summer - David Mathre Photography

Friday (16-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout: I was out putting up an electric fence around the Forsythia and Lilac bushes we planted earlier this spring, and came across this frog. The location is well away from the pond, and it looked different than the Bullfrogs that live in the pond. This new frog appears to be a Pickeral Frog (Lithobates palustris). The shape of the spots on the back make me think it is not a Leopard Frog. I will call it Kermit’s Cousin.

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

Daily Electric Energy Used (58.4 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (48.6 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Less Sun, and I ran a load of laundry (2.7 kWh) today. Daily net deficit 9.8 kWh.

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Thursday (15-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout: Just one image today. Butterflies Beware — the tiny Praying Mantis I saw earlier this spring has grown up and is looking for a meal.

Praying Mantis looking for a Meal.Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens + 1.4x teleconverter (ISO 200, 112 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (55.5 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (63.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More Sun today. Daily net surplus 8.0 kWh.

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Wednesday (14-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout: I went out with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. By sneaking out the backdoor of the garage I was able to catch a pair of Goldfinch feeding on the Sunflowers before they got spooked and flew away. Then lots of Butterflies (Various Skippers, Monarch, Tiger Swallowtail, Silver-spotted Skipper, Pearl Crescent, Painted Lady, Common Buckeye, and ). I have noticed many of the butterflies have ragged wings. Are they just getting old, or escaped being caught by a bird? It has been several days since I have seen a hummingbird moth.

Click on the above image to access the images in the slideshow.

Daily Electric Energy Used (53.5 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (29.8 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. The sky was cloudy most of the day (0.04 inches of rain) impacted the solar production. Daily net deficit 23.7 kWh.

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Nine-Years Ago (14-August-2010) — Iowa

Gone to See America August 2010 Road Trip. Day 14: Waterloo, Iowa to Columbus, Ohio.

Nine-years ago, I was returning from a cross country road trip. I stopped a a rest area along the interstate highway an saw where they planted a Prairie Wildflowers display. It had attracted a number of different butterflies. Images taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 24 mm f/1.4 lens or a Nikon D3x camera and 80-400 mm VR lens. At that point I said:

This is what I want my backyard to look like…

I’ve been trying for several years — fighting the deer, mile-a-minute vine, too much rain, too little rain. This year I am getting pretty close to having my own Wildflower Meadow. Images below are what I saw in Iowa back then. If you have been following my Photoblog recently you have seen the Butterflies, Hummingbird Moths, and Wildflowers in my Backyard this spring and summer.

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

Tuesday (13-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout: I went out with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 OIS lens. Butterflies (Spicebush Swallowtail, Silver-spotted Skipper, Monarch, Painted Lady, Common Buckeye, and Tiger Swallowtail). Bumble Bees on a variety of Sunflowers. Leaf-legged Bug on a Thistle, and an ant on a Bee Balm.

Click on the above image to access the images in the slideshow.

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Bee Balm Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (60.3 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (25.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. A load of Laundry (3.7 kWh) and two loads in the dishwasher contributed to the increased energy used. The sky was cloudy most of the day (but no measurable rain) impacted the solar production. Daily net deficit 34.8 kWh.