Thursday (25-June-2020) — New Jersey

Early Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day: American Crow and Blue Jay.

American Crows in a tree. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 500, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
American Crows in a tree. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 500, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Blue Jay. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Blue Jay. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Early Summer Wildflowers: Yellow Prickly Pear, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Onion Grass, Teasel, Pink Poppy, Red Poppy, Bachelor Button, Larkspur, Delphinium, and Forget-me-not.


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

Leica recently updated the firmware for the SL2 camera. One of the new features is the ability to take a 187 megapixel (16736 x 11168) image using the sensor shifting capability. After taking the first image, the sensor is shifted in 1/2 pixel increments to take 8 additional images, then combine the date in camera. The native resolution of the sensor is 47 megapixels (8368 x 5584). To use this feature, the camera must be mounted on a stable platform (tripod), uses the electronic shutter, and turns off both lens and in-camera motion reduction. My first test of this feature is with the Prickly Pear Cactus flower image (full image and cropped 4507 x 3605 image).

Yellow Prickly Pear flowers. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 24-90 mm lens (ISO 400, 60 mm, f/16, 1/10 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Yellow Prickly Pear flowers. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 24-90 mm lens (ISO 400, 60 mm, f/16, 1/10 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Yellow Prickly Pear flowers. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 24-90 mm lens (ISO 400, 60 mm, f/16, 1/10 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Yellow Prickly Pear flowers. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 24-90 mm lens (ISO 400, 60 mm, f/16, 1/10 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (56.2 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (65.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and intermittent clouds. A surplus of 9.7 kWh. The solar panels continue to produce more energy than required to keep the house cool with the energy efficient Geothermal HVAC system.


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Wednesday (24-June-2020) — New Jersey

Early Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day: Red-bellied Woodpecker, House Finch, Northern Cardinal, Chipping Sparrow, Blue Jay, and Black-capped Chickadee. I think the Eastern Phoebe has given up on the nest above my front door.


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

Early Summer Wildflowers: Plains Coreopsis, Lemon-Mint, Delphinium, Larkspur, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Rigid Goldenrod, Blanket Flower, Mexican Hat, Sweet Black-eyed Susan, Cornflower, and Yucca. I managed to save a few of the Yucca flowers from the ravenous deer.


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

Mowed the lawn. Time-lapse video recorded with a Garmin VIRB-360 camera.

Daily Electric Energy Used (61.2 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (82.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and intermittent clouds. A surplus of 21.4 kWh. The solar panels continue to produce more energy than required to keep the house cool with the energy efficient Geothermal HVAC system.


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Sunday (21-June-2020) — New Jersey

Early Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day: Chipping Sparrow, Blue Jay, House Finch, Mourning Dove, and Tufted Titmouse.


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

The Red Fox, that accidently got caught in my Raccoon trap earlier this year survived the trama. I periodically see the Fox in the nighttime security videos (sometimes even with a mouse or rat in its mouth). This morning it was out early in the morning munching on some leftovers the Vultures left behind. I had to laugh a bit later when one of the Fawn twins tried to challenge the Fox. The Fawns are getting bigger and bolder as they nibble on the plants in my Wildflower garden.


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


Fawn twins with spots. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Early Summer Wildflowers: Poppies, Foxglove, Daisy, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, and Delphinium/Larkspur.


Red, Pink, Oriental, and Icelandic Poppies. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (57.1 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (75.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and intermittent clouds. A surplus of 18.5 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (321 kWh) from Sense. Weekly Solar Electric Energy Produced (463 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and intermittent clouds. A surplus of 142 kWh.


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Saturday (20-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Northern Cardinal, House Finch, American Crow, Gray Catbird, Turkey Vulture, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, and Red-bellied Woodpecker. The Eastern Phoebe appears to be reconstructing the top of the nest?


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


Spots and his sister Spots. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

First day of Summer Flowers: Including Poppies (Red, Pink, Oriental, and California). Daisy, Foxglove, Cosmos, Delphinium, Cornflower, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Love-in-a-mist (seed pod), and Prickly Pear Cactus.


Poppies (portrait mode). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppies (landscape mode). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Wildflowers (portrait mode). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Wildflowers (landscape mode). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (50.8 kWh) from Sense. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (63.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More clouds. A surplus of 12.8 kWh.


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Thursday (11-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Gray Catbird and immature House Finch. The Eastern Phoebe has been spending time on the nest.


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

Spring flowers of the day — Red, Pink, and Oriental Poppies. Blanket Flower, Love-in-a-mist, Blue Chicory, Daisy, Impatiens, and Lance-leaf Coreopsis.


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


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (51.1 kWh) from meter reading. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (42.3 kWh) from meter reading. Lots of clouds. A deficit of 8.8 kWh.


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