Wildlife - David Mathre Photography

Thursday (01-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

From the three underused cameras yesterday, I narrowed it down to one — Leica CL with a 55-135 mm zoom lens. More Sunflower, Butterfly, and Snowberry Clearwing Moths. I also captured some images of a Goldfinch feeding on a Sunflower. The Goldfinch have graduated from the Cornflowers to something with larger seeds. My favoriate image of the day is the first one shown — two Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies, one in focus and the other out of focus.

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 55-135 mm lens (DAVID J MATHRE) — Two Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 55-135 mm lens (ISO 100, 135 mm, f/8, 1/400 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Sunflowers. Click on the above image to access the individual images from the slideshow at my Photoshelter Gallery.

Tiger Swallowtail, Common Buckeye, and Silver-spotted Skipper Butterflies. Click on the above image to access the individual images from the slideshow at my Photoshelter Gallery.

Snowberry Clearwing (Hummingbird) Moth. Click on the above image to access the individual images from the slideshow at my Photoshelter Gallery.

Goldfinch feeding on Sunflower seeds. Click on the above image to access the individual images from the slideshow at my Photoshelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (est. 52 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (64.8 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. The amount used is an estimate because of some technical problems with the Sense monitor. Not as cloudy so solar energy production was up 24 kWh for an estimated net surplus of 13 kWh.

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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.

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Twelve-Years Ago (29-July-2007) — Colorado

Summertime Nature in Colorado. Arapaho National Wildlife Preserve.

While visiting Arapaho National Wildlife Preserve in central Colorado, I heard what I thought was a hummingbird. But when I finally saw it discovered that it was a very large White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata). It was feeding on the Purple Nettle Flowers. It never landed, and kept flying while feeding, and thus the hummingbird sound of rapidly flapping wings. I’ve been told that the large catepillars that the Sphinx Moth come from are voratious eaters that farmers hate.

Hummingbird Moth (also known as the White-lined Sphinx Moth, Hyles lineata). It is as large as a real hummingbird. Extracting nectar from a Nettle Flower. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs Camera and 70-200 mm lens with a 1.7x Teleconverter. (ISO 100, 340 mm, f/4.8, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Sunday (28-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

The local lawn crew was out early (05:40) trimming the grass. The images are noisy since it was still dark out so the ISO was increased to 3200. Early evening (~19:00) another crew came by. It looked like one doe was left with the responsibility to watch four fawns. There was a bit of friction between the cousins. Captions for the 2nd slideshow.

1) Early Evening (19:00) lawn crew — Twins fawns with spots.
2)`Fawn Running Away.
3) Alpha Fawn.
4) Alpha Fawn telling the cousin she doesn’t smell good.
5) Alpha Fawn telling the cousin to go away.
6) Cousins running to mother.
7) Cousin telling Mommy “he was mean to me”
8) Alpha fawn — who me.
9) Cousin sticking her tongue out — Mommy said you shouldn’t be mean.
10) Alpha fawn — I didn’t do anything wrong.
11) Alpha fawn — Really, I didn’t do anything wrong!
12) Alpha fawn telling Mommy “She told a fib, I wasn’t mean”.
13) Mommy telling Alpha fawn to stop being a bully.
14) OK — Everybody play nice.
15) OK, Its time to move on.

Early Morning lawn crew. Click on the above image to access the individual images in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Early Evening lawn crew. Click on the above image to access the individual images in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (64.6 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (76.7 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. The temperatures have been going up outside, resulting in more energy needed to power the Geothermal HVAC system to keep the house cool. I also ran a load of laundry and the dishwasher. Daily surplus of 12.1 kWh. Weekly energy usage 409 kWh, solar energy production 488 kWh for a surplus of 79 kWh.

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Saturday (27-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

I went to the local farmers market this morning. I didn’t really need that much since my grow towers are producing more than I can eat. This afternoon while working on my image database, I heard the door bell/motion detector go off. I wasn’t expecting any deliveries so I checked the door bell/camera. There was a doe in the driveway eating grass. I wish the deer would also eat the mile-a-minute vine and the Japanese stilt grass. I have a neighbor that keeps telling me that I need to get a goat. It would mean needing a more substantial fence.

Doe visiting the house. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 200 mm f/2 lens (ISO 500, 200 mm, f/4, 1/300 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (57.8 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (78.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. The temperatures have been going up outside, resulting in more energy needed to power the Geothermal HVAC system to keep the house cool. Daily surplus of 20.7 kWh.