Tag: New Jersey

Thursday (01-Jun-2017) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

The yucca plants have started putting up the flower stalks. I have a real problem with deer nibbling on the shoots before the flowers can even open. Last year I wired yellow plastic grocery store bags, sort of to act as scarecrows. It sort of worked, but I did get comments from the neighbors. This year I am trying deer netting — more as a deterrence. If this doesn’t work I will need to extend the electric fence. The carpenter bees are drilling more holes in the cedar siding on the front of the house.

 

Yucca stalk with flower buds. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/90 sec). (© 2017 David J Mathre)
Yucca stalk with flower buds. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/90 sec). (© 2017 David J Mathre)

 


 

Wednesday (31-May-2017) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

A small snake, and a poppy flower in the garden. I think the snake is garter snake. Every morning another several new poppy flowers open.

Small (garter?) snake in my garden. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/8, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Small (garter?) snake in my garden.  Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/8, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
New red poppy flower in my garden. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/7, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
New red poppy flower in my garden. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/7, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)

 

Tuesday (30-May-2017) — New Jersey

Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Several more Poppy blooms appeared this morning. I took four inside to make high resolution focus stacked images. Two red, one pink, and one orange. The images were taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec) with two SB-900 flashes (TTL, EV -1). The camera is mounted on a Kirk focusing track. Images were taken over 5-7 cm range in 0.5 or 0.25 cm increments. The composite focus stacked images were created using Helicon Focus using the method A (average), method B (depth map), and method C (pyramid)


Individual images from the slideshow can be viewed here.

Monday (29-May-2017) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

This morning there were two very large woodpeckers working a tree in my backyard. When I checked the pictures in my National Audubon Field Guide I was able to identify these as Pileated Woodpeckers. I hope they stick around for awhile so I can get some closer pictures. These images were taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 500 mm f/4 VR lens, and are zoomed in as 100% crops. Later on when I was cooking dinner, I saw Harvey the rabbit in my wildflower garden. The electric fence only has wires at levels to keep the deer out. I may have to add a lower wire — or hope that there are more wildflowers than Harvey can eat.

Spring in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (David J Mathre, David J Mathre)
Pileated Woodpecker. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 500 mm f/4 VR lens ( David J Mathre)
Harvey the Rabbit in my wildflower garden/meadow. Backyard spring nature in New Jersey. Image taken wi th a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/50 sec). The image is fuzy because it was taken through a window and screen. (© 2017 David J Mathre)
Harvey the Rabbit in my wildflower garden/meadow.  Image taken wi th a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/50 sec). The image is fuzy because it was taken through a window and screen. (David J Mathre)


Individual images from the slideshow can be viewed here.


Individual images from the slideshow can be viewed here.

Sunday (28-May-2017) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Several more Red Poppies bloomed as well as some smaller Icelandic Poppies. The Rhododendron flowers are beginning to fad, with lots of pink petals on the ground. I don’t know the ID of the purple, blue, or yellow wildflowers. Any help would be appreciated. The only non-flower picture is one of a carpenter bee drilling a hole in my house.


Individual images from the slideshow can be viewed here.