Tag: Downy Woodpecker

Friday (17-December-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, European Starling, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco.


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

Time-lapse Little Planet videos of the day. Breaking cardboard down for the biweekly recycling pickup. The main project for the day was to start working on the deer fence. Yesterday, Red Rover was used to dig the first post hole. Today the first 6 foot steel inner sleeve was pounded into the hole. A layer of gravel is added to the bottom, and then the hole filled with about one bag (50 lbs) of Quikrete (fast setting concrete). Before adding the water, the Quikrete was pounded down and the post aligned strait up using a magnetic leveling device. Water (about 1 gallon) was added, and the concrete allowed to set for 24+ hours as the temperature was only in the mid-50’s. Ten more holes were dug, and seven more inner posts installed. Note that the ground is very rocky, so not all of the holes and posts could be set to the same depth. The great thing about the Benner deer fence system is that the eight foot outer post slips over the inner post so all of the posts can be set to the same height above the ground.

Daily Electric Energy Used (47.1 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (23.5kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. Geothermal HVAC heating the house. Deficit of 23.6 kWh.

Thursday (16-December-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, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco.


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

Red Rover time-lapse video of the day. Today’s project was to attach the Woods PD-25 post-hole digger on Red Rover. Took a while to get it installed. Read the safety manual several times. When completed, dug the first of 170 holes for the deer fence project. Small issue of a bolt rubbing one of the safety shields, and a shear bolt falling out (didn’t shear, nut must not have been on tight enough). Tech from Belle Mead motors stopped by to fix the rubbing issue.


Daily Electric Energy Used (50.3 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (27.5kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. Geothermal HVAC heating the house. Deficit of 22.8 kWh.

Tuesday (07-December-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, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco.


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

Time-lapse Videos of the Day. Assembly of the 4th ShelterLogic storage shed. This one has a rounded roof, and we will see if it does better when the snow comes. 1) Morning, assembling the frame. 2) Afternoon, back and front walls. Didn’t finish with the top or anchors as the sun started to go down. Just hope not too much wind overnight.

Daily Electric Energy Used (64.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (25.2 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. Geothermal HVAC heating the house. Deficit of 39.6 kWh.

Thursday (02-December-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, Northern Mocking Bird, Eastern Bluebird, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal. A flock of birds (tentative) flew into a tree, then left. I haven’t seen a Northern Mocking bird at the birdfeeders for a long time. This one was yelling at the Blue Jays, that were yelling back.


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

Infrared video of a Possum up close on the patio.

Red Rover time-lapse video. Moving black mulch, used to cover the Daffodil patch, Forsythia, and Lilac shrubs along the west side of the property. Temporary deer fence around the shrubs until the new Deer fence is installed.

Daily Electric Energy Used (53.1 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (14.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sunny. Geothermal HVAC heating the house. Deficit of 39.1 kWh.

Wednesday (17-November-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature and Day Working Outside and in the Garage 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, House Finch, Common Grackle.


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

My Little Planet time-lapse videos for the day. 1) I cut the remaining Canna Lily plants and moved the soft pots into the garage to store them for the winter. I also decided to do the same for the soft pots containing the Gladiolus (probably too far north/cold for the Gladiolus corms to survive in the soft pots outdoors). I know it is an experiment to keep them in the soft pots. Only time will tell. 2) I covered the black mulch pile with a tarp before it rains on Thursday. Then attached the leaf vacuum to the JD lawn tractor and started to pick up some more autumn leaves in the front yard. I had to use a tie-down strap to hold the top of the leaf vacuum on straight. Unfortunately, I managed to snag a section of the ground fabric next to the fence locking up the mower blades. Then had a problem removing the mower deck from the lawn tractor. I know that I have removed it before, but one of the pins wouldn’t budge. ARRG!!! To be continued…

Daily Electric Energy Used (55.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (25.7 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Mostly sunny. The sun is lower, and the Sycamore tree sill has leaves blocking the solar panels. Getting colder outside so the Geothermal HVAC is heating the house. Deficit of 29.9 kWh.