Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, European Starling, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco.
Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
Time-lapse videos: 1) Building floor supports and moving plastic-coated wire rolls into the storage sheds. 2) Building pallet supports for the tractor implements (rototiller and snow blade).
Daily Electric Energy Used (50.3 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (26.5 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Mostly sunny. The Geothermal furnace is now on to heat the house. Indoor temperature set to 64° F. Deficit of 33.8 kWh.
Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, European Starling, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco.
Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
Time-lapse video continuing the inventory of the Deer Fence supplies from Benner Deer Fence. The supplies were organized into storage containers, then the cardboard cut up for recycling.
Daily Electric Energy Used (41.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (22.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 19.8 kWh.
Weekly Electric Energy Used (292 kWh) from Sense. Weekly Solar Electric Energy Produced (142 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Deficit of 150 kWh.
Monthly Electric Energy Used (1322 kWh) from Sense. Monthly Solar Electric Energy Produced (775 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Deficit of 547 kWh.
Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Mourning Dove, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, European Starling, House Finch, Northern Cardinal. For the second day in a row there were no birds around the birdfeeder in the morning. This time it was a Cooper’s Hawk up in a tree being harassed by a troop of noisy Blue Jays. Once the hawk left, some birds did show up at the birdfeeder.
Cooper’s Hawk (being harassed by Blue Jays). 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.
Security infrared video of a raccoon trying to steal the food out of a rat trap. Maybe the raccoon will stay away for a while. The only thing left in the garden are hot peppers. Just want the rats (and raccoons) to stay away from the bird feeders.
Daily Electric Energy Used (43.4 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (30.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 12.5 kWh.
Weekly Electric Energy Used (314 kWh) from Sense. Weekly Solar Electric Energy Produced (186 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Deficit of 128 kWh.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
