It’s rainy season in Belize, and with the effects of nearby Hurricane Eta, who is currently punishing our southern neighbor Honduras, our last several days have been exceptionally wet. Torrential rain here on Ambergris Caye has left our streets flooded, our shoreline waters angry, and our clotheslines heavy with soaked garments begging for sunshine. We are all feeling a bit soggy, even our resident and migratory feathered friends.

There’s something cute and comical about wet birds, with disheveled, ruffled feathers and looking mildly annoyed.

While some enjoy the opportunity to bathe in the rain, shaking and fluffing the water over their bodies and meticulously preening and grooming from head to toe, others take advantage of flooded areas to forage for tadpoles and other yummies.

Some don’t appear to mind getting wet at all, while others look unhappily damp, with plumage tousled and frowns on their face.

When photographed during these showers, the bathed birds make for great, sometimes humorous images.

Please forgive us, our feathered friends, for being the source of our fun; gosh knows we can all use a smile.