Tuesday (23-February-2021) — New Jersey

Winter Nighttime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

A doe got up onto the patio and ate my hibernating strawberry plants during the night.

Daily Electric Energy Used (77.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (7.8 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. The solar panels partially covered with snow. Geothermal HVAC system on. A deficit of 70.0 kWh.

Tuesday (29-September-2020) — New Jersey

Early Autumn Backyard Nighttime Nature in New Jersey.

Rats and Opossums raiding the soft pots on the patio. ARRG!!!

Daily Electric Energy Used (40.5 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (10.3 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Clouds and Rain. A deficit of 30.2 kWh.

Sunday (21-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Early Summer Nighttime Nature in New Jersey.

Now that it is summer, and a bit warmer at night, the fireflies stay active longer into the night. The battery in the camera died before the fireflies stopped flashing. Composite of images taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 24-90 mm lens (ISO 800, 66 mm, f/11, 60 sec). The problem with a high resolution sensor camera is the trails become sharper and don’t look as good unless viewed with a high resolution monitor.

Firefly Trails. Composite of images (21:35-02:04) taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 24-90 mm lens (ISO 800, 66 mm, f/11, 60 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Firefly Trails. Composite of images (21:35-02:04) taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 24-90 mm lens (ISO 800, 66 mm, f/11, 60 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)


Composite Firefly Trails in 30 minute intervals. 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 (13-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Spring Nighttime Nature in New Jersey.

The fireflies have returned. Composite of images taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 200 mm f/2 VR lens (ISO 1600, 200 mm, f/11, 30 sec).

Nighttime Fireflies [2200-0059]. Composite of images taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 200 mm f/2 VR lens (ISO 1600, 200 mm, f/11, 30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Nighttime Fireflies [2200-0059]. Composite of images taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 200 mm f/2 VR lens (ISO 1600, 200 mm, f/11, 30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)


Firefly Trails. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (42.1 kWh) from meter reading. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (90.5 kWh) from meter reading. Much more sun. A surplus of 48.4 kWh.


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Sunday (17-May-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Norwegian Independence Day for those in Norway. A busy day today. The trap in the patio was set up overnight for the band of raccoons. Instead, early in the morning the young fox visited several times. Each time circling and sniffing the trap. Then it entered, tasted the apple scraps and backed out. The fox would have been OK, but got greedy. A minute later, it reentered and set off the trap. As soon as it was light out, I let him out of jail.

Springtime Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro OIS lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Springtime Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro OIS lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Birds observed on the patio or while on my daily backyard walkabout include American Crow, Northern Cardinal, House Finch, Brown-headed Cowbird, Gray Catbird, Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Phoebe, and Turkey Vulture. I finally got an image of the Eastern Phoebe sitting on its nest. I also captured an image an immature Northern Cardinal is being fed by its father. I observed this behavior six years ago while on a bird photography workshop in southern Texas. One of the images I took at that time was my most viewed and commented on the now defunct Google Plus.


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

Eastern Phoebe sitting in the nest. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 1600, 261 mm, f/11, 1/45 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Eastern Phoebe sitting in the nest. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 1600, 261 mm, f/11, 1/45 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)


Northern Cardinals. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Father feeding Immature Northern Cardinal. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR telephoto lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/8, 1/200 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Father feeding Immature Northern Cardinal. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR telephoto lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/8, 1/200 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Male Northern Cardinal Feeding Breakfast to a Young Cardinal at a Private Ranch in Southern Texas. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 500 mm f/4 lens (ISO 500, 500 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec. (David J Mathre)
Male Northern Cardinal Feeding Breakfast to a Young Cardinal at a Private Ranch in Southern Texas. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 500 mm f/4 lens (ISO 500, 500 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec. (David J Mathre)
Male Northern Cardinal Feeding Breakfast to a Young Cardinal at a Private Ranch in Southern Texas. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 140, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec. (David J Mathre)
Male Northern Cardinal Feeding Breakfast to a Young Cardinal at a Private Ranch in Southern Texas. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 140, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec. (David J Mathre)
Male Northern Cardinal Feeding Breakfast to a Young Cardinal at a Private Ranch in Southern Texas. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 500 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec. (David J Mathre)
Male Northern Cardinal Feeding Breakfast to a Young Cardinal at a Private Ranch in Southern Texas. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 500 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec. (David J Mathre)

Spring flowers of the day include Five-spot, Dandelion, Johnny Jump Up, Rhododendron, Forget-me-not, Daisy, Flax, Sweet William, California Poppy, and Red Poppy.


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


Red and California Poppy Flowers of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Kermit along with his brother, cousin, and uncle (also named Kermit) out in the backyard pond.


Kermit Clan sunning at the backyard pond. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (52.3 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (67.6 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of Sun and intermittent clouds. A surplus of 15.3 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (356 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The weekly Solar Electric Energy Produced (514 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Finely, a week with a decent surplus (158 kWh).


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