Some Butterflies of Panama

Right this way to see the butterflies..

And indeed, several were found along this rain-forest path. Butterflies were in abundance wherever the white-clover like flower you will see in most of the pictures was growing. It is of the Gomphrena genus, but I have been unable to identify the species... The guides at Canopy Lodge, in Valle De Anton, where these pictures were taken, are knowledgeable and could identify  the butterflies and most of the plants..but this white Gomphrena was an exception..

Banded Peacock..nibbled on a bit..

White Peacock

Sara Heliconis 

Golden headed Bolar

Paying attention? This is not a butterffly..Golden Web Spider

Not the best shot but look closely, directly above this large female.
.you will see her itty-bitty mate

My very favorite.. Dryas Iulia..Orange Julius :-)

This Blue Morpho was downed by the rain..it was stormy most of the time I was in Valle De Anton..This picture was taken while the butterfly was drying on our cabin porch..

Narva Patch..Springtime was in the air..

Orange Patch Crescent

Tiger Eye Hairstreak

It was sweet to see butterflies in February..but now they are returning to my garden..let the season of 'flying flowers' begin!

Butterflies are dainty little creatures that hardly exixt at all, they come out of nowhere, search quietly for a few limited things, and disappear into nothingness again, perhaps to some other world..~Haruki Murakami

Some Birds of Canopy Lodge, Panama

Palm Trees in Panama City to set the mood...

Canopy Lodge is in El Valle De Anton..away up  in the mountains from the palm trees and coastal breezes. It is nestled in a rainforest where one can watch the birds at banana feeders from  the common areas, or from your own front porch..and of course, take hiking excursions to observe numerous avian species..

The "Directors Chairs" for birdwatching in the common area..

Tanagers, Euphonias and the ubiquitous Clay Colored Thrush.. "Robins"..were constant visitors at the feeders..

A rainbow of Tanagers 

Crimson Backed Tanager

Flame Rumped Tanager (male)
with Fulvous Vented Euphonia (female)

His mate.. Flame Rumped  female.

My favorite..The Blue-Gray Tanagers

Peek-a-Boo!

Palm Tanager


Now a restful Clay Colored Thrush

Before the splash of colorful Euphonias

Thick Billed Euphonia

His mate

A juvenile

Another look at a Rufous Vented Euphonia..lovin' banana!

There is an endemic warbler..

Chestnut Capped Warbler

                                                      And one visiting from farther away..

Tennesee Warbler on Fire Bush

I feel prety! (A Rufous Mot Mot)

My what a big bill you have! (An Aracai came by)

Station Break

Red Tailed Squirrel

The rainy season was said to be a month away..but mother nature didn't see it that way..and the rains came..

Rufous Tailed Hummingbird on Verbena.

A soggy Red Legged  Honey Creeper

And his rainy day lady

Chestnut Headed Orependola..without an umbrella

By now you may be wondering if I left the director's chairs, or my front porch...Despite the rain, I did..but as any birder knows, rainy forests and flitting birds do not the easiest photo ops make.. 

Green Kingfisher on the river adjacent to the lodge.

A very busy Lineated Woodpecker

The best sighting was near a waterfall..a guide showed our group a Violet-Headed Hummingbird on her nest, with young..I went back w/ a tripod in the dreary evening, in between the rain drops and waitied for her return..the pictures weren't the best, but it was an absolutely thrilling moment..and so I am sharing..

Waterfall from the bridge.
The nest was in the deep shadow on the near left

All the birds were not at the lodge..In fact there is a whole book about the birds of Panama City..and so I leave you with two of  of my favorite Panama City sightings..

                 

                                 

Brown Pelican in breeding plummage, in the Panama Canal

A female Barred Antshrike.. April Fools!

Destroying a rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal~ E.O. Wilson

Survey Says!

A flock of Twenty Two Turkey's visits regularly
..this is a "lookout"

The Eastern Long Island Audubon Society (ELIAS) sponsors feeder surveys throughout the year..In the spring and summer I am often too busy gardening to participate..but in the depths of winter what better thing to do than watch the flights of fancy outside your window..or to be more exact..outside the deck and patio doors....

There are three Downy woodpeckers..two males and a female..Don't aske me how they sort that out..their  whirring wings signal their arrival and their staccato chirps kep me company..

Hello!

Who me?

Can you find us in this tree? Look high and low!

The little female flew into a door one day, despite our spider web decals..but she was rescued and flew away...to be seen again each and every day

Hurray!

A femail Hairy Woodpecker visits too

Sometimes she has some preening to do..

The two Red Bellied Woodpeckers are shy..

A Northern Flicker occasionally comes by
..see his yelow shafts?

There are a pair of White Breasted Nuthatches

Three Red Breasted Nuthatches.

Three Titmice 

Two Song Sparrows..isn't nature's camouflage grand?

Four Black Capped Chickadees.. they like the bare Buddleia
whilst they crack open sunflower seeds

This is not a bird.. Baby it's cold outside!

We feed them too!

Fluffed against the cold..
there are a pair of Carolina Wrens

Of course there are Dark Eyed Juncos..
I counted 22 during the blizzard.

We got 30" of snow February  8th

Female Junco in the snow..

Have I mentioned Mourning Doves?
At least five regulars..

Sharing.

Song Sparrow..see my streaky breast
and  center spot?

                                                                        

In all my blue glory! Five of us come for peanuts!

I am looking towards spring!

Birds  also surveyed, but who did not properly pose..A Pair of Northern Cardinals, a Cooper's Hawk and a Sharp Shinned Hawk ( no one was eaten ...).

The love for all living creatures is the most noble aspect of man~ Charles Darwin