Category: Photography

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Rounded Metalmark

The Rounded Metalmark, Calephelis perditalis (my gallery link) is a tiny butterfly that has been a regular in my garden in the past, though this was the first one I’ve photographed since February, as we have entered a new greener rainy season. It is found from Central Texas south through Mexico & Central America. Just one photo here. See more in my above linked gallery or see what the Texas ones look like on butterfliesandmoths. 🙂

Rounded Metalmark, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

I’m scheduled to go to Xandari Resort in Alajuela tomorrow for just 2 nights and it has been one of my best butterfly places, so there may be a lot more different ones coming from there soon! 🙂

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Yellow-rimmed Skipper

The Yellow-rimmed Skipper, Aethilla lavochrea (my gallery link where I have more photos from other sightings) is found from Mexico through Central America to Columbia, thus a mostly Central American butterfly and Costa Rica is central in it’s range. Evidently not many people are seeing and photographing this species, since most websites that even include it, have only 1 or 2 photos. Plus at butterfliesandmoths dot org all the photos are mine except for 1. 🙂 Here’s 3 photos from this April 2024 sighting . . .

Yellow-rimmed Skipper, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Tropical Checkered Skipper

The Tropical Checkered Skipper, Burnsius oileus, (my gallery link) is another fairly common butterfly in the past that has returned to my garden for this year. Here’s just one shot and you can see more in the above linked gallery. They are found along the U.S. Gulf Coast south to Argentina. See photos from other places on butterfliesandmoths.

Tropical Checkered Skipper, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

June 6-8, 2024 15% OFF flash sale on my photo books with the Discount Code JUNEFLASH15. Go to my bookstore at https://www.blurb.com/user/cdoggett.

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Cassius Blue

Another one of those tiny little butterflies and the second time for me to see the Cassius Blue, Leptotes cassius (my gallery link), both times this year! I keep being surprised with new species and during a year with an extra hot and windy pre-rainy season! But fortunately, the rainy season has started and my garden is happy! Along with the birds and butterflies! 🙂 And here’s 3 shots of the Cassius Blue with different light, shading and details . . .

Cassius Blue, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Juvenile House Gecko

Well, sometimes I think they are all “juvenile” in their behavior, chirping at night sometimes and leaving their distinctive gecko poop around the house, but then, on the other hand, they are heroes! They are my best “pest control” and maybe why Costa Rica does not have a mosquito problem or mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever plaguing other parts of Central America right now. This is a younger one with full grown nearly twice this size, though I’ve seen much smaller or literally baby geckos less than half this size. 🙂

House Gecko, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

My House Gecko GALLERY with only 3 so far. Not one of my priorities! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

June 6-8, 2024 15% OFF flash sale on my photo books with the Discount Code JUNEFLASH15. Go to my bookstore at https://www.blurb.com/user/cdoggett.

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Wildflowers or Weeds?

All of these are tiny that have just popped up between my planted flowers or even in the grass that wasn’t cut by the weedeaters. They all attract butterflies and I think some of them are beautiful in their own simple ways. Below, after one shot, is a gallery of 6 different species.

Wildflower or Weed Flower? Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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2 Days of Butterflies

These 6 photos of 6 species were made on April 18 & 20, processed a week later and being ahead on my blog posts, they just now make it to you! 🙂 I was really photographing a lot during the weeks before my Arenal trip and now my photos and thus blog posts are sort of backed up. But I will catch up and maybe slow down a little or be more selective in which photos I share. Sorry, but I want to share all of them! 🙂 I will put these 6 butterflies in a little gallery below this one introductory shot.

Dina Yellow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Lirio Caminante, Trimezia gracilis

Thanks to one of the volunteers on iNaturalist, I now have a species name for that “cute smiling” flower I photographed at Arenal last month. The scientific name is Trimezia gracilis and the most used common name is Liro Caminante, with a less-used common name of Falsa Orquidea. You can see a map of where they are found around the world and read more information about them on PlantNet.org. Here’s that one photo again and I’m proud to be first to share it on iNaturalist! 🙂

Lirio Caminante, Trimezia gracilis, at Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

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Cecropia Leaves

I just can’t stop photographing this unique tree! But every photo is different! 🙂 This species lives up to 25 or 30 years, which is a short life for trees, but they perform many functions in the rainforest & cloud forest. Here are two blog posts on it’s longevity from the University of Georgia in Costa Rica Blog. (Lots of universities from around the world have campuses in Costa Rica! One reason is that we have more species of plants and animals than any other country its size in the world!) 🙂

Guarumo or Cecropia Leaves & Flower, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

My Cecropia Gallery.

¡Pura vida!

Postscript: Thanks to my Tennessee friend Larry Yarbrough for this link to an article titled Birding for the Soul, about how birding and other nature activities, like looking for butterflies, 🙂 not only lifts your spirits but is mentally and spiritually strengthening and it helps world research on saving nature. I hope you will get involved with nature in whatever way pleases you and enjoy the benefits! 🙂 ~Charlie

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Blue-gray Tanager

One of the more common birds that has been back in my garden for a while now is the Blue-gray Tanager, Thraupis episcopus (linked to my gallery), that is found from southern Mexico through all of Central America and the northern half of South America. Read more on eBird. Here’s a couple of shots made in April . . .

Blue-gray Tanager, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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