Category: Photography

Posted on

Backside Identifier

From the front view, the Great Kiskadee, Social Flycatcher and Boat-billed Flycatcher look almost alike (with differences in overall size & the bills), but one key characteristic of a Great Kiskadee that you can see from behind (or a side view) are the “rufous” (red-brown) feathers while the others have only dull brown feathers. And that is sometimes easier to see than overall size or the size and shape of the bill. Thus I’m sharing this backside photo today to emphasize one of the characteristics of the Great Kiskadee (my gallery link). That yellow spot on his head is true of him and the Social Flycatcher, so another identifier. 🙂

Great Kiskadee, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Polydamas Swallowtail

This most frequent swallowtail in my garden has showed up a little less this year, but is always a pleasure to see. Here’s the two basic views, top view and side view . . .

Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Polydamas Swallowtail”
Posted on

Toucan in my Garden Again!

Yesterday, November 3, 2025, this Keel-billed Toucan (my gallery link) landed in one of my Nance Trees (though not time for the berries). In the past I always had them in my Cecropia Tree, but it is dying and I think they sense that and avoid the tree. My last shot of this Keel-billed Toucan was last November ’24 from my garden but in a tree uphill from me in a neighbor’s tree, two Toucans with a Chachalaca! 🙂 The last of this species in my garden was in January 2023! So I was quite pleased yesterday! And booted the October photo scheduled for tomorrow up to November 15. 🙂 Yes, I have my blog photos scheduled more than 10 days ahead now and will be adding November shots after that. But I did not want to wait until the 15th for these two shots with many more made and in the gallery.

Keel-billed Toucan, My garden, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Toucan in my Garden Again!”
Posted on

Tanna Longtail

Sometimes I’m not sure which of the several Longtails photos like this are, but from the beginning I was pretty sure these were Tanna and when iNaturalist AI agreed, I became pretty confident! 🙂 See my gallery of Tanna Longtail or if you go to iNaturalist Costa Rica you will see that I am the lead observer there, with the most photos. Tanna Longtail just seems to like it here in Atenas, as do I! 🙂

Tanna Longtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Tanna Longtail”
Posted on

Green Pastures

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23).

Green Pasture Vista from my terrace, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

I thank God daily for allowing me to live in a peaceful place surrounded by nature and the great outdoors with unlimited aspects of nature to photograph. Praise God from who all blessings flow!

“How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures”. ~Psalm 104:24

And of course I have a Cows Gallery of my photos from all over Costa Rica. 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

New Species! Dark Emesis

Costa Rica is so diverse in all its species that after 10+ years here, it is still not unusual to find a new species as I have with butterflies about 4 or 5 times this year. I was processing my several photos of the Falcate Skipper shared the other day (Oct 27) and in only one of those photos, I found this other butterfly partly hiding it. I slowly and painstakingly removed the Skipper from this photo in Photoshop so I could share and post on iNaturalist & BAMONA without the confusion of another butterfly on the same flower. 🙂 This Emesis ocypore (scientific name) is not very common, found from Southern Mexico to Columbia and also in parts of Africa! Yes! On two continents! In the Americas he is most common in Costa Rica, though on iNaturalist CR there are only 19 observations reported. Mine will make #20 when I get to it! And on BAMONA only 3 now, mine will make 4! 🙂 Here is my one and only photo of this rarity from my own garden on October 17, 2025 . . .

Dark Emesis, Emesis ocypore, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

I did start a gallery for this species, but with only this one photo! It is at this link: Dark Emesis, Emesis ocypore. Note that it is in the Metalmark Family, Riodinidae.

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

October Flowers

I saved what photos of flowers I made in my garden this month to share all at once on the last day of October. So below this introductory photo for the emailed version of the post is a gallery of 14 different flowers, just one shot of each species with 2 of those being wildflowers or “weed flowers” some will say. 🙂 That includes the intro photo below! Enjoy! As I have enjoyed the flowers and remember that I have a photo gallery of “My Home Gardens” (linked) that I keep adding photos to every month, thus it is always fresh or has new photos. 🙂

Red Tasselflower – Emilia fosbergii
Continue reading “October Flowers”
Posted on

Red-tailed Stingless Bee . . .

. . . on one of my few Golden Shrimp flowers blooming this year (not enough sun I think). This Red-tailed Stingless Bee has the scientific name of Trigona fulviventris and the Spanish common name of Abeja Culo de Vaca. I have 8+ species of bees in my Bee Gallery, with only two other shots of this species, also in my garden.

Red-tailed Stingless Bee, Trigona fulviventris, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Two Looks of the Fiery Skipper

As I’ve said before in this blog, I really try to get both a top view and a side view(or bottom view) of every butterfly because of the sometimes big differences and the clues for good identification. Though not as radically different as some butterflies, there is a difference in the Fiery Skipper – Hylephila phyleus (my gallery link), as you can see in these two photos . . .

Fiery Skipper, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Two Looks of the Fiery Skipper”
Posted on

Streaked Flycatcher

This striking flycatcher I’ve see on 3 trips, 3 times in my yard and once on Calle Nueva here in town. See the pix in my gallery at Streaked Flycatcher, Myiodynastes maculatus. Here’s two shots from my garden this month . . .

Streaked Flycatcher, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Streaked Flycatcher”