That’s the official name and commonly called just Heliconius doris (Wikipedia article link) or Doris Longwing, whether the red or blue version. Though not usually said about butterflies, this is a “Lifer” butterfly for me! First one to see or photograph! And if you count my “Lifer” fungus, this makes 3 lifers on this trip! 🙂 So my Heliconius doris viridis Galleryhas only these 3 photos in it for now. This butterfly is said to be more common in the Amazon of Brazil, though I didn’t see it when I was there. 🙂
This Variable Seedeater (eBird link) Female was on my porch right after breakfast yesterday. We saw both male and female on the pre-breakfast bird hike but I did not get a photo of one then. They are fairly common all over Costa Rica it seems, feeding on seeds in the grasses mostly. See myVariable Seedeater Gallery of photos from all over Costa Rica.
Phallus indusiatus (Wikipedia article) is the fungus Dictyophora indusiata. It might have been the most interesting thing we saw on our morning bird walk yesterday. At least it is new and different to me or my first time to see this “Bamboo Mushroom” or “Stinkhorn” with lots of other interesting common names around the world as it is found in most tropical forests of Asia, Africa, Australia and Central/South America.
Phallus indusiatus – Dictyophora indusiata, Chachagua Rainforest Hotel, Costa Rica.
Phallus indusiatus – Dictyophora indusiata, Chachagua Rainforest Hotel, Costa Rica.
And yes, Of course I have a Fungus Gallery with other interesting fungi in it like the “Pixi Cup Fungi!” 🙂
I decided to share the birds photographed just one at a time and this one first because it is a “lifer” for me or the first time I have ever seen or photographed it! Certainly not my best bird photo, but many of mine are just for ID and to show I’ve seen that species. On my pre-breakfast guided bird hike we saw maybe 22 species (some not sure of ID) and I got photos of 13 of those plus one more in front of my cabin for a total of 14 species photographed and identified. Of those I will share only the ones that I have decent photos of over the next week or two of Chachagua reports.
We had to go to two different UPS offices in San José, but finally got my new debit card and were off to the forests! When I got to my cabin after treating my driver to lunch, I laid in the hammock and almost went to sleep. Did not explore much before the afternoon rain started, but here’s shots of the river swim hole and hot springs, both near my room or cabin and then some shots of my cabin.
Here are more views of the new Central Park Sign including a selfie and what it looks like at night and from behind! 🙂 My earlier reports on the sign did not include the finished product at night or from behind! 🙂
At night your eyes see the color of the art on the letters and thus not as bright as this white in my camera. And that white spot in middle of sun is yellow to your eyes, though still bright! 🙂Continue reading “Park Sign at Night + Other New Views”
I’ve decided that two weeks of posts on this lodge may be enough, so I’m referring everyone to the gallery which has been ready awhile. Because of so many amazing flowers in their gardens, I may someday go back to more posts on them, but for now other photos from my life in nature in Costa Rica. You may click the image of gallery to go to the gallery or use this link:
There is an international committee somewhere that will occasionally change the “official” name of a bird which really keeps birders on their toes to keep up with the changes, though being a part of something like eBird helps and the app on my phone called “Merlin,” that I use to identify birds, also helps me stay up-to-date on the names. So I thank Merlin for this new name. 🙂
Since I have been in Costa Rica there have been 3 Saltator birds I’ve seen, the Black-headed Saltator, The Buff-throated Saltator and the Grayish Saltator (gallery links below). On my recent trip I got a photo of what I thought was a Grayish Saltator. Just to be sure, I ran it through Merlin and the software told me it was a “Cinnamon-bellied Saltator” (eBird Link) and I thought I had a new bird, a new “lifer,” but a guide I’ve used before at Selva Verde was at the lodge with a group tour and he told me it was just the same Grayish, with a new name. 🙂
Since then I read on Wikipedia an explanation of this name change. “They” (whoever “they” are) split the Grayish into three different Saltators: Cinnamon-bellied Saltator (mine, only in Central America & Mexico), Blue-grey Saltator (only in South America) and the Olivaceous Saltator (only on the northern coasts of South America). All of these have previously been lumped together as the “Grayish Saltator.” Looking at the photos of each online, they are slightly different and thus I understand the need for a name change. 🙂 Then with more research I found that there are 7 more species of Saltators, all different and each in narrow regions of South America except one that is only in the Caribbean Islands. Wow! 🙂 Well here is just one from Central America . . .
When I was selling photos under the name “Nature As Art” I would say that I paint with my camera and always tried to formulate in my mind through the camera lens an idea with simplicity, leading lines, contrasts, shapes and balance creating a type of “painting” with many of my photos. Yesterday’s “Melodious Morning” is a good example and in someway today’s photo of the Tropical Kingbird (eBird) sitting on a branch of the tropical Bougainvillea is another. I prefer the first image with the bird looking at us, making it more dynamic in that photo, but both images can be my tropical paintings for today! 🙂
Whether at home or at one of the many forest lodges of Costa Rica, all of my mornings are melodious with bird songs waking me gently. And one of those singing is the Melodious Blackbird (eBird) photographed here at Guayabo Lodge, Turrialba. See more of my photos of this bird in my Melodious Blackbird Gallery.
A Singing Melodious Blackbird, Guayabo Lodge, Turrialba, Costa Rica.A Posing Melodious Blackbird, Guayabo Lodge, Turrialba, Costa Rica
This second image is my preferred photo as a “painting” or work of art. 🙂
