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My Arenal Room

This is my 5th time to spend five nights at Arenal Observatory Lodge and all 5 times in the same room because I liked it on my first visit! 🙂 It is close to the beginning of all hiking trails and just across a courtyard from the restaurant, and as a corner room, it has two great views! Looking north, I look up at the volcano and looking west I look out over Lake Arenal and this time of year at some magnificent sunsets. Here’s a shot of each of my two views and one of the courtyard between my building and the restaurant. As they say here, “Perfecto!”

One of the 2 views from my room, Arenal Volcano.
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From Mini-Jungle to Rainforest!

This morning my usual transportation of Walter Ramirez Tours and Taxis is taking me away from my home “garden” or “mini-jungle,” featured above, to one of my favorite forest getaways for 5 nights . . .

Arenal Observatory Lodge, the only hotel inside the Arenal Volcano National Park, where I will spend 5 days hiking the trails of a forest with a great variety of plants and animals! Tree Ferns to Toucans and more!

Below are four shots of my little mini-rainforest garden in Atenas that I am proud of and in which I photograph much for this blog! Then following that, another 4-shot gallery from my last trip to the Observatory in 2022. I chose to go in May this year because that is the month I got good sunset photos over Lake Arenal in 2018 and my most monkey shots that year, though anytime is a good time to visit Arenal Observatory Lodge! (lodge website link) 🙂 Looking forward to just being there!

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Barred Yellow

This is just my third time to see this unusual Yellow (among the many Yellows!). The Barred Yellow, Eurema daira (linked to my gallery) is found from Argentina north to the deep south of the U.S. It’s uniqueness is the brown, orange & yellow bars on the top of wings. The side view is similar to many Whites & Yellows. I’ve seen it twice here in Atenas and once at Arenal Observatory (where I’m headed tomorrow). See photos from other countries including the U.S. at butterfliesandmoths.

Barred Yellow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak

The Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon bazochii, (butterfliesandmoths link) is a new species for me and a nice one! I have these same 3 images in my gallery, so I won’t link to it. But I was fortunate to get both the side view and a top view, which really helps with the identification! And with all the wind this year, few ever land with wing open and it is very difficult to catch one in flight on the camera as I did here! 🙂

Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Plumeria or Frangipani

are the two common English names for this beautiful tropical flowering shrub or small tree that comes in white, pink or red varieties. This white one that I pass on my walks to town one website called the “Plumeria rubra var. acutifolia.”

When I lived in West Africa it was called Frangipani by both English and French speakers and by most tribal languages. In Spanish, frangipanis are also referred to as alhelí, alhelí cimarrón, and suche, though in Costa Rica they are called frangipani, plumeria, juche or cacalojoche. Every Central American country seems to have a different name! 🙂

Here’s 2 photos of the one at a house on 8th Avenue in Atenas . . .

Plumeria or Frangipani Tropical Flowers, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Fawn-spotted Skipper

A new butterfly for me and like most now, in my garden! 🙂 The Cymaenes trebius or common name of Fawn-spotted Skipper which I think was a poor choice (many others look more like fawns) but I didn’t make the names for these little jewels! 🙂 Here’s one photo and you can see all four of my shots in Fawn-spotted Skipper GALLERY or see photos that others have submitted from Central America, Mexico and South Texas in butterfliesandmoths.org where you too can submit your butterfly photos for research and sharing with the world! Please share!

Fawn-spotted Skipper, Cymaenes trebius, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Buff-throated Saltator

One of four species of Saltators in Costa Rica, Buff-throated Saltator, Saltator maximus (my gallery link), is one of the more common species quietly eating fruit, berries and seeds in the trees from lowlands to 1800 meters on both slopes of Costa Rica and found from Mexico to South America. Read more about on eBird. Here’s 3 shots from my garden in Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica . . .

Buff-throated Saltator, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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