Tag: Zinnia

Monday (20-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout, today with a Nikon D850 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens. This is the highest resolution camera in my collection, and the 200-500 mm VR lens light enough to shoot handheld for some time. The Hummingbird Clearwing Moths are back. Feeding on Zinnia and Bee Balm flowers.


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



Feeding on Bee Balm Flowers. Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.


Daily Electric Energy Used (62.3 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (61.2 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. The WaterFurnace geothermal HVAC had to work hard (25.6 kWh) because the temperature outside went to 90°F. Daily net deficit 1.1 kWh.

One note — the WaterFurnace Symphony software indicated the system used 14 kWh, however the Sense Energy monitor indicated that the geothermal heat pump used 25.6 kWh. I tend to believe the Sense numbers since they more closely the energy being recorded at the external power company (PSE&G) meters. I’ve asked the WaterFurnace folks in the past about the discrepancy, but they didn’t have a good answer. The Sense folks told me they thought that the WaterFurnace/Symphony system was only measuring one phase of the energy even though the system is powered by the 220V circut (using two phases). I wish an electrical engineer that understands this better would correct me here.

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Monday (19-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout, today with a Nikon Df camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. The thing I like about this camera is that it light for a DSLR, and has the same full-frame 35 mm sensor as the Nikon D4 camera. I have to admit that the camera failed on me once while in Antarctica when the shutter failed. The 70-300 mm lens is also relatively light. Yesterday, I said it had been some time since I had seen a hummingbird moth. Well, today the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe) returned. And I took a lot of pictures. Feeding on Bee Balm flowers, Cosmos flowers, and Zinnia flowers.


Hummingbird Clearwing Moth Feeding on Bee Balm Flowers. Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.



Hummingbird Clearwing Moth Feeding on Cosmos Flowers. Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.



Hummingbird Clearwing Moth Feeding on Zinnia Flowers. Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.


Daily Electric Energy Used (66.1 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (65.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Fewer clouds and more sun. The WaterFurnace geothermal HVAC had to work harder (25.6 kWh) because the temperature outside went above 90°F. Daily net deficit 0.6 kWh.

One note — the WaterFurnace Symphony software indicated the system used 16 kWh, however the Sense Energy monitor indicated that the geothermal heat pump used 25.6 kWh. I tend to believe the Sense numbers since they more closely the energy being recorded at the external power company (PSE&G) meters. I’ve asked the WaterFurnace folks in the past about the discrepancy, but they didn’t have a good answer. The Sense folks told me they thought that the WaterFurnace/Symphony system was only measuring one phase of the energy even though the system is powered by the 220V circut (using two phases). I wish an electrical engineer that understands this better would correct me here.


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Monday (19-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout, today with a Nikon Df camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. The thing I like about this camera is that it light for a DSLR, and has the same full-frame 35 mm sensor as the Nikon D4 camera. I have to admit that the camera failed on me once while in Antarctica when the shutter failed. The 70-300 mm lens is also relatively light. This post is about the flowers. Sunflowers, Zinnia, Black-eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy. The red flower I couldn’t identify yesterday appears to be a Mexican Sunflower.


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


Daily Electric Energy Used (66.1 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (65.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Fewer clouds and more sun. The WaterFurnace geothermal HVAC had to work harder (25.6 kWh) because the temperature outside went above 90°F. Daily net deficit 0.6 kWh.

One note — the WaterFurnace Symphony software indicated the system used 16 kWh, however the Sense Energy monitor indicated that the geothermal heat pump used 25.6 kWh. I tend to believe the Sense numbers since they more closely the energy being recorded at the external power company (PSE&G) meters. I’ve asked the WaterFurnace folks in the past about the discrepancy, but they didn’t have a good answer. The Sense folks told me they thought that the WaterFurnace/Symphony system was only measuring one phase of the energy even though the system is powered by the 220V circut (using two phases). I wish an electrical engineer that understands this better would correct me here.


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Saturday (03-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Foggy Morning. Looking out my bedroom window, I could barely see beyond the Sunflower. As soon as the sun came up, the fog started to dissipate. For my morning walkabout I took a Leica TL-2 camera with a 35 mm f/1.4 lens because of the fog and lower light levels.  Mainly flowers (Sunflowers, Zinnia, Cosmos, Pokeweed, Coreopsis, Coneflower, Larkspur, Chicory, Four O’Clock) since it was still foggy with great diffuse lighting. A few bumblebees were out, but they seemed to be frozen on the Sunflowers. Maybe they spent the night there.

Back side of a Sunflower from my bedroom window on a foggy morning. Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/1.4, 1/200 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Back side of a Sunflower from my bedroom window on a foggy morning. Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/1.4, 1/200 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Foggy Morning Backyard View. Composite of two images taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/4, 1/125 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Foggy Morning Backyard View. Composite of two images taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 35 mm, f/4, 1/125 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

 


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


 


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



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



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


Daily Electric Energy Used (58.4 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (67.3 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Net Surplus 8.9 kWh.

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Sunday (14-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout. The Clearwing Hummingbird moths found the back wildflower meadow where the dwarf Zinnia flowers are starting to bloom. I saw at least three of the Hummingbird moths feeding off the Zinnia flowers. To be different today I am just showing images of the Hummingbird moths in flight.

Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Clerawing Hummingbird Moth in Flight. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Power Use (60.5 kWh) from Sense and Solar Production (74.81 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Not quite as much sun out today, but it was still hot out and the Geothermal HVAC system was on continuously most of the the afternoon into evening. Still generated more power that I’m using. The weekly summary is 455 kWh solar power generated and 392 kWh power used for a weekly surplus of 63 kWh.

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