A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2014.
Part 61:
Maranhão (MA) – Monkey face
Maranhão (MA) – Monkey face
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2014, 2017
Wildlife
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
396: Myscelia Orsis Butterfly
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© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
350: Cicada exoskeleton
When the long and dry winter is over in Belo Horizonte, you will hear shrill sounds that welcome the spring. Sounds that can be very loud, but they are caused by insects: the cicadas. The male cicades that had buried themselves in order to survive the winter, will appear again when they receive some signal that spring has come. They then climb the trees and produce the sound by moving their paws to a specific organ that serves as a percussion instrument. The males compete for the females, sometimes they aggregate and call them in chorus. The young cicadas will change their skins, and leave their exoskeleton (a so-called exuvia) on the plant, tree, or fruit, where the skinchange has occurred. The exoskeleton in the picture was left on a jackfruit.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2011, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
348: Transparent wings
This butterfly may be a general appearance in the parks in Belo Horizonte, it does not occur in the wild in the immediate vicinity. The Greta Oto is mainly found in tropical rain forests, where the flowers grow from which the butterfly lives. It looks like a fragile insect, but this butterfly is pretty strong. It can carry a multiple of its own weight and can travel about ten kilometers a day. The wings are transparent, and that is unique in the animal world. Some aquatic animals such as jellyfish are transparent, but on land and in the air it is very rare to observe transparent animals. The light is not absorbed by the wings and is also not reflected. Thanks to a not fully understood microstructure, light is bent in such a way that our eyes recognize it as transparent. In this way, this butterfly can protect itself against its predators.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2011, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2014.
Part 13:
Porto Alegre (RS) – Pink flower
Porto Alegre (RS) – Striated heron
Porto Alegre (RS) – Striated heron
Porto Alegre (RS) – Pink flower
Porto Alegre (RS) – Striated heron
Porto Alegre (RS) – Striated heron
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2014, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
333: Butterfly and blue flowers
I found this butterfly in the butterfly garden of Parque Municipal in Belo Horizonte. Using Google, it was fairly easy to find out that this butterfly is called a maria-boba (‘Crazy Mary’). The scientific name is Heliconius ethilla narcaea, described by Godart in Rio de Janeiro in 1819. This butterfly species is quite common, from Panama to the extreme south of Brazil. It flies quite slowly, but it doesn’t need to be really afraid of hunters: they are poisonous for their predators. You will find this flutter mainly in the passionflower bushes, but other colorful (mainly red) flowers also attract its attention, including the blue flowers in the photo.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2011, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
329: Shoal of fish
In weekends, I used to wander around in the center of Belo Horizonte, and paid a visit to one of the municipal parks. The nearest municipal park is Parque Municipal Américo Renné Giannetti, which is located at the Afonso Pena Avenue. My favorite locations in this park were the Butterfly Garden, where you could meet a collection of colorful flowers that attracted some dozens of butterflies of various sizes, shapes and colors. Another favorite spot of mine was the pond that hosts certain water bird species and some fish species. When you take a closer look in the water, you can observe the big, colorful koi carps. Smaller, and less colorful fish are seen on the photograph. A large shoal of grayish-brown fish of different sizes and age. The younger fish have big heads and big eyes. They must be searching desperately for oxygen or for some food.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2011, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
328: Discover the gecko
Gekko’s are common in Brazil. Many Brazilian houses are inhabited by one or more geckos. One may consider the gecko is a symbol of luck, while the other wants to get rid of them as soon as possible. Because the gecko chases mostly on insects, most Brazilians leave their uninvited housemate in peace. For me, a gecko is a welcome guest, given his love for mosquitoes and cockroaches. It has not happened to me that a gecko tried to approach me. In fact, we respect each other. The gecko on the picture was found on a paved square. Because this animal had adapted itself to the tile pattern, it was hardly possible to discover this little reptile ….
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2011, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
005: Elk
Without doubt, the visit of Grand Canyon was unforgettable. Breathtaking views of the deep canyons, splendid natural compositions in combination with a colorful sky, and spectacular trails along the rocky walls. Despite the freezing cold – it must have been zero degrees centigrade by then! -, every minute was enjoyed intensely. We followed one of the trails for some kilometers, and we returned on the same trail. Suddenly, we encountered a deer, typical on the American subcontinent: the elk, or wapiti. Most probably, the elk on this picture is the Rocky Mountain elk, which lives in Western North America, including Arizona. Apparently, this elk was not disturbed by our presence: it grazed incessantly while we progressed on our track.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1999, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
321: Caterpillar on a tree branch
It is no secret that Brazil knows a very wide diversity of plant and animal species. Not only in the immense Amazon, but there are very different ecosystems throughout the country, each with its own assortment of flora and fauna. The state of Minas Gerais also has very different systems thanks to dry grasslands, high mountains, fertile river valleys, and vast forests. It is therefore easy to imagine that you encounter numerous insects, including moths and butterflies. It’s almost like magic, the transformation of a sometimes ugly caterpillar in a beautiful butterfly. This big caterpillar is a real glutton, and it’s hard to imagine that a colorful butterfly will fly around soon.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2011, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
003: Giant panda
One of the main touristic locations in San Diego is Balboa Park, a 490-hectare urban cultural park. The park hosts many museums – among which Museum of Man, Natural History Museum, Museum of Air & Space – cultural centers (such as Spanish Village) and the world famous San Diego ZOO. This 44-hectare park hosts over 3700 animals of more than 650 species. Most animals are no longer kept in cages, but in open spaces. It is one of the very few zoos in the world that has a breeding program for giant pandas. When I visited the ZOO in 1999, it was possible to see the black-and-white pandas. However, I had to queue, and it was not allowed to pause, to have some time for a picture. I took this picture while I was walking slowly, following the long queue. It was really worth the effort to see these unique animals!
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 1999, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
301: White-headed marmoset
Marmosets are quite common in southeastern Brazil. You not only find them in the wild, but also high in the trees in city parks. You might meet them at Parque Municipal and Parque Mangabeiras in Belo Horizonte, in the immense Tijuca City Park in Rio de Janeiro, and – as shown here – in the forest of Morro do Convento in Vila Velha. This rock is more than 150 meters high, with the Penha Convent at the top. The convent is easily reached via a tarmac road, or via a stairway exclusive for hikers. During the walk you get a good impression of the vegetation of the Atlantic type jungle. Marmosets feel well at home there. On the picture is a so-called white-headed marmoset, with a curious upward look.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2011, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2007.
Part 61:
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Two cormorants on a drum
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Bird fishing
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Cormorant drying its wings
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Two cormorants on a drum
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Bird fishing
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Cormorant drying its wings
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2007, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2008.
Part 58:
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Black cormorant
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Purple orchid
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Black vulture
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – Bike in the air
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Black cormorant
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Purple orchid
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Black vulture
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – Bike in the air
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2008, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
294: Erythrina speciosa tree
Erythrina speciosa, known as the coral tree, is common in southeastern Brazil. These shrubs are popular in the city parks, as I have seen in Parque Municipal in Belo Horizonte. This striking shrub is also located along the banks of Lake Pampulha. In winter, the shrubs lose their leafs while the red flowers bloom. The result is a red-dominated shrub, a beloved spot for hummingbirds. With their tall, slender beak, the hummingbirds manage to extract the sweet nectar, while they hover in the sky.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2010, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2007.
Part 60:
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Two herons
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Water bird
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Heron
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Two herons
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Water bird
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Heron
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2007, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2007.
Part 59:
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Leaf with disease
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Two lizards
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Coati
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Two lizards
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Leaf with disease
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Two lizards
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Coati
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Two lizards
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2007, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2013.
Part 01:
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Coati
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Marmoset
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Coati
Belo Horizonte (MG) – Marmoset
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2013, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2007.
Part 52:
Niterói (RJ) – Sunset seen from a watch tower
Niterói (RJ) – Owl
Niterói (RJ) – Guanabara Bay Sunset
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – Two old ladies chatting
Niterói (RJ) – Sunset seen from a watch tower
Niterói (RJ) – Owl
Niterói (RJ) – Guanabara Bay Sunset
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – Two old ladies chatting
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2007, 2017
A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2009.
Part 30:
Maceió (AL) – Lizard on a cactus
Goiânia (GO) – Butterfly
Goiânia (GO) – Butterfly
Goiânia (GO) – Pink flower
Maceio (AL) – Lizard on a cactus
Goiânia (GO) – Butterfly
Goiânia (GO) – Butterfly
Goiânia (GO) – Pink flower
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2009, 2017
Adriano Antoine 