring Wildflowers (landscape mode). Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring Wildflowers (portrait mode). Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (39.9 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (73.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sunny. Geothermal HVAC system was on. A surplus of 33.4 kWh.

Monday (20-April-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Tufted Titmouse and American Goldfinch at the bird feeders. I was amazed at how fast the American Goldfinch emptied the sunflower seed bird feeder. An American Robin was looking for worms. Although some robins stay for the winter, I think this one is a spring migrant after spending the winter in Florida. Lots of spring flowers are out. Grape Hyacinth, Tulip, and Daffodils. The Japanese Maple tree now has red leaves. Another of the local Raccoon pack wandered into the Havahart trap on my patio. This one didn’t figure out the Houdini trick to escape and had to spend the night in jail. After being processed, it will need to find a new home away from my patio and Victory vegetable garden.

Tufted Titmouse. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 640, 600 mm, f/4. 1/1250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tufted Titmouse. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 640, 600 mm, f/4. 1/1250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Pair of American Goldfinch. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/16, 1/250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Pair of American Goldfinch. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/16, 1/250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
American Robin. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/80 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
American Robin. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/80 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Purple Grape Hyacinth flowers.  Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Purple Grape Hyacinth flowers. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)


Spring tulips that survived the winter and deer. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Fancy Daffodils. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Backlit spring red Maple leaves.  Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/4, 1/200 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Backlit spring red Maple leaves. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/4, 1/200 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)


Not Houdini. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (60.0 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (46.4 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of clouds. A deficit of 13.6 kWh.


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Wednesday (18-March-2020) — New Jersey

Late Winter Outdoor Nature in New Jersey.

Today is the “Last Day of Winter”. We really didn’t have much winter this year. Warm, a lot of rain, and very little snow. Images today of Purple Crocus flowers, Daffodils, and Forsythia. Last spring I planted a row of Forsythia along the road. Unfortunately, the local deer did a lot of nibbling and only a few of the plants survived. I should have installed an electric fence earlier. ARRG!!!

Purple Crocus Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 200, 280 mm, f/11, 1/70 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Purple Crocus Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 200, 280 mm, f/11, 1/70 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Purple Crocus Flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 200, 280 mm, f/11, 1/160 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Purple Crocus Flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens and 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 200, 280 mm, f/11, 1/160 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)


Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter Gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.


Daily Electric Energy Used (61.2 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (60.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Sunny most of the day. All most self-sufficient with a deficit of only 0.7 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions


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Wednesday (17-April-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

There are plants and flowers that the deer don’t like — daffodils, dandelions, purple crocus, wild violets, and Pieris japonica. I have just planted a number of forsythia and lilac bushes. I hope the deer stay away from them. The flowers in the trees (cherry, plum, and maple) are high enough so the deer are not able to reach. The vegetable garden, tulips and other flowers that I need to worry about are behind an electric fence to deter the deer.

Daffodil Bloom. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Daffodil Bloom. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)


Dandelion Bloom. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Dandelion Bloom. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Purple Crocus Bloom. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Purple Crocus Bloom. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Wild Violet Blooms. New Jersey State Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Wild Violet Blooms. New Jersey State Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Pieris japonica Blooms. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Pieris japonica Blooms. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)



Forsythia Flowers Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Forsythia Flowers Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Forsythia Flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Forsythia Flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tulip about to Bloom. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tulip about to Bloom. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Power Use (61.6 kWh) and Solar Production (63.6 kWh) from Sense.

Current Weather Conditions

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Friday (27-April-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Several varieties of Daffodils are in bloom. The deer ignore the daffodils. I found a couple of Grape Hyacinths (muscari). It looks like the deer nibble on the green leaves, but leave the flowers. I am not sure where they come from as I don’t remember planting these. There are also wild violets in the lawn all through the backyard. Way back from the house is a tree covered with small white flowers. I think it is a Bradford pear tree. I didn’t see any bees near the flowers? My Plum tree is about to bloom, and the Japanese Maple tree is turning bright red. I assembled a Garden Tower to plant Herbs and Vegetables up on the patio (hopefully away from the deer). I also moved the cactus that have spent the winter inside the house out onto the patio.