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Appearing on one of my tree limbs looking like a loving married couple the other day were two Inca Doves, one of my favorite dove species with their “sculpted” look. You can read about them on eBird or check out some of my earlier photos in my Inca Dove Gallery. The scientific name is Columbina inca and they are found from Panama north through all of Central America and Mexico into much of the Southwestern USA. Here’s just one photo:
¡Pura Vida!
What I can find online (Wikipedia link) about this plant is that it is in the genus of Physalis, with “approximately 75 to 90 flowering plant species in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), which are native to the Americas and Australasia.” ~says Wikipedia
Variously call Chinese Lantern, Japanese Lantern, Bladder Cherry, Ground Cherry, Tomatillo (a red or gold fruit grows inside the lantern or bladder). I have seen them in other parts of Costa Rica and finally tried to research online. I won’t venture to guess which of the up to 90 species this particular plant is. 🙂
I made these 2 photos across the driveway from my garden, on my landlord’s property where they appear to be a wild vine climbing up another plant. I hope to eventually learn more about them. These two shots seem to show them at different stages of development.
are starting to land in my Higueron Tree more often now (always chattering) but this time were hiding from me behind the limbs and leaves. Here’s a couple of poor efforts to capture a photo of one of these turkey-like wild birds. See more in my Gray-headed Chachalaca Gallery.
It has been a while, yet this bird is one of the regulars in my garden, though I’ve had to go other places to see and photograph the male, who is strikingly solid red! See my collection of Summer Tangers Gallery. Or you can read about them on eBird. They are found everywhere from southern Canada to northern South America.
Two more photos . . .
Continue reading “Summer Tanager Female”
When I first studied these photos of another brown Skipper in my garden I focused on those distinctive 3 white dots located near the apex of the forward wing on both top and bottom sides. That led me first to the “Three-spotted Skipper” (Cymaenes tripunctus) which seemed logical, but it has more spots on the under side, thus not a real match. Next with 3 spots was the Cobalopsis Nero which I’ve seen before, but he too had additional spots that my photos did not show and it seemed another unidentified Skipper might be the case . . .
. . . until I checked my own butterfly gallery and there it was! Guerrero Sootywing, Bolla guerra! I’ve seen it two other times, once at the nearby Reserva Madre Verde in Palmares and on the Caribbean Coast at Hotel Banana Azul. Sooo . . . another mystery solved! And believe me! They are not all this easy – nor do I always even achieve an identification. But this one turned out nicely and here are the 3 photos used in that circuitous search . . . 🙂
Another beautiful butterfly in my garden that I have only occasionally is the Mexican Yellow, Eurema mexicana. Here’s 3 slightly different shots of this soft, simple and pastel butterfly . . .
To be so windy and the lesser time of year for butterflies, I keep being amazed at the number of new butterflies I find in my garden, mostly the tiny ones. Depending on my source of information, this one has two common names, Halcyon Hairstreak or the one I have to use: Halciones Hairstreak with all sources using the same scientific name of Ostrinotes halciones. All Hairstreaks have that wiry tail to make predators think it is the head.
This species is found in both Central and South America from Mexico to Brazil, but my photo will be the first on butterflies and moths dot org, if they add the species that I’ve requested. I have about 5 requests waiting to be approved like that. The huge number of species of everything in Costa Rica continues to amaze me! It is one of the most diverse locations on the planet! The exact middle location between North & South America. I’m posting 4 photos of this new-to-me species . . .
There are not many flowers more different from each other than this Heliconia and the Desert Rose in my garden that I snapped the other day while looking for butterflies. The Heliconia is so typical of Costa Rica, found from coast to coast, mainly in tropical lowlands but also other places. While the Desert Rose is a specialty pot plant rather atypical of Costa Rica that I got from my old friend and neighbor Anthony, years ago when he returned to the states. Since he has now died, it is sort of a living memorial to him. It’s rather delicate, requiring morning sun only and not too much water to keep blooming. It’s a faithful favorite for me!
And 2 shots of the Desert Rose . . .
Continue reading “2 Contrasting Flowers”
I got this identification first from BugGuide.net which has a different scientific name of Apantesis phyllira along with the same common name of Phyllira Tiger Moth. Because I volunteer for butterfliesandmoths dot org, I’m using the scientific name they use: Grammia phyllira It was alongside the street on my walk to town the other day, right outside the Roca Verde gate on Avenida 8. It is in the Family Erebidae. Two cellphone pix . . .
Flora & Forest GALLERIES.
Leaves & Nature Things GALLERY
¡Pura Vida!