Thursday, October 11th, 2018.

The day stared with a suspicious cool, breezy wind and yigüirros singing… That definitely means rain is coming. And a shower came and left. Skies cleared up immediately, and it seems the day will remain with a mix of sun and a few clouds with temperatures ranging between high 70s and low 80s.

Yigüirros (Turdus Grayi, ) are the national bird of Costa Rica. From all the spectacular and rainbow coloured birds to choose from, the humble yigüirro was picked. This small, simple, dark-wood coloured bird is commonly seen in all areas of the country, it lives in the wild, but is also seen easily in gardens, farms and around houses. They are one neighbour more. Because of people’s familiarity with it, it has always been mentioned in many folkloric songs, poems and plays. They have a very recognizable song which marks the rainy season, which for campesinos is so much needed for the wellbeing of their crops. When it comes to rain forecasting, I trust more a breezy wind and a yigüirro’s song than any App.