Great Kiskadee

One of the old regulars in my garden seems to always make a good picture, the Great Kiskadee, Pitangus sulphuratus (my gallery link) and is almost always here! Found from Mexico to South America. Here’s one on the powerline.

Great Kiskadee, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Difficult to Identify

This is one of those that are almost impossible to identify with no matches in any of my sources of those spots and other characteristics. The AI called Google Lens is for the entire world and on difficult individuals like this one, they might call it a butterfly that lives only in Asia or Africa, so not as helpful on ones like this as they are on very unique and unusual insects they can find another photo of. So far, iNaturalista’s AI is the most helpful on butterflies, but not always. In the case of this one, as far as they will go in identification is to put it in the Hesperini Tribe which is pretty broad or general. As I write this, I haven’t yet posted these photos on iNaturalist yet. But when I do there is a real possibility that one of the experts who have devoted their lives to butterflies will have an identification, but not always. Here’s three photos of this Skipper Butterfly that I cannot ID:

Unidentified Skipper, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Difficult to Identify”

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

And the most common hummingbird in my garden is this Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Amazilia tzacatl (my gallery link). Fairly common from Mexico to northern South America at multiple altitudes.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Blue-black Grassquit

Looking over the meadow across from my house where he will feed, this male has a black band across his back which is the shadow of another powerline above him. 🙂 I’ve seen both male & female of these all over Costa Rica as shown in my gallery at: Blue-black Grassquit, Volatinia jacarina, including that first trip to Costa Rica while at Carate on the Osa Peninsula in 2009. Note that he is similar to the Blue-black Grosbeak I recently shared a photo of, but smaller. Both feed on the grasses (seeds).

Blue-black Grassquit male, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

Telemiades Genus Skipper

I think it is most likely the Telemiades nicomedes, but not sure, so giving it the genus name. iNaturalist uses the genus name a lot as you can see on this Genus Telemiades page of iNaturalist Costa Rica.

Telemiades Genus of Skipper, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Common Mylon

This is another new species for me! And I keep finding them in my own garden! The Common Mylon – Mylon maimon (linked to Wikipedia) is found from Mexico to Argentina. One of the many Skippers. And on iNaturalist Costa Rica my observation is only the 13th in Costa Rica and I’m only the 10th person to report seeing one. But one of those others has the best photos I’ve seen and on his own website: Dr. Heiner Ziegler, MD (Switzerland). Costa Rica attracts nature lovers from all around the world!

Common Mylon, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Common Mylon”

Hidden-ray Skipper

Is another new species for me this month, right here in my own garden! And I’ve had two sightings of this “another brown Skipper!” 🙂

Hidden-ray Skipper, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

It is said to be found from the southwestern U.S. to Argentina, but only two of us have posted photos on iNaturalist CR and only two on BAMONA. So it must be a little rare! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!