Sunday (14-August-2016) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Great Spangled Fritillary on a Joe Pye Flower at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.  Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens.

Great Spangled Fritillary on a Joe Pye Flower at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.  Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 183 mm, f/5,6, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
Great Spangled Fritillary on a Joe Pye Flower at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.  Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 183 mm, f/5,6, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)

Saturday (13-August-2016) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

I made a short stop at the Sourland Mountain Preserve this morning. This was the first time I have seen and photographed a Giant Swallowtail Butterfly. One of the wings is damaged. I also captured a Great Spangled Fritillary on a Joe Pye Weed. I still have not seen a Monarch Butterfly this year. Images taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens.


Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.


Friday (12-August-2016) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

When I  reviewed my older images for 12-August, I found that most are  of butterflies at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.  I am starting to feel a bit stronger after my bout with Lyme disease, so this morning I decided to check the Sourland Mountain Preserve out again. While taking the antibiotic for Lyme disease, I am not supposed to spend much time in the sun. So I put on a lot of sunscreen and a bunch of DEET. I took a Fuji X-T1 camera and the 100-400 mm OIS lens. This kit is a lot lighter than the ones that I have used in the past while visiting the Sourland Mountain Preserve. It doesn’t focus as fast, but neither did the original Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm lens. The morning trip was successful. Many good images of Butterflies (Tiger Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail, Great Spangled Fritillary, and White Cabbage), Dragonflies, and a Dog-Day Cicada. No Monarch Butterflies, and no Hummingbird Clearwing Moths. This is the first time I got a picture of a live cicada. In the past, I only have pictures of the exoskeleton or larva. The Cicadas were making a lot of noise . These are not the 17-year versions of Cicadas (not a peak year).


Swallowtail Butterflies. Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.



Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly. Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.


Cabbage White Butterfly on a Chicory Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens. (David J Mathre)
Cabbage White Butterfly on a Chicory Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens. (David J Mathre)


Dragonflies. Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.


Dog Day Cicada. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens. (David J Mathre)
Dog Day Cicada. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens. (David J Mathre)

Tuesday (01-September-2015) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

The second set of images for today. Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly, Hummingbird Clearwing moth, Praying Mantis (that just missed catching a Hummingbird Clearwing moth for Lunch), and a Bee. They were all attracted to the Thistle flowers. I missed most of the butterfly and clearwing butterfly moth season while having my cataract surgery. My eyes are healing, I am seeing better, and now finally getting used to being out in the sun (with wrap-around sunglasses).


Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.



Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.


Praying Mantis hunting on a Thistle flower. Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (David J Mathre)
Praying Mantis hunting on a Thistle flower. Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (David J Mathre)
Honey Bee approaching a Thistle flower. Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (David J Mathre)
Honey Bee approaching a Thistle flower. Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (David J Mathre)