Category: Flowers

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Great Spreadwing

This Great Spreadwing Damselfly (my gallery link) has the scientific name of  Archilestes grandis and the Spanish common name of Caballito Crucifijo Mayor. The name refers to the fact that it is one of the few damselflies that always lands with wings spread out. And this is my 4th sighting of one in my garden. It must like Atenas too! 🙂 See more photos in my gallery linked above.

¡Pura Vida!

It is still windier than usual for May, but less frequently now. I’ve photographed a lot of birds in my garden but no great photos yet. And fewer butterflies. 🙂 I’m staying home and resting this weekend because of a little stomach virus (taking medications) and want to be full of energy for my Monday to Wednesday visit to Xandari which has been a good butterfly source in the past.

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Light & Shadow + Pause 5 Class Notes

The theme of today’s online class was “Light & Shadow” and you can see my class notes and comments at Pause 5: Light & Shadow. (linked to my notes) Still not excited about the class, but this was a good photo-activity! 🙂

So I went outside at about 3pm yesterday (not the best time for long shadows, but okay). Here are a few of my shots in a gallery that won’t work in the email, so one pix for the email and then go to the online post for the gallery . . .

Every forest is light & shadow! This one across the cow pasture by the stream.
Continue reading “Light & Shadow + Pause 5 Class Notes”
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Pause 4: Sensation and Emotion Class -May 15, 2026

I am continuing the “Photography & Mindfulness” online class with #4 being day before yesterday or done yesterday for me. And of course a blog post each time with a link to my notes, comments and one or more of my photos that I think sort of relate. I’m not quite as “ethereal” or maybe it’s “psychological” as my teacher in Spain, but hoping this focus on mindfulness will help me to be more mindful and sensitive in making creative and meaningful nature photos. If interested, go to my online notes on this particular class at : Pause 4: Sensation and Emotion -May 15, 2026 NOTES.

I think that a red flower always produces more “sensation or emotion” than any other color. 🙂

And About the Feature Photo . . .

Dying Cecropia Leaf with green spots or “Green Islands”

From Google AI: “Green islands” on a browning leaf are caused by living pests or pathogens that manipulate the plant’s hormones. They excrete cytokinins (plant growth hormones) that trick the leaf into delaying its natural death and keeping its green chlorophyll active in that specific area.

¡Pura Vida!

See all of my notes from this class at my Photography & Mindfulness page.

+ My Friday Trip to Immigration

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Juno Silverspot

As butterflies slowly return, even in the wind, I welcome another former regular, the Juno Silverspot (my gallery link) even if not really good photos. I’ve seen him flying by more than landing anywhere, but barely managed to get these two shots, side view & top.

Juno Silverspot, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Juno Silverspot, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Ziba Scrub-Hairstreak

I’m trying to be more patient, just sitting on the terrace long enough to see something like this hairstreak land on one of my flowers for maybe 20 seconds, meaning that one then has to be quick to snap a photo! 🙂 This one is not a stranger to my garden as you can see in the gallery: Ziba Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon ziba. The former English common name was “Red-spotted Scrub-Hairstreak” and the Spanish common name still is. I guess some committee somewhere makes all these name changes for both birds and butterflies.

And, with it still being quite windy, I’m forced to be patient and wait for one to show up in the lulls of the wind. And the same patience is needed for an interesting bird to land in a tree too, as they eventually will, even on windy days. 🙂

Ziba Scrub-Hairstreak, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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An Old Regular is Back!

This Banded Peacock (my gallery link) was back in my garden yesterday for the first time in a while. I’ve also seen a couple of species of Sulphurs and the Yellow that flies around high up in the trees. But the only regular continues to be the Polydamas Swallowtail which seems to handle the wind easier than the other. The wind is lessening some now, but there is still wind and those gusts which are difficult for butterflies. I’m trying to be patient. 🙂 And oh yes, another big rain yesterday afternoon! So maybe the rainy season has started early this year! 🙂

Banded Peacock on a Lantana flower (Lantana camara ), Atenas, Alajuela

¡Pura Vida!

And I hope that any readers who live in Residential Roca Verde will check out my new photo book: Roca Verde Butterflies with 180 species photographed in Roca Verde. Click that link for a free preview of every page! Roca Verde seems to be a significant haven for butterflies! Including a couple of species rarely seen according to iNaturalist.

🙂

CLICK the above book cover for a free preview of all pages.
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Minding the Flowerpots

And that would be “cuidando las macetas” in Spanish! The motivation for this little job was the large flower pot of potted palms at the entrance of my terrace had grown so much (in maybe 10 years) that the growing roots broke the terracotta pot. I had the gardeners plant those palms along the southside palm row for a thicker screen from the street and bought a new smaller pot with smaller palms to still visually separate my outdoor dining table from the driveway to the top of the hill. And while at the Vivero (plant nursery) I got two small red anthuriums for the old white pot that has seen many different flower over about 9 years and the one in it last week had become ugly!

Next project is to paint the Frog Pot and two other terracotta pots, after sanding. Always something that needs to be done! 🙂

Entering the terrace from the driveway, the potted palms sort of shield the dining table, even this smaller bunch of palms.
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Noticing Little Things in Nature . . .

“Nature never hurries. Atom by atom, little by little, she achieves her work.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Budding Flower of the Cecropia Tree, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Noticing Little Things in Nature . . .”
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El Bastón del Emperador in 3 Stages

Some Americans here probably still call it “Torch Ginger,” the common English name, but I’ve always preferred the Costa Rican Spanish name of El Bastón del Emperador. And since I started walking with a Trekking Pole, most Costa Ricans call it my “Bastón!” 🙂

I noticed the other day, within sight of my terrace, 3 different stages of the ginger flower: bud, baby flower and mature flower. So here the are in that order . . .

Bud of El Bastón del Emperador, Torch Ginger, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Polydamas Swallowtail

On many days it seemed that these were the only butterflies that could manage in the wind, and many had broken or damaged wings. See more of this most frequent Swallowtail for my garden in the gallery: Polydamas Swallowtail. It now looks like it will be mid to late May before the winds slow down enough to allow for more butterflies.

Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!