Sunflower - David Mathre Photography

Friday (23-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout, today with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens. It was cloudy with light rain. Also 20 degrees cooler than yesterday. The Fuji X-T3 camera is supposed to be weather resistant. [I did have a Fuji X-T1 camera fail six months after visiting Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and was told that the camera was not repairable due to water damage to the electronic circuits.] No butterflies or hummingbird moths out since it was raining, so today is all Sunflowers.

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

Daily Electric Energy Used (43.0 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (21.2 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cooler outside temperatures reduced the need for cooling, but much less sunlight reduced the solar energy generated, for a net deficit of 21.8 kWh. Cooler weather expected tomorrow!

One note — the WaterFurnace Symphony software indicated the system used 4 kWh, however the Sense Energy monitor indicated that the geothermal heat pump used 7 kWh. I tend to believe the Sense numbers since they more closely the energy being recorded at the external power company (PSE&G) meters. I’ve asked the WaterFurnace folks in the past about the discrepancy, but they didn’t have a good answer. The Sense folks told me they thought that the WaterFurnace/Symphony system was only measuring one phase of the energy even though the system is powered by the 220V circuit (using two phases). I wish an electrical engineer that understands this better would correct me here.

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Monday (19-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout, today with a Nikon Df camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. The thing I like about this camera is that it light for a DSLR, and has the same full-frame 35 mm sensor as the Nikon D4 camera. I have to admit that the camera failed on me once while in Antarctica when the shutter failed. The 70-300 mm lens is also relatively light. This post is about the flowers. Sunflowers, Zinnia, Black-eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy. The red flower I couldn’t identify yesterday appears to be a Mexican Sunflower.

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Daily Electric Energy Used (66.1 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (65.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Fewer clouds and more sun. The WaterFurnace geothermal HVAC had to work harder (25.6 kWh) because the temperature outside went above 90°F. Daily net deficit 0.6 kWh.

One note — the WaterFurnace Symphony software indicated the system used 16 kWh, however the Sense Energy monitor indicated that the geothermal heat pump used 25.6 kWh. I tend to believe the Sense numbers since they more closely the energy being recorded at the external power company (PSE&G) meters. I’ve asked the WaterFurnace folks in the past about the discrepancy, but they didn’t have a good answer. The Sense folks told me they thought that the WaterFurnace/Symphony system was only measuring one phase of the energy even though the system is powered by the 220V circut (using two phases). I wish an electrical engineer that understands this better would correct me here.

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Sunday (18-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout, today with a Leica CL camera and 55-135 mm lens. The thing I like about this camera is that it is lightweight and potentially a great travel camera. Most of the images were taken at 135 mm (field of view equivalent to 200 mm on a 35 mm sensor camera). It doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of some of my other cameras. I do need to take it out periodically just to maintain the brain and muscle memory to use it effectively. This is the longest zoom lens for the Leica TL and CL cameras. The Goldfinches are all over the smaller Sunflowers. They want the seeds fresh. A lot of butterflies were out working the wildflowers (Painted Lady, Sulphur, a pair of frisky Spicebush Swallowtails, and a pair of Monarch’s mating). The Monarch’s were flying around paired together and I finally caught them resting in a pine tree from a distance. I haven’t seen a hummingbird moth recently. Then some flowers (Backlit Red Sunflower, Bee Balm, a Red flower I haven’t identified yet, Partridge Pea with Pea Pods, a Zinnia, and a pair of small Yellow Sunflowers. Finally, the poisonous Poke Weed berries.

Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slide show.

Sulphur Butterfly on a Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 55-135 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slide show.

Pair of Monarch Butterflies Mating. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 55-135 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Monarch Butterfly. Image. taken with a Leica CL camera and 55-135 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slide show.

Poison Poke Weed Berries Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 55-135 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (61.1 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (51.2 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More clouds and bit less Sun. The WaterFurnace geothermal HVAC had to work harder (25.7 kWh) because the temperature outside went above 90°F. Daily net deficit 9.9 kWh. Weekly totals 412 kWh used, 350 kWh produced. So far still ahead for the month of August, but will need some more sunny days

One note — the WaterFurnace Symphony software indicated the system used 14 kWh, however the Sense Energy monitor indicated that the geothermal heat pump used 25.7 kWh. I tend to believe the Sense numbers since they more closely the energy being recorded at the external power company (PSE&G) meters. I’ve asked the WaterFurnace folks in the past about the discrepancy, but they didn’t have a good answer. The Sense folks told me they thought that the WaterFurnace/Symphony system was only measuring one phase of the energy even though the system is powered by the 220V circut (using two phases). I wish an electrical engineer that understands this better would correct me here.

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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.

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Saturday (03-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Foggy Morning. Looking out my bedroom window, I could barely see beyond the Sunflower. As soon as the sun came up, the fog started to dissipate. For my morning walkabout I took a Leica TL-2 camera with a 35 mm f/1.4 lens because of the fog and lower light levels. Mainly flowers (Sunflowers, Zinnia, Cosmos, Pokeweed, Coreopsis, Coneflower, Larkspur, Chicory, Four O’Clock) since it was still foggy with great diffuse lighting. A few bumblebees were out, but they seemed to be frozen on the Sunflowers. Maybe they spent the night there.

Back side of a Sunflower from my bedroom window on a foggy morning. Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/1.4, 1/200 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Foggy Morning Backyard View. Composite of two images taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/4, 1/125 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

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

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

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

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 (67.3 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Net Surplus 8.9 kWh.