2009/01/30

More urban nature

Last week I found this 10cm... moth(?) leaning on the outside of the backyard's door.

Can anyone help id, please??


I had a pretty hard week. Work, health, family, friends. Lot's of not great news, but I'm fighting them all, each problem at a time ;)

I decided to 'cure' my sadness and frustration by going back to the pics either Tommy or I took last year. I found some pics that I never published before, and, as I haven't been able to go out this week, I decided to post them today. They are not great, but are a reminder of great moments, so, to me they are precious.


A female Vermilion Flycatcher a few metres from the house...


... And another one getting closer to a male Vermilion Flycatcher on the neighbour's fence. Fun Fact: Local name is "Turtupilín", trying to copy the sound of the song of this beauty.


A Blue-grey Tanager very high on a tree. Fun fact: In Peru, the local name is "Violinista", which means "violin player", because of the bird's song too.


It is curious how we try to name what we don't know. Both the "Turtupilín" and the "Violinista" after their songs or the sound of them. And other creatures, especially birds, after how they look, the colours they have, the masks, the hoods, the size of legs or tails...

The next bird I couldn't id. First I thought it could be a juvenile Safron Finch, but this one was bigger, and both maxilla and mandible are the same color, plus the whole bill looks bigger, a bit more like a Grassland Yellow-Finch, but I'm not sure. PLEASE, I know that some of you have the awesome "Birds of Peru" guide, so, HELP!!


That's all for now, I'll try to go out tomorrow morning and hopefully find some pretty bugs, flowers or birds to share with you during the next week.

19 comments:

Patrick B. said...

No clue on the bird, but the moth is a type of Sphinx moth.

Mel said...

Hola Patrick,
Thanks for your visit! I'll try to find out more about that Sphinx moth. The ones I've seen before have a pink stripe on the wings, are similar size and shape though.
I'll keep on looking :)

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Sorry you're having such a tough week. I hope it turns around for you. Hang on!
{{{HUGS}}} from Minnesota!

Coy Hill said...

That is one big moth!

I agree with Patrick, I believe you will find it in the sphinx family!

Mel said...

Gracias por su visita :)


Hola Lynne,
Thanks for the hugs! Very needed!! But I think everything will come to place soon ;)


Hi Salty,
I've been trying to find out, but couldn't so far... wish me luck!

Anonymous said...

WOW!! The moth looks fantastic.. makes me want to touch it.. it must be so soft.
What about all the difficulties - what doesn't kill us - makes us stronger, right? ) Un abrazo!

Mel said...

Hola Alu,

Yes, that moth was awesome, it does make you feel like touching it! Didn't do it though...

You are right about the difficulties ;) ... I'm becoming Hulk! lol

TR Ryan said...

Alas, my Peruvian bird book is back home (at 5 pounds - does not travel well)! Your photos are fantastic. Those birds are remarkable. I also think the moth is in the sphinx family. I hope your news gets better soon. We're thinking of you!

Mel said...

Hola Tim,
That guide is a bit heavy, I know... I still need some tips on how to use it properly. My eyes are not that trained to see the differences or similarities between the plates and the pics...
Thank you for the good wishes, I think things will work out for the best.

ivars krafts said...

Great pictures of your beautiful country and bird & plant life. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Stuart Price said...

Wow a 10cm Moth......my wife would have a nervous breakdown if that was flying around our back door.....

Meggie said...

I'm no help with either the moth or bird. Sorry you have had rather difficult week but showing us your colorful photos is a real joy. Thanks, Mel!

RuthieJ said...

Hi Mel,
I hope this week is going better for you (I agree that last week was crappy). Isn't it amazing how nature can help us feel better. I know it doesn't make the problems go away, but sometimes it makes them easier to think about and find solutions.
Hang in there Sweetie! I'm sending you hugs from Minnesota too!

Mary said...

Mel,

I hope by now you are feeling better and have a smile on your face! Your post cheered me up. I'd love to help you with bird IDs but I don't even know my NEastern American birds too well.

;-)

Mary

Sekhar said...

Those were some interesting shots. Thanks for sharing :)

Mel said...

Hola a todos :)

Ivars, thanks! I plan to actually find nicer things to learn from.

Stuart, well, my sister freaked out when she found it, lol

Meggie, I don't really think that the pics are too colorful, but compared to the all white most bloggers I know get these days...

Ruthie!! Week is no better than the last, but I'm taking it easy, solving one problem at a time ;)

Mary, we have sooo much to learn and enjoy!!

Sekhar, thank you for your visit, I'll stop by in a while :)

Ornerypoint said...

Ma'am,

You might go looking at this site for help on your sphinx moth:

http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/SphPeru.htm

I really enjoy your website; I love your enthusiasm Tiger.

Gunnar Engblom said...

Hi Mel

The bird...coming to rescue again...sorry for taking so long....is a immature Saffron Finch...

Gunnar

PS. Maybe you could change your settings of also allowing to sign in with other blogs than Blogger and Open ID. Is it possible? As you know my current blog is on www.kolibriexpeditions.com/birdingperu/blog

Mel said...

HI Ornerypoint,
Thank you for the link, it's very useful!!


Hola Gunnar,
Thanks for the info. I'll check out for the settings, but I have no clue if it's possible :S