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These two different insects I managed to photograph in flight the other morning are probably two of the approximately 700 species of bees found here in Costa Rica, but I cannot specifically identify them. One has a black body and one a orange body. 🙂
They never cease to amaze me! And I hope I haven’t blogged them too many times! Here’s a few shots from my garden the other day.
Yep! I just went 6 days without blogging which is not my usual habit which is to write posts 3 or 4 days ahead then break from the routine while posts keep coming out. No health problems or catastrophes, “just tired of blogging.” But with another trip coming tomorrow, I’m in the mood and here’s a few nature photos made during this “down time.”
I’m still not getting many butterflies in my garden yet other than the fast-moving Yellows that never seem to land for a photo. But here’s two bees in my garden this morning:
One of the flower photos I posted from Hotel Savegre had a bee in it which I did not acknowledge – so I do so here. Plus a technician is trying to get me a work-around to include the featured photo in the emailed announcement. This entire post is suppose to be included in the email announcement. We will see.
And if you like bees, check out my Bee Gallery.
¡Pura Vida!
With the Hummingbird Garden here dominated by two species of hummingbirds (at home, just one now), it was nice to see these bees in that garden. I’ll share hummers later.
¡Pura Vida!
See my Bees Gallery.
Or see THIS TRIP GALLERY: 2020 El Silencio Lodge & Reserve.
According to a report in Semanario Universidad, there are 650 species of bees in Costa Rica and all are endangered by the powerful insecticides neonicotinoids used to protect fruit from fruit flies and other insects. I have been unable to identify this particular bee in my garden today along with many butterflies. I cannot find books or websites to accurately identify which one of the 650 species this one happens to be. 🙂 Click image to enlarge.
My Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Bees (6)
Bee Happy! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
This is not all that I saw! There were really a lot of lizards of all kinds, especially a lot of Common Basilisks, which I never got a good photo of except the one juvenile below without the crown on his head. And as usual a lot more butterflies than I could ever get photos of. Plus my main focus is always birds! 🙂 But here is some “other wildlife”:
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Walking is my main method of relaxation. I don’t go over my lines or try to solve the world’s problems, I just enjoy the scenery and the wildlife.
~Kevin Whately
¡Pura Vida!
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| Dina Yellow butterfly My garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica On my “Once de Abril” flower |
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| Dina Yellow butterfly My garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica On my “Once de Abril” flower |
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| Unknown Insect, similar to a Green Orchid Bee except for red tail Caught accidentally while photographing the above Dina Yellow My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
Here’s a Dina Yellow seen in my garden last year:
http://costaricadecisionprocess.blogspot.com/2015/05/leuce-yellow-butterfly.html
I know, I’m starting to repeat butterflies and even some birds, but hopefully the next few days will be fresh photos as I travel again. John Rasbury is here from TN and just bought a house here in Atenas to rent out as part of his income when he comes back later to retire somewhere in Costa Rica. The next four days we will be in Guanacaste (northwest corner of Costa Rica) where he will look at possible other rent houses in Tamarindo and Flamingo Beach. I’m tagging along and then we will be tourists and do a birding float trip in Palo Verde National Park on a river. Hoping for some new birds in a part of the country I have not been yet.
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| They really get into decorating for these Spelling Bees! And they served me food and drink too! |
I’ve been too busy to process 650 bird photos from the boat trip on Rio Tarcoles, thus that report will be delayed another day or more. So, a report on two more schools I’m relating to:
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| One of the Student Coordinators of the Spelling Bee at Colegio Tecnico Professional |
Wednesday I was asked at the last minute to help with the English Spelling Bee of a second High School, Colegio Tecnico Profesional de Atenas, more of a job & skills training school than Liceo, last week’s high school. It was wonderful and again the kids so friendly and helpful and hard working. I was “The Pronouncer” of words for this one. It hurt me every time a youth misspelled a word, as if I did not pronounce it clear enough, but we had to get down to one winner just like before. The winner was an extrovert 14 year old boy, one of the younger students, who was born in Dallas, Texas and moved here 7 years ago at age 7. He talks/acts like a real Tico, but did have an unfair advantage in the English Spelling Bee since his parents still speak English at home. But he won! He will go to the regional and maybe the national English Spelling Bee. I learned that the program was started here several years ago by a Peace Corps worker. And you wondered what they did?
Then today, I went with with Corinna, the wife of David Castillo and co-director of Su Espacio, to visit with the principal of Escuela Los Angeles (Los Angeles is a barrio of Atenas), received a tour of the school (as I got yesterday at high school) and she showed me their construction needs for and outdoor theater (to be their auditorium) and playground construction needs. They are going to have a Garage Sale, Venta Garaje, on October 3 that Su Espacio is co-sponsoring and I have been asked to help with marketing and promotion, especially to get expats to donate good clothing, etc. for the Garage Sale. Plus next week I will attend their arts festival!
I’m getting more involved with Ticos and local activities as opposed to just with expats like some. This has been my plan from the beginning and it feels good to participate in the local community. I love Atenas and the wonderful residents! Everybody helps me with my Spanish! And this evening I started a second Spanish Class, which emphasizes Costa Rica Spanish, which is unique in several ways. And I need all the help I can get to speak Spanish! 🙂 This is so much fun!
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| These two seniors stayed through last several rounds until girl on the right spelled “Mopped” as “Mopt” to be eliminated. Wow! English is a difficult language! Inglés es difícil de aprender. |
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| A few of the early arrival participants. Orange shirts are seniors and blue shirts are 9th through 11th grades. They were all so nice and polite. Los estudiantes son muy simpaticas. |
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| The 3 other “Native English Speakers” as judges besides me. Mainly record keeping! But good to have several because I could not understand some of the kids at times. The man and woman at other end of table are from Australia. Gringos ayudan. |
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| And another Expat read the words and definitions or examples when requested. The girl in blue is spelling one of the words. This expat lady also does the free lending library at La Carreta Restaurant. Estoy feliz de ayudar. |
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| We had several breaks in the three hour spelling bee when students showed some of their other English language work. Here some students put on a puppet show of “Little Red Riding Hood” in English of course! Cute! Linda! |
I was there at 8:15 and left a little after 11:00 for my jungle adventure which will be storied in other posts. Maybe one more tonight. 🙂 And note that I am back to including Spanish language words and phrases in red so you will know what is Spanish AND because my Spanish teacher wants me to use more Spanish all day every day and include a Spanish section to my blog or just some Spanish lines like I have done with this post.
❝If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.❞
‒Nelson Mandela