Kermit - David Mathre Photography

Thursday (03-June-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

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

Birds viewed in the backyard: American Robin. 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.

The Brood X Cicada is not feeding, just resting on the flower.

Cicada. (David J Mathre) — Cicada (brood X). Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. (David J Mathre)

Spring flowers blooming: Love-in-a-Mist, Red Poppy, California Poppy.

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.

Patio Garden: Grow Towers and Soft Pots. Seedlings from the indoor AeroGarden Farms transplanted a month ago. Strawberries planted last year, remained outside over the winter. Some of the strawberry plants survived being nibbled on by deer.

Grow Tower 1: Radish, Strawberry, Arugula, Spinach, Broccoli, Collard Greens, Swiss Chard.
Grow Tower 2: Radish, Strawberry, Kale, Dill, Anise, Cauliflower, Kale, Mustard.
Grow Tower 3: Dill, Basil (Sweet, Lime, Lemon, Dark, Culinary, Cinnamon).
Grow Tower 4: Garlic, Strawberry, Basil (Genoa, Holy).
Grow Tower 5: Scallion, Oregano, Basil (Sweet, Thai), Coriander (various).
Grow Tower 6: Garlic, Thyme, Epazote, Parsley (various), Hot Peppers.
Grow Tower 7: Garlic, Sage, Oregano, Mugwort.
Grow Tower 8: Chives, Lemon Grass, Tarragon, Parsley (various), Dwarf Cosmos.
Grow Tower 9: Carrots, Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley, Dwarf Zinnia.
Grow Tower 10: Poppies (Iceland, Red, California, Oriental).

Grow Towers 1-10. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Outer Rim Soft Pots 1-4: Cucumber.
Outer Rim Soft Pots 5-8: Summer Squash.
Outer Rim Soft Pots 9-11: Peas.
Outer Rim Soft Pots 12-17: Zucchini.

Center Soft Pots: Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Golden Harvest Cherry Tomato, Gray Stripe Sunflower, Red Sun Sunflower, Autumn Sunflower, Double Sun Sunflower.

Soft Pots. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (46.0 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (32.3 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Rain and clouds. A deficit of 13.7 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.

Friday (28-May-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Visitors backyard and the patio birdfeeder: Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, House Finch. Not many birds visiting during the emergence of the Cicadas.

Daily backyard visitors. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Even with the rain yesterday (0.25″) the water level in the back pond is still low, but still enough to support Kermit the Bull Frog and his many brothers, sisters, and closes cousins. I counted at least twelve today.

Kermit. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers blooming: Sweet William (Dianthus).

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

New Cicadas are still emerging from the ground. When the sun is out the volume goes way up.

Cicadas. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (43.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (39.0kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Cloudy and rain. A deficit of 4.8 kWh.

Thursday (27-May-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

It’s been a while. I’m over a month behind on posts. Spring has kept me busy in the yard. Although I have been taking pictures everyday, I end each day tired and sore from the yardwork and haven’t found the energy to review and post the images. Finally, it rained and I had time to rest and start catching up. New spring flowers, Cicadas, strawberries, birds, gardens, grow towers, hydroponic farms, and the yardwork.

Visitors backyard and the patio birdfeeder: House Finch. Not many birds visiting during the emergence of the Cicadas.

Daily backyard visitors. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

The water level in the back pond is getting low, but still enough to support Kermit the Bull Frog and all of his cousins.

Kermit the Bull Frog. (David J Mathre) — Kermit the bull frog in the back pond. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. (David J Mathre)

Spring flowers blooming: White Allium, Daisy, Yellow Star Thistle (invasive weed), Five-Spot, Crimson Clover, Baby Snapdragon (Toadflax), Baby Blue, Love-in-a-mist, Poppies (Oriental, Red, California), and Rhododendron.

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

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

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

Rhododendron Flowers (some with Bumble Bees). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

I harvested the first batch of Strawberries from the Grow Towers. These are from the strawberry plants that the Doe didn’t eat last winter. Fortunately, the Cat Birds haven’t found the Strawberries this year. If/when they do, I will need to put a net up around the Grow Towers.

Fresh spring Strawberries from the Grow Towers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (58.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (84.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sunny. A surplus of 26.0 kWh.

Saturday (29-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

I received the newly released Sigma 100-400 mm telephoto zoom lens with a L-mount and spent the day testing it with a Leica SL2 camera. Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma formed an alliance to use the L-mount system. This lens provides a bit more reach than the Leica 90-280 mm lens. The alliance means that Sigma was able to make a lens that is fully compatible with the Leica TL2, CL, and SL2 cameras (autofocus and aperture control).

Something has been nibbling on the May Apple seeds, and wonder if a turtle found them. The wildflowers (Cosmos, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Plains Coreopsis, Chicory, Marigold, Blanket Flower, Sunflower, Gloriosa Daisy, Shasta Daisy, Thistle, Lemon-mint, and Zinnia) are almost done for the season. I noticed an Eastern Chipmunk eating seeds under the birdfeeder. In 25+ years here, I’ve never seen a chipmunk in the yard before. I wonder if it will leave my Grow Towers alone. Kermit the bullfrog was out in the pond. Birds at the patio bird feeder today included Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal. At one point a Blue Jay and Mourning Dove were feeding when an immature Red-bellied Woodpecker chased them away.

May Apple Seeds. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 100-400 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Wildflowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Eastern Chipmunk. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Kermit the Bulfrog. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and Sigma 100-400 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Birds at the Birdfeeders. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Blue Jay and Mourning Dove chased away by an immature Red-bellied Woodpecker. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (47.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (26.1 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More clouds. A deficit of 21.7 kWh.