Two-Years Ago (29-August-2014) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly Getting Some Sodium/Salt From the Mud Near a Pond at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 80-400 mm VR II lens (ISO 1000, 400 mm, f/11, 1/2000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CC.

Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly Getting Some Sodium/Salt From the Mud Near a Pond at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 80-400 mm VR II lens (ISO 1000, 400 mm, f/11, 1/2000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CC. (David J Mathre)
Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly Getting Some Sodium/Salt From the Mud Near a Pond at the Sourland Mountain Reserve. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 80-400 mm VR II lens (ISO 1000, 400 mm, f/11, 1/2000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, Nik Define, and Photoshop CC. (David J Mathre)

Two-Years Ago (28-August-2014) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Bumblebee working a late summer Bearded Beggartick flower at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 200 mm, f/4, 1/1600 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC.

Bumblebee Working the Late Summer Flowers at the Sourland Mountain Preserve, in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 200 mm, f/4, 1/1600 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)
Bumblebee Working the Late Summer Flowers at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 200 mm, f/4, 1/1600 sec). (David J Mathre)

Two-Years Ago (28-August-2014) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Praying Mantis Hiding In a Joe Pye Weed at the Sourland Mountain Preserve, in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 200 mm, f/8, 1/800 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014.

Praying Mantis Hiding In a Joe Pye Weed at the Sourland Mountain Preserve, in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 200 mm, f/8, 1/800 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)
Praying Mantis Hiding In a Joe Pye Weed at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 100, 200 mm, f/8, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)

Six-Years Ago (28-August-2010) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Snowberry Clearwing (Hummingbird) Moth on Thistle Bloom. Sourland Mountain Preserve, Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200 mm f/2 VR lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC.

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth on Thistle Bloom. Sourland Mountain Preserve, Summer Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200 mm f/2 VR lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC. (David J Mathre)
Snowberry Clearwing (Hummingbird) Moth on Thistle Bloom. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 200 mm f/2 VR lens + TC-E III 20 teleconverter (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)

Friday (26-August-2016) — New Jersey

Summertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

American Goldfinch Really Like Thistle Seeds.  Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/7, 1/800 sec).

Goldfinch Eating Thistle Seeds. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)
Goldfinch Eating Thistle Seeds. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/7.1, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)

It was too hot Wednesday when I did my walkabout through the Sourland Mountain Preserve. I didn’t try it yesterday, but gave it a short try today as I am still recovering from Lyme disease. I told myself that I wouldn’t stay out more than an hour, but ended up spending almost two hours. I have three goals at this time of the year: 1) Monarch Butterflies, 2) Hummingbird Clearwing Hummingbird Moths, and 3) Praying Mantis. Bonus points for Praying Mantis with prey. I got all three plus a couple of  bonus images I wasn’t expecting today. I ended up spending nearly two hours out on my walkabout and was really overheated when I got home. A short list of images I took : 1) Turtle; 2) Fritillary butterfly; 3) Hummingbird Clearwing moth; 4) Praying Mantis; 5) Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly mating; 6) Monarch butterfly; 7) Praying Mantis with a Tiger Swallowtail for lunch; 8) American Goldfinch; 9) Frog in the pond; and 10:) American Bittern. I ended up spending two hour in the Sourland Preserve, and was exhausted after getting home. It was way too hot.

Question for those that actually read this far. Should I only do single image in a post, or are albums/collections OK? If albums/collections are OK, only 4 images (so all will be seen, and users understand how to see the image in full screen mode) or as many images as I feel are good? Is it OK when I post images from this day of the year (going back 10 years)? Should they be as processed when first posted, or reprocessed using current photo editing tools (or both)? Is it OK when I post time-lapsed videos? It doesn’t seem like anyone views the time-lapse videos.

Both my “Image of the day” photo blog https://david.mathre.com
and my photo gallery http://davidmathre.com need significant updates and/or redesign. I am interested in comments about what does and doesn’t work as I start on a redesign project.