Blue Morpho Morning in Pavones, Costa Rica

The Howler monkeys must have digital alarm clocks because every morning at 5:30 a.m. on the dot, I awake to a chorus of male “Congos” as we call them. Their voices travel for miles through the rain forest and serve as a wake up call to the jungle. Shortly after they sound the alarm that a new day has dawned, the other species begin to stir. Green parrots take flight and announce that their squadron has taken to the air with ear piercing screeches that cannot be ignored. The soft cooing of a Dove in a nearby Coco Bola tree softens the blow of the raucous early risers. As the sun begins to rise above the jungle canopy that surrounds my house, soft rays of sunlight pierce through and illuminate the morning mist like beams from a light house. As I stand on the second level porch overlooking the garden, my favorite sentinel for the new day arrives with brilliant blue flashes and not a sound. The magnificent Blue Morpho butterflies take flight and enjoy the open spaces and sweet nectars of the garden. Reflecting on all of the natural beauty that surrounds me every morning, I am grateful and privileged to be awakened by the sounds of nature and knowing that I am alive to experience another Blue Morpho morning.