Tag: summer

Friday (17-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

One thing I fear more than COVID-19 is Lyme disease. Been there, done that, don’t want to do it again. Today after out trying to capture images of Clearwing Moths, I found a Deer Tick inside the house crawling on my computer monitor. Not on me, but still in the house. Since I always immediately change and wash the clothes I wear when outside the tick either followed me on my hat or on the camera I was using. (Others suggest it was on my beard).

Tick. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro OIS lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tick on its back stuck to tape. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro OIS lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Birds of the Day: Gray Catbird, and American Goldfinch. Several dozen American Goldfinch are loving feeding on the seeds from the Cornflower, Bachelor Button, and Chicory flowers.


Birds of the Day. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Wildflowers of the Day: Zinnia, Blanket Flower, Gloriosa Daisy, and various Sunflowers. The Zinnia is one of only a few that returned. Last year the section was full of Zinnia.


Wildflowers of the Day. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Butterfly of the Day: Cabbage White. Supposedly, the most common butterfly in New Jersey.

Cabbage White butterfly. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Cabbage White butterfly. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

There definitely are two types of Clearwing moths were present. They prefer pink to purple flowers (Bee-Balm, Lemon-Mint, Bergamot, Larkspur, Delphinium). The Clearwing Hummingbird moth (Hemaris thysbe) is larger, and has light-colored front legs. The Clearwing Snowberry moth (Hemaris diffinis) is smaller, and has dark/black colored front legs. I am trying different camera lens combinations to see which is the best to capture images of these moths.


Clearwing Hummingbird Moths (Hemaris thysbe) captured with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS VIEWING THE SLIDE SHOWS PLEASE TRY A DIFFERENT BROWSER AND LET ME KNOW WHICH BROWSER YOU ARE USING. THANKS!!!

Daily Electric Energy Used (53.5 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (44.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More clouds than sun. A deficit of 8.9 kWh.

Thursday (16-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Anti-Gardener — This squirrel is eating a Daffodil bulb in the cloth pots. Probably thinks it is one of the black walnuts it hid last fall.

Squirrel eating Daffodil bulb. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Squirrel eating Daffodil bulb. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Birds of the Day: Black-capped Chickadee, Gray Catbird, Northern Cardinal, Brown-headed Cowbird, and House Finch.


Birds of the Day. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Butterflies of the Day: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.


Butterflies of the Day. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

There definitely are two types of Clearwing moths were present. They prefer pink to purple flowers (Bee-Balm, Lemon-Mint, Bergamot, Larkspur, Delphinium). The Clearwing Hummingbird moth (Hemaris thysbe) is larger, and has light-colored front legs. The Clearwing Snowberry moth (Hemaris diffinis) is smaller, and has dark/black colored front legs. I am trying different camera lens combinations to see which is the best to capture images of these moths.


Clearwing Hummingbird Moths (Hemaris thysbe) captured with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/4 VR lens. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Clearwing Snowberry Moths (Hemaris diffinis) captured with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/4 VR lens. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

I noticed Yellowjacket Wasps hunting both Butterflies and Clearwing Moths. Possibly to lay eggs in the victims.


Yellowjacket Wasp attacking an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly captured with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/4 VR lens. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Yellowjacket Wasp attacking a Clearwing Snowberry Moths (Hemaris diffinis)captured with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/4 VR lens. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS VIEWING THE SLIDE SHOWS PLEASE TRY A DIFFERENT BROWSER AND LET ME KNOW WHICH BROWSER YOU ARE USING. THANKS!!!

Daily Electric Energy Used (47.5 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (55.2 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More clouds. A surplus of 7.7 kWh.

Wednesday (15-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day: Gray Catbird, Northern Cardinal, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, and House Finch.


Birds of the Day. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Wildflowers of the Day: Pink Poppy, Red Poppy, and Teazel


Wildflowers of the Day. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Butterflies of the Day: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Monarch, and Silver-spotted Skipper.


Butterflies of the Day. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

There definitely are two types of Clearwing moths were present. They prefer pink to purple flowers (Bee-Balm, Lemon-Mint, Bergamot, Larkspur, Delphinium). The Clearwing Hummingbird moth (Hemaris thysbe) is larger, and has light-colored front legs. The Clearwing Snowberry moth (Hemaris diffinis) is smaller, and has dark/black colored front legs. I am trying different camera lens combinations to see which is the best to capture images of these moths.


Clearwing Hummingbird Moths (Hemaris thysbe) captured with a Nikon D4 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Clearwing Hummingbird Moths (Hemaris thysbe) captured with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Clearwing Hummingbird Moths (Hemaris thysbe) captured with a Nikon D850 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Clearwing Snowberry Moths (Hemaris diffinis) captured with a Nikon D850 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS VIEWING THE SLIDE SHOWS PLEASE TRY A DIFFERENT BROWSER AND LET ME KNOW WHICH BROWSER YOU ARE USING. THANKS!!!

Daily Electric Energy Used (54.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (72.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and more clouds. A surplus of 17.4 kWh.

Tuesday (14-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

I admit I am not spending as much time watching the birds or wildflowers while the butterflies and clearwing moths are present. The only bird for the day was a Turkey Vulture soaring while I was working in the yard. I also found a single Tiger Lily flower. Every year I think the deer ate them all, and then one out of the 250 bulbs planted three years ago will pop up. I also noticed some different Larkspur flowers in the wildflower meadow.

Turkey Vulture. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Turkey Vulture. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)


Flowers of the Day. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

I didn’t see the Monarch or Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly today. The Clearwing moths were present in the Bee-Balm/Lemon-Mint wildflower meadow along with many Bumblebees. I think that there are two types of Clearwing Moths working the flowers. The Clearwing Hummingbird moth (Hemaris thysbe) which is the larger of the two, and has light-colored front legs; and The Clearwing Snowberry moth (Hemaris diffinis) which is smaller, and has dark/black colored front legs. I will be spending the next few days trying out different camera and lens combinations to figure out the best kit is to capture images of the Clearwing moths.


Clearwing Hummingbird Moths (Hemaris thysbe) of the Day. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Clearwing Snowberry Moths (Hemaris diffinis) of the Day. Individual images from this slide show can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS VIEWING THE SLIDE SHOWS PLEASE TRY A DIFFERENT BROWSER AND LET ME KNOW WHICH BROWSER YOU ARE USING. THANKS!!!

Daily Electric Energy Used (54.4 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (77.7 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and a few clouds. A surplus of 23.3 kWh.

Monday (13-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

The first day this summer that I observed Monarch and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies in one of the backyard wildflower meadows. They are attracted to and feeding on Thistle and Bee Balm (Lemon-Mint, Bergamot) flowers. I also observed my first Clearwing Hummingbird (Hemaris thysbe) moth of the year.

Monarch Butterfly on a Thistle flower. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Monarch Butterfly on a Thistle flower. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Monarch Butterfly on a Thistle flower. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Monarch Butterfly on a Thistle flower. Image taken with a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS VIEWING THE FOLLOWING SLIDE SHOWS PLEASE TRY A DIFFERENT BROWSER AND LET ME KNOW WHICH BROWSER YOU ARE USING. THANKS!!!


Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Clearwing Hummingbird (Hemaris thysbe) Moth. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Clearwing Hummingbird (Hemaris thysbe) Moth. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Clearwing Hummingbird (Hemaris thysbe) Moth. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Clearwing Hummingbird (Hemaris thysbe) Moth. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (54.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (80.2 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Much more sun and a few clouds. A surplus of 25.68 kWh.


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