| Gilded Sapphire – Cockspur Coral Tree Hylocharis chrysura – Erythrina crista-galli Nectar for a free ride Pollination is an example of how organisms interrelate and need among each other to prosper. Pollination is the transference of polen from the stamens (masculine reproductive apparatus) to the stigma (terminal part of the femenine reproductive apparatus). The Cockspur Coral Tree like many other plants con not do this by itself and must resort to pollinators. Among birds hummingbirds play this role efficiently. And our example is the Gilded Sapphire. The striking red colour of the flower attracts the sapphire and the nectar, the sapphire’s basic source of food, becomes a reward. With its specialized bill it reaches the nectaries at the base of the corolla. As it is lapping up nectar its head touches both the stamens and the stigma. The anthers (teminal part of the stamens) will release pollen on the head of the sapphire to be transported to other flowers. The receptive stigma will receive pollen and if it is compatible fertilization will begin. And I add an interesting detail. Look how the sapphire clasps with its minute legs. Flowers with a big petal like the Cockpur’s are used as a platform. Nevertheless, the sapphire keeps hovering as it feeds on nectar. Video © Roberto Ares – Texto: Cora Rimoldi |
| Thoas Swallowtail Heraclides thoas thoantiades |
 Adult feeding on nectar of Lantana© J. Simón Tagtachian |
| Chestnut-capped Blackbird Chrysomus ruficapillus Source: www.laculturadelasaves.com.ar. There you can find a collection of 40 videos of 8 minutes each which were processed during 2011. Many of them were captured at this reserve and included on this site. © Roberto Ares |
| Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis |
 Female. Two-tone tail© J. Simón Tagtachian |
| White-winged Becard Pachyramphus polychopterus  Male© J. Simón Tagtachian |
Masked Yellowthroat Geothlypis aequinoctialis  Male© J. Simón Tagtachian |
| White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi  © J. Simón Tagtachian |
Gilded Sapphire Hylocharis chrysura  © J. Simón Tagtachian |
| Black and White Tegu Tupinambis merianae  Hot days are coming and lizards are more frequently seen. Amira and Abel tell us: “It was approximately 0.80 to 0.90 m long. We sat on a bench facing the sea in front of the electric power plant. In fact we were only 3 m away from the lizard during approximately 20 minutes till we left. The lizard moved into and out of the brushes. It seemed not to be afraid of us and we indulged ourselves taking pictures of it.”© Amira Hesain |
| Scarlet-headed Blackbird Amblyramphus holosericeus  © J. Simón Tagtachian |
Bran-colored Flycatcher Myiophobus fasciatus  © J. Simón Tagtachian |
| Chiguanco Thrush Turdus chiguanco |
 A bird rarely seen at Costanera. Thanks to José Luis we can add another record of this thrush. The only photos available date back to 2005. (Source: www.ecoregistros.com.ar)© José Luis Fernández Guaraz |
| Scarlet-headed Blackbird Amblyramphus holosericeus © Roberto Ares |
| Wrongly identified: Not a Parypthimoides phronius but a Celmis Satyr Ypthimoides celmis |
 This Celmis Satyr (Ypthimoides celmis) has been wrongly identified as a Parypthimoides phronius. Ezequiel, our butterfly consultant, always on the alert, has corrected our mistake and explains to us that: “The diagnostic characteristics are the eyespots, the lines of the ventral side and the general tone.”© Claudia Furman |
| Yellow-browed Tyrant Satrapa icterophrys  © Claudia Furman |
American Wood Stork Mycteria americana  Y los tuyuyúes también volvieron© J. Simón Tagtachian |
| Streaked Flycatcher Myiodynastes maculatus  © J. Simón Tagtachian |
Rufescent Tiger-Heron Rufescent Tiger-Heron  One of the juveniles© J. Simón Tagtachian |
| Scissor-tailed Nightjar Hydropsalis torquata Male vocalizing. Video taken during the night outing on Saturday 12th © C. y D. Bastías |
| New butterfly species: European Peacock Inachis io An amazing finding: an exotic species at Costanera |
 © Javier UbiríaEzequiel Núñez Bustos tells us: “This is very interesting. This is an Inachis io, a common butterfly in Europe !! There are no exotic diurnal butterflies in the country. This is the first record confirmed in situ.” |
| Dark-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus melacoryphus |
 © Pablo Serur |
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