Tiger Swallowtail - David Mathre Photography

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.

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.

Current Weather Conditions

powered by Ambient Weather

Saturday (31-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily walkabout with a Nikon D810a camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. Mexican Sunflower, Butterflies (Painted Lady, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and Spicebush Swallowtail), and Hummingbird Clearwing (white legs) Moth on a Lemon Mint Flower. Note, I previously thought that these were Bee Balm Flowers.

Mexican Sunflower. Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Painted Lady Butterfly. Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)

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

Hummingbird Clearwing moth on a Lemon Mint flower. Image taken with a Nikon D810a camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (54.3 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (64.4 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. One laundry load (3.0 kWh) and two dishwasher loads (~5 kWh). Still a net surplus of 10.1 kWh.

Monthly electric energy used (1664 kWh) and solar electric energy produced (1764 kWh) for a net surplus of 100 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

powered by Ambient Weather

Sunday (25-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

More yard work. Continued installation of a drip hose to water both these shrubs and the daffodil patch (using rainwater collected in barrels). Also lots of mile-a-minute vine weeds needed to be pulled. Time-lapse video recorded with a Garmin VIRB-360 camera and the video processed with Photoshop CC (including the Little Planet view).

After the yard work I did my daily walkabout with a Nikon Df camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. The Nikon Df is the lightest of my full frame DSLR cameras. It uses the same sensor as the Nikon D4. Butterflies (Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Common Buckeye), and Moths (Hummingbird Clearwing — the one with white legs). It was windy so the butterflies and moths needed to work harder while feeding on the Zinnia and Marigold flowers.

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

Daily Electric Energy Used (41.9 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (54.0 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cooler outside but clouds blocking the sun part of the day for a net surplus of 12.1 kWh. Weekly totals Electric Energy Used (380 kWh), Solar Electric Energy Produced (378 kWh) for a weekly net deficit of 2 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

powered by Ambient Weather

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.

Current Weather Conditions

powered by Ambient Weather

Tuesday (30-July-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

It’s hot outside so only a short walkabout with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens. Lots of flowers. The sunflowers look amazing. Butterflies including Monarch, Tiger Swallowtail, Silver-spotted Skipper, Common Buckeye, Painted Lady, and Peck’s Skipper (?). Only one Snowberry Clearwing Moth.

Purple Thistle Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)

Red Coreopsis. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)

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

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

Snowberry Clearwing Moth in Flight above a Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)

Daily Electric Energy Used (68.8 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (73.1 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. The temperatures have been going up outside, resulting in more energy (~29 kWh) needed for the Geothermal HVAC system to keep the house cool. Also, ran a load of laundry (3.3 kWh). Still a small daily surplus of 4.3 kWh.