Tag: Rhododendron

Wednesday (02-June-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Lot of images today. Birds, Frogs, Snakes, Insects, and Flowers. The Brood X Cicadas are everywhere and continue singing their love song.

Birds viewed in the backyard and near the patio birdfeeder: American Robin, House Finch. The American Robin was feeding on a Cicada.


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

Kermit the Bullfrog and all of his relatives in the pond are getting fat fast this spring. Presumably out feeding on the Cicadas.


Bullfrogs in the pond. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

While working on the back wildflower meadow, I turned over some cardboard and found this Garter Snake.


Garter Snake. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Insects/bugs observed during the day include Cicada (Brood X), Dragonfly, Damselfly, Grasshopper, Cabbage White Butterfly, Water-walker, and tick(?).


Insects and other bugs. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers blooming: Love-in-a-Mist, Red Poppy, California Poppy, Sweet Alyssum, Rhododendron, Baby Blue Eyes, Sweet William, Daisy, Blue-eyed Grass, Beardtongue Foxglove, Siberian Wallflower, Evening Primrose, Clematis, Honeysuckle, and Poison Ivy. The Poison Ivy flowers were on a giant 3 inch diameter vine climbing on a dead tree.


Love-in-a-Mist. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Red Poppy. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


California Poppy. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poison Ivy Vine and Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (51.7 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (56.2 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and clouds. A surplus of 4.5 kWh.

Tuesday (01-June-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

The Brood X Cicadas are everywhere and continue singing their love song. When when working outside I need to wear my noise canceling headphones.

Cicada. (David J Mathre)
Cicada. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 24-90 mm lens. (David J Mathre)

Birds viewed in the backyard and near the patio birdfeeder: Gray Catbird, House Finch. Not many birds visiting during the emergence of the Cicadas. Normally, the Catbirds would be going after my strawberries about this time of the year. Apparently, the Cicadas taste better.


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

Spring flowers blooming: Love-in-a-Mist, Red Poppy, Rhododendron, Clematis, Baby Blue Eyes, Baby Snapdragon, Sweet Alyssum, Lacy Phacelia.


Love-in-a-Mist. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppies. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (43.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (65.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and a few clouds. A surplus of 22.1 kWh.

Thursday (27-May-2021) — New Jersey

Springtime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

It’s been a while. I’m over a month behind on posts. Spring has kept me busy in the yard. Although I have been taking pictures everyday, I end each day tired and sore from the yardwork and haven’t found the energy to review and post the images. Finally, it rained and I had time to rest and start catching up. New spring flowers, Cicadas, strawberries, birds, gardens, grow towers, hydroponic farms, and the yardwork.

Visitors backyard and the patio birdfeeder: House Finch. Not many birds visiting during the emergence of the Cicadas.


Daily backyard visitors. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

The water level in the back pond is getting low, but still enough to support Kermit the Bull Frog and all of his cousins.

Kermit the Bull Frog. (David J Mathre)
Kermit the bull frog in the back pond. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. (David J Mathre)

Spring flowers blooming: White Allium, Daisy, Yellow Star Thistle (invasive weed), Five-Spot, Crimson Clover, Baby Snapdragon (Toadflax), Baby Blue, Love-in-a-mist, Poppies (Oriental, Red, California), and Rhododendron.

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Spring Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Love-in-a-mist Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppy Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Rhododendron Flowers (some with Bumble Bees). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

I harvested the first batch of Strawberries from the Grow Towers. These are from the strawberry plants that the Doe didn’t eat last winter. Fortunately, the Cat Birds haven’t found the Strawberries this year. If/when they do, I will need to put a net up around the Grow Towers.


Fresh spring Strawberries from the Grow Towers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (58.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (84.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sunny. A surplus of 26.0 kWh.

Thursday (04-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, and Eastern Phoebe. One chick remains in the Eastern Phoebe nest. Waiting to see if it is an Eastern Phoebe or Brown-headed Cowbird.


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

Lots of frogs in the pond. Pretty noisy late at night and early in the morning.


Kermit. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — Red, Pink, Icelandic, Oriental, and California Poppies. Foxglove, Spiderwort, Love-in-a-Mist, Evening Primrose, Daisy, Sweet William, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Rhododendron, and Tulip Tree.


Pink, Frilly, and Icelandic Poppies — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppies — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppies — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring Flowers — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring Flowers — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (47.3 kWh) from meter reading. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (67.1 kWh) from meter reading. More sun during the day. A surplus of 19.8 kWh. Two days in a row with power outage.


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Tuesday (02-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

First Butterfly of the season — an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail feeding on the Rhododendron flowers.

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly feeding on Rhododendron flowers. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 500, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly feeding on Rhododendron flowers. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 70-300 mm lens (ISO 500, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Birds of the Day — Gray Catbird, Northern Cardinal, House Finch, and Eastern Phoebe. The large nestling, in the Eastern Phoebe nest was finally convinced to jump out of the nest. The now fledgling spent the night on a cardboard box just under the nest. I suspect the fledgling is a Brown-headed Cowbird (later confirmed by the reviewers from eBird).


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


Eastern Phoebe Nest with a Brown-headed Cowbird chick. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Spring flowers of the day — Red, Pink, Icelandic, Oriental, and California Poppies. White Allium, Foxglove, Bachelor Button, Cornflower, Baby Blue Eyes, Spiderwort, Johnny Jump Up, Love-in-a-Mist, Evening Primrose, Daisy, Sweet William, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Beard Tongue, Baby’s Breath, Rhododendron, and Tulip Tree.


Poppies — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppies — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring Flowers — Landscape. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Spring Flowers — Portrait. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (40.5 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (48.6 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of clouds during the day. A surplus of 8.1 kWh.


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