Tag: Alajuela

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Juvenile Saltator?

I never claim to be an authority on anything in nature, but my deductions of this photo on K’s fence the other day lead me to believe that it is a Juvenile Cinnamon-bellied Saltator. The three Saltators are the only birds this size with a “seedeater bill” (short/stubby fat) that also have the white eyebrow and little white line under the eye. Thus my deduction that it is a Saltator and because just 8 days ago I shared a photo of an adult Cinnamon-bellied Saltator (most common saltator here), I believe this one may be the offspring of that adult.

The Merlin AI identifier (eBird) is very good, but not on juveniles like this, and it just said it was “unable to identify” and the iNaturalist AI (also very good) said “not confident to identify” but then went on to give it’s first choice of “possible” species as a double-collared seedeater (Sporophila caerulescens) and that was also the first choice of Google Lens, but that species is South American and never sighted in Costa Rica, plus it does not have a white eyebrow and in my opinion not a good option! 🙂

I did find some juvenile Cinnamon-bellied Saltators online similar to this, and yes, many are darker or grayer than this one, but a few similar. Whew! Identification can be a lot of work! 🙂 So here it is, whatever it is . . .

I think it is a JUVENILE CINNAMON-BELLIED SALTATOR, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

See all of my photos of this species in Cinnamon-bellied Saltator Gallery which, by the way, was formerly called the “Grayish Saltator.”

¡Pura Vida!

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Stripe-headed Sparrow

Though it is still too windy for many birds, they have to eat and late afternoon is their last chance of the day. Two of these Stripe-headed Sparrows – Peucaea ruficauda (eBird link) were moving from a tree to the fence and to the ground, looking for possibly seeds or insects or worms. It is another purely Central American bird found from Costa Rica to Mexico. See more of my photos of this bird in my Stripe-headed Sparrow GALLERY. You will note there that I’ve seen this sparrow only one other time here in Atenas (2020) and once in Guanacaste at Rincon de la Vieja (2019). Thus not one of my regulars! 🙂 And for you birders here in Costa Rica, yes, he is very similar to the Black-striped Sparrow seen on both slopes of Costa Rica (while this one is only on the Pacific Slope), BUT with multiple obvious physical & color differences, making both easy to ID. 🙂

Stripe-headed Sparrow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Stripe-headed Sparrow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

This is the one bird that never was scared off by the winds (which are still blowing but decreasing). He kept feeding on the flowers and the feeders and allowed other Rufous-tailed to join him, but not other birds. “King of the Garden!” Here he is in one of the trees.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

See more in my gallery: Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Amazilia tzacatl.

¡Pura Vida!

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3 Unidentified Damselflies

The two blue ones are almost certainly in the Dancer Family / Argia Family, while the beigey one with a hint of turquoise is one that I will not be certain about a family, though I think he also could be a dancer or possibly in the Clubtail Family / Gomphidae Family. Dragon & Damselflies usually stay near water and that is a matter of perspective for my garden which is 200-300 yards from the nearest stream. But that is where I found them. I will post on iNaturalist and hopefully the Dragonfly book author will identify them, though sometimes he only gives a family. Here’s the 3 photos . . .

Dancer Family (Argia) Damselfly, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “3 Unidentified Damselflies”
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New Butterfly Species . . .

. . . for me! Not rare or that unusual, but the first one I’ve seen. Photos of 235 individuals in Costa Rica are posted on iNaturalist. And a lot from all over on butterfliesandmoths. Saw him today at midday on my Cecropia Tree. Not seeing as many butterflies or birds with the continued high winds. And it was a strong gust of wind that had him flying away too quickly to catch a shot of the top of wings which are dark brown with bright orange in the middle. Orion (Cecropian) – Historis odius are his English common names & scientific name. The common name here in Spanish is Mariposa lumbrera (Light Butterfly). And even in the wind, there are many nature discoveries to be found! 🙂

Orion (Cecropian) – Historis odius, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Orion (Cecropian) – Historis odius, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Tiny Damselfly . . .

. . . maybe in the genus Argia (says iNaturalist’s computer), though I cannot find a match in the book Dragonflies and Damselflies of Costa Rica nor online in iNaturalist. None seem to have those bright (yellow-gold) spots on wings nor the orangey body color, so I am again stumped on an ID. 🙂 Here’s two different-looking photos of the same individual.

Unidentified Damselfly, maybe Argia genus, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Unidentified Damselfly, maybe Argia genus, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

See my Costa Rica Dragonflies & Damselflies GALLERY for many other species (50+) I’ve collected in Costa Rica. Another amazing category of wildlife in Costa Rica!

¡Pura Vida!

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“Rare Snake Plant Flower”

Or most online sites say “relatively rare” but vary in the reasons from being very healthy or the “right amount of sun” to being stressed or root bound. Not sure why my snake plant in the frog pot on the terrace is blooming, but it is, and I thought a first for me, but after loading this I find my 2017 blog post with another one blooming. I had forgotten! 🙂

Snake Plant (Mother-in-law’s Tongue), Dracaena trifasciata.

Flowering Snake Plant (Mother-in-law’s Tongue), Dracaena trifasciata, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Flowering Snake Plant (Mother-in-law’s Tongue), Dracaena trifasciata, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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A New Rufous-tailed Visited

This older and much larger Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Amazilia tzacatl (my gallery link) was visiting a couple of days ago and has not been back. I think that the smaller and younger one is chasing all other hummingbirds away as if he owns the place. The Blue-vented I had here earlier last month has not returned either. I filled the feeders again, hoping if would attract others, but maybe not with a little boss bird around. 🙂

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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A Fave Flower Finally Identified

My Costa Rican gardener has always called this flowering shrub “Once de Abril” as a local name honoring our one war hero who fought off the North American Rebels trying to turn Central America into another slave state in the 1800’s. Thanks to Google Lens & iNaturalist, I’ve discovered that it is “officially” . . .

Duranta erecta, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Scientific Name = Duranta erecta

Common Names in English

  • Golden Dewdrop
  • Pigeon Berry
  • Skyflower

Nombres comunes en español

  • Coralillo (iNaturalist CR)
  • Tala blanco (en Argentina)
  • Flor celeste
  • Fruta de iguana (I like this because my iguanas eat those yellow berries) 🙂

So there you have it for all the “official” names I could find! 🙂 Which like pretty much everything in nature, the only sure name is the scientific name and sometimes even that changes! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

See all my flower photos in the Flora & Forest Galleries.