Friday (11-February-2022) — New Jersey

Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in the backyard, at the birdfeeder and on the patio: Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Dark-eyed Junco. Other than one Dark-eyed Junco, the small birds stayed away while the hawk and vultures were in area.


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

Time-lapse video of Osteospermum seedling taken 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 (80.7 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (43.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sunny. Deficit of 36.8 kWh.

Monday (31-January-2022) — New Jersey

Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Mourning Dove, Red-tailed Hawk, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal. The flock of Red-winged Blackbirds is still around.


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


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


Flock of Red-winged Blackbirds. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Little Planet video of the flock of Red-winged Blackbirds.

Daily Electric Energy Used (120.0 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (0.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. The solar panels still covered with snow. The supplemental resistance heating kicked on at night as the outdoor temperature dropped below 10°F. Deficit of 109.1 kWh.

Monthly Electric Energy Used (2846 kWh) from Sense. Monthly Solar Electric Energy Produced (618 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Deficit of 2228 kWh.

Thursday (27-January-2022) — New Jersey

Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Downy Woodpecker, Red-Tailed Hawk, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal.


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


Red-tailed Hawks soaring overhead. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (112.9 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (41.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Cold outside. Whenever the external temperature drops below 10°F, the resistance heaters kick in to assist the Geothermal HVAC heating the house. Deficit of 71.3 kWh.

Saturday (16-October-2021) — New Jersey

Autumn Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Mourning Dove, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, House Finch. Early in the morning there were no birds around the birdfeeder. I noticed the Red-tailed Hawk up in a tree being harassed by a troop of noisy Blue Jays. Once the hawk left, some birds did show up at the birdfeeder. Late in the afternoon as a storm approached, the sky was full of Turkey Vultures soaring ahead of the dark clouds.


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

Mid-afternoon a Monarch butterfly showed up and started feeding on a Butterfly Bush. I’m not sure if it is the same Monarch from yesterday. The wind was picking up as a storm approached, but the butterfly held on tight while it continued to feed on the nectar. It kept coming back for a good two hours. It needs to fuel up for the long trip to Mexico, or where ever the east coast Monarch’s go to hibernate. I got lots of pictures.


Monarch butterfly feeding on a Butterfly Bush. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Monarch butterfly feeding on a Butterfly Bush. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Monarch butterfly on a post. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Monarch butterfly on a post. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Monarch butterfly resting on a bush. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Monarch butterfly feeding on a Butterfly Bush. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Monarch butterfly feeding on a Butterfly Bush. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Monarch butterfly feeding on a Butterfly Bush. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Monarch butterfly resting on a post. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Monarch butterfly resting on a bush. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Monarch butterfly resting on a bush. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Monarch butterfly feeding on a Butterfly Bush. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (48.5 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (32.1 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 16.4 kWh.

Fourteen-Years Ago (03-April-2007) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey

Afternoon walkabout: Great Blue Heron, American Crow, Red-tailed Hawk, American Robin, Northern Cardinal. My eBird Checklist.


Afternoon walkabout. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.