Category: Costa Rica

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Rufous-tailed Hummingbird . . .

. . . is the most common hummingbird in gardens from southern Mexico to northwestern South America, says one website, meaning they are throughout Central America and I see at almost every lodge I visit. Plus, hands down he’s the most common bird in my garden! 🙂 In June I was photographing them a lot and chose my 12 favorite shots from June for a gallery in the online version of this post (below this one photo for the email version). The software for my chosen blog template doesn’t support galleries in the emailed version. Plus, if you’d like to see more photos of this active and colorful bird, I’ve added these 12 shots to the 130 already in my GALLERY: Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Amazilia tzacatl (linked to the gallery). There you can see my favorite shots of one feeding on a Bird of Paradise Flower at Arenal Observatory Lodge and several shots over the years of one feeding on my Torch Ginger flowers, as the most colorful meal here! 🙂 While the most common flower everywhere for them is the “Porterweed” in these photos. 🙂

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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A New YELLOW for me

I’m getting my best help with identification through iNaturalist or through multiple channels with them. And I finally determined that this new Yellow for me is Westwood’s Yellow, Eurema westwoodii, linked to iNaturalist, but not much info there or anywhere else online about this species and it is not even included in BAMONA. I have a gallery for Westwood’s Yellow with just two observations, June 2 & 7 this year. The 2 photos here are from my June 7 observation.

Westwood’s Yellow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Garden Dragonfly

This is a Blue-eyed Setwing, Dythemis nigra (linked to my Gallery) which is not a new species for me and these photo IDs have been confirmed by iNaturalist. I have both dragonflies and damselflies visiting my garden somewhat regularly, though they tend to stay closer to the water of a stream across the cow pasture from me. Two shots from different angles . . .

Genus Dythemis Dragonfly, in my garden, Atenas, Costa Rica
Genus Dythemis Dragonfly, in my garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

See my GALLERIES: Dragonflies & Damselflies Costa Rica

Plant a tree!

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Giant Butterfly Moth

is usually trying to hide behind leaves in the garden, but if I keep trying I usually get a shot, though there are much better ones in my GALLERY: Giant Butterfly Moth, Castniomera atymnius. All photos are either from my garden or the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge where I will be next week. Just one shot here . . .

Giant Butterfly Moth, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Conservation brings life!

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Apricot Sulphur

is one of my “regulars” this year and varies in color from an Apricot orange color to the common yellow of all the other yellows! But, he/she always has lots of brown spots and usually the distinctive double white spots on folded wings (solid yellow on top). Here’s just two shots from this month, one yellow and one orangey. See more in my GALLERY: Apricot Sulphur, Phoebis argante.

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

¡Pura Vida!

We are all responsible for the future of earth.

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Canivet’s Emeralds are still here!

In the past I’ve had a problem with the Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds chasing off any other hummingbirds, but so far the Canivet’s Emerald, Cynanthus canivetii (my gallery link) have made themselves at home and I see them on my Porter Weeds almost as much as the Rufous-tailed. But the Blue-vented seem to have gone somewhere else again. Maybe I will refill the feeders more often! 🙂 Here’s three shots of the female in addition to the feature photo above. The male doesn’t have the white eyebrow and chest and thus I probably call some of them Rufous-tail or Blue-vented, which are all three similar males.

Canivet’s Emerald female, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Pink-spotted Cattleheart

This butterfly in the Swallowtail Family is one of the more brilliant and the only Cattleheart with two rows of pink (red) spots on the bottom of his hind wings. And note that this particular individual is damaged and has only one hind wing. You will find much better shots in my gallery: Pink-spotted Cattleheart, Parides photinus, and all but one photo are from my garden. 🙂 Found only from Costa Rica to Mexico.

Pink-spotted Cattleheart, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Juno Silverspot

A few days ago I shared a Mexican Silverspot and this one is different but similar, with the side view spots differently arranged and the top view totally different. Some more of the flying color found in Central America! See my GALLERY: Juno Longwing or Silverspot, Dione juno for more and better photos from Costa Rica.

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

¡Pura Vida!