Nicaragua's Gorgeous National Bird

For my first blog posting I thought I'd open with Nicaragua's gorgeous national bird, the Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa). This time of year, they've excavated burrows and are nesting. A pair seems to be on territory in the front yard. I snapped this photo but have some trouble with the camera focus, so it's not sharp. Still, it gets across the beauty of this bird. Nice choice for national bird, Nicaragua! Today, for the first time, I saw this bird perch on the wire with an insect in its bill, then swoop down into a hole in our wall, where it must have young in a nest.

A pair of Altamira Orioles (Icterus gularis) also selected the yard for their hanging nest, weaving it into an epiphytic vine
hanging from a rainbow eucalyptus tree. The Altamira Orioles currently come and go constantly, making feeding sorties.