And that is my first impression of these male & female Hoffmann’s Woodpeckers, Melanerpes hoffmannii (my gallery link). But these days everybody looks young to me! 🙂
Young Adult Woodpeckers
Rusty-tipped Page
One of two butterflies inside my house on a window screen 3 nights ago, this Rusty-tipped Page, Siproeta epaphus (my gallery link) was on the same window screen with a Malachite (cousins on the same page of the butterfly book) which I will share later. It has been almost a year since I’ve seen one of these and they are more impressive with wings open as you can see in my above-linked gallery. Just the one shot in the dark with a flash.
¡Pura Vida!
Giant White
There are many Whites and some are easily confused, but this one seems to be the most common in my garden and you can see other photos of it in my Gallery: Giant White, Ganyra josephina. Here’s 2 photos (when possible, I always try to get a side view & top view) of the one in my garden 3 days ago . . .
Long-billed Starthroat
The Long-billed Starthroat (my gallery link) is not new to me nor the garden, but the first time seen this year. I’ve seen him one other time in my garden and also at Maquenque Ecolodge. Here’s two shots from yesterday in my Higueron Tree.
White-winged Dove
The most commonly seen dove or pigeon in my garden in Atenas is also one of those seen & liked on my first trip to Costa Rica in 2009. That photo is included below along with today’s photo. It was the first bird I ever photographed in Costa Rica, right after taking a taxi to Hotel Aeropuerto near SJO Airport in Alajuela. As the sun was setting in the hotel garden, I went out just before dinner and this was the first bird I found! 🙂 Our birding tour group had dinner together and the next morning we flew to Puerto Jimenez where I photographed that Tropical Kingbird I shared a couple of days ago. Good memories! 🙂 See more and better photos in my GALLERY: White-winged Dove, Zenaida asiatica.
¡Pura Vida!
Purple-washed Skipper
Like most skippers, he is not very colorful or exciting, and you can’t see his purported “purple wash” on my shots, but – he is a new species for me! Right here in my garden! And that long row of white dots was what made him easy to identify! 🙂 No other shots in my gallery, but you can see others from Costa Rica in the iNaturalist CR Purple-washed Skipper, Panoquina lucas, where there are only 17 other observations of this species in Costa Rica! 🙂 You can see the “purple wash” on some photos there! Here’s two shots from my garden . . .
Groove-billed Ani
If you look close, you can see the grooves in his bill. And yes, there is a “Smooth-billed Ani” found only in the South Pacific of Costa Rica, while this one can be seen in the northern 2/3 of the country. They are semi-regular in my neighborhood and you can see my other photos of this bird in my GALLERY: Groove-billed Ani, Crotophaga sulcirostris from several locations in Costa Rica. Here’s 3 shots from my garden 2 days ago . . .
Yellow-faced Grassquit
This little bird feeds in the grasses usually, though I caught him yesterday afternoon in my neighbor’s dead tree. He is the Yellow-faced Grassquit, Tiaris olivaceus (eBird link) which I have seen multiple times in my neighborhood along with a sighting at Curi-Cancha Reserve in Monteverde and at Rio Celeste Lodge near Tenorio NP. My other photos are in my gallery titled: Yellow-faced Grassquit.
¡Pura Vida!
Continue reading “Yellow-faced Grassquit”Blue-winged Eurybia
I’ve seen this colorful Metalmark Butterfly in only two places: my garden in Atenas and at Xandari Resort in Alajuela. There are some good photos of the top of the wings in my gallery: Blue-winged Eurybia, though I kind of like this front/side view that shows off his brilliant blue eye circled in orange. 🙂 You can’t tell wildlife how to pose for a photo, but take whatever you get in the sometimes very brief time seen.
¡Pura Vida!
Blue-vented Hummingbird
Hoping he continues in my garden! And that maybe the Rufous-tailed has accepted this species, since he has been chasing other species off. I just love the brilliant blue of the tail of the Blue-vented Hummingbird, Saucerottei hoffmanni OR Saucerrotia amazilia (linked to my gallery).
