Orioles before breakfast, motmots before dinner

   In our annual migration as birdwatchers, we have returned to Monteverde, Costa Rica to escape Wisconsin's cold. Although it can be cool and misty here in January due to the altitude, today was perfect for being outside in shirtsleeves. Before breakfast I spotted another migrant, a Baltimore oriole. I wonder if it's one that delighted us with its song in Wisconsin's summer.

This isn't a photo of the one I saw this morning although it was probably in the same tree near our house. We've been too busy unpacking and organizing to do bird photography so the photos in this post are from Mr. Rududu's archives. During the day I put out the fruit platform and soon had birds coming to it. The first to arrive were the Blue-gray tanagers.

Before dinner, the Blue-crowned motmot showed up for his (or her) last minute snack just before dark. The motmots are surprisingly regular about the times they come to eat. Last year we had a nesting pair that came twice a day every day. I couldn't really see the details at dusk today, but this is what the bird looks like in better light.

Ah, it's so nice to be back in Monteverde!