Wednesday (24-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Morning Daily Walkabout. Nikon D850 camera with a 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens. Butterflies (Spiceberry and Tiger Swallowtails, Monarch, and Common Buckeye. Both Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) and Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) moths. I also saw one of the bull frogs near the pond. If you look closely at the final image you can see a Mosquito above the frog’s eye.


Butterflies. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) moth. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) moth. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) moths. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Kermit the Bull Frog. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.


Kermit the Frog with a Mosquito above its eye (cropped). Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 100-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (ISO 900, 500 mm, f/5.6. 1/1000 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Kermit the Frog with a Mosquito above its eye (cropped). Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 100-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (ISO 900, 500 mm, f/5.6. 1/1000 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (50.5 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (75.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. With lower temperatures the amount of Electric Energy used was down 1.5 kWh and with the sun out most of the day the solar electricity production was up 44.0 kWh from yesterday for a surplus of 25 kWh. Helps to make up for some of the previous very hot (increased usage) and rainy (decrease solar production) days.

Current Weather Conditions

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Saturday (20-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout. My back is feeling somewhat better. I got a lower back/lumbar back brace wrap. It forces me to sit up straight, pushes the belly in, and I can now bend over and touch my toes. It has been on for a day and I feel much better. The high was 97 °F with a heat index of 116 °F according to my personal weather station. I was only out for a short time, but still was able to capture images of Tiger and Spicebush Swallowtail Butterflies, Silver-spotted and Peck’s (?) Butterflies, and Monarch Butterflies. Today, I only saw the Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis). There were also many Bumblebees working the flowers.


Tiger and Spicebush Swallowtail Butterflies. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Silver-spotted and Peck’s (?) Butterflies. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Monarch Butterflies. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Snowberry Clearwing Moths (Hemaris diffinis). (Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.


Bumble Bee on a Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Bumble Bee on a Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Power Use (76.6 kWh) from Sense and Solar Production (77.3 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Sunny, hot, and humid outside which kept the GeoThermal HVAC system busy (~40 kWh). I also did a ran the dishwasher (~2.5 kWh). The Solar Panels kept up with a 0.7 kWh surplus for the day.

Current Weather Conditions

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Sunday (14-August-2016) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Silver-spotted Skipper Butterfly on a Thistle Flower at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens

Silver-spotted Skipper Butterfly on a Thistle Flower at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (David J Mathre)
Silver-spotted Skipper Butterfly on a Thistle Flower at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (David J Mathre)