Category: Wildlife

Posted on

Today’s Lone Butterfly

This morning’s walk through the garden revealed only one butterfly, but a favorite! 🙂 The Rounded Metalmark, Caliphelis perditalis, (linked to my other gallery shots), a tiny butterfly in the Riodinidae or Metalmark family of butterflies about the size of two of my thumbnails. I love the rich blend of blue, orange and brown colors and in my gallery you can see some shots of his “cute” bug-eyed face! 🙂 Surprisingly, the only place I’ve seen this species so far is in my garden here in Atenas. 🙂

And yes, butterflies seem to be fading (moving or dying off) a little earlier this year than usual. I will be interested to see if there are more in the “wilder” forest preserve I will visit next week at Macaw Lodge adjacent to Carara National Park. And hopefully more birds there too! 🙂

Rounded Metalmark, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

And an interesting announcement in our online English-language newspaper, Tico Times, this week: Travel & Leisure Magazine Named Costa Rica the 2024 Destination of the Year!

Or better yet, go directly to the Travel+Leisure articles on Costa Rica!

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Morning Coffee & Wildlife

Friends up the hill invited me for coffee on their terrace yesterday where they have both a hummingbird feeder and a fruit feeder to attract more birds. And though they too have had fewer birds this year of El Niño weather, they get more than me because of their feeders and maybe their location adjacent the Calle Nueva Forest. Here’s what I was able to photograph while drinking coffee and talking a lot, though the one hummingbird never slowed down enough for a shot. 🙂

Lesson’s Motmot

4 birds, 2 insects and one iguana . . .

Continue reading “Morning Coffee & Wildlife”
Posted on

Dorantes Longtails in 2 Colors

And I do not know why some are dark brown and others are a light tan, but they are and these two were together. Maybe one color is male and one female. I don’t know! Dorantes Longtail, Urbanus dorantes.

Dorantes Longtail, Atenas, Costa Rica
Dorantes Longtail, Atenas, Costa Rica

My Dorantes Longtail GALLERY.

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

White-winged Dove . . .

. . . in my Cecropia (Guarumo) Tree.

White-winged Dove, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

See also my White-winged Dove GALLERY.

And for those considering a move to Costa Rica or wondering why I live where I do in the Central Valley, see this short article on a realtor’s website: 7 Reasons to Relocate to Atenas, Costa Rica 🙂

Posted on

Melodious Blackbird

This all black bird can be found on both slopes of Costa Rica and in some areas is quite common. He is the only totally black bird in Costa Rica with even his bill and eyes being black. Read about him on eBird or see more of my photos (better ones) in the Melodious Blackbird Gallery.

Melodious Blackbird, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Hoffmann’s Woodpecker

Though Black-cheeked Woodpecker seems to be more common around Atenas for me, this species may be the second most common woodpecker, at least in my garden. 🙂

Hoffmann’s Woodpecker, Atenas, Costa Rica
Hoffmann’s Woodpecker, Atenas, Costa Rica

See my Hoffmann’s Woodpecker Gallery

or read about on eBird.

¡Pura Vida!

And for Halloween see this Tico Times article with video of Spooky Creatures Inhabit Costa Rica’s Jungles.

Camera Trap Photo by Vincent Losasso for Tico Times.
Posted on

Hummingbird in the Fog

The light fog around this Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is maybe what provided a light purple background as a contrast to his bright green top – a nice compliment of colors! Nature as Art! 🙂

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Atenas, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Hummingbird in the Fog”
Posted on

Tanna Longtail

The five spots in that upper short white line on the wing is what makes this a Tanna instead of a Teleus, Brown or Plain Longtail. Otherwise, those four are very similar and often confused. These two were in my garden and are fairly common Skippers here.

Tanna Longtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Tanna Longtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

See my Tanna Longtail Skipper GALLERY.

And for comparisons with Teleus, Plain & Brown Longtails, browse through all my SKIPPER GALLERIES to see those and many others! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Los Colinas del Sol Wildlife

On September 30 after my house was fumigated for ants, I spent the night at our little neighborhood Hotel Colinas del Sol and though cloudy and getting dark, I got some shadowy shots of 3 birds and two butterflies seen below. Nothing spectacular, but nature is almost everywhere waiting to be seen and photographed! And I love it, even in bad light! 🙂

Simple Big-eyed Satyr
Juvenile Baltimore Oriole
Great Kiskadee
Hoffmann’s Woodpecker

¡Pura Vida!

And this Banded Peacock Butterfly I posted on that night. 🙂
Posted on

Ruffled Feathers . . .

. . . is the first impression you get from this Rufous-naped Wren who was either grooming himself or drying out in my Guarumo Tree the other day. 🙂

Rufous-naped Wren, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Rufous-naped Wren, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

See my Rufous-naped Wren GALLERY for more of this bird!

¡Pura Vida!