January Wanderlust

About this time every year, I begin to tire of winter and have a hankerin' to migrate south. This feeling stems from a time (nearly two decades ago) when I did just that for three years in a row. I'd leave the northern, snowy climes of the Boise, Idaho area and drive south. By south I mean through Texas, down the Gulf Coast of Mexico, into Belize, and finally into northern Guatemala. There I would spend the first half of the new year, basking in the warmth of the tropical sun and wresting secrets from some of the myriad different creatures that made (and make) that beautiful forest (of Tikal National Park) their permanent home. Below is one such creature, the Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus).