Tag: New Jersey

Tuesday (27-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

While harvesting some carrots from my Grow Tower garden several very large grasshoppers jumped out. This one is almost 2 inches long.

Spur-throated Grasshopper. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Spur-throated Grasshopper. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Spur-throated Grasshopper. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Spur-throated Grasshopper. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Spur-throated Grasshopper. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 250 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Spur-throated Grasshopper. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 250 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Spur-throated Grasshopper. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Spur-throated Grasshopper. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (39.2 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (42.9 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Still cool outside but more clouds for a net surplus of 3.7 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

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Three-Years Ago (27-August-2016) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Night Sky Over New Jersey.

Star and jet trails plus clouds. Images taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro, and the composite generated with Photoshop CC (statistics, maximum). One problem I continue to have is moisture condensing on the lens as temperature cool over the night. Especially with wide angle lenses with lots of glass surface area. You can see how the condensation blurs things in the final image. I’ve read about adding electrical resistance thermal tape to heat the lens, but worry about damage and optical artifacts. I’ve also added a time-lapse video of the night sky show.

Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (01-50) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (01-50) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (51-100) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (51-100) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (101-150) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (101-150) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (151-200) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)
Star Trails and Clouds Looking South. Composite of 50 images (151-200) taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 14 mm, f/4, 120 sec). (David J Mathre)

Four-Years Ago (27-August-2015) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Night Sky Over New Jersey.

Star trails looking north and the waxing gibbous moon (both a composite and time-lapse video).

Startrails Looking North. Composite of 60 images taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 100, 10.5 mm, f/4, 120 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro with the composite processed using Phototshop CC Statictics/Maximum. (David J Mathre)
Startrails Looking North. Composite of 60 images taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 100, 10.5 mm, f/4, 120 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro with the composite processed using Phototshop CC Statictics/Maximum. (David J Mathre)
Waxing Gibbous Moon. Composite of 12 images taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 200, 600 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Waxing Gibbous Moon. Composite of 12 images taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 200, 600 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)

Monday (26-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

There were more than a dozen deer in my yard this morning. Lots of teenage fawns, still with spots. They spend their time nibbling on the wildflowers just outside the electric fence. At one point I saw one jump back after touching its nose to the electric fence. A bit later, I saw one of the fawns with “mile-a-minute” vine sticking to its side. Helping to spread this invasive vine.

Early morning Doe and two Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 640, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Early morning Doe and two Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 640, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Early morning Doe and three Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Early morning Doe and three Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 400, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Two Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 1000, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Two Fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 1000, 200 mm, f/2, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn checking out the electric fence and the flowers behind. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 320, 200 mm, f/2, 1/850 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn checking out the electric fence and the flowers behind. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 320, 200 mm, f/2, 1/850 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn (with mile-a-minute vine on its side). Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 320, 200 mm, f/2, 1/2500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn (with mile-a-minute vine on its side). Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens (ISO 320, 200 mm, f/2, 1/2500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (40.6 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (62.10 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cooler outside and more sun for a net surplus of 21.5 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

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Three-Years Ago (26-August-2016) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Praying Mantis vs. Butterflies.

Praying Mantis on a Thistle Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/75 sec). (David J Mathre)
Praying Mantis on a Thistle Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/75 sec). (David J Mathre)
Pair of Spicebush Swallowtail Butterflies (Mating?). Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/80 sec). (David J Mathre)
Pair of Spicebush Swallowtail Butterflies (Mating?). Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/80 sec). (David J Mathre)
Praying Mantis. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/70 sec). (David J Mathre)
Praying Mantis. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/70 sec). (David J Mathre)
Darwin Award Winner. This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Got Too Close to the Praying Mantis in the Thistle Bush. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Darwin Award Winner. This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Got Too Close to the Praying Mantis in the Thistle Bush. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)