Giant Silk Moths
I know I’m easily distracted, and I know I should have been preparing for an RTPI Foundation Board meeting, but I could not pass up the opportunity to get a closer look at the beautiful creatures hanging out on the light post in front of RTPI this morning. I should have known that I would not be able to sneak out of the building carrying a butterfly net and a step ladder without anyone noticing… Two giant silk moths on the same light post! A Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) and a Luna Moth (Actias luna) were enjoying a little daytime nap before continuing their mission: to...
Read MoreBlack-and-white Warbler
I couldn’t let Twan have all the fun with the Black-and-white Warblers (Mniotilta varia), and this little creeper was spotted last week as it furiously crawled and flew all around tree trunks for its insect prey. You can even see one such snack in the last photo. These birds seem like they have so much personality, but when they are visiting us in May they are move, too busy to stop to chat for too long. I am envious of anyone who gets to enjoy them while they are more relaxed on the wintering grounds. However, even then they are said to be aggressive and territorial. Did you know that...
Read MoreLesser Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx leptura)
This is a Lesser Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx leptura), very commonly found in the bathrooms and facilities at Cocobolo Nature Reserve! This individual started to call a bit after having been netted, and a few more bats quickly came to investigate. Sean was surprised how close some of them got to him on his way out of the bathroom with his new friend, but it sounds like it was a friendly mammal meeting nonetheless. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Panama while on assignment for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural...
Read MoreSpeckled Tanager (Tangara guttata)
The Speckled Tanager (Tangara guttata) is not a species that Sean expected to capture and photograph. Common in premotane/humid forests, Rara Avis in Costa Rica is the perfect setting. This bird could be seen in mixed feeding flocking in the main open area of the preserve, and when it was actually caught it stuck out like a shimmering gem in the net. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Costa Rica while on assignment for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
Read MoreAcadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens)
Similar to the Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, the Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) seen here is another species on the rise in terms of banding captures, possibly because it prefers young secondary forest as wintering habitat. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Panama while on assignment for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
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