Thursday (14-April-2022) — New Jersey

Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in the backyard: Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, House Finch, Brown-headed Cowbird.


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

Indoor hydroponic flowers of the day. Orange, yellow and white Iceland Poppy (Papaver nudicaule). Red, Pink, White with Pink Trim Corn Poppy (Papaver Rhoeas). Red Turkish Tulip Poppy (Papaver glaucum).


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


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


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

Lady Beetles and Stink Bugs have awakened after their indoor hibernation and now that it is warmer want to get outside.


Indoor Lady Beetle and Stink Bug. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (65.0 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (59.2 kWh) from Sense. Sunny with some clouds in the afternoon. Deficit of 5.8 kWh.

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Wednesday (09-February-2022) — New Jersey

Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in the backyard, at the birdfeeder and on the patio: Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal. A few more birds than yesterday.


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

Another one of the Lady Beetles spending the winter indoors was on a hydroponically grown Rouge d’Hiver leaf. Image taken with a Leica SL2s camera and Laowa 24 mm f/14 macro probe lens.


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

Time-lapse video of Calendula seedling. Images taken every one minute with a Leica SL2s camera and Laowa 24 mm f/14 macro probe lens (24 mm, ISO 2000, f/40, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro, and time-lapse video created with PhotoShop CC (1080p, 12p).

Daily Electric Energy Used (88.7 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (43.2 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sunny. Deficit of 45.5 kWh.

Friday (04-September-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Walkabout with a new Sigma 70 mm f/2.8 macro lens on the Leica SL2 camera. Flowers in the soft-pots on the patio. Zinnia, Cosmos, Coreopsis, Forget-me-not, Sunflower. Hand-held, but somewhat windy out. Narrow depth of field, so not all are completely in focus. Something I need to work on. This camera does have a higher resolution mode (but not a focus stacking mode). The higher resolution mode requires the camera be stabilized on a tripod. The same is true for the focus stacking mode on the Fuji X-H1 or Nikon D850.


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

Tropical Storm Isaias aftermath. Current status of the downed Oak trees after one month.


Tropical Storm Isaias Aftermath. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (56.5 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (57.4 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More sun. A surplus of 0.9 kWh.

Sunday (12-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day: Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, Gray Catbird, and House Finch.


Backyard Summer Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Now that it is getting hot, the birds are starting to use the birdbath to cool down. Time-lapse video of a Gray Catbird in the birdbath.

While moving the last of the hot pepper plants outdoors, I discovered a batch of very tiny Stink Bugs that just hatched on the back side of a pepper plant leaf. Now I know what to look for so I don’t have as many infesting the house.


Hatchling Stink Bugs . Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (59.4 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (82.2 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Much more sun. A surplus of 22.8 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (411 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (356 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Lots of cloudy days and a Tropical Storm during the week. A deficit of 55 kWh.


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Wednesday (06-May-2020) — New Jersey

Indoor Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

This guy runs and hides every time it hears the iRobot vacuum cleaner approach.

Indoor Spider. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens + pop-up flash (ISO 400, 80 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Indoor Spider. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens + pop-up flash (ISO 400, 80 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (49.4 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (22.3 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of clouds.A deficit of 27.1 kWh.


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