Sunday (21-June-2020) — New Jersey

Early Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Summertime Dreams — Backyard Wildflower Meadow. Composite of 27 images taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 16-35 mm lens (ISO 400, 16 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro to produce a Tunnel View, Little Planet View, and Mirrorball View. THe files contain 268 gigapixels and can be printed as a 54 x 54 inch (1.37 x 1.37 meter) poster.

So far, I have identified the following types of flowers in this meadow: Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Larkspur/Delphinium, Cornflower/Bachelor Button, Sweet William, Daisy, Black-eyed Susan, Cosmos, Red Poppy, Forget-me-Not, Flax, Moth Mullein, Baby’s Breath, Beardtongue/Foxglove and Lemon-Mint. Last year this meadow was mainly a variety of Sunflowers that hid the lower wildflowers. I mowed everything down in the fall and didn’t plant any new seeds. So everything in the meadow this year must have self seeded. The Sunflowers seeds must have been consumed by the birds, squirrels, mice, and deer.

Summertime Dreams -- Backyard Wildflower Meadow. Composite of 27 images taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 16-35 mm lens (ISO 400, 16 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Summertime Dreams — Backyard Wildflower Meadow. Composite of 27 images taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 16-35 mm lens (ISO 400, 16 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Summertime Dreams -- Backyard Wildflower Meadow. Composite of 27 images taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 16-35 mm lens (ISO 400, 16 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Summertime Dreams — Backyard Wildflower Meadow. Composite of 27 images taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 16-35 mm lens (ISO 400, 16 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Summertime Dreams -- Backyard Wildflower Meadow. Composite of 27 images taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 16-35 mm lens (ISO 400, 16 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Summertime Dreams — Backyard Wildflower Meadow. Composite of 27 images taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 16-35 mm lens (ISO 400, 16 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (57.1 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (75.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and intermittent clouds. A surplus of 18.5 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (321 kWh) from Sense. Weekly Solar Electric Energy Produced (463 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun and intermittent clouds. A surplus of 142 kWh.


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Saturday (20-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Northern Cardinal, House Finch, American Crow, Gray Catbird, Turkey Vulture, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, and Red-bellied Woodpecker. The Eastern Phoebe appears to be reconstructing the top of the nest?


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


Spots and his sister Spots. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

First day of Summer Flowers: Including Poppies (Red, Pink, Oriental, and California). Daisy, Foxglove, Cosmos, Delphinium, Cornflower, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Love-in-a-mist (seed pod), and Prickly Pear Cactus.


Poppies (portrait mode). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Poppies (landscape mode). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Wildflowers (portrait mode). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Wildflowers (landscape mode). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (50.8 kWh) from Sense. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (63.6 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. More clouds. A surplus of 12.8 kWh.


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Five-Years Ago (01-January-2015) — Antarctica

Gone to See Antarctica 2014/2015. Hurtigruten Christmas Voyage on the MS Fram. Day 17: Antarctic Peninsula.

After visiting the Argentine Almirante Brown Base we traveled to the British Port Lockroy. A stowaway Snowy Sheathbill hitched a ride on the MS Fram to Port Lockroy. The Gentoo Penguins at were minding their nests, with several hatching and just hatched chicks.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Stowaway Snowy Sheathbill that hitched a ride on the Hurtigruten MS Fram from the Argentinian Brown Station to the British Port Lockroy. Maybe it is a spy??. Image taken with a Fuji XT1 camera and 60 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 200, 60 mm, f/5.6, 1/80 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Gentoo Penguin at Port Lockroy. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/8, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Gentoo Penguin on a nest and newly hatched chicks at Port Lockroy. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/7.1, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Gentoo Penguin on a nest with egg at Port Lockroy. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Gentoo Penguin on a nest and with egg hatching at Port Lockroy. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/11, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Gentoo Penguin on a nest with egg and newly hatched chick at Port Lockroy. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Gentoo Penguin on a nest with egg and newly hatched chick at Port Lockroy. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/11, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Gentoo Penguin on a nest with newly hatched chick at Port Lockroy. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/11, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)

Five-Years Ago (01-January-2015) — Antarctica

Gone to See Antarctica 2014/2015. Hurtigruten Christmas Voyage on the MS Fram. Day 17: Antarctic Peninsula.

The first stop in the morning was at the Argentine Almirante Brown Base. Lots of Snowy Sheathbill and Gentoo Penguins. The Gentoo Penguins were minding their nests, with several hatching and just hatched chicks.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Snowy Sheathbill near the landing at the Argentine Brown Scientific Station in Antarctica. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/16, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Snowy Sheathbill on rocks at the Argentine Brown Scientific Station in Antarctica. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 27 mm, f/16, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Snowy Sheathbill on snow at the Argentine Brown Scientific Station in Antarctica. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/16, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Gentoo Penguin nesting site at the Argentine Brown Scientific Station in Antarctica. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Gentoo Penguin nesting site at the Argentine Brown Scientific Station in Antarctica. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/16, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)

Saturday (21-September-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily walkabout with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens. Wildflowers, a Tiger Swallowtail and Bumblebee on a Mexican Sunflower, and immature Goldfinch working the sunflowers.


Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter Gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.



Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter Gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.



Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter Gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.


Yesterday Electric Energy Used (53.7 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (52.6 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More sun and cooler. The Geothermal HVAC was off. Server backup and new hydroponic garden online. Overall a net deficit of 1.1 kWh.

Daily Electric Energy Used (66.0 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (51.3 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Warmer out so the Geothermal HVAC was back on (5.2 kWh), Using more electricity while running server backups, laundry (3.7 kWh) and new hydroponic garden. Overall a net deficit of 14.7 kWh.

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