Monday (08-May-2017) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

A cricket, spider, and mourning doves.

Cricket at my front door. Spring in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec) + SB-910 flash. (David J Mathre)
Cricket at my front door. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec) + SB-910 flash. (David J Mathre)
Spider at my front door. Spring in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec) + SB-910 flash. (David J Mathre)
Spider at my front door. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 105 mm f/2.8 VR macro lens (ISO 100, 105 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec) + SB-910 flash. (David J Mathre)
Mourning Dove in my Garden. Spring in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/125 sec). (© 2017 David J Mathre)
Mourning Dove in my Garden. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/125 sec). (© 2017 David J Mathre)
Pair of mourning doves in my Garden. Spring in New Jersey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/125 sec). (© 2017 David J Mathre)
Pair of mourning doves in my Garden. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/6.4, 1/125 sec). (© 2017 David J Mathre)

Nine-Years Ago (04-May-2008) — Colorado

Springtime Nature in Colorado.

In addition to Rocky Mountain National Park, I also liked to go to Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge. It is a longer drive from Boulder, especially when the pass across the National Park is closed due to snow. The 23,464-acre wildlife refuge was established to provide suitable nesting and rearing habitat for migratory birds. Spring is a great time to visit as the migrating birds arrive when the snow in the wetlands is melting. There were a lot of birds, some I could identify and others that I need to identify. There were also a lot of prairie dogs, and a blind set up for a biologist to observe and study the prairie dogs.

Horned Lark in the wetlands of the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/8, 1/1250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Horned Lark in the wetlands of the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/8, 1/1250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Prairie dog in the wetlands of the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/11, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)
Prairie dog in the wetlands of the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/11, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)


Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed here.

Nine-Years Ago (03-May-2008) — Colorado

Springtime Nature in Colorado.

I spent the day at Rocky Mountain National Park. It was  early spring, and the upper elevations of the park had not opened yet due to snow. There were a number of birds and mammals looking for food. I finally identifed one of the birds from that day as a Grey-headed Junco. I also spent time working with a 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens to do some landscape images.

Early springtime Gray-headed Junco in Rocky Mountain National Park.Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/8, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
Gray-headed Junco in Rocky Mountain National Park. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/8, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)


Individual images from the slideshow can be viewed here.

Three-Years Ago (01-May-2014) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

The water was still running heavy in the nearby Rock Brook. A tree had fallen into the stream and got caught by the bridge. The Dogwood trees were in bloom, and the Carpenter Bees were out looking to drill holes into the wood exterior of my house.  I’m not sure what type of tree or shrub it is where the leaves appear to be emerging from a pod. Individual images from the slide show can be viewed here.


One-Year Ago (20-March-2016) — South Africa

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 75: Cape Town, South Africa.

African Penguins at Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 100, 23 mm, f/14, 1/160 sec).

African Penguin at Boulders Beach near Simon's Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 100, 23 mm, f/14, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)
African Penguin at Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 100, 23 mm, f/14, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)

African Penguins at Boulders Beach near Simon's Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Composite of 4 images taken with a Leica T camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 100, 23 mm, f/13, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)