2 posts tagged “butterflies”
Wow - I just checked the dates and it's been almost a month since I posted anything. I'm slacking! (you're all shocked, I know)
On to the pics. I don't actually remember this bunch - according to the date stamp it's from the day after we went to San Lorenzo, but I don't actually remember taking a trip that day. I'm pretty sure they were taken on Pipeline Road, which is an unpaved road that runs through the forest near Lake Gatun - named after the oil pipeline that it runs parallel to. Pipeline is famous among birders as one of the best and most accessible bird-watching spots in Panama, if not Central America. So of course I didn't take a single picture of a bird. A few other cool things though. As usual, I'm completely useless for actually identifying species (at least for the little critters), so if anyone out there knows (I'm looking at you Drude) speak up!
The background is really boring, but I thought this grasshopper was really cool looking - such distinctive coloring!
This moth was very large (probably 2 inches - abt 5 cm - long) and very furry.
But the main highlight of this hike was seeing these guys:
Slightly blurry, but you may recognize them from the banner at the top of this page :)
Actually - blurry AND dark. It's hard to take pictures of stuff up in the canopy because it's inevitably backlit. But oh well - these were some of my very first pictures of monkeys and I like them for the nostalgia if nothing else.
Plus they're so cute!
They're Cariblancas by the way. Officially known as White-throated Capuchins - or Organ-grinder's Monkeys more colloquially.
They're one of five or so common primate species in Panama - easier to spot than Mono Titi's and a bit less intimidating than Howlers.
Didn't capture much more on film (well... flash card) that trip - it may have been raining a lot. Still - have a butterfly:
I'll sign off with my least favorite thing about going out Gamboa way - the one way bridge. Gamboa is on the opposite side of the Chagres river - and this bridge is the only way in. I'm always white knuckeled driving over this thing. And you can't go too slow because it's one way - if you take longer to cross than is normal, the light may change and then people will start over from the other end. Can you imagine having to BACKUP off of this thing? I know people who live in Gamboa and work in the city. I don't know how they can stand driving over that thing every day.
In fact I'm pretty sure that Drude took this picture cause I can't imagine trying to juggle a camera and stay on the asphalt strips at the same time. I'm told that this version of the bridge is actually an improvement because of the asphalt - it used to just be wooden ties sitting on top of the cross-beams.
I was incredibly lucky to find my house - I looked for almost three months at one overpriced, badly decorated, high-rise apartment with a pokey kitchen after another before finally deciding to take my current house - I originally thought it was too big for one person (it kind of is) but it was way better than any of my other options. So in addition to having cool neighbors like Drude, La Pirata de Panama, and the eejit, I'm surrounded by green space even though I'm smack in the middle of Panama City. My landlord is inordinately fond of fruit trees - which attracts lots of birds. These are just a few of the things I've seen in my backyard - nothing particularly rare or exotic, but after having grown up in the north-east US, the variety just amazes me.
Two of my favorites: this is the Barred Antshrike and his wife. They're both pretty shy - it took me forever to get this pic of him and you can see that blurry and mostly blocked by leaves is the best I've been able to get for her. I just think they are so pretty! And they really like my orange/limon tree.
I'm totally cheating with this one - it's a Blue-Grey Tanager - of which there are TONS in my yard, but I actually took the picture while on vacation on Isla Grande.
There's lots of woodpecker species in Panamá - I think this is a red-crowned woodpecker. They are very common. They also seem to love the Avocado tree - probably because it's completely termite infested. I've lived here for three years and this is the first time I've ever seen the poor thing produce fruit.
Random little finch or seedeater that I caught in the avocado one day. Anyone able to ID it?
I can never remember what these guys are called - Crimson Backed Tanager, I think? There's a couple of different morphs with varying amounts of red and black. This one is either a female, a juvenile or a hybrid, since it's markings are pretty muddy. The males are bright red with black wings and tail and striking white patches on the sides of their beaks. I haven't been quick enough to catch one with the camera though.
This little guy is some sort of flycatcher - there are ton's of species of those though.
This butterfly sat and posed for me on the trunk of the mandarin orange tree for more than half an hour. Click on it and look at the full size version - it has the coolest eyes.
These are Grey-Headed Chachalacas. They're normally forest birds - I've had people express outright disbelief when I tell them we get them in the city. They're really primitive looking - my friend R once described them as what you picture Archaeopterix looking like - you know if it had a beak instead of teeth. They also have the weirdest call - somewhat like a combination of someone knocking two blocks of wood together and someone killing a chicken.
And finally my favorite friends of all - the hummingbirds.
I call him Earl.
Actually there's probably a few Earls- all the same species. It's hard to tell humming birds apart but I think these are what's known as Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds. According to most of the guidebooks they are the most common ones. They're also pretty brave and aggressive so they don't have any problem visiting feeders (or driving other birds away from feeders). There's lots of other flowers they like in the garden, which is good because I'm always forgetting to fill the feeder.
Anyway, Earl likes to sit on my clothesline right outside the window in front of my dining table (look at those tiny feet!). I see him almost every day for breakfast. He's probably my most regular visitor.
