Wednesday (22-July-2020) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Morning: Tufted Titmouse, Chipping Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Gray Catbird, Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Northern Cardinal, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Blue Jay, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Song Sparrow, Mourning Dove, and White-breasted Nuthatch.

Birds of the Afternoon: Chipping Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Gray Catbird, Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Northern Cardinal, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Blue Jay, Song Sparrow, and Mourning Dove.

Daily Electric Energy Used (63.5 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (65.9 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Sun with clouds. A surplus of 2.4 kWh. Power glitch due to thunderstorm caused Sense to go offline until the detector was rebooted.

Wednesday (17-June-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, House Finch, Gray Catbird, American Goldfinch, American Crow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay, and Tufted Titmouse. The Eastern Phoebe continues to sit on the nest.


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


Blue Jay taking a drink from the birdbath. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Fawn with spots. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn with spots. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn with spots. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn with spots. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn with spots. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn with spots. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn with spots. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn with spots. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (43.9 kWh) from Sense. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (64.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Some clouds. A surplus of 20.1 kWh.


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Saturday (23-May-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the Day — Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue-Jay, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Eastern Phoebe. There continues to be lots of action at the Eastern Phoebe nest with both parents feed the new hatchlings.


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

Spring flowers of the day — Poppies (California, Oriental, Red), Dame’s Rocket, Five-spot, Rhododendron, Johnny Jump Up, Babies Blue Eyes, Bachelor Button, Cornflower, Sweet William, Dianthus, Siberian Wallflower, Daisy, Foxglove, and Tulip Tree.


California, Red, and Oriental Poppies. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


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

Barely a week old, and the new Fawn with spots is running around the yard. So far lucky that there are not many cars on the road as its only natural predator is the automobile.


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

Daily Electric Energy Used (47.7 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (32.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cloudy much of the day. A deficit 0f 15.2 kWh.


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Eleven-Years Ago (31-January-2009) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Afternoon walkabout with a Nikon D300 or D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens. This lens is rather heavy to use hand-held, and does not have VR so I used a monopod to stabilize the setup. Sparrow (unknown type), Black-capped Chickadee, White-throated Sparrow, soaring Turkey Vulture, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Dark-eyed Junco.

Sparrow (?). Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/3200 sec). (David J Mathre)
Sparrow (?). Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/3200 sec). (David J Mathre)
Black-capped Chickadee feeding. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/2000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Black-capped Chickadee feeding. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/4, 1/2000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-throated Sparrow. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 250, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-throated Sparrow. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 250, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-throated Sparrow. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 320, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-throated Sparrow. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 320, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Turkey Vulture soaring. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 360, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Turkey Vulture soaring. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 360, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-breasted Nuthatch. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 320, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-breasted Nuthatch. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 320, 400 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Dark-eyed Junco. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 800, 400 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)
Dark-eyed Junco. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 800, 400 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). (David J Mathre)

Twelve-Years Ago (19-January-2008) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

After returning from the Sourland Mountain Preserve, I did a quick walkabout in my backyard. I saw a number of different birds. Female Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Turkey Vulture. Later in the afternoon I looked out my  back door and saw a Red-tailed Hawk perched in a tree.

Female Northern Cardinal feeding on the ground. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
Female Northern Cardinal feeding on the ground. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
Blue Jay perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Blue Jay perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-breasted Nuthatch perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-breasted Nuthatch perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-breasted Nuthatch perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
White-breasted Nuthatch perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Downy Woodpecker perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
Downy Woodpecker perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red-bellied Woodpecker. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red-bellied Woodpecker. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red-bellied Woodpecker. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red-bellied Woodpecker. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Turkey Vulture soaring. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Turkey Vulture soaring. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red-tailed Hawk perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red-tailed Hawk perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red-tailed Hawk perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red-tailed Hawk perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red-tailed Hawk perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Red-tailed Hawk perched on a branch. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)