Tag: Honeysuckle

Saturday (09-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Nature in New Jersey. October Big Day.

This was the annual October Big Day for birdwatching. The morning was cloudy and cool (more like dreary). I first went to the Sourland Mountain Preserve. There were no Canada geese in the pond, so I hiked up the pipeline path. Lots of noisy Blue Jays. A Northern Flicker up in a tree. Some other small birds high up in the canopy that I wasn’t able to get pictures or identify. On the way back down to the pond, I got an image of a female (or immature) Eastern Towhee. When I got to the pond a Great Blue Heron flew to the other side of the pond. Several Turkey Vultures were also soaring over the preserve.

I then went to the local weekly Farmers Market in the parking lot of Village Shopper III in Rocky Hill. I was surprised to see two Black Vultures watching over the market from the roof of one of the stores.

The only birds I observed visiting my birdfeeder during the day were House Finches. I then went for a bike ride to look for other birds in the neighborhood. I did observe a flock of Canada Geese flying in a loose formation. Also, a Chipping Sparrow on a telecommunication cable.

Birds of the day. Great Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Eastern Towhee.


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

While out looking for birds I also took pictures of the late season wildflowers in the area. Because it wasn’t very bright out some of the images are noisy. At the Sourland Mountain Preserve: Eastern Daisy Fleabane, Honeysuckle, and Lance Leaf Coreopsis. While on the bike ride Knapweed and Yellow Toadflax (Wild Snapdragon).


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

Little planet time-lapse video of the bike ride taken with a Garmin VIRB-360 camera. Note: you can expand the video to full screen, and I added some piano music by John Matthew Rosenberg recorded on my last Semester at Sea voyage back in 2016.

Daily Electric Energy Used (42.4 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (15.4 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Cloudy. Deficit of 27.0 kWh.

Wednesday (02-June-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Lot of images today. Birds, Frogs, Snakes, Insects, and Flowers. The Brood X Cicadas are everywhere and continue singing their love song.

Birds viewed in the backyard and near the patio birdfeeder: American Robin, House Finch. The American Robin was feeding on a Cicada.


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

Kermit the Bullfrog and all of his relatives in the pond are getting fat fast this spring. Presumably out feeding on the Cicadas.


Bullfrogs in the pond. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

While working on the back wildflower meadow, I turned over some cardboard and found this Garter Snake.


Garter Snake. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Insects/bugs observed during the day include Cicada (Brood X), Dragonfly, Damselfly, Grasshopper, Cabbage White Butterfly, Water-walker, and tick(?).


Insects and other bugs. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers blooming: Love-in-a-Mist, Red Poppy, California Poppy, Sweet Alyssum, Rhododendron, Baby Blue Eyes, Sweet William, Daisy, Blue-eyed Grass, Beardtongue Foxglove, Siberian Wallflower, Evening Primrose, Clematis, Honeysuckle, and Poison Ivy. The Poison Ivy flowers were on a giant 3 inch diameter vine climbing on a dead tree.


Love-in-a-Mist. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Red Poppy. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


California Poppy. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


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


Poison Ivy Vine and Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (51.7 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (56.2 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. A surplus of 4.5 kWh.