Rain

We’re in a rain forest now, and guess what: it’s raining. It’s been coming down in buckets practically all day, so there isn’t much for us to do but to hang out, read a book, check our email, chat and stuff like that. We did venture out a few minutes in lighter rain and saw a pair of White-collared Manakins flitting around at the head of a trail that runs directly into the forest at the east side of town. But the trail was closed. When they close a rain forest trail because it’s flooded by rains, you know that we’re talking major rain.

The bird pictured above is of course a Black-bellied Plover, a bird with an almost world-wide distribution. I took this photo this morning here on the beach in Tortuguero, but it could have been taken on almost any beach anywhere in the world. Don’t get me wrong, I love blackbellies. But it’s a little frustrating to have so many great and interesting local birds here and not being able to see them.

Here's an afternoon photo that isn't great but sums things up much better: a soaking wet sloth in the jungle. We tried some more birding during a brief almost dry spell late afternoon, and found a Slate-headed Tody Flycatcher, this sloth, and a Whimbrel on the beach.