Category: Butterflies

Butterflies photographed in Costa Rica and nearby

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Where are all the butterflies?

“The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind” (apologies to Bob Dylan)

Some large Yellows are flying up in the tree limbs and other smaller yellows, whites and skippers I’ve seen down lower without ever stopping for a photo! 🙂 But Friday I did manage to get a couple of shots of this Polydamas Swallowtail, Battus polydamas (my gallery link) quickly stopping by both the Porter Weed (below) and the Plumbago (above), one of the few who land on that sticky flower! (Maybe the ‘sticky’ keeps him from blowing away!?) 🙂 And though that answer is not as philosophical as Bob Dylan’s, there simply will not be many butterflies until this wind quits blowing! 🙂

Polydamas Swallowtail on a Porter Weed flower, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Teleus Longtail

One of the common Skippers all over Costa Rica is the Teleus Longtail (my gallery link), and he is just one of about 20 different “Longtails!” Here’s a couple of shots of one in my garden recently on a less windy day:

Teleus Longtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Teleus Longtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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The Always Here Bird

The wind has been very heavy again for many days which discourages birds or butterflies on my hillside, but the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is always here! And they chase off any other species of hummingbirds, but don’t seem to be bothered by the few butterflies I’ve had (maybe thinking they don’t eat much?). 🙂 I had to photograph those two flying pix from a greater distance +the movement and thus not good images, but I still like the action shots as well as the “sitting portraits” like this one . . .

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Dusky-blue Groundstreak

A cool, tiny butterfly in the Hairstreak Family the size of a small fingernail that is bright blue on top of his wings which he seldom shows. See one top view in my gallery at Dusky-blue Groundstreak, Calycopis isobeon. This is only the third one that I’ve seen. Here’s three shots . . .

Dusky-blue Groundstreak, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Polydamas Swallowtail’s back!

I’m beginning to see some of the old “regulars” back in my garden when the wind is not too strong, but overall, butterflies are still scarce and I don’t expect a lot before May. But I’ve had at least two of these Polydamas Swallowtail, Battus polydamas (my gallery link). Here’s 3 shots of one individual in my garden recently . . .

Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Nature & Life . . .

Nature photography is a good hobby, but it was never a money-maker, not in Tennessee when I tried for a few years there (I always spent more on it than I ever made!) – nor the brief time I tried here. But the joy of creating has never been lost. And though I don’t sell greeting cards anymore, some are still at Hotel Colinas del Sol as a contribution to a sometimes struggling local business there. Go help them out! 🙂

But anyway, a photo of a new butterfly the other day had me going back and looking at that solid green background more than once, wanting to make a greeting card with it. And the butterfly with his red antennae seems to be laser focused on something. So here it is! Created just for you dear blog reader! And who knows, I may do it again! 🙂 It’s fun!

An Orion Butterfly seems to be focused on life in Atenas, Costa Rica.

“Adopt the pace of nature.

Her secret is patience.”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

¡Pura Vida!

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Dark Calephelis Butterfly

This Dark Calephelis, Calephelis velutina (linked to my gallery) seems to be fairly rare, with this being my third sighting and not very many have been submitted to iNaturalist CR or butterfliesandmoths.org. This one was in my garden while the last one was in the neighborhood on Calle Nueva. And my first sighting was in Cartago Province at Guayabo National Monument. Here’s two different views of this Metalmark Family butterfly species from Monday in my garden . . .

Dark Calephelis, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Dark Calephelis, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!