Common names in English for the Trimezia gracilis (scientific name) are: walking iris, apostle’s iris and apostle plant. Lirio Caminante (“Walking Lily”) is the Spanish name.
“The native range of this flower species is W. Central & SE. Brazil to Paraguay. It is a rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.” And of course in Costa Rica! 🙂
And with this unusual flower comes a very
“Merry Christmas” from Charlie Doggett in Costa Rica!
Keep reading my blog for more pura vida! 🙂
On this Christmas Eve I will celebrate 10 years of living in Costa Rica and will spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in one of many favorite nature lodges, Xandari Resort in Alajuela. Close to home and San Jose because the morning after Christmas I go to the nearby Hospital Mexico in San Jose for an ultrasound image of my neck to help the doctors continue monitoring any possible spread of cancer to the thyroid gland and lymph nodes (which is common for my type of cancer). The great public health system in this wonderful little country is taking good care of me in my old age! (Even with an appointment the day after Christmas!) 🙂
This species is becoming more frequently seen for me, with the last one shared November 1 this year. He is very similar to a more rarely seen Pale-billed Woodpecker with not only the pale bill being different but also his black and white coloring is different, but both have the big bright red pointed head like Woody Woodpecker. 🙂
Lineated Woodpecker, my garden, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
See more photos of this species in my Lineated Woodpecker Gallery or you can read about them on eBirdwhere you will see that they are found only in the tropical forests of Central and South America.
I always like this one better than the more common here Hoffman’s or Black-cheeked Woodpeckers. And maybe that is because this one reminds me more of Woody Woodpecker. 🙂 And Woody is special in many ways, one being that he was born the same year as me, 1940. 🙂 But enough of that! The Lineated Woodpecker, Dryocopus lineatus (linked to my gallery), is a tropical forest bird found in both the lowlands and foothills (where I live) of Central & South America. In my gallery you can see that I’ve photographed him on both slopes of Costa Rica in many locations. Read about him on eBird.
This is probably one you have seen, found in most of the Eastern and Southern U.S. all the way south to Argentina, the Fiery Skipper, Hylephila phyleus (my gallery link). Like many butterflies, the top and folded wings views are different and distinct. Here’s a shot from the Caribe of both views, and of course the one with a bee in it made me smile! 🙂
Fiery Skipper, Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón, Costa RicaFiery Skipper, Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón, Costa Rica
The Africanized Honeybee, Apis mellifera (Wikipedia article link), was introduced from East Africa into Brazil and it migrated north throughout Central American and into Texas. I’m pretty sure of this ID and that is what Google Lens called it. Photographed on a wildflower along the beach road, Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón, Costa Rica.
Africanized Honey Bee, Apis mellifera, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón, Costa Rica
All of the bees I’ve photographed in Costa Rica are in a general Bees Gallery, with several species and most unidentified so far. 🙂 They were photographed before Google Lens! 🙂
I still haven’t processed all my photos from today and will get a few more in the morning before I leave, but I’m pleased to get a different bird and butterfly from all the other days here . . .
Cocoa Woodcreeper, Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo, Limón, Costa RicaZebra-striped Hairstreak, Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo, Limón, Costa Rica
And one of many shots of sunrise this morning that I haven’t all processed, but will eventually share more, including the throng of local people out at sunrise on Saturday morning! 🙂
One of the more common butterflies all over Costa Rica is this Banded Peacock, Anartia fatima (my gallery link) and as these two recent photos in my garden show, the top of its wings are a very dark brown & red with a brilliant white while the bottom of the wings are paler or a light brown and red. Of course, as always in nature, there are a few exceptions or variations, but not many in this species. See my gallery linked above. It is another of the many species found only in Central America & Mexico.
Banded Peacock, Atenas Alajuela, Costa RicaBanded Peacock, Atenas Alajuela, Costa Rica
Though the Rufous-tailed continues to dominate my garden and especially the feeders when I fill them, the other hummingbird that I still have in spite of the Rufous-tailed is the Canivet’s Emerald Hummingbird (linked to my gallery) and he is a less common hummingbird anywhere here in Costa Rica and is only found from Southern Mexico to Costa Rica. But it seems to occasionally show up and I appreciate her spunk in putting up with the rufous-tailed! Either a male or female has been in my garden from the beginning in 2015, one of the first species I photographed there. Here’s three different views of this female (back, side & front) or go to gallery for more . . .
The Mimosa Skipper – Cogia calchas (linked to butterfliesandmoths with more photos & location map). It is a new species for me and another mostly Central America butterfly found from Mexico to Venezuela. With the naked eye it first looked almost solid black but by removing some of the shadows of the side view in Photoshop Elements I got that erratic pattern to show and aid in identification. I continue to be amazed at how many new species I am finding this early in the season (this one was March 31). Here are two photos, a side view and an almost top view plus there are more in my Mimosa Skipper GALLERY.
