It is nice to see different areas of Costa Rica and the birds which surprise me on the way. I was totally happy to spot my first Puffbirds on a trip to the Northern lowlands. The Pied Puffbird is an uncommon species which prefers the edges of lowland forests of the Caribbean Slope.

It felt like a privilege to watch the attractive birds privately from the veranda of our lodge’s guest room. The puffbird couple was inspecting and working on a possible nesting site. While one of the birds supervised the work from above, the better half was busy hollowing out an old termite nest, attached to the tree.

Puffbirds are relaxed birds. They take their time and often will just sit conspicuously on a branch. I wanted to capture this intimate moment of togetherness between the pair in my Scratchboard work.