Difficult to Identify

This is one of those that are almost impossible to identify with no matches in any of my sources of those spots and other characteristics. The AI called Google Lens is for the entire world and on difficult individuals like this one, they might call it a butterfly that lives only in Asia or Africa, so not as helpful on ones like this as they are on very unique and unusual insects they can find another photo of. So far, iNaturalista’s AI is the most helpful on butterflies, but not always. In the case of this one, as far as they will go in identification is to put it in the Hesperini Tribe which is pretty broad or general. As I write this, I haven’t yet posted these photos on iNaturalist yet. But when I do there is a real possibility that one of the experts who have devoted their lives to butterflies will have an identification, but not always. Here’s three photos of this Skipper Butterfly that I cannot ID:

Unidentified Skipper, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Difficult to Identify”

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

And the most common hummingbird in my garden is this Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Amazilia tzacatl (my gallery link). Fairly common from Mexico to northern South America at multiple altitudes.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Blue-black Grassquit

Looking over the meadow across from my house where he will feed, this male has a black band across his back which is the shadow of another powerline above him. 🙂 I’ve seen both male & female of these all over Costa Rica as shown in my gallery at: Blue-black Grassquit, Volatinia jacarina, including that first trip to Costa Rica while at Carate on the Osa Peninsula in 2009. Note that he is similar to the Blue-black Grosbeak I recently shared a photo of, but smaller. Both feed on the grasses (seeds).

Blue-black Grassquit male, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

Telemiades Genus Skipper

I think it is most likely the Telemiades nicomedes, but not sure, so giving it the genus name. iNaturalist uses the genus name a lot as you can see on this Genus Telemiades page of iNaturalist Costa Rica.

Telemiades Genus of Skipper, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Common Mylon

This is another new species for me! And I keep finding them in my own garden! The Common Mylon – Mylon maimon (linked to Wikipedia) is found from Mexico to Argentina. One of the many Skippers. And on iNaturalist Costa Rica my observation is only the 13th in Costa Rica and I’m only the 10th person to report seeing one. But one of those others has the best photos I’ve seen and on his own website: Dr. Heiner Ziegler, MD (Switzerland). Costa Rica attracts nature lovers from all around the world!

Common Mylon, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Common Mylon”

Simple Patch Butterfly

This is my first one seen this year, but you can see photos of others photographed in the past plus a few more from this sighting in my garden in my gallery: Simple Patch, Chlosyne hippodrome.

Simple Patch, Chlorosyne hippodrome, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Simple Patch, Chlorosyne hippodrome, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Transitioning from My Garden to the Jungle Tomorrow!

Tomorrow morning I will post the last of the August nature sightings from my garden, though not all that I saw in a very productive August for nature photos! 🙂 Then tomorrow night I will do my first nighty post from Tortuguero National Park, “The Amazon of Costa Rica,” where I will be for 4 nights, posting a lot of things I can’t from home, including monkeys, maybe a sloth and of course lots of waterbirds, lizards, crocs & caiman, plus hopefully much more! 🙂 There are always surprises!

¡Pura Vida!

Yellow-faced Grassquit . . .

. . . is on the powerline overlooking the meadow where he feeds on the grasses. I’m seeing more of him this year. For more photos, go to my gallery: Yellow-faced Grassquit, Tiaris olivaceus.

Yellow-faced Grassquit, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Yellow-faced Grassquit . . .”