Category: Nature

My profession is to always find God in nature.

– Henry David Thoreau

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Sidewalk Flowers in Atenas

This Bougainvillea is in Roca Verde where I begin my walks. Most other photos are in Atenas Central.
Except for church yard, all flowers are in front yards of local homes, small and large. All homes have flowers!
And this is just a small sample of what I see every day!

Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica
Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica
Atenas, Costa Rica
Atenas, Costa Rica
Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica
Flowers… are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out-values all the utilities of the world.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Another New Butterfly!

And it is not in any of my books nor can I find it online for identification. Shot in living room.

How can anything this distinctive not be in any of the books?
For now, it remains an Unknown beauty!
On my Living Room window screen.
Atenas, Costa Rica
Whether butterfly or moth, this dude is cool looking!
I’m having this image printed to hang in my house here in Atenas, Costa Rica.

My new gallery now has 20 species in it: Costa Rica Butterflies by Charlie Doggett

And by the way, my “Birthday Breakfast” with Anthony at Kay’s Gringo Postres was great with a yummy omelet, biscuits and gravy, and a fabulous piece of Karo Pecan Pie just like Mother made! It is a place to get American food by a Texas couple. And the only place I know with real bacon!

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Blomfild’s Beauty

Blomfild’s Beauty,  Atenas, Costa Rica

A few days ago I displayed 3 new butterflies for me. One was on a window screen and I used the text book name Smyrna Blomfildia. Well, two days later he (or one like him) showed up in my bathroom near the ceiling above a high window. Poor light, but two better shots than the one on the screen. This beautiful butterfly is found only in Central America and Mexico, very rarely in South Texas. It is know for the very intricate bottom or closed wing pattern. This time I got a partial shot of the top wings. Neat butterfly!

 

Blomfild’s Beauty, Atenas, Costa Rica
This shot shows the bottom wing pattern a little better than above.
But I will add the screen shot that might show it even better.

 
Blomfild’s Beauty, Atenas, Costa Rica
Notice the intricate design and the multiple colors!

 

 
Nature is the art of God.
Dante Alighieri

See my complete collection at Costa Rica Butterflies by Charlie Doggett photo gallery

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And sorry about two posts in one day! I meant to hit the “Save” button, but the “Post” button is bigger and I’m used to hitting it! So consider this tomorrow’s post! You won’t get another one then!

 

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Finally! A U.S. Ambassador to Cost Rica!

They’ll be here in time for the
Embassy 4th of July Picnic!

See this article with video clip in the TICO TIMES:  http://www.ticotimes.net/2015/06/25/senate-confirms-s-fitzgerald-haney-us-ambassador-costa-rica

We have been without an ambassador since 2013 thanks to the shameless, mean, Anti-Obama political stalling by Republicans in the Senate. It had nothing to do with Ambassador Haney or his qualifications, just silly hatred of President Obama that is now backfiring. Yesterday I read in the Washington Post that this kind of Republicanism is finally dying out in the states.

Be sure to read his stellar qualifications for this position in the above article. He should have been approved the day he was appointed! Hopefully he will help the U.S. image here during the one year he has left for sure and maybe he will get to stay longer if the next U.S. President is a Democrat.

I am trying to avoid politics in this blog, but this is about Costa Rica and affects us here and indirectly you there in the states. Plus I wanted to share what a great new ambassador we now have here. Some things are slowly getting better!  🙂

Some of the surrounding forest and farm land as seen from my bedroom window (above the ugly power lines)

Have you seen the Chamber of Commerce video promoting Costa Rica?  essential COSTA RICA
 Pure marketing, but it does show some of the diversity and strengths of my new home country. (2 min.)  But the shorter tourism promotion clip with singing animals is more fun! Called:  Save the Americans  made especially for those of you who are overworked!  🙂

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¡El Sapo!

El Sapo is literally “the toad” in Spanish but in Costa Rica it is the name given all toads and frogs. I’ve seen a smaller frog/toad in my yard but today before Spanish Class at my house this morning around 9:00 AM, our teacher, David Salas Castillo, found this big one in my jardin or garden.

Giant Toad or Black-backed Frog, Leptodactylus melanonotus
Not a positive identification – Atenas, Costa Rica

Dark color with light spots, guess 5 or 6 inches without
being stretched out, largest I’ve seen yet

Giant Toad or Black-backed Frog
Atenas, Costa Rica

And a late-breaking photo at about 5:30 while watering the garden:

Giant Toad or Black-backed Frog, Atenas, Costa Rica
The plant is 7 inches tall, so he is between 7 & 8 inches, a big toad!
And with more light than in above photos, he is not as dark in color.
Cool! But do you think he’ll eat my butterflies?

Costa Rica Named the #1 Happiest Country on Earth . . . AGAIN!   By The Travel Channel

Quote seen today:

“Not all those who wander are lost.” 

– J. R. R. Tolkien

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Three New Butterflies!

Southern Broken Dash Skipper
In my garden at Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Smyrna Blomfildia butterfly inside my house on window screen.
Atenas, Costa Rica
Turquoise Emperor butterfly
In a neighbor’s yard, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

I’m getting more photos at home than I do at some of these butterfly farms! And I never tire of this! Also so glad I went to the trouble and expense of starting a flower garden two weeks after moving in! It has really paid off! In just two months! I’ve lost count of the butterflies I’ve photographed here, and that is in addition to 5 species of Hummingbirds photographed! My Costa Rica Butterflies Gallery  is up to 19 species now, but not all from my yard!

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond. 
~Irish Blessing

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Variegated Squirrel

Variegated Squirrel, Atenas, Costa Rica
Found all over Costa Rica, this one by my balcony in a Yellow Bell Tree
They can greatly vary in color around the country but all have tail “frosting”

Variegate Squirrel, my first shot peeking around tree trunk,
giving a little break from birds and butterflies!

Variegated Squirrel, Atenas, Costa Rica
Two moved from Strangler Fig to this tree and back – looking for food?
They are about the same size as North American squirrels.

And I continue to get new surprises on my balcony! Maybe after a year I’ll get bored.  🙂

July 8 I get my visa renewed and will start traveling more which means new wildlife photos.

And by the way, I just started a Costa Rica Mammals Photo Gallery which these guys are in. I haven’t gotten a lot of mammals since moving here, but got several from previous trips and will get more! This gallery is in addition to my
Costa Rica Birds Gallery
Costa Rica Butterflies Gallery
Costa Rica Insects Gallery  (other than butterflies)

Now all I need is galleries for reptiles and amphibians! Coming soon!

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Tropical Kingbird

Tropical Kingbird, on one of my Yellow Bell trees, Atenas, Costa Rica, by Charlie Doggett

I’ve seen them nearer the coast but today is the first time I have noticed one here. The yellow breast makes one think of the Kiskadee and several flycatchers, but the short beak, different head markings, and v-tail label this guy! The next is not as good a shot, but fun to catch any bird in flight! Photographed from my balcony/deck/patio, whatever.

Tropical Kingbird just barely caught in flight! Atenas, Costa Rica
Charlie Doggett

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Polydamas Swallowtail Butterfly

Polydamas Swallowtail Butterfly, Atenas, Costa Rica

 

Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Costa Rica

 

 

Polydamas Swallowtail Butterfly, Atenas, Costa Rica

My garden is so much fun! And beautiful! When I run out of new things to photograph in it I guess I’ll start traveling more.  🙂  And by the way, I’ve been photographing butterflies here since 2009. Check out some of the others in my Butterflies of Costa Rica photo gallery. And if you enjoy other interesting insects, I have a Insects of Costa Rica gallery also. And you wondered, “What in the world do you do every day way down there in Costa Rica?   🙂

And my new butterfly book arrived today at Aerocasillas from Amazon.com.

“Butterflies are self propelled flowers.” 
― Robert A. Heinlein

 

 

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Guarumo Cecropia Tree in Symbiotic Relationship with Ants

Guarumo Cecropia tree in my front yard

Guarumo leaves are some of the most interesting in the tropics.

When my personal gardener told me the Guarumo tree would attract Toucans with the seeds, I told him I wanted one! And I have it! It grows naturally only in Central America and is one of several kinds of Cecropia trees. I panicked this week when I saw a stream of tiny ants crawling up and down the trunk of the tree and called Cristian for help! He stopped by after another job today and explained that this ant is the friend of this tree. They help each other in a symbiotic relationship, providing food and housing for the ants who in turn protect the tree from leaf-eating predators. It was also used by Amerindians for medicinal purposes and is now used by pharmaceutical companies.

All of the cecropia trees are the favorite food of sloths, so you most often see photos of sloths in large cecropia trees, but not usually the Guarumo though. Mine will have to be a lot larger to hold either a toucan or sloth! Right now it is just a special kind of symbiotic ants! It not only looks cool, but is a great lesson in working together with smaller, sometimes hated creatures!

A sustainable world means working together to create prosperity for all.
~Jacqueline Novogratz

And by the way, I just this moment realized that today is my 6 month anniversary in Costa Rica! I moved here December 24, 2014. I’m glad I came! Maybe I will eventually figure out a symbiotic relationship with Costa Rica.  🙂