Tag: Sunflower

Friday (14-August-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Afternoon walkabout with a Leica SL2 camera and 90-280 mm lens. I am getting to like this camera. It is a bit heavy, but feels robust. The focus is fast, and does a good job tracking moving subjects. All of these images are hand-held using the in-camera sensor based image stabilization.

I didn’t plant wildflower seeds in the back wildflower meadows this spring. Only a few Sunflowers, Zinnia, Plains Coreopsis, and Sweet William flowers returned (self-seeded from last year). I am still getting Strawberries in the Grow Towers. A few Monarch and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies are feeding on the remaining Thistle flowers. I also observed a Monarch butterfly laying eggs on a Milkweed plant. Kermit the Bullfrog was sunning itself on a log in the pond. I am still waiting on the township to remove the fallen oak tree.


Backyard Wildflowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Strawberry. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 90-280 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Strawberry. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 90-280 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)


Backyard Butterflies. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Kermit the Bullfrog on a Log. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 90-280 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Kermit the Bullfrog on a Log. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 90-280 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)


Northern Cardinal, Brown Thrasher, and American Goldfinch. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Downed Oak Tree post Tropical Storm Isaias. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 90-280 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Downed Oak Tree post Tropical Storm Isaias. Image taken with a Leica SL2 camera and 90-280 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (60.4 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (56.7 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Clouds and rain. A deficit of 4.72 kWh.

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.

Tuesday (07-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day: Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, House Finch, Tufted Titmouse, and Chipping Sparrow.


Backyard Summer Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

The pond is nearly dry, but still has a number of frogs.


Kermit the Bullfrog and his relatives. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Summer Wildflowers of the Day: Sunflower, Black-eyed Susan, Four O’Clock, Red Poppy, Lemon-Mint, Horsemint, Bee Balm, Daisy, Sweet William, Thistle, and Teazel. The Bees really like the Bergamont (Bee Balm, Lemon Mint, Horsemint, Monarda). I like it because the deer don’t like it.


Summer Wildflowers. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Summer Wildflowers. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (66.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (53.7 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Lots of Clouds. A deficit of 12.7 kWh.


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Sunday (05-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day: Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, and Northern Cardinal.


Backyard Summer Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Flowers of the Day: Red Poppy, Black-eyed Susan, Blanket Flower, Foxglove, Sunflower, and Teazel.


Summertime Flowers of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Summertime Flowers of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (66.0 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (80.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. The sun came back. A surplus of 14.9 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (416 kWh) from Sense. Weekly Solar Electric Energy Produced (475 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. A surplus of 59 kWh.


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Wednesday (01-July-2020) — New Jersey

Early Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day: Gray Catbird, Chipping Sparrow, House Finch, Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, and Brown-headed Cowbird.


Backyard Summer Birds of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Flowers of the Day: Day Lily, Poppies (Red, Pink, Icelandic), Cornflower, Larkspur, Foxglove, Plains Coreopsis, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, and Sunflower. The Day Lily is from across the street. The deer ate all of my Day Lilies.


Summertime Flowers of the Day. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Critters of the Day: Doe with two Fawns — both named Spots.


Doe and two Fawns with Spots. Moma still glares at me while taking pictures of her children. Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed at my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (50.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (56.1 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Mixed clouds and some sun. A surplus of 5.3 kWh.


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