Category: Insects

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Gallery Completed of the Eaton’s Visit

It takes me a while to process the many photos I usually take and then label and get into galleries – but it is done! for the November 10 & 17-22 Visit by the Gary Eaton’s. Linked to the gallery or click on the image of first page below . . .

CLICK ABOVE IMAGE to go to the gallery.

I placed it in my “CR TRIP GALLERIES” because it was their trip and much like a trip for me with a variety of photos, many of which are okay even if not my best! 🙂 After all, I had cancer surgery on my nose in the middle that week and was dealing with feet & leg inflammation from the new blood pressure medicine, but in spite of all that, I had great time Gary & Kenna! And I hope you are able to return to Costa Rica in the future to see other areas and different National Parks! I love it all! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

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RESCATE Wildlife Rescue Center

On Thursday the 21st of November I took just Gary on a public bus trip to the nearby RESCATE Wildlife Rescue Center (their website link), just 16.5 km or about 10 miles from Atenas to photograph rescued wildlife from all over Costa Rica. For those who have been here, it is the place that used to be called “ZooAve.” Interestingly, as we were leaving, a National Park Ranger brought in a cardboard box with a clutch of baby birds they rescued after their mother was killed.

The feature photo at top is a wild Yellow-throated Toucan who flew in to visit his “cousins” and steal their food! 🙂 Just a couple of shots in the blog post, but you can see more birds and other animals I got photos of from this trip at: Nov 21 RESCATE Wildlife (ZooAve) Photo Gallery. And we also ate lunch there in a very nice restaurant, (though a little “pricey”). 🙂

Mealy Parrot, RESCATE Wildlife Rescue Center, La Garita, Costa Rica
Golden Silk Spider (Orb Weaver), RESCATE Wildlife Rescue Center, La Garita, Costa Rica. Gary held his hand behind it to help me get a focus on it and then moved it for the final pix, but I like the contrast of this one better. 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

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Common Scarlet-eye

My photos of this new species will also be the first photos submitted to butterfliesandmoths dot org. The common name may confuse you if the eyes look black to you, which has to do with the light, but they are a deep red color. The Common Scarlet-eye, Nascus phocus (My gallery link with more photos from this sighting) is found from Argentina to Mexico. Here’s 2 photos (top & side views) . . .

Common Scarlet-eye, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Common Scarlet-eye, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Apricot Sulphur

Many yellows & sulphurs are similar and difficult to identify, but sometimes getting even a bad photo helps to make the identity. That was the case for this Apricot Sulphur, Phoebis argante (my gallery link) that I photographed in my garden recently. The first shot of the side view or folded wings is a light yellow with brown spots like a dozen or so of the yellows and sulphurs, but then he flew to another plant with the top of his wings showing in the second photo below which is out of focus, but the solid orangy-yellow top makes him an Apricot Sulphur. 🙂

Apricot Sulphur, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Apricot Sulphur, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

See more photos in my Apricot Sulphur Gallery. He is found from Paraguay north to Mexico.

¡Pura Vida!

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Two-barred Flasher

A colorful Skipper, the Two-barred Flasher, Astraptes fulgerator (linked to my gallery) is in the Hesperiidae Family of butterflies, found from Argentina north through Central America to the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Here’s just one shot in my garden recently and you will see many others in the above linked gallery.

Two-barred Flasher, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Large Orange Sulphur

Another new species for me in my gardens during October was the Large Orange Sulphur, Phoebis agarithe. My collection is growing with over 300 species now!

Large Orange Sulphur, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

A Day with Friends Starting the Caravan Tour of CR

Gary & Kenna Eatons, friends from my Nashville days, began their tour of Costa Rica with Caravan Tours yesterday coming a day early for a tour of two great museums Sunday in San Jose led my me and my driver/guide Walter, who took his selfie here with our group in front of the National Museum (the yellow building). The other couple, the Huskey’s, are friends of the Eaton’s, also from Nashville. And I took a few other cell phone photos in a gallery: Two Museums Tour.

When their tour ends next Sunday morning, Walter & I will take them on an art museum tour before taking the Huskey’s to the airport and bringing the Eaton’s to Atenas for an extended visit of Costa Rica with me and Walter. 🙂

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Whirlabout

I love the name of this butterfly, which is maybe descriptive of all butterflies! 🙂 The Whirlabout, Polites Vibex (my gallery link) is a plain light orange skipper when his wings are folded, but open like in this photo on a Zinnia, he is a colorful bright orange. He is seen in the SE U.S. south through the West Indies and Central America down to Argentina.

Whirlabout, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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The Little Zinnia Patch

My landlord “K” has really brightened his other properties with Zinnia flower beds and thus hundreds of butterflies for his tenants, especially in his two AirBNB short-term rentals where tourists and short-term visitors will be thrilled with the butterflies. Then he recently had his gardener plant a little patch along our driveway next to my upper garden of Porterweeds. So now I have two different major attractions for butterflies. Here’s just one shot with a slide show online including some shots with butterflies on them! 🙂 And one with a ladybug! 🙂

My Little Zinnia Patch!
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