Category: Wildlife

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Today is World Elephant Day!

August 12 is World Elephant Day, a really very important day! Elephants will be disappointed if you don’t remember this one, because they always do. (“An elephant never forgets”!) Seriously, this day is for learning more about Asian and African elephants, smart creatures that are being threatened with extinction because of hunting and habitat loss. Learn how you can help at worldelephantday.org.

My photo of African Elephant in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya, 2005.

See my other elephant photos from the 2005 Safari in Masai Mara, Kenya.   And there are older, not as good, photos from a 1998 Kenya Safari.

Also I experienced the total extinction of elephants during my 3 years of living in The Gambia, West Africa where both poachers and habitat destruction eliminated all  of the elephants that used to live there. It is very sad. This is a serious World Day that needs lots of attention or there will be no elephants left world-wide. Consider joining one of the efforts to save elephants.

¡Pura Vida!

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Rounded Metalmark

One of my favorite tiny butterfly designs is on this Rounded Metalmark, Caliphelis perditalis. And it is rare to see any butterfly on a Plumbago flower because they are sticky and could trap some small butterflies like this one. But notice the intricate design on his wings! Another “Nature as Art!” 🙂 See my Rounded Metalmark GALLERY.

Rounded Metalmark, in my garden, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Rounded Metalmark, in my garden, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Red-studded Skipper

This only my second time to see this species of butterfly, Red-studded Skipper, Noctuana stator (linked to my Gallery) with the other sighting being at Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo, Limón, Costa Rica – that’s on the Caribbean side where I will be in September. 🙂 This time I saw it here in Atenas on one of my walks to town in that Zinnia Garden at 8th & 3rd where I’ve seen a lot of butterflies.

Red-studded Skipper, Noctuana stator, Atenas, Costa Rica.
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Tanna Longtail Skipper

This one has been common in my garden in the past but not this year reminding me that I need some different flowers. This quick cell phone shot was made on a walk to town along Avenida 8 in that Zinna bed so popular with butterflies. I must add zinnas if I can find them! Not a common flower here and I’ve never seen them in any Vivero.

Tanna Longtail on a Zinnia along Avenida 8, Atenas.

And that GALLERY: Tanna Longtail

¡Pura Vida!

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New Species of Butterfly!

Back on July 21 when I took Linda & Carlos Cobos to the Butterfly Conservatory, I was busy relating to them and did not photograph as many butterflies as usual there, but I did get 12 species! And best of all, one of those was a new species for me and my collection! it was the Consul fabius or Tiger-striped Leafwing. That common name is because when his wings are open, instead of folded as here, the top of his wings are black and orange striped like a lot of “tiger” butterflies but with different shaped wings that when closed look like a dead leaf for protection from predators! Only this one never opened his wings for me and we had to keep moving through the greenhouses. Maybe people look like predators to him! 🙂 But, regardless, I got my first photos of a Tiger-striped Leafwing! It is always fun to see something for the first time! 🙂

Tiger-striped Leafwing, Consul fabius, Butterfly Conservatory, El Castillo, Arenal Alajuela, Costa Rica

See all of my Costa Rica Butterflies GALLERIES!

246+ species!

¡Pura Vida!

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Baby Green Basilisk . . .

. . . which is not an exact match to any of the online baby iguanas or baby basilisks, thus I’m not positive it is the correct ID. During a morning garden walk he was crawling through the ground cover plants, partly hidden. I’m always frustrated when I can’t make an exact identification, but that is the way nature is! 🙂 Here’s two shots and you decide . . .

Baby/Juvenile Green Basilisk, Atenas, Costa Rica
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Satyr in House

This Carolina Satyr was in my bedroom the other night, acting lethargic or sleepy and though light was not good enough for good photos, here’s my effort. It is one of the most common butterflies here but with much fewer this year for whatever reason. See My Carolina Satyr GALLERY.

Carolina Satyr inside house, Atenas, Costa Rica
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Gray-capped Flycatcher

Another one of those “former” birds that seem to be returning to my garden these days. I think the rainy season helps and there may be other factors. This one is not as common here as the Social Flycatcher and Great Kiskadee, but is fairly common. Here’s two shots from my garden:

Gray-capped Flycatcher, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Gray-capped Flycatcher, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

See also my Gray-capped Flycatcher GALLERY and note that the Tropical Kingbird is similar but larger than this bird with slightly different coloring.

¡Pura Vida!

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Wren in Garden

Several wrens have been checking out my severely pruned Triquitraque Vines or Flame Vines that I asked the gardeners to cut back and they cut way back! 🙂 Plus all the ground cover around them! Oh well – it will grow back and the vines are already sprouting new growth. But I think it is the open soil and not the sprouts that attract these Rufous-naped Wrens, probably looking for worm or insect food! 🙂 It has always been one of my common or regular birds year around and, though decreased recently, they seem to be returning in greater numbers now. Here’s 4 shots of these birds in their dapper plaid sport jacket! 🙂

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

There are many subspecies of this Eucereon (Wikipedia) genus of tiger moths (6,000 neotropical species) in the family Erebidae and I’ve been unable to get more specific than Eucereon, but fairly confident of this. Photographed with my cell phone inside my house in Atenas, Costa Rica. Two images with different light giving each a slightly different color.

Eucereon Moth, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Eucereon Moth, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

He’s probably been munching on my clothing! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!