Skillman - David Mathre Photography

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.

Eight-Years Ago (27-January-2012) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Afternoon walkabout. I only saw two birds, a male Northern Cardinal, and a Tufted Titmouse.

Northern Cardinal in a Holly bush. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 28-300 mm lens (ISO 1000, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)

Tufted Titmouse on a dead vine. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 28-300 mm lens (ISO 1400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)

Tufted Titmouse on a dead vine. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 28-300 mm lens (ISO 720, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)

Sunday (10-April-2011) — New Jersey

Springtime in New Jersey.

Snapshot of the CSX 7683 engine at a rail road crossing near my home in New Jersey. Getting a “grab” shot with a point & shoot camera is a challenge. After coming to a stop at the RR crossing, I had to get the camera out of my pocket, remove the lens cover, turn the camera on, adjust the zoom, and try to compose the image through the front window of my car. This was the second shot, and I was lucky get the train in the center. I didn’t get the best composition with the full rail road crossing sign being clipped at the top. Composition with a point & shoot camera requires a lot of luck with the delay between hitting the shutter button and the actual shutter release, and trying to compose the image with the rear LCD display. The other problem I discovered after the fact, was the camera was in “manual focus” mode, so focus for this image was just lucky.

CSX 7683 Engine at Local Rail Road Crossing in Skillman, New Jersey. Snapshot taken with Leica D-Lux 5 (ISO 100, 14.9 mm, f/4.5, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre) — CSX 7683 Engine at Local Rail Road Crossing in Skillman, New Jersey. Snapshot taken with Leica D-Lux 5 (ISO 100, 14.9 mm, f/4.5, 1/800 sec).