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. 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.

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.

Saturday (28-August-2021) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Black-capped Chickadee, House Finch, American Goldfinch.


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

Flowers of the day: Black-eyed Susan, Blanket Flower, Canna, Chicory, Cosmos, Echinacea, Four O’Clock, Gladiolus, Morning Glory, Description/Caption:
Partridge Pea, Sunflower, Zinnia.


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

Kermit the Bullfrog in the Pond.


Kermit the Bullfrog. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spot Twins in the Backyard.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (55.4 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (11.4 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Cloudy all day. A deficit of 44.0 kWh.

Wednesday (04-August-2021) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Blue Jay, Gray Catbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow. Many images of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird at the end of this post.


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

Flowers of the day: Black-eyed Susan, Canna, Cosmos, Zinnia.


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

Insects of the day include Monarch Butterfly on a Sunflower leaf and Bumblebee feeding on a Zinnia flower.


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

The a scrawny Buck and Fawn with spots.


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

Kermit in the pond.


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

Ruby-throated Hummingbird really like the Red Canna flowers.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (45.3 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (36.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Clouds and sun. A deficit of 8.4 kWh.