This is the female sitting on her nest. The male is in another photo farther up the photo stream. Spotted on the grounds of our lodge in Sarapiqui.

Haematopus unicolour

On a Farewell Spit tour with Eco Tours, we stopped off at Fossil Point to admire some of the rock formations on the beach. We spotted a small group of variable oystercatchers, displaying territorial behaviours (commonly seen in the breeding season).

Back on the mainland now. Though they look similar to other black oystercatchers, these are a NZ endemic. They are called “variable” because they have both an all-black (as in this photo) and pied morph.

Pair of Variable Oystercatchers by the Manukau that have raised three chicks. I first saw them on December 16 and went back today to find the chicks now fledged and as big as their parents. The parents still protect them, however, hustling them to move away (including short flights) if I got too close.

Variable Darner [Aeshna interrupta]. Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. A new species sighting for me. Two in one day. :)

Carroll County, Arkansas, USA

Carroll County, Arkansas, USA

Carroll County, Arkansas, USA

A male with the more typical broken antehumeral stripes.

Also known in these parts as Puna Hawk. A split from Red-backed Hawk (note the red back). Usually seen flying. Confined to higher elevations in upper NW Argentina. This one was perched by the Cuesta del Obispo Rd., Salta Province.

Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Bécasseau variable / Dunlin / Calidris alpina

VENISE-EN-QUÉBEC - Camping Domaine Florent - rue 44e Est

Subspecies melanochrous.

Owlet Lodge [2290m], Abra Patricia, Amazonas, Peru

A Variable Hawk, as far as I can tell.

Variable Oystercatchers.

Euphydryas chalcedona, Variable Checkerspot, Davy Brown Creek, Figueroa Mountain, California

Order Lepidoptera - Butterflies and Moths

Superfamily Papilionoidea - Butterflies

Family Nymphalidae - Brushfooted Butterflies

Subfamily Nymphalinae - Crescents, Checkerspots, Anglewings, etc.

Genus Euphydryas

Species chalcedona - Variable Checkerspot

Variable Nudibranch

Buteo buteo

Common Buzzard

Mäusebussard

Poiana

Commune de Genainville

Parc naturel régional du Vexin

Ile de France

France

May 4th, 2013

Alex Maggard

Variable Sunbird

Fall in Ohio

Variable Sunbird

Male Variable Sunbird

buse variable;

Variable Squirrel

Family Fabaceae

Common name: Variable Bossiaea

Conservation status:Not at risk

Shrub, 0.5 m high. Flowers 8 mm long. Standard longer than keel, both longer than wings; standard and wings orange-yellow; keel dark red.

NSW Qld .Australia

Bribie island national park

Canon 500D ef100mm f/2.8 Macro USM.Extension tubes.

A female andromorph Variable Darner.

July 2013.

Saskatchewan, Canada.

New Zealand

Spondylus varius