After lunch, master guide Gilberto tooks us on an extended effort to find the Tody Motmot. We looked in and around the Back Plaza, the Upper Plaza and Norman's Temple. No luck. We did find a few woodcreepers, and a troop of Howler monkeys, but the rest were birds you could find around the lodge. Gilberto reported it was one of the few times he had missed the Tody Motmot. The rain - and it rained and drizzled the entire time - almost certainly had something to do with it.

The rainy season was officially over in December. This is the dry season. But the rain continued intermittently into the late afternoon. We tried a late afternoon walk down to the reported roost of the White Hawk, but struck out a third time. A few birds, including some Collared Aricaris directly overhead, but discouragingly slow.

Nancy is considerably better today. I think I am recovering. This was Mary Teel's birthday and the staff baked a birthday cake for her. I cannot say enough about how wonderful the staff is here. Whether it's the three sisters in the bar or the wait staff in the restaurant, the folks are terrific.

As a photographer, it's been pretty grim. The light is poor, the potential for water damage to equipment is high and maintenance long and tedious. My admiration for professional photographers in rain forests grows daily.

White-collared Seedeater	Bird photographers coping	Crested Guan (Photo Ron Teel)
Spot-bellied Wren (Photo Ron Teel)	Between showers	Oscellated Turkey (Photo Ron Teel)