Category: Plants

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One Last Post on the Xandari Visit

Because the 2023 Xandari Trip Gallery is now ready for you to see all this year’s photos from this colorful nature resort, I will just summarize what was to be the last 4 posts on that trip and you can see the photos in the gallery which is more and better than a few here!  🙂  The last 4 categories each have a gallery that I’m linking to with the 4 pix below:

I photographed only 4 birds mainly because of the high winds we were having there that week. Here’s just 1 of those 4 and to see the others, click the above link or this image:

Clay-colored Thrush or Yigüirro, the National Bird

Though there did not seem to be as many Flowers on this trip as in earlier ones (different time of year), there were still a lot and you can see the ones I photographed by clicking the above link or this one image.

Bird of Paradise Flower, Xandari Costa Rica

Thirdly are some of the Leaves & Nature Things that I love to photograph out in nature anywhere I go! And I think I got a few interesting ones this trip including the feature photo at top of the post. Check them all out at the above link or click this one photo:

Nature as Art, Xandari Costa Rica

And last but not least are a few photos I made of only a sampling of the Trees & Trails at Xandari. Click that link or this one image to see more:

Trees & Trails at Xandari Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Or see all the 2023 Xandari Trip Galleries!

🙂

 

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Two Damselflies at Xandari

I was not aware of any Dragonflies but saw many Damselflies including these two with fairly certain identifications 🙂  . . . 

Female Azure Dancer

Female Azure Dancer at Xandari Costa Rica

Forest Rubyspot

Forest Rubyspot at Xandari Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

See my gallery of many of the Dragon & Damselflies in Costa Rica.

And the 2023 Xandari Trip Gallery is now ready for you to see all this year’s photos from this colorful nature resort. 

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Found Another”Lifer” Butterfly!

I’m still working on my photos and identifying species and just discovered another new species for me, the Wedge-spotted Cattleheart, a butterfly in the family with Swallowtails. Here’s three shots of this one, all with folded wings (he refused to open them). And for the students of butterflies, note that it is similar to or could be confused with the Iphidamas or Transandean Cattleheart, but there are small differences!  🙂

¡Pura Vida!

For more photos of this family of butterflies go to my galleries in the family folder: Papilionidae – PARNASSIANS & SWALLOWTAILS

 

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Two New Crescents for Me . . .

In my short two-night stay at Xandari Costa Rica I photographed 13+ species of butterflies with a few more still unidentified, so maybe more.  🙂  It is my #1 best location for wild butterflies so far! In this post I present the the only two “lifers” or first-time seen butterflies on this trip.

Chestnut Crescent – Anthanassa argentea

This one is easily confused with the Tulcis or Pale-banded Crescent and the Ardent Crescent (both in my gallery).

Gray-based Crescent – Castilia griseobasalis

And this one is easily confused with both the Mayan and Cryptic Crescents with only the Mayan in my gallery.

¡Pura Vida!

You can find more of the “Crescents” Butterflies in my BRUSHFOOTS FAMILY of galleries.

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Xandari Landscapes

I got 8 more butterflies today and at least one a “lifer” or new one for me, but identifying and processing hundreds of photos is just too much to share those today and the birds were just a very few! It is quite windy here this time of year.

So for today’s post, the easy way out, a handful of vistas from the hotel, many from my room and most of these are untouched straight out of the camera to facilitate my limited time for this post today!  🙂 One shot of last night’s sunset from my room just for the email announcement, and then all in a slide show that follows . . .

Sunset from Villa 19, Xandari Costa Rica, Alajuela, 31 January 2023

 

Continue reading “Xandari Landscapes”

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Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak

This is my second time to photograph the Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon istapa, in my garden. The first time, back in November when one was on a Heliconia flower being attacked and eventually eaten by a Jumping Spider. See that blog post. This one was at the top of my garden along the top of the garden wall, flitting from plant to plant. A tiny, thumbnail sized butterfly in the Gossamer Wings Family, Lycaenidae. See both sets of photos in my Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak GALLERY.

Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, Atenas, Costa Rica

 

 

Here’s 3 more photos of this guy . . . Continue reading “Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak”

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White Peacock Butterfly

In my garden the other day as one I haven’t seen much of this year. A beautifully simple butterfly unlike his cousin the more flashy Banded Peacock. You may have noticed that I saw one on the birding hike last Saturday also. See my White Peacock GALLERY for some better photos of this normal-sized butterfly.

White Peacock, Atenas, Costa Rica

White Peacock, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Polydamas Swallowtail

I see many more of these large butterflies during the rainy season, but the other day this one was flitting about the different flowers in my garden in spite of the wind! He has to eat, windy or not!  🙂

Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Costa Rica

Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Costa Rica

Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Costa Rica

Check out my other shots of this species in my Polydamas Swallowtail GALLERY.

¡Pura Vida!

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Theona Checkerspot

Well, forget that business of the last four days of my “final” butterflies of the season. I keep finding more and even new ones like this beautiful earth toned  “Theona Checkerspot” (Chlosyne theona) in my garden. Another tiny one that stays near the ground in our windy weather now.

Theona Checkerspot, Atenas, Costa Rica

Theona Checkerspot, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

And my Butterflies of Costa Rica GALLERIES.

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Late Butterflies – #4 of 4 – Tropical Checkered Skipper

While this is not a common one for me to see, I did see it this month in my garden, so I’m counting it as the fourth “late butterfly.”  The Tropical Checkered Skipper, Pyrgus oileus, has been incorrectly called “Tropical Checkerspot” though it is clearly identified as a Skipper, found throughout Central America and the Caribbean Islands and in most deep south states of the U.S. Here’s two shots from my garden in Atenas:

Tropical Checkered-Skipper, Atenas, Costa Rica

Tropical Checkered-Skipper, Atenas, Costa Rica

See all of my SKIPPERS Galleries.

¡Pura Vida!