Fall is here in Philadelphia and flowers are fading, but this Chrysanthemum plant is just coming into bloom. This one plant is attracting a nice array of pollinators, especially flies. In fact, in the last three days I have documented 15 species of flies pollinating the flowers. Fly species on these flowers outnumber all the other pollinator species I have observed combined: 4 bees, 2 beetles, 2 plant bugs, 1 wasp, 1 moth and 1 ant.

Generally I prefer native plants, but I appreciate what this cultivated daisy is doing for our flies.

Meet the flies:

The Wavy Mucksucker (yes, that is its name) measures 4 mm long and is a member of the hover fly family.

A Sedgesitter, another creatively named fly in the hover fly family.

A Margined Calligrapher laps up nectar.

Common Drone Fly is an alien species now found around the world. It starts life in the water as a rat-tailed maggot. The tail is actually a snorkel which comes in handy since the water is often foul and oxygen depleted

The ubiquitous Common European Greenbottle Fly. Weird name for a bronze-colored fly? They come in metallic green as well.

A member of the fruit fly family, Tephritidae, not to be confused with the “fruit flies” of the laboratory.

This little Limoniid Crane Fly uses its long proboscis to suck up nectar.

An unidentified species of the family, Lauxaniidae.

Cluster Flies are the most abundant species on these flowers right now. I have yet to see a cluster of these flies, but apparently they congregate in attics and the like.

Another fly import, the Bermudagrass Stem Maggot was first noticed in this country in Georgia in 2010 and has since spread over much of the U.S. The maggots cause a great deal of damage in pastures as they burrow into grass stems.

An unidentified member of the Root-maggot Fly family.

OK, fly experts, I need help with this 2-mm fly. I don’t even know what family it belongs to.

Possibly the same species as the previous one – unknown.

Last, and certainly least, this Minute Black Scavenger Fly is only 1.3 mm long and is best observed with a magnifying glass or macro lens. While the adults feed on nectar, the maggots have more unsavory tastes.

Amazing what a few flowers can bring to your garden!

P.S. In case you are counting, the 14th and 15th species of flies evaded my camera.

A dazzling pair of Red-lored Parrots flies past the tower at Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge on Bastimentos Island in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Climbing the tower to watch dozens of parrots fly to their overnight roost was a nightly highlight for Debbie and me.

The tower reaches 31 m (100 feet) above sea level. When you pop through the hole in the deck of the tower you never know what you will see.

From the tower, the breathtaking view alone of the bay, islands and palms makes the climb worthwhile.

A crow-sized Montezuma Oropendola from a nearby nesting colony flies by the tower. In the distance we could see the tree hosting their three-foot long hanging nests.

A blue-headed Parrot, the second-most common parrot in the area, whizzes past.

An immature Double-toothed kite perches in a cecropia tree. This hawk often follows monkeys to feed on insects and small vertebrates disturbed by the commotion.

Prothonotary Warbler was one of the most common overwintering migrants we observed (along with Tennessee Warbler). They are easier to observe here than on their breeding grounds in the eastern U.S.

A fruiting melostome bush is a bonanza for birds. It attracts fruit-eating species like this Short-billed Pigeon as well as many colorful birds that otherwise stay high up in the canopy.

Across most of its range, the Strawberry Poison Dart Frog is bright red with blue legs. In Bocas del Toro the colors vary greatly from island to island and even within one island. These following four are all from one location. Though they have toxic skin, the actual frogs used to poison darts are three other members of this frog family from South America.

Coastal Plain Litter Frogs come in a wide variety of earthy tones. Why this crazy white stripe? I think it mimics the central vein of a dead leaf helping to camouflage the frog in leaf litter.

The Green Climbing Toad has the unusual habit (for a toad) of climbing into bushes. Some members of this species are green, unlike typical toads.

Most anoles sleep on a leaf or twig at night. This Pug-nosed Anole, strecthed out on a wooden box one night, appears to be actively waiting for prey. Our perceptive guide, Roger Morales, tells me they are sometimes active at night, as may be the case here.

We were very fortunate to have Roger Morales as our guide at Tranquilo Bay. Roger is a gifted naturalist with a keen eye and ear for birds and an expansive knowledge of Panama natural history.

A Humble Anole, a ground dwelling lizard with an unpretentious demeanor, forages in its leaf-litter home.

Prowling at night near the cabin, I spotted this Seagrape Spanworm moth on the underside of a leaf.

This large stingless bee nest was built in the canopy in a very open location. Most stingless bee nests I have seen were at least partly concealed in hollow trees.

It’s not often that you find multiple butterfly chrysalises (pupae) in one place. But, the White-tipped Cycadian has a communal lifestyle in its caterpillar and pupal stages. They are also unusual in that the caterpillars eat toxic cycad leaves.

Tranquilo Bay is on a small island with no large predators. Consequently, sloths can sleep near the ground safely. This female has a baby hidden in its arms.

Bastimentos Island where Tranquilo Bay is located must have a huge population of Three-toed Sloths. This is one of ten we saw in just one day.

Due to the history of the Canal Zone, much of the land around the Panama Canal was not developed into towns and cities or cultivated as farms. Consequently, forests extend right into the edge of Panama City. Panama now has three national parks as well as other protected areas close to the capital. From our base in the Canopy Tower in Soberanía National Park, we made excursions to several natural areas. Here is some of what we saw:

The brilliant Slaty-tailed Trogon is a common forest bird. It plucks fruits from trees, often while hovering, and sits for long periods waiting to dive for and grab insects. It nests in active termite nests or rotten stumps or limbs.

Gartered Trogons behave in much the fashion I just described for Slaty-tailed Trogon. However, they also nest in wasp nests, eating the inhabitants of the appropriated nest.

Secretive Rosy-thrush Tanagers live on and near the ground in dense undergrowth in second-growth forest. This poorly-studied species is currently considered the only member in the family Rhodinocichlidae. We spotted this one in Camino de Cruzes National Park.

We found this striking Rufescent Tiger-Heron at the Ammo Dump Ponds in Gamboa. In fact, it was there every time we passed by, foraging in the grassy wetland for insects, fish, snakes or other small animals.

Parque Natural Metropolitano sits at the edge of Panama City, an unusual proximity between nature and concrete jungle. It is a popular hiking destination for city dwellers and affords panoramic views of the city from the summit of Cerro Cedro.

Yellow-crowned Tyrannulets inhabit tree tops in mature and second growth forest. This tiny flycatcher is easiest to see at forest edges like this one in Parque Natural Metropolitano in Panama City.

We were fortunate to be able to visit nearby Summit Botanical Gardens in the late afternoon and to stay after closing. This afforded us the opportunity to see curious and excited children and then to enjoy peace and quiet once they left. The other mammals came out just around closing time. Maybe a correlation?

Agoutis are large, nearly tailless rodents, common in many forests where they are not heavily hunted. These two foraged peacefully in Summit Botanical Garden after hours.

Coatis are ubiquitous in this region. This is one of many cavorting in the Summit Botanical Gardens after hours. Much like their raccoon relatives they are opportunists and will eat just about any kind of food, even garbage.

Living in the city limits of Panama City, this White-tailed Deer pays little attention to the numerous hikers in Parque Natural Metropolitano. In most tropical forests I have visited, they are very difficult to observe.

This sluggish Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth descended from the canopy in Parque Natural Metropolitano, perhaps for its weekly bathroom break. Normally, it sleeps in the canopy during the day and feeds on leaves at night. You can distinguish this species from the smaller Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth by the lack of a black mask. Don’t try to pick it up; it can slash with its two strong, front claws.

This porcupine with a prehensile tail was minding its own business when our sharp-eyed guide spotted it as we drove back up the road to the Canopy Tower. Like North American porcupines, they are well armored with sharp, barb-tipped spines.

A heavily-laden container ship navigates northbound through the canal toward the Caribbean. We learned that the record fee for the canal passage (based on the number of containers) was $1.4 million.

Returning to the Canopy Tower each evening, we were served a beautifully-prepared dinner. I had to be quick to photograph the bread-of-the-night before someone sliced into the chef’s delicious, artistic creation.

I have never given much thought to the name, Purple Sandpiper. I guess I figured like the name White Oak or White Pine, it didn’t make much sense. None of the Purple Sandpipers I had photographed in the past showed any signs of purple.

Purple?

Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper; Calidris maritima; NJ, Barnegat Light

Purple Sandpiper

Do you see any purple in these three photos (above)?

My Sibley guide and old Peterson guide don’t mention anything about purple coloration. So, where did it get its name?

Finally, I have figured it out. Here is a recent photo that let me in on the secret.

Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper close-up of feathers

Mystery solved!

When it comes to names, this is on par with Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Purple Sandpipers breed in the Canadian Arctic and winter along the Atlantic Coast on rocky shores in the North and on rock jetties farther south.

Field workearlier this year at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica was a wonderful experience. Though I went to photograph army ants, I thought I would highlight a few of the other wonders of the forest first. La Selva has beautiful primary forest and secondary forest all crawling with life.

The staff there were extremely helpful. I am especially indebted to Greivin Salazar who assisted me in the field.

La Selva is a great place to see a wide variety of tropical forest mammals. Many are quite approachable. The collared peccaries are the most conspicuous. Though they seem to be oblivious to people here, you don’t want to insult them. Check out the tusks.

The peccaries are practically lawn ornaments, always in view and easy to approach on the lawn near the lab, but also easy to observe in the forest.They’re happy to lie around and groom right off the path.

There is plenty of nightlife at La Selva. I got an eye-level view of this mouse opossum – not much bigger that a typical mouse. They eat insects.

Howler monkeys roar every morning, at the start of a heavy rain and whenever else the mood strikes. They sometimes cross the big suspension foot bridge over the Río Puerto Viejo that connects the headquarters with the rest of the station.

Spider Monkeys can also create quite a racket though nowhere near the volume of the howlers. This one was one of a group complaining loudly about our presence.