Moths and Butterflies of the day viewed in the backyard: Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, Common Sootywing Butterfly, Little Glassywing Butterfly, Silver-spotted Skipper Butterfly. The wildflower meadow with Bee Balm or Wild Bergamot is in bloom. The deer don’t like these plants so they don’t need to be within a fenced area. For the last several years the flowers have attracted several butterflies, and Hummingbird Clearwing Moths.
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
Common Sootywing Butterfly. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
Little Glassywing Butterfly. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
Birds of the day viewed in my backyard: Mourning Dove, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, House Finch, Northern Cardinal.
Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
Daily Electric Energy Used (75.7 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (50.7 kWh) from Sense. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 25.0 kWh.
My field of Bee Balm and Lemon Mint plants is in bloom. The deer do not like these plants, but they do attract bees, butterflies, and two types of clearwing moths. The two types of Clearwing Moths are similar. Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris Thysbe) has lighter colored front legs, and Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris Diffinis) is slightly smaller and has dark colored front legs.
Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris Thysbe) feeding on a Bee Balm flower. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 90-280 mm lens. (David J Mathre)Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris Diffinis) feeding on a Bee Balm flower. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 90-280 mm lens. (David J Mathre)Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly feeding on a Bee Balm flower. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 90-280 mm lens. (David J Mathre)
Daily Electric Energy Used (52.1 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (4.7 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Clouds and light rain. A deficit of 10.9 kWh.
For the past week I haven’t been outside much while working on several indoor projects. Today I did my walkabout with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. In burst mode, this camera sounds like a machine gun — but is able to focus and track moving targets. Good thing today because it was a bit windy out. I noticed that the Burma Water Gourd vine had produced several gourds. It probably is too late for these to develop into the 1 meter long gourds I saw while in Burma, and that my mother was able to grow in Florida. I was also surprised to see that I still have Strawberry plants that are flowering and producing more Strawberries this late in the season. There were lots and lots of Monarch butterflies in my wildflower meadows. They were feeding on Mexican Sunflower, Zinnia, and Marigold flowers. I also caught two Common Buckeye butterflies. I was surprised to see a Hummingbird Clearwing moth feeding on Larkspur and Lemon Mint flowers. There are still a couple of Bullfrogs in the almost dry pond. One stayed still long enough to get an image. Later in the afternoon a Doe spent some time just outside the fenced in wildflower garden. The Air Dancer Scarecrows appear to be working. Finally, while reviewing the images I found one of a backlit Cosmos flower with a Praying Mantis lurking. I admit I didn’t notice the Praying Mantis when I took the image, even though I have been looking for them for several weeks.
Burma Water Gourd. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)Burma Water Gourd. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)Strawberry flowers (and green strawberry). Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Common Buckeye butterfly on a Cosmos flower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)Common Buckeye butterfly on a Marigold flower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Kermit the Bullfrog in the nearly empty pond. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Backlit Cosmos Flower (with a Praying Mantis). Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Daily Electric Energy Used (51.1 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (49.2 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Almost break-even with an overall net deficit of 1.9 kWh. Clear skies most of the day (with the Sycamore tree blocking the solar panels in the afternoon). The Geothermal HVAC system was only on for a short time (2.7 kWh) and the new indoor hydroponic systems running (8.7 kWh).
Daily walkabout with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. I mainly focused on flowers today. Bumblebee on a Marigold, a Blue Larkspur, various Sunflowers, Zinnias, and a Hummingbird Clearwing moth (white legs) attracted to Lemon Mint flowers. I didn’t see any butterflies.
Bumblebee working a Marigold flower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 1600, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)Larkspur (Delphinium) flower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 1100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)Sunflower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 450, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)Sunflower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 400, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)Sunflower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 320, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)Zinnia flowers. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 220, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)Hummingbird Clearwing moth attracted to a Lemon Mint flower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 1600, 400 mm, f/8, 1/320 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)Hummingbird Clearwing moth attracted to a Lemon Mint flower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 1250, 400 mm, f/8, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Daily Electric Energy Used (47.8 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (63.3 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More sun, and higher temperatures for a net surplus of 15.5 kWh.
Daily walkabout with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. It rained a bit in the morning. I only saw one Monarch Butterfly, and several Hummingbird Clearwing moth (white legs) feeding on Lemon Mint flowers. Note that I previously thought these were Bee Balm flowers.
Monarch Butterfly. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 1600, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)Monarch Butterfly. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 1100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
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.
Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.
Daily Electric Energy Used (42.9 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (31.2 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of clouds and cooler for a net deficit of 11.7 kWh.
