Monday (12-September-2022) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in my backyard: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, House Finch.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (59.0 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (27.3 kWh) from Sense. Cloudy. Deficit of 31.7 kWh.

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Saturday (10-September-2022) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in my backyard: Mourning Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, House Finch.


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


Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Ruby-throated Hummingbird at a hummingbird feeder. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

The number of Yellowjacket wasps around the house has been increasing. They seem to be getting food out of the hummingbird feeder. They also have been feeding on suet blocks (which I have now removed). I have been finding dead ones on the floor in the basement, so was worried they had found a way into the basement but not a way out. Today, I found the basement window where they were getting in. Upon further investigation, I found they had built a nest in the ceiling of the basement near where they were getting into the house. I’ve created a time-lapse video of the nest using a Leica SL2s camera with a Laowa 24 mm f/14 macro probe lens. The macro probe lens allowed me to get closer to the nest without getting stung. From outside, I noticed that the wasps were returning to the nest with body parts of other bees. Have they attacked a Honey Bee hive?? Now I need to figure out how to deal with and remove the wasp nest.

Daily Electric Energy Used (50.9 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (52.9 kWh) from Sense. Sunny. Surplus of 2.0 kWh.

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Saturday (20-August-2022) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in my backyard: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, House Finch, Northern Cardinal.


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


Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding on Canna flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Ruby-throated Hummingbird at a hummingbird feeder. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (85.9 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (62.1 kWh) from Sense. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 23.8 kWh.

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Sunday (17-July-2022) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in my backyard: Mourning Dove, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, European Starling, Gray Catbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal. The European Starling appears to be higher on the pecking order than the Blue Jay. A flock of American Starlings descended on my field of Bee Balm and proceeded to pick most of the petals off the flowers. They then started on the field of Zinnia flowers.


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


American Goldfinch feeding on Bee Balm and Zinnia flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (88.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (65.5 kWh) from Sense. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 23.1 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (549 kWh) from Sense. Weekly Solar Electric Energy Produced (489 kWh) from Sense. Deficit of 60 kWh.

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Saturday (16-July-2022) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in my backyard: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Gray Catbird, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (78.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (63.2 kWh) from Sense. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 15.6 kWh.

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