Winter - David Mathre Photography

Eleven-Years Ago (18-January-2009) — New Jersey

Wintertime Nature at the Sourland Mountain Preserve.

Morning walkabout near the Sourland Mountain Preserve pond. I noticed a Red-tailed Hawk in a tree surveying the area for prey. It soon took off and circled the area. The only other bird I around was a White-throated Sparrow.

Red-tailed Hawk in a tree at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/7.1, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)

Red-tailed Hawk in flight at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/7.1, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)

Red-tailed Hawk in flight at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/10, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)

White-throated Sparrow on a bush at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec). (David J Mathre)

White-throated Sparrow on a bush at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)

Friday (17-January-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

There have been a number of comments in the local neighborhood site about the lack of birds at bird feeders this winter. I am still seeing some, maybe not as many as last year. It has been warmer, so maybe some of the birds are finding other sources of food. Today, the following birds have been feeding on my patio and at my bird feeder: Blue Jay, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Cardinal, and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.

Cowbird. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/4, 1/400 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Female Northern Cardinal. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, 600 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.

Daily Electric Energy Used (93.3 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (39.9 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More sun. A deficit of 53.4 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

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One-Year Ago (17-January-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds at the bird feeder. Dark-eyed Junco and Carolina Wren.

alt_title. (David J Mathre) — Dark-eyed Junco at a bird feeder. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1100, 600 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)

Thursday (16-January-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

There have been a number of comments in the local neighborhood site about the lack of birds at bird feeders this winter. I am still seeing some, maybe not as many as last year. It has been warmer, so maybe some of the birds are finding other sources of food. Today, the following birds have been feeding on my patio and at my bird feeder: Black-capped Chickadee, House Wren, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse.

Black-capped Chickadee. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1250, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

House Wren. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 640, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Male Northern Cardinal. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 720, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Tufted Titmouse. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens (ISO 220, 600 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (81.0 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (28.0 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More sun. A deficit of 53 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

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One-Year Ago (16-January-2019) –January

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, and Carolina Wren. I am beginning to believe that some of the Junco’s are partially brown. The Carolina Wren is not able to open sunflower seeds in its mouth like Cardinals and House Finches. When at the bird feeder with sunflower seeds, it will spend long periods of time pushing the un-husked sunflower seeds to the ground until it finds a husked sunflower seed. This makes the ground feeders (Squirrels, Mourning Doves) happy, and explains why the sunflower bird feeder empty so quickly.