I once mentioned that photographing a bird up close in the forest — using an ordinary phone or even quickly with a camera — is extremely difficult. But the white-tailed robin, which I once managed to capture on video, seemed determined to live up to its reputation as a “blue bird of happiness and luck” (a legend shared by several cultures). It returned to us again, posing for over an hour and drawing all attention to itself.

It was almost the exact same spot as our first encounter — two years later. I had never been this close to a wild bird before — just ten centimeters away — watching us with curiosity. The male Myiomela leucura, which at first appeared black in the dim, pre-rain forest light, revealed a deep sapphire sheen in its plumage. Fluffed up, he seemed to welcome the approaching rain, which isn’t surprising, as these birds are known to love bathing in forest streams and rivers.