Birding in Panama

21 August 2014

2014-10-04T09:31:00.003-07:00

In the words of Jim Morrison, "This is the end...".

My last day of a 12-day birding adventure in Panama with friends Simon and Howard. We've pretty much exhausted all of the best birding locations around the canal area, and so today we decided to visit the area around Cerro Azul. As you may recall, Joanna and I scoped this area out three days ago, and so I had a good idea as to where we could go and where some decent flocks of birds were. We departed the Gamboa Resort at about 5:00am and made our way through the growing rush-hour traffic heading east through the city. Within an hour we had arrived at the base of Cerro Azul, and there was just enough light to start birding. The usual roadside birds flitted about, such as Clay-colored Thrush. As we approach Cerro Jeffe National Park, at an elevation of about 800m, the fog started to roll in and visibility quickly diminished. Also diminishing was the quality of the road, as we pressed on further than Joanna and I did. We stopped occasionally to check for birds, but it was tough going in soup-like fog. We did add Keel-billed Toucan, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Blue-black Grassquit, Bay-headed Tanager, and several Clay-colored Thrush.

At the top oft he hill, where several communication towers were located, the road abruptly ended. We had hoped the road would connect through to Cerro Azul, as we knew there was a road not far away that looped back into the private housing estate. Sadly, we were out of luck, and so turned around and gradually descended out of the fog. Along the way we added Tropical Pewee, Eastern Meadowlark, Crimson-backed Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, and Streak-headed Woodcreeper. Our next stop was Los Nubes, a small rural housing estate where I previously had some great birds. However, the weather was not cooperating and the fog and drizzle came and went along with brisk wind. We did find Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Scaled Pigeon, Shiny Cowbirds, and several other common species, but it wasn't as good as in previous visits.

A tad frustrated, and exhaustion clearly setting in from being on the go for 12 days, we headed to Tagua, another area with a few dirt tracks leading to communication towers. Here the birding was a bit better, and we quickly added White-shouldered Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Red-crowned Woodpecker, and Fulvous-vented Euphonia in a good-sized mixed feeding flock. A bit further along we found another mixed feeding flock where we added Green Honeycreeper, White-flanked Antwren, Collared Aracari, and a lifer for Howard, the Hepatic Tanager. The remainder of our birding on this road was pretty good, with additions such as Yellow-green Vireo, Lesser Goldfinch, Paltry Tyrannulet, Gartered Trogon, Blue Dacnis, and Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant. Back at the car, and just prior to our departure, another mixed species flock appeared. Here we added Black-throated Trogon, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Lesser Greenlet, Red-throated Ant-Tanager (which were seriously ticked off at something on the ground), Violet-headed Hummingbird, and Long-billed Hermit.

It was now about 1:00pm and time to head back to the resort. Along the way we drove across Corredor Sur, a stretch of highway that traverse a muddy bay where several near-shore marine and shore birds often reside. The unfortunate part is that there is nowhere to stop and view the birds, so at about 80km/h, we added Anhinga, Wood Stork, Laughing Gull, Brown Pelican, and Magnificent Frigatebird. Back at the Gamboa Resort it was time to wind down and pack for our return journey back to Victoria. We added a few common birds for the day while glancing out the window, including Common Gallinule, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Scaled Pigeon, and Black-bellied Whistling-Duck.

Our last piece of this excellent adventure was to go on a 45-minute guided night tour. The tour began at 7:00pm, and so as soon as we finished dinner we jumped onto the open-sided, but covered, trolley. The rain was pouring and the lighting and thunder were cracking, but within five minutes the rain subsided and the tour proceeded. In just 45 minutes we saw Three-toed Sloth, Caiman, Capybara, and our last new trip bird, Common Pauraque. Back at the resort by 7:45pm, we said our good-byes to friends, completed our packing, and went to bed early. We had a long day ahead of us tomorrow, with a wake-up at 5:00am and our first flight at 8:10am. We would arrive home 15 hours and 35 minutes later.

Will I visit Panama again? I've said no at least twice before, but I keep getting drawn back. So, until next time, happy birding wherever you may be.

2014 Panama Birding Summary
Total species today: 65
Total cumulative species for the trip: 316
Total lifers today: 0
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 50

20 August 2014

2014-09-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Today Simon, Howard and I hired Venicio "Benny" Wilson to take us to the Lake Bayano and Nusagandi region, located about two hours east of Panama City toward the border of Darien Province. Simon had some specific target birds he was after, and this was one of the closest locations to Panama City where we were likely to get them.

To start the tour I first had to wake up at 4:00am...aye yai yai! Benny, and his driver, were to pick us up at 4:30am, but they were running a bit late and didn't arrive until 4:50am. We departed promptly after their arrival, but the vehicle they used was far to small for us all. Regardless of seating arrangements, someone had to squeeze into the back where there was no leg room and a larger cooler dug into your side. Guides really should think about customer comfort for return business.

Transportation woes aside, we navigated our way through early morning rush hour traffic and soon found ourselves on the outskirts of the city travelling at a reasonably good speed. Most of the drive was in twilight, but by 6:00am it was quite light. At Lake Bayano we passed through a security check point, which was immediately followed by crossing a large bridge over the lake where we spotted our first bird of the day, Ringed Kingfisher. Just past this large bridge was a smaller bridge that crossed Rio Mono. This was our first stop of the day, and a location I had previously visited with my dad in 2012. One of our target birds, and a very rare bird for Panama, was a Pearly-breasted Cuckoo. A nest had been found just a few meters from the bridge and we had heard of recent sightings prior to our arrival. This bird would have been a great score, but unfortunately the nest appeared to have failed and there was no indication of the birds remaining in the area. After trying to locate it, as well as a couple of other common birds, Benny announced, "Let's Get Serious"...by far my most memorable phrase of the trip...I had felt that all birding was relatively "serious", but it seemed funny to think that what we had been doing so far wasn't, but we were about to kick it up a notch.

Despite not seeing the Pearly-breasted Cuckoo we did start to see some good birds, beginning with Black Antshrike (lifer) and Bare-crowned Antbird (lifer), both of which were enticed into view using call playback...this was getting serious (apparently). We then saw White-necked Puffbird, Pied Puffbird, and Rufous-winged Antwren, but missed some key birds that I had seen at this location previously. With birding not going terribly well at the bridge, we made our way to the next stop which was a place called San Francisco, located another 20 minutes further east. The birding was very good, and many of the birds we missed at Rio Mono were found here. The first highlight was Blue Cotinga (two stunning males), followed by Black-tailed Trogon, Black-crowned Tityra, Barred Puffbird (lifer), Yellow-backed Oriole, Long-tailed Tyrant, Streaked Flycatcher (surprisingly overlooked until now), and Black-breasted Puffbird. The birding was going very well, and it continued to do so. A large mixed flock of birds that we found included Cinnamon Becard, Choco Sirystes (lifer), Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Golden-collared Manakin, and Blue Dacnis. Benny then found us a Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher (lifer; so cute!), Yellow-green Tyrannulet, Red-capped Manakin, Orange-billed Sparrow, and White-eared Conebill. We wrapped up our time at San Francisco by adding Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Tropical Pewee (lifer), White-tipped Dove, and Gray-headed Chachalaca.

Sufficiently sweaty, we all squeezed back into the vehicle and drove to the village of Torti where we had lunch in front of a few hummingbird feeders. The feeders were well-attended, and included Scaly-breasted Hummingbird (lifer), Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Black-throated Mango, and Snowy-bellied Hummingbird. Following lunch we drove further east where we navigated some backroads that were much in need of maintenance. Here we found American Kestrel, Roadside Hawk, White-tailed Kite, and Brown-chested Martin (lifer; Austral migrant). At the end of one road we went for a short walk along some overgrown trails...this produced Gray-cheeked Nunlet (lifer), another Black Antshrike, Forest Elaenia, and a very pissed-off bull. After returning to the vehicle we headed back toward Torti and picked up Red-breasted Blackbird and Cocoi Heron along the way. At Torti we diverted onto another rickety backroad and added Buff-rumped Warbler (lifer) and Pacific Antwren (lifer).

By now it was now getting quite late (about 3:00pm) and so we made the long drive back to Nusagandi in hopes of finding Sapayoa. Unfortunately, by the time we did arrive, it was too late and despite trying to locate the bird we had no luck. The only birds we did see at Nusagandi were Swallow-tailed Kite, Plumbeous Kite, and Black-mandibled Toucan. With barely enough light to see, we began the drive back to the resort. Along the way however, we had two very interesting encounters. First, as we were about 80% of the way down the Nusagandi road, a Caiman ran out of the forest and sprinted (as much as Caimans can sprint) across the road. Our driver slammed on the brakes and narrowly missed turning the animal into a belt or pair of boots. Our second encounter, at the bottom of the Nusagandi road, was a drug inspection by the National Police. We handed over our passports and backpacks, and the inside of the vehicle was fully searched. At least the search wasn't "invasive".

We finally arrived back at the resort at about 8:30pm, completely exhausted. It was an excellent day, with 11 new species added to the life list and our trip tally exceeding 300 species. I had hit 50 lifers for the trip...10 species more than I had expected. After a quick shower I was in bed by 9:15pm...I had to be up at 4:50am to head out one last time.

2014 Panama Birding Summary
Total species today: 75
Total cumulative species for the trip: 311
Total lifers today: 11
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 50

19 August 2014

2014-09-25T18:23:00.002-07:00

Our adventure today was a trip to Canopy Tower, something we planned four days previously while at Canopy Lodge. Our tour of the tower included breakfast, lunch, and a guided hike down Semaphore Hill. To begin the tour we first had to wake at 5:00am, drop Amelia off with Simon’s wife Joanna at 5:30am, (the tower wouldn't allow young children and Joanna was willing to take care of Amelia…thanks so much), and make the short 20 minute drive to the tower. The tower was an old US Air Force radar facility that has since been converted to an “ecolodge”. The ground floor has a very spacious yet basic lobby, and as you proceed up the spiral staircase around the inside perimeter there are oddly-shaped guest rooms and shared bathrooms. At the top is a large communal dining area, a library, several chairs, desks, and hammocks, and the kitchen. There are also several windows that provide views into the upper canopy of the surrounding forest.

From the dining area a small hatch with a ladder leads to the roof of the tower. Here birders are treated to an above-canopy view of the surrounding forest which provides a unique perspective and opportunity to observe birds at eye-level. This a is a great reprieve from typical tropical forest birding which usually results in birders-neck and a visit to the chiropractor. From the viewing platform, early observations included Thick-billed Euphonia, Green Honeycreeper, Black-cheeked Woodcreeper, Plain-colored Tanager, and Red-lored Amazon. We also spotted our familiar American friend from Canopy Lodge.

As we continued birding from the tower other great birds continued to appear including Band-rumped Swift, Lesser Greenlet, Blue Cotinga (female), Scaled Pigeon, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Mealy Parrot, Piratic Flycatcher, Fulvous-vented Euphonia, Tropical Gnatcatcher, and my first lifer for the day, Brown-hooded Parrot. We then added Paltry Tyrannulet and Blue Dacnis before heading for breakfast at 7:30am.

Following breakfast we all headed downstairs to commence our walk down Semaphore Hill. At the entrance to the tower were two hummingbird feeders which had Blue-chested and Violet-bellied hummingbird in attendance; an Eastern Wood-Pewee was also near the main entrance. Shortly after beginning our descent we spotted Slaty-tailed Trogon, White-whiskered Puffbird, Blue-crowned Manakin, and Dusky Antbird. The next bird, an Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, was a lifer for me. This was soon followed by another lifer, Golden-crowned Spadebill…now this was a smart-looking little bird. Next was a Spotted Antbird, one of my favourite birds for its striking appearance. The birding continued to be very good, with new trip-list birds being Purple-crowned Fairy, Slate-colored Grosbeak, Rufous-breasted Hermit, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, Bicolored Antbird, Yellow-margined Flycatcher (lifer), Song Wren, and Black-tailed Flycatcher.

At the bottom of Semaphore Hill the daytime temperature and humidity were peaking. A Canopy Tower truck, named “Shrike-Vireo”, met us at the bottom with cold drinks and snacks. After having those, we climbed into the open-back seating and were driven back to the tower. We then sat waiting for lunch, but on inspection of the number of places set at the tables we determined we might not be getting any. However, following a short intervention it was clarified that we were indeed having lunch and new places were set and more food magically appeared. A highlight while having lunch was the appearance of several Geoffery’s Tamarind monkeys just outside the open windows.

We returned to Gamboa resort at about 1:30pm and saved Joanna from Amelia. Joanna (my Joanna), Amelia and I then headed to the bookstore at the Smithsonian Institute, and then to the Amador Causeway. Here we saw several Blue-footed Booby (about 60), Brown Pelican (about 30), Magnificent Frigatebird (about 50) and one Royal Tern. Then the rain began and we returned to the resort, had dinner, and turned in early. Tomorrow was to be the earliest rise of the trip, at 4:00am, not including the first travel day when we got up at 3:30am.

2014 Panama Birding SummaryTotal species today: 61
Total cumulative species for the trip: 286
Total lifers today: 4
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 39

18 August 2014

2014-09-25T17:47:00.002-07:00

Simon, Howard and I once again went through the early morning ritual of meeting in the resort lobby at 6:00am…mmm, mini-pastries and bad coffee! Once again we headed to Pipeline Road…this time under the veil of light showers and thick cloud. We plodded along the muddy trail with umbrellas open, but the birding was tough. In just over three hours we only saw four species: White-shouldered Tanager, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, and Red-lored Amazon. We may have seen a few other species, but my soggy and lack-luster energy may have caused me to fail to write anything down. I’m sure we saw a trogon at some point.

By the time we got back to the hotel the rain gradually subsided, and following breakfast Joanna, Amelia and I headed decided to explore Cerro Azul. It took about an hour to get there, and our first stop was at a place called Tagua. Here we were able to go for a walk along some mid-elevation (about 800m) roads that led to a series of communication towers. With no sign of rain, birding was decidedly better than the morning. Our first addition was Black-throated Trogon, followed shortly by a large mixed-species flock that include Golden-hooded Tanager, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Bay-headed Tanager, Plain-colored Tanager, Green Honeycreeper, and Yellow-bellied Elaenia. From where we parked, we slowly walked one of the roads, gradually adding Western Slaty-Antshrike, Yellow-faced Grassquit, and Social Flycatcher. Once again we hit another large mixed-species flock, with highlights including White-lined Tanager, Gartered Trogon, Checker-throated Antwren, Tacarcuna Bush-Tanager, Masked Tityra, and Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet.

From the towers we returned to the main road and continued to Cerro Jeffe within Chagres National Park, albeit we never quite made it to the summit in our Toyota Yaris…some of the ruts were deeper than the wheels! Inside the park we added Lesser Goldfinch, Thick-billed Euphonia, Thick-billed Seed-Finch, Keel-billed Toucan, Collared Aracari, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, and Plain Wren among others. By now it was 4:00pm and we had planned to meet the group for dinner at 6:00pm. It took a full one hour and fifteen minutes to return to the resort…this was important, as it determined the departure time for when Simon, Howard, and I were to return in a couple of days. Today was the first day of the trip where I did not get any lifers, although I did add a couple species to the trip list.

2014 Panama Birding Summary
Total species today: 41
Total cumulative species for the trip: 273
Total lifers today: 0
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 35

17 August 2014

2014-09-24T20:51:00.002-07:00

Today’s birding was scaled back significantly from previous days. Simon, Howard and their families were going on a boat tour of the Panama Canal, and Joanna, Amelia and I were going for a tour of the new Museum of Biodiversity (Biomuseo) located on the Amador Causeway. Before doing any of this though, the guys squeezed in about two and a half hours of birding along the first section of Pipeline Road. We arrived at the entrance a little past 6:00am, and among the early birds we saw were Red-lored Amazon, Southern Bentbill, Fasciated Antshrike, Chestnut-backed Antbird, and Dusky Antbird. Further along we added two new trip-birds, Plain-browned Woodcreeper and Great Tinamou, as well other birds we had seen previously such as Dot-winged Antwren, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, and Western Slaty-Antshrike. As the time we had went relatively quickly, we soon found ourselves heading back to the vehicle. The only "good" bird we saw was Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, which was a lifer for me.

We arrived back at the resort at about 10:00am and went our separate ways. Joanna, Amelia and I departed for the city at about 10:30am and arrived at the museum around 11:00am. Were it not for the ridiculous cost that the museum charged foreign visitors, or the fact that the museum wasn’t complete, the experience was quite good. There was a very good interpretative display that was both immersive and interactive. All visitors were given what essentially looked like the handset of a cordless phone; as you walk around the display, each had a unique number that you would enter into the handset, which then would play a recorded message talking about the theme of the display. This method of delivery was quite effective, as each individual could initiate or pause the presentation at their own pace, and you could move around the display without having to stay and listen to a fixed-location device. The museum also had an immersive movie where you stood on a glass floor inside a large cube and had projected movie footage on all surfaces. The film went through the seasons, cycles, and layers of life in the tropics, from rising through the forest understory to the forest canopy, to deep into the marine environment. It was as if you were in the forest, as the image below you was the forest floor, above was the canopy and sky, and the sides were a full 360 degree view of the forest. Hands on displays for kids were relatively limiting, but life-size sculptures of past and present animals in Panama were indeed captivating.

Inside the "sculptures" display

Following our visit to the museum we spent a bit of time birding along the Amador Causeway. There was nothing out of the normal here, although we did add a few birds for the trip, including Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Lesser Elaenia, Tricolored Heron, and Black-bellied Plover. Once back at the hotel, Simon, Howard and I reconvened for a short walk along Plantation Road. Now I have previously referred to some of our birding experiences as “slow”, but this walk won the Grand Prize. After about one and a half hours, we tallied just three species: White-flanked Antwren, Olivaceous Flatbill, and Western Slaty-Antshrike. Brutal! We returned to the resort, had dinner, and turned in relatively early.

2014 Panama Birding Summary
Total species today: 43
Total cumulative species for the trip: 270
Total lifers today: 1
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 35

16 August 2014

2014-09-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Prior to our bus taking us, and our know-it-all friend, back to Panama City at 10:00am, Simon, Howard and I had a few hours to spend birding around the lodge. We began shortly after 6:30am following breakfast, and with rain looming we weren’t sure what the morning would produce. As expected, the gardens around the lodge had House Wren, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, Rufous-capped Warbler, and Bananaquit. Out on the road things were much slower-going, but we did locate Spot-crowned Barbet. I also picked up an Eye-ringed Flycatcher (lifer) that unfortunately was missed by both Simon and Howard (actually, that was a grip-back for the Barred Forest-Falcon). As the morning progressed the rain began to fall, and birding under an umbrella isn’t ideal. We did see Tawny-crested Tanager, Gray-headed Chachalaca, and Bay-headed Tanager, but generally it was unproductive. Before returning to the lodge to finish packing we added Black-chested Jay, Violet-bellied Hummingbird, Keel-billed Toucan, Collared Aracari, and a lone Black-faced Antthrush calling in the distance.

At 10:00am we departed the lodge. Not much to report for the nearly two-hour drive back, although the views of the crater were gorgeous and our guide was pulled over for speeding. As we neared closer to the Gamboa Resort, our American friend, who had been asleep for most of the return journey, suddenly work to exclaim that the driver had passed his hotel, the Canopy Tower. Now at first this might seem a bit odd, but here’s some perspective. The Canopy Lodge and the Canopy Tower are the same company. Therefore, our driver’s final destination would be Canopy Tower…it was only 10 minutes between Canopy Tower and the Gamboa Resort, and it made sense to both the driver and to us that we would get dropped off first, and the driver would end the trip at the Tower. Our friend was utterly put off my this notion and made it clear to everyone with a huff and a puff. Too bad.

Hills surrounding El Valle (photo courtesy Simon)

Back at the Gamboa Resort we were greeted by our families. After I cleaned up, and noted a few of the common birds from the balcony of our room, Joanna, Amelia and I headed to the Mira Flores Locks to tour the visitor centre. Amelia really enjoyed the interactive displays and watching the ships pass through…she also saw her first 3D movie on the expansion of the locks; she thought it was funny. At the locks were typical and common birds: Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Pelican, Tropical Mockingbird, Tropical Kingbird, and Great-tailed Grackle. From the locks we went to Metropolitan National Park. Along the way we got stuck in a terrible traffic jam, and by the time we arrived we only had about 30 minutes to spare before having to head back to the resort for dinner. Of course, the birding was very slow as it was late in the day, very hot, and very humid. We did see Checker-throated Antwren, Rufous-breasted Wren, White-shouldered Tanager, and Palm Tanager, but that was it. Back at the hotel we tallied a few last species for the day, had a shower, and went for dinner. Tomorrow’s plan was going to be more relaxed, although just writing that seems ironic given that Simon, Howard and I planned to birding at 6:00am before “relaxing”.

2014 Panama Birding Summary
Total species today: 32
Total cumulative species for the trip: 263
Total lifers today: 1
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 34

15 August 2014

2014-09-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

Another morning to sleep in…up at 5:35am, breakfast at 6:00am, and depart at 6:30am. Today we were spending the day in the area of Alto de la Maria, a private housing estate that was absent of, well, housing. It really was quite remarkable…the estate was gated and manned by a full-time security guard, and inside the compound were paved roads, full services (water, electric), and several marked lots…just no houses. There was even a fully-paved walking trail, built entirely of cement, that weaved through the adjacent forests. We spent the entire morning birding this trail.

To get to Alto de la Maria we first passed through the village of El Valle where we started the day with Ruddy Ground-Dove, Great-tailed Grackle, Rock Pigeon, and Flame-rumped Tanager. Once at Alto de la Maria we parked at a small fish-stocked pond and immediately started working the small wooded area adjacent to the pond where we saw Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, Keel-billed Toucan, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, House Wren, and Scarlet-thighed Dacnis. Once on the trail we began with some real crackers (British for awesome, I think?) such as White-ruffed Manakin, Pale-vented Thrush (lifer), Black-crowned Antpitta (lifer), and Chestnut-backed Antbird. Continuing along we then added Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, Snowcap (a female; later in the day we say an amazing male; lifer), Silver-throated Bush-Tanager, and Common Bush-Tanager. At an opening in the forest we spotted a Bat Falcon perched atop a snag, four Red-faced Spinetail hidden amongst the thick underbrush, four Spotted Woodcreeper, and a Violet-crowned Woodnymph.

The trail soon began to climb, which for a change was not annoyingly steep, muddy or riddled with steps (see some of my Ecuador blog posts for these nightmares, uh, challenges). About a third of the way up our guide heard something of interest, and with his call playback unit out, he soon attracted a Brown-billed Scythebill (lifer). This bird was amazing with its long down-curved bill, but it was frustratingly difficult to see well. It continually darted across the trail, seeking out the darkest undergrowth and moving from branch to branch before we could fix our binoculars on it. After about 15 minutes we all eventually had good looks, and it was worth the effort. Further up the hill we added Green Hermit, and at the top (the Continental Divide) we added Swallow-tailed Kite. The guide also successfully lured an Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush in to view…a lifer for Simon, but a bird I had seen previously in Boquette. Just prior to turning around to begin the walk back we added Scaly-breasted Wren (lifer; formerly Southern Nightingale-Wren) to the trip-list.

Shortly after beginning our return to the car I added yet another lifer, White-tipped Sicklebill, which also was difficult to see until eventually it perched and we got great views through the guides' scope. This was shortly followed by a nice mixed feeding flock which included Tawny-capped Euphonia, Spotted Barbtail, Golden-hooded Tanager, and Band-tailed Barbthroat. We also had some decent one-offs during the walk back, including a great look at White-throated Spadebill (lifer), Russet Antshrike, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Black-faced Grosbeak, and Black-and-Yellow Tanager. We also saw three Dull-mantled Antbird's (lifer) in short succession. Once back at the small pond we had a picnic lunch of sandwiches, fruit and juice. Our lunch however was interrupted when we were informed of a boa constrictor not far from where we were eating. This was an animal to be seen, and we all took pause from our lunch to view the snake, which I estimated to be between seven and nine feet long and about three to four inches in diameter. The snake, relatively docile, was loosely coiled atop a dirt mound and next to a hole in the ground. Upon closer inspection the snake slowly disappeared down the hole…very cool sighting!

Boa constrictor (photo courtesy Simon)

While we finished up lunch we added Short-tailed Hawk to the day list. We then drove to various locations within the houseless housing development to do short walks in search of new species. Our first walk was at the end of an undeveloped cul-de-sac where the guide successfully called out an Orange-bellied Trogon (lifer); a cooperative White-vented Euphonia (lifer) also made an appearance. A little further along we added Hepatic Tanager (well, Simon and I added it…poor Howard did not), Spot-crowned Antvireo, Plain Xenops, Brown Violetear, Green Honeycreeper, and Rufous-browed Tyrannulet (lifer). At this point the wind had begun to pick up, the low cloud was rolling in, and the rain began. To try our luck elsewhere, we moved to another location in the development and walked another short stretch of road. Here we were able to dodge the rain and add Blue-throated Toucanet (formerly Emerald Toucanet), Tawny-crested Tanager, and Olive-sided Flycatcher (an early North American return).

By now the rain had settled in a bit stronger and the day was essentially over. As we worked our way back to the lodge we stopped at a small trail just off the side of the road. While we huddled under some overhanging branches to stay dry, the guide successfully called in a Tody Motmot (lifer) which took relatively little time for us all to get good views. Back at the lodge we ended the day watching the feeders…all of the usual species were seen, as well as a couple of new ones: Crested Oropendola and Black-chested Jay. That was the end of our guided birding in El Valle; it was fantastic!

2014 Panama Birding Summary
Total species today: 78
Total cumulative species for the trip: 269
Total lifers today: 13
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 33

14 August 2014

2014-09-22T19:58:00.002-07:00

A not-so early rise today at 5:30am, followed by breakfast at 6:00am, and departure from the Canopy Lodge at 6:30am. Today we were heading to the Pacific Lowlands, and once again were joined by the Americans. The drive out of El Valle was striking, with steeply graded roads and hairpin turns through moist sub-tropical forest and up to windswept grassland and water-tolerant agave's. As we slowly descended the crater rim the landscape was increasingly dotted with farms and rural residences. Power lines were commonly occupied by Tropical Kingbirds, and the occasional White-tipped Dove darted across the road. We stopped briefly at one residence to check some birds along the roadside. Here we started the day off with Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Striped Cuckoo, Streaked Saltator, and Lance-tailed Manakin. Eventually we crossed the Inter-American Highway, where the topography was noticeably flat. We spent much of the day in this landscape, where the temperature and humidity were exhausting.

Most of our birding was spent along roads, stopping frequently and walking short sections. Our first stop, which was triggered by an Aplomado Falcon sighting (first lifer for the day), yielded Variable Seedeater, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Blue-Black Grassquit, Yellow-crowned Parrot, and Crested Bobwhite (lifer). A bit further along we added Groove-billed Ani (lifer), Bared Antshrike, Scrub Greenlet, Eastern Meadowlark, and Thick-billed Seed-Finch. The day continued with much of the same…drive a bit, stop a bit, drive a bit, stop a bit. Each stop produced a few new birds, such as Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Mouse-colored Tyrannulet, Cliff Swallow, and several Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures (lifer). The Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture may have been one of my most looked-over species during my first four visits to Panama, as on previous trips the sky has been clouded with Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures, the former which looks very similar to Lesser Yellow-headed. On this trip however, as we were visiting in the North American breeding season, there were relatively few Turkey Vultures present, which made spotting the yellow-heads rather easy. When seen well, two key fields marks give this bird away: 1) a light patch on the upper surface of the primaries, and 2) the comparatively bright yellow-orange head compared to a Turkey Vultures pinkish-gray head.

As the morning graduated into early afternoon bird activity slowly decreased, although the day-list continued to grow at a reasonably healthy pace. New additions included Black-shouldered Kite, Yellow-green Vireo, and Savannah Hawk. Our next good birding stop was at a flooded rice field, which contained several ‘waders’ (i.e., shorebirds, herons, egrets). Here the day-list grew with a sudden fervor, with new additions including Wattled Jacana, Green Heron, Glossy Ibis, Wood Stork, Anhinga, Southern Lapwing, White Ibis, Snowy Egret, Pectoral Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Black-necked Stilt, Spotted Sandpiper, Little Blue Heron, Wilson’s Phalarope, Least Sandpiper, and Solitary Sandpiper. Amidst all the waders were also a few Crested Caracara, one of which found a tasty vehicle-flattened morsel just in front of our van.

By now, two of the Americans (a couple) had reached the pinnacle of boredom, and at times barely found the enthusiasm to exit the vehicle. Regardless, our guide continued his pursuit of birds and as we drew nearer to lunch, several more birds were added to the list, including Pearl Kite, Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant, Plumbeous Kite, Gray Hawk, and White-winged Becard. Shortly after noon we arrived at the Pacific Ocean where we would enjoy a picnic lunch. At the sandy beach (in the shade though, as it was sweltering) we added Whimbrel, Willet, Semipalmated Sandpiper, and Sanderling. Flying just offshore were several Brown Pelican, Blue-footed Booby, Magnificent Frigatebird, four Peruvian Boobies, two Sandwich Terns, and two Royal Terns. Following lunch we walked a short dirt road behind a few beach houses. Here the guide successfully used call playback to lure out a Pale-breasted Spinetail (lifer). A bit further along the road we added Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, Short-billed Dowitcher, and Black-crowned Night-Heron.

Howard (right) and I enjoying a birding-lunch on the Pacific coast

It was now time to begin the long, slow journey back. We did stop at a few additional locations in an attempt to find some “target” birds, but we largely came up empty-handed. Some decent additions for the day however included Red-legged Honeycreeper, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, and Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet. Our final stop of the day, which was on the steep, windswept, grassy slopes of the volcanic rim surrounding El Valle, we added Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch. The guide used call playback, and where hope seemed like little less than a glimmer, a single bird suddenly responded. At first we got so-so looks through the scope as the bird was well-hidden in the grass, but shortly after first appearing the bird moved into the open where we all got great views. Finally, we all piled into the van one last time and made the final jaunt back to the lodge.

It had been a long, exhausting day, but there was still light. Simon, Howard and I watched the feeders for a while, continuing to push the tally of birds for the day upward. We added Crimson-backed Tanager, Rufous-capped Warbler, Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Thick-billed Euphonia, Tawny-capped Euphonia, Buff-throated Saltator, and Simon’s favourite bird, Bananaquit. The biggest rub of the day for me however was that I had to use the washroom…so I left Simon and Howard at the feeders for about five minutes. Upon my return, both Simon and Howard were browsing their field guide, confirming their identification of a Barred Forest-Falcon that apparently (seemed very fishy and convenient to me) landed in one of the shrubs next to the feeders. Most peculiar, was that one of our American friends had his camera set-up at the same location and somehow didn’t even see the bird, let alone get a picture…Simon. Howard. Were you pulling my leg?

With the last bit of light finally gone we cleaned up for dinner, compiled our day lists, and had dinner at 7:00pm. It was a fantastic day with 104 species seen, including six lifers for me. As for tomorrow’s day of birding, I was really looking forward to spending the day in the cooler, less humid mountains. We also got word that our American friends had expressed an interest in doing something other than birding all day (i.e., they complained about birding all day), and that they were going to go with a different guide. For us, it was icing on the cake.

2014 Panama Birding Summary
Total species today: 104
Total cumulative species for the trip: 219
Total lifers today: 6
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 20

13 August 2014

2014-09-20T08:31:00.003-07:00

Our 4th day of birding in Panama, and today we were to embark on a two-and-half day mini-excursion to El Valle. Simon and Howard arranged this trip several months prior to our departure, which includes three nights at the Canopy Lodge, and two full days of guided birding; one day in the Pacific Lowlands, and one day in the mountains. El Valle is located south west of Panama City, about a two hour drive away. The village itself is nestled in the crater of an extent volcano, which is very picturesque as it is surrounded by towering ridges, lush vegetation, and commonly a layer of low cloud hugging the hillsides.

Prior to our departure from Gamboa Resort, Simon and I did some birding around the grounds. We met at 6:00am in the lobby and birded for about two and a half hours. All of the usual suspects were present, such as Clay-colored Thrush, Plain-colored Tanager, Tropical Kingbird, House Wren, Social Flycatcher, and Lesser Kiskadee. Some notable highlights included Snail Kite, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Ringed Kingfisher, and Buff-breasted Wren. At a small boat dock we spotted a female Great Antshrike; a lifer I thought at first, but later discovered I had seen it previously in Ecuador...it was however a Panama check. We worked our way back to the resort, adding Buff-throated Saltator, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Broad-billed Motmot, Keel-billed Toucan, Flame-rumped Tanager, and Collared Aracari to the day list...we tallied 35 species for the morning walk.

Promptly, at 10:00am, our transportation arrived to take us to El Valle. We didn't see many birds along the way, as much of the journey was along a busy highway. We did however see a Short-tailed Hawk. Once at the lodge, and after a brief orientation and settling into our rooms, we clung to an area at the front of the lodge where a few bird feeders were located. There wasn't a great deal of activity, but we did see several Thick-billed Euphonia, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Bananaquit, a single Long-billed Starthroat, and a peculiar Gray-necked Wood-Rail that preferred to stand on one of the banana feeders to eat bits of rotting banana. In front of the lodge was a small trail that paralleled a small creek; we spent about an hour walking this trail, which led to the main road. Again, birding was relatively quiet, although I did add Dusky-faced Tanager (a lifer) which unfortunately was missed by Simon and Howard. They refer to it as being "gripped-off", a term used when someone gets a new bird that that the other did not. Not surprisingly, the person who was gripped off can "grip back"; I love British birding terminology.

At about 4:00pm one of the guides hosted a walk at La Mesa (one of the many farms in the area), along a trail referred to as Candelario. In addition to Simon, Howard, and myself, we were also accompanied by three Americans...two very uninterested and dull non-birders, and another who clearly knew everything and couldn't stop over-sharing. Despite this, the guide at least was very focused on birding, and the nearly 2-hour walk we did was very good.

In the farms surrounding the trail we saw Southern Lapwing, Great-tailed Grackle, Bananaquit, Black-striped Sparrow, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Thick-billed Euphonia, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Scaled Pigeon, Collared Aracari, and Gray-headed Chachalaca. We then entered a small patch of forest, where the trail was suddenly quite muddy and slippery...the temperature however was wonderfully mild and the humidity was far less oppressive than the lowlands we had so far been exposed to. Inside the forest we soon started to add some good birds, beginning with Spotted Antbird and Plain Antvireo. Those were quickly followed by two lifers: Spot-crowned Antvireo and Spotted Woodcreeper. Further along we saw our first and only Rosy-thrush Tanager for the trip..."saw" is a tad of an understatement. We probably spent 15 minutes trying to locate the bird, which hawk-eagle-thrush-tanager-eye Simon spotted well back in the thick brush...this was a lifer for Howard, and a bird he was excited to finally see.

Further along the trail we added Dot-winged Antwren and Rufous-breasted Wren, soon followed by another lifer for me, Rufous Mourner. We then added White-breasted Wood-Wren, Tawny-capped Euphonia, Silver-throated Tanager, Plain Xenops, and Long-billed Antwren. Toward the end of the trail, and where the light was dimming, the Americans had moved well ahead out of lack of interest in the birds. We however continued to add some good birds, including Slaty Antwren, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, and Sepia-capped Flycatcher (lifer). Our next bird, and a lifer for me, was the tiny Tawny-faced Gnatwren...which flitted endlessly around us in the dark undergrowth staying perched for barely a second or two. It took us at least 10-15 minutes for us all to get good enough views. We ended our our walk by adding Checker-throated Antwren, Stripe-throated Hermit, and Black-chested Jay.

On the way back to the lodge, where we were all looking forward to having dinner, we stopped adjacent to a small farm shop. Here the guide promptly pointed out two roosting Tropical Screech-Owls (lifer), one rufous morph and one gray morph. Apparently the roosting owls were using that exact same spot for for several weeks or months. We arrived back at the lodge a little after 6:00pm, where daylight had now turned to twilight. A delicious dinner was served at 7:00pm, and by 8:30pm I was in bed. Having been to El Valle twice before, I was excited to have added seven new species to my list in just a few hours...the next two days could be very productive...for the life list that is!

The excellent accomodation at Canopy Lodge

2014 Panama Birding SummaryTotal species today: 75
Total cumulative species for the trip: 174
Total lifers today: 7
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 14

12 August 2014

2014-09-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Got up today at 4:30am...now that's what birder's do!

Simon, Howard and I were on the road by 5:00am after filling up on the daily fruit-fly-coated mini-danishes, semi-stale buns, and warm coffee. This was the true cost that we had come to endure for going birding before 6:30am when the complimentary buffet breakfast was available. Turns out though, we didn't really mind (well, maybe we minded a bit). After a relatively long but fast drive to the Caribbean coast, we arrived at Gatun Locks a little past sunrise. Despite the immense amount of ongoing construction with the expansion of the locks, traffic moved with considerable ease. At the locks, where we only had to wait about 15 minutes before getting to cross, we had Magnificent Frigatebird, Great-tailed Grackle, and Tropical Kingbird...nothing special.

Once across the locks we headed directly toward Achiote Road...dark thunderous clouds loomed. We parked at the second of three "birding" bridges and it was noticeably quiet...perhaps the birds sensed something, as shortly following our walk the rain began to fall, and then pour. We did add Thick-billed Seed-Finch and Red-lored Amazon, but the birding was very slow before we had to get back in the car. We decided to work our way further down the road in hopes of finding a non-rainy place to bird, and it paid of. Soon we are out of the heavy rain and we birded from the car all the way to the small village of Pina, located directly on the coast. Along the way we added Purple Gallinule, Wattled Jacana, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Flame-rumped Tanager, Red-breasted Blackbird, and Great Kiskadee. Once at Pina we had a great close-up look at Common Black-Hawk, and our first (and what turned out to be only) Wilson's Plover.

Back in the town of Achiote, working between bridges two and three, the rain had subsided and the bird activity had increased. We first added Black-striped Sparrow for the day, followed by Rufous-breasted Hermit, Blue-headed Parrot, Bananaquit, Masked Tityra, Yellow-rumped Cacique, and Purple-throated Fruitcrow.Overhead were several Band-rumped Swifts, small group of Swallow-tailed Kites, a Black Hawk-Eagle, and another Common Black-Hawk. As we wrapped up birding along Achiote Road, we headed to El Trogon trail...sadly, this turned out to be very underwhelming with just four species observed: Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Dot-winged Antwren, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, and Keel-billed Toucan. There were plenty of large spiders though...ughh.

Back on Achiote Road, and slowly working our way back to the locks, we added White-tailed Trogon and Yellow-backed Oriole. A little further ahead, along a stretch of road that traverses a large earthen dam that borders Gatun Lake, I finally got my first lifer for the day...a gorgeous adult Savanna Hawk perched very close to the vehicle. A little further ahead we added Ruddy-breasted Seedeater and Fork-tailed Flycatcher. As we neared closer to the dam we stopped to overlook the flood gates and channel. As on previous trips, there was virtually no water in the channel, but there were a handful of good birds...waders as Howard and Simon call them...shorebirds for the rest of us. We quickly added Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, and Sanderling. We also added Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, and Southern Lapwing. Back at the locks we decided to head toward Fort Simpson for a bit. Before turning around we spotted yet another Common Black-Hawk (I suppose they are common), a nice-looking adult Snail Kite, Ringed Kingfisher, and Collared Aracari.

It was now time to make our way back, but first we had to stop for fuel and a snack in Colon. And its a good thing we did, as shortly after leaving the fueling station Simon spotted my second lifer for the day, a Pearl Kite, perched on a wire. We didn't get a very good look, so quickly did another circuit of the traffic circle we were in and managed to find a small area to pull over and get a better view. About an hour later we were back at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort...the clouds were thick and black, but the rain had just subsided. I did a bit of birding from the balcony of the room and added another Snail Kite, as well as Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, a fourth Common Black-Hawk, and Anhinga. At 4:00pm, all of us went for a short walk before dinner to the small marina that was near the resort. This turned out to be a good little jaunt as we added Piratic Flycatcher, Blue Dacnis, Golden-hooded Tanager, Greater Ani, and Lesser Kiskadee to the day list. Lastly, and my third lifer of the day, was a single Striated Heron mixed in among several Green Herons. On the walk back to the hotel we had a great look at Armadillo.

Green Heron

2014 Panama Birding Summary

Total species today: 84
Total cumulative species for the trip: 149
Total lifers today: 3
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 7

11 August 2014

2014-09-14T20:44:00.002-07:00

Today I felt guilty for what seemed like sleeping in...we departed the hotel at 6:00am and headed toward Old Gamboa Road and Summit Ponds. We arrived at about 6:20am, and parked in the small parking area opposite the Summit Gardens Botanical Zoo. Here we had Social Flycatcher, Yellow-headed Caracara, Pale-vented Pigeon, Short-tailed Swift, and Clay-colored Thrush. From the parking area we headed down the short paved road toward the canal. Along the way, birding was relatively quiet...we spotted a few Scarlet-rumped Caciques, but things didn't really pick up until we got to the Summit Ponds. Here we had Green Kingfisher, Green Heron, Boat-billed Heron, Capped Heron, Amazon Kingfisher, and Great-tailed Grackle. From the pond we walked along the older portion of Old Gamboa Road, which since my last visit seems to have been left to regrow somewhat...the road was poorly maintained now, and several plants were growing along the surface and fallen trees across the road had not been moved. Birding was very slow, with a handful of common species that we had already seen and the addition of Dusky Antbird and a few Red-lored Amazons flying overhead. At the end of the road we joined another at a T-junction. This road was patrolled by the canal authority, but nobody was around and the birding suddenly picked up. At this opening we had Plain-colored Tanager, Gray-headed Chachalaca, Fulvous-vented Euphonia, Buff-throated Saltator, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Fasciated Antshrike, Golden-collared Manakin, Jet Antbird, and Black-tailed Flycatcher.

At the point we decided to turn around and walk back along the not-so-productive Old Gamboa Road, we also added Plain Xenops, Whooping Motmot, and Yellow-backed Oriole to the day list. On the walk back the birding picked up a bit from when we first passed. Highlights included White-vented Plumeleteer, Lineated Woodpecker, White-bellied Antbird (very stubborn and difficult to see), and White-shouldered Tanager. Just before returning to the car we added Dot-winged Antwren and a Squirrel Cuckoo, the latter which sat on a branch clobbering a large insect to remove parts of the exoskeleton...I tried for a photo, but no luck.

Somewhat disappointed by the action on Old Gamboa Road we decided to head to back to the hotel...but not without a quick stop at Ammo Dump Ponds. Here we added a few good birds for the day: Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Collared Aracari, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Black-mandibled Toucan (formerly Chestnut-mandibled...turns out the mandible wasn't dark brown after all...go figure). Just as we turned around to leave, eagle-eye Simon spotted a hawk...or should that be hawk-eye spotted a hawk? At long last, it was a lifer that escaped me for years...a nice adult Short-tailed Hawk (light morph) perched in a tree...great looks.

Back at the hotel it was birding poolside...a new endeavour for me as those who know me well know I hate hanging out at the pool. Of course, the sun was blistering, so shade was of the essence...at least the pool was cooling for a while. Typical poolside birds weren't much different from typical birds elsewhere, funny enough. Resident birds at the grounds included Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Black Vulture, Wattled Jacana, Blue-gray Tanager, Green Heron, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Red-crowned Woodpecker, and several others. Highlights today however included Black Hawk-Eagle (spotted by hawk-eagle-eye), Southern Lapwing, Keel-billed Toucan, Flame-rumped Tanager, Gartered (formerly Violaceous) Trogon, and Black-cheeked Woodpecker. We also saw several species of lizard (including some huge green iguanas), a Coatamundi, and Red-tailed Squirrel (a momma with three babies).

All things considered, given the slow-going birding along Old Gamboa Road, we had some decent species today and a fairly good total. We all turned in to bed early, as Simon, Howard and I were off to Achiote Road tomorrow, on the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal.

2014 Panama Birding Summary

Total species today: 77
Total cumulative species for the trip: 120
Total lifers today: 1
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 4

10 August 2014

2014-08-30T10:48:00.001-07:00

5:30am! Ack! Just 6.5 hours of sleep following a 17.5 hour travel day...these birds had better be good!

In the lobby at 6:00am were two familiar faces...Simon and Howard, enjoying the delights of the complementary mini-croissants and coffee...ok, maybe 'enjoying' is a bit overstated, but there were no other food choices. And did I mention how hot and humid it was at 6:00am?

We departed the Gamboa Rainforest Resort a little after 6:00am and headed toward Pipeline Road in Soberania National Park. The resort, also located in the Park, was a mere 10 minutes away from this birding mecca. Very quickly the bird list started to grow, even before we started walking, with early additions including Tropical Mockingbird, Crimson-backed Tanager, Cattle Egret, Gray-necked Wood-Rail (foraging on the road), Thick-billed Seedfinch, Wattled Jacana, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, and Blue-gray Tanager. Once out of the car we got the characteristic mini-flocks of Red-lored Parrots moving from their roosts to daily feeding locales, and Black Vultures were beginning to take to the slowly developing thermals.

Our walk began not at the beginning of Pipeline Road, but rather at the junction to where access to the Rainforest Discovery Centre is (about 3 kms down the road). Historically, Simon and I have found that the road beyond this junction tends to have more birds that are typical of interior wet humid tropical forest. Our first good bird of the day was Shining Honeycreeper, followed shortly after by White-flanked Antwren, Western Slaty-Antshrike (now known as Black-crowned Antshrike), Dot-winged Antwren, and White-breasted Wood-Wren. Further along we found Slaty-tailed Trogon (there were actually four at the parking area when we returned). Our first adrenaline rush was the sighting of a Gray-headed Tanager, a species typical of being associated with ant swarms. Close by, we also found Spotted Antbird and Black-faced Antthrush...we were sure we were going to score big, but after going into the forest a short distance, we couldn't find or hear any additional activity.

Back on the trail we added Long-billed Gnatwren, White-whiskered Puffbird, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Blue-crowned Manakin, Black-striped Woodcreeper, and Black-breasted Puffbird. Things were going very well...and just about to get better. Simon quickly yelled out "Cuckoo on the trail" and in a glimpse I added my first lifer for the trip; a Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo. Much to my chagrin, I was to be ribbed about this "sighting" for the next several days. Sure, it wasn't a great look, but it was a look nonetheless. I reminded Simon and Howard of their "check" of a silhouetted parrot flying overhead in Ecuador...it squawked, the guide called Scaly-naped Parrot, and two checks of the list could be heard in stereo! (ok, to be honest, after much discussion, I added a check too). The remainder of the walk was relatively unproductive in terms of new species for the day, although we did add Red-capped Manakin, Long-billed Hermit, and a Rufous Motmot at a nest.

Back at the resort by 12:00pm, we spent the remainder of the afternoon hanging out at the pool...with binoculars of course, for looking at birds (feathered birds that is). The resort was remarkably 'birdy', with common species on the grounds including Golden-hooded Tanager, Palm Tanager, Orange-chinned Parakeet Gray-breasted Martin, Plain-colored Tanager, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, and Social Flycatcher. Black Vulture was ubiquitous, but amongst the soaring birds were Turkey Vulture, Magnificent Frigatebird, and an early migrant Swainson's Hawk. The plan for the late afternoon was to head to Amador Causeway to chase two potential lifers, but before then Joanna, Amelia and I went for a walk around the grounds. Here we added to the day list such highlights as Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Shiny Cowbird, Gray-headed Chachalaca, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Lesser Greenlet, Southern Lapwing, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Barred Antshrike, and Neotropic Cormorant. We also say several Agouti and a group of four Capybara.

We departed for the Amador Causeway at 3:30pm and arrived a little later 4:00pm. Within minutes we had both of our target birds: Blue-footed Booby and Peruvian Booby; check, and check. We ended the day at a nice restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean and a small marina where we had our only Saffron Finch for the trip.

2014 Panama Birding SummaryTotal species today: 75
Total cumulative species for the trip: 75
Total lifers today: 3
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 3

9 August 2014

2014-08-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

And so it begins...my fifth trip to Panama...13 days of hot, humid, sticky, amazing birdwatching. This time, the trip includes my wife Joanna, daughter Amelia, birding friends Simon and Howard from the UK, their wives Joanna and Jane respectively, and Simon's daughter Melissa.

My portion of the trip began at the un-Godly hour of 3:30am. Fortunately, all we needed to do was load the car and scoop Amelia up (she didn't even wake). My dad picked us up at 4:00am and we were on our way five minutes later to Victoria airport. Our flight departed on time at 6:00am and we landed in Seattle just 35 minutes later. After clearing security we had a nasty breakfast (scored 2 out of 10), then headed for our connecting flight to Atlanta which departed on time at 9:00am. We each passed the time watching movies, reading, and playing games.

We arrived in Atlanta a little before 5:00pm, where once again we had to clear security and continue on to our connecting flight to Panama. We had a little less than an hour to make the connection, so we were relatively rushed given we had never been to this airport before and had to get from Gate A to Gate E. We arrived at our gate with about 5 minutes to spare, so quickly bought some sandwiches and drinks and then boarded the flight.Two and a half hours later we were in Panama, a little past 8:00pm. We cleared security, picked up our luggage, and got our car in record time...just one hour. I quickly programmed the GPS to get to the resort, and 45 minutes later we were there. By the time we were in our room it was a little after 10:00pm...we had been on the go for 16.5 hours; 17.5 hours by the time it was lights out. Fortunately for Joanna and Amelia, they had the luxury of sleeping in the next day. As for me, I was meeting Simon and Howard in the lobby at 6:00am to go birding down Pipeline Road; yes, a birding vacation is more work than work itself...oh, the sacrifices.

Birding highlights today were, well...Northwestern Crow and Glaucous-winged Gull. Hard to pick the best of those. Tomorrow's birding should be somewhat better...I determined about a week ago that if I saw 40 lifers on this trip, the trip would be a huge success; time will tell.

2014 Panama Birding Summary
Total species today: 0
Total cumulative species for the trip: 0
Total lifers today: 0
Total cumulative lifers for the trip: 0

Birding Panama - 2014

2014-06-28T08:34:00.004-07:00

Each time I visit Panama I think there won't be another visit, but now I've been wrong three times so I may as well admit that the country has a strange attraction for me. The current 2014 trip is planned for August 9 to 22, when I will also be joining good friends Simon Buckingham and Howard Jolliffe whom I accompanied in Ecuador in 2013. My wife Joanna and daughter Amelia will also be travelling to Panama, as will Simon's wife and daughter, and Howard's wife. For most of the trip we will be staying at the gorgeous Gamboa Rainforest Resort, located in Gamboa and about 20 minutes from Panama City. I have birded in the area of Gamboa several times and have never been disappointed...one of my favourite birds, an Ornate Hawk-Eagle, was from Summit Gardens only a few minutes away.

During the trip, Simon, Howard and I will also spend three nights at the Canopy Lodge in El Valle, about 1.5 hours south of Panama City. I've made two trips to El Valle in the past, but persistent strong winds made the birding tough on both occasions. Hopefully, among the three days, there will be some good opportunities to add a few lifers from this unique 'crater' village; I'm hoping for about 20 new species in this area.

On another day, the three of us are planning to take a day trip to the Nusagandi and Bayano Lake with a guide. I made the trip to these areas on my last visit in 2012, but Nusagandi was a total bust as it overlapped with Carnival and the road was fully congested. Bayano Lake was more productive at the time and I added many of the specialities for the area...but there are at least five species that should be reasonably easy to get and would be lifers.

The rest of the trip will no doubt include time at Pipeline Road, Old Gamboa Road, Summit Gardens, Amador Causeway and Metropolitan Park.

Stay tuned for updates and daily reports once we're there.

2012 Trip Summary

2012-03-02T20:06:00.001-08:00

What a great trip it was, and a flurry of birds in just 7 days. Here's a summary of how results.

Total species seen for this trip = 210
Total lifers seen for this trip = 17
Total species added to my Panama list = 29
Total species I've seen for all time in Panama = 374
Total species on my life list = 1,161

Total new mammal species seen = 2 (Anteater and Jaguarundi)
Total mammal species I have seen = I have no idea - one day I'll tally them up!

Total lifers I thought I had, but turned out I had already seen them = 3 (White-ruffed Manakin I had seen at Cerro Azul in 2010 ; Greenish Elaenia I had seen in Ecuador in 2011; Black-tailed Trogon I had seen on Pipeline Road in 2008). Note to self - must improve memory.

Until next time, happy birding.

21 February 2012

2012-02-26T08:35:00.001-08:00

Our last day in Panama, and as we only had half a day to go birding, we stayed local and went to Metropolitan National Park. We woke at 5:25am, departed at 6:05am, and arrived at the park at 6:30am. As with all previous trips, the entry fee was $2. We began birding immediately behind the visitor centre, which surprisingly was not as busy as with previous trips; the forest edge adjacent to the field was relatively inactive bird-wise. We did however spot 10 Keel-billed Toucans flying over, as well as Palm Tanager, Lesser Elania, and Panama Flycatcher in the scattered palm trees.

From the open field we headed into the forest and onto the small lagoon located near the nursery. Here there was a lot of activity, and we spent about 30-45 minutes working the flock of birds. Among the group was Blue-crowned Motmot, Yellow-backed Oriole, Prothonotary Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Rufous-and-White Wren, Purple-crowned Fairy, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, and Blue Dacnis.

From the nursery we slowly walked the trail that parallels the main road. Near the second park entrance, just south of the guard station, we encountered another flock of birds. Within it were Black-tailed Flycatcher, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Black-bellied Wren, Orange-billed Sparrow (2), Dusky Antbird, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Rufous-breasted Wren, Greenish Elania, and Rosy-thrush Tanager. After presumably exhausting all of the species in this flock, we continued along the main trail and headed up toward the mirador. Along the way the wind began to pick up considerably, and in doing so the bird activity diminished. Amidst the gusts of wind and swaying tree branches we did manage to spot Slate-colored Grosbeak, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, and Yellow-rumped Cacique, but that was it. At the mirador a lone Yellow-headed Caracara sat on a fence railing, and in the air a few Black and Turkey vultures soared overhead.

It was now 10:30am, and so we began our slow decent through the forest, this time taking a trail that we though would be more sheltered from the wind. It was not to be, as we did not see a single bird from the mirador to the main trail back at the road. As we made our way past the guard station we ran into what we believed was the same flock we had earlier. Interestingly, however, we spotted several species that were not there upon first inspection. These included Long-billed Gnatwren, Dot-winged Antbird, Spotted Antbird, White-winged Becard, and Squirrel Cuckoo. Along the rest of the trail we did not find anything new; we arrived back at the hotel at 12:15pm.

While at the hotel we both had a shower and pack our bags for the long trip home. At 1:45pm we went to the Mira Flores locks where we spent some time exploring the visitor centre and watching a ship pass through the locks. The visitor centre was currently undergoing renovations, no doubt in preparation for the new locks that are currently being constructed and which are scheduled to open in 2014. At 3:15pm we left the centre and headed to the Tocumen airport. We arrived at a little after 4:00pm, and with little difficulty we returned the car, checked in, and passed through security. To pass the time to departure we had some lunch and browsed the very over-priced electronics stores.

At 6:45pm it was time to board our flight, and just prior to doing so we spotted our last new trip species, a Peregrine Falcon. The flight departed on time at 7:15pm EST, and after a sleepless 8-hour flight, we were back on home turf a little before midnight PST. From there we headed to our hotel and hit the hay. Our final trip leg was a ferry ride tomorrow morning.

Overall the trip was very successful. We saw some great birds, and 18 new species was nothing to scoff at. I don't know when my next trip to Panama will be, but it will be a long time from now as I set my sights on other parts of the world. So, until next time, happy birding wherever you may be.

Total species seen today = 63
Total cumulative species seen for trip = 210
Total lifers seen today = 0
Total cumulative lifers seen for trip = 17

20 February 2012

2012-02-22T08:39:00.003-08:00

Today we woke at 4:40am for an early departure to Achiote Road on the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal. We departed the hotel at 5:10am and took the new express route to Gatun Locks at which we arrived at 6:15am. Here we waited nearly 30 minutes before being able to cross as two large ships made their way through. Since I was last here two years ago, a number of changes have taken place in the area owing to the construction of the expansion of the new locks to be opened in 2014. At the locks we tallied all of the typical species, including Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Pelican, Great-tailed Grackle, Black and Turkey vultures, Osprey, and Orange-chinned Parakeet. We also added Tropical Mockingbird to our list, a species that had thus far evaded us.

Once through the locks we crossed the large earthen dam where Dad spotted a Red-breasted Blackbird enroute to Achiote Road. Our plan for the area was to work the three primary bridges, beginning with parking at the first and walking to the second, the driving to the third and working that area. From the first to second bridge we tallied an impressive number of species, and some good ones for the area. Our first highlight was Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant, of which we had excellent views. That was soon followed by Mealy Parrot, my first lifer of the day and another bird which allowed us stunning views. Further along the road we picked up Violaceous Trogon, Dot-winged Antwren, Fasciated Antshrike, and Thick-billed Euphonia. After that, things just kept getting better.

Our next highlight was Black-cheeked Woodpecker, quickly followed by a beautiful Spot-crowned Barbet and Yellow-backed Oriole. Then, my second lifer for the day, amounting to no more than a 2-second look, was a Band-tailed Barbthroat; unmistakable by its white-tipped tail, slight curved yellowish-black bill, and rusty-orange throat patch. Soon after seeing that bird we spotted Slaty-tailed Trogon, Golden-collared Manakin, Flame-rumped Tanager, Blue-black Grosbeak, and Masked Tityra.

Among one of the many things that makes Achiote Road great for birding is its diversity and abundance of raptors. Depending on the conditions of the day they can be hit or miss as we have learned, but today turned out to be quite good. Shortly after seeing the tityra’s we spotted a gorgeous adult Crane Hawk soar low over our heads. That was soon followed by three Gray-headed Kites and a flock of more than 30 Broad-winged Hawks. Later on, during our walk back from the second bridge, we had a good look at Common Black-Hawk in flight and two perched Hook-billed Kite’s.

As we approached the second bridge another group of birders were coming toward us. The group was being led by Carlos of Birding Panama Tours, and as it turns out, the birders were not only from Vancouver, but were on the same flight as us when we came down. Among the group were Joanne MacKenzie and George Clulow, two birders I had met on more than one occasion in British Columbia. After a short chat, and a glimpse of a Band-rumped Swift, we parted ways and continued our respective birding trips. Dad and I slowly walked back to the car, along the way picking up Squirrel Cuckoo, Blue-headed Parrot, Collared Aracari, and Plain Xenops.

At the third bridge we had only two species: Orange-chinned Parakeet and Little Blue Heron. The heat of the day was now beginning to take its toll and the birds were becoming much less active. We returned to the second bridge for another scan, and although we only got one species, it was a lifer: Rufous-breasted Hermit. From here we went to El Trogon trail and walked the under shaded canopy hoping to pick something up. We only got one species, a Southern Bentbill. From the trail we drove the main road through Achiote town scanning the roadsides for birds. Some of the fields were quite wet and in the pools were dozens of Cattle Egrets and Little Blue Herons, and ones or twos of Wood Stork, Tricolored Heron, Great Egret and Common Moorhen.

By now it was 12:30pm and so we decided to start making our way back to Panama City. As we left Achiote Road, we spotted six Black-chested Jays, my second-ever sighting. During the drive back we saw very little, and so to liven things up we decided to stop in at Ammo Dump ponds. We weren’t expecting much being that it was 1:30pm and very hot, but to our surprise it was very good. In just 20 minutes we tallied 31 species. The best bird was a White-throated Crake, my second-ever sighting and by far the best look. Other highlights included Barred Antshrike, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Gray-headed Chachalaca, Greater Ani, and Shiny Cowbird.

We arrived back at the hotel at 2:30pm where we had a quick shower and a drink before deciding to head back out to Summit Ponds at 4:30pm. Once we arrived we had only about 1 hour before sunset, but as it turned out, that one hour was amazing. We parked our car at the ponds and the first bird we spotted was Greater Ani, quickly followed by Anhinga, Keel-billed Toucan, Green Kingfisher, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Gray-necked Wood-Rail, and Boat-billed Heron. We also saw our first-ever Anteater, literally no more than 10 feet away as it moved through the underbrush and at one point climbed partially up a small tree exposing itself to our binoculars; if only we had a camera!

As we walked the trail we spotted Southern Bentbill, Blue-black Grosbeak, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Violet-bellied Hummingbird and Black-bellied Wren. We also met up with a birding tour group from the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. We didn’t exactly tag along with the group, but we did tend to walk at about the same pace and stop to watch the same birds. At the end of the trail the chap leading the walk located a roosting Spectacled Owl and allowed everyone, including us, to have a look through his scope. After that we made a bee-line back to the car, and as if the day had not been amazing enough, there, at the pond, was two Capped Heron’s sitting in the trees. Again, the Gamboa Lodge leader let everyone have a look through his scope – what a great bird, and icing on the cake.

We returned to the hotel by about 6:45pm and went for dinner at the adjacent restaurant. While we waited for food I tallied the notes for the day, only to reveal the final surprise of the day – we had seen 100 species today!

Total species seen today = 100
Total cumulative species seen for trip = 199
Total lifers today = 3
Total cumulative lifers for the trip = 17

19 February 2012

2012-02-20T17:04:00.002-08:00

In to new territory today, with a trip to Nusagandi and Bayano Lake being the furthest east I've ever been in Panama. We woke at 4:25am and departed at 4:58am. For efficiency, I ignored the GPS directions and headed straight to Balboa Ave so that I could connect with Corredor Sur and get out of the city ASAP. Trouble was, that when we got to Balboa Ave it was closed for the Carnival parade that we were not aware of. Almost instantly we were in an area not familiar to us, and with the GPS telling us to do U-turn after U-turn to join Balboa Ave, it wasn't helping. We ended up losing about 20 minutes trying to figure out how to get out of the city, eventually ending up far enough east that we could avoid the road closure and be on our way. This was not a good start to the day.

We arrived at the turnoff to Nusagandi after nearly 60km of paved road and 25km of rough gravel. We then proceeded along the El Llano-Carti Road, which was paved, to Nusagandi. For a little village road it was surprisingly very busy, no doubt people travelling to some Carnival party. The road was incredibly hilly, with each dip being unpaved and deeply rutted. Our first destination was the Burbayer Lodge, about 8km along the road. Unfortunately, when we arrived, it was not open and a guard dog was on duty. We proceed a bit further to the Ibe Igar trail, which in the Bird-Finding Guide to Panama is one of the better places to find Sapayoa and Speckled Antshrike - we found neither. In fact, we found nothing. The trail was dead and the wind was blowing hard. In addition, the fog was gradually rolling in and it was spitting with rain. Today's adventure was getting worse by the minute.

From Ibe Igar we decided to head to Nusagandi where another set of trails are also supposed to very good for Sapayoa and Speckled Antshrike. However, at KM 15 along the El Llano-Carti Road there was a long line of vehicles that apparently were stuck behind a vehicle that had got stuck in one of the unpaved dips. At this point we had to cut our losses, and so after waiting for about 10 minutes with no sign of movement, we turned around and started making our way to Bayano Lake.

By now you may be wondering why I haven't mentioned any of the birds we've seen - it's because we haven't seen any! We arrived at Bayano Lake a little after 9:00am where at the main bridge we pulled over and entered a private residence that for $2 you can bird the lakeshore and short trails. Immediately upon arrival at the lakeshore I spotted my first lifer of the day, Pied Water-Tyrant (photo below). That was soon followed by my second lifer, a Cocoi Heron that flew overhead. Other birds at the water's edge included Great Egret, Green Heron, Amazon Kingfisher, Least Grebe (my second ever sighting), Purple Gallinule, Neotropic Cormorant, and Common Moorhen. Along the short trail, where we suffered immensely from the heat and humidity, we spotted Golden-collared Manakin, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Dusky Antbird, Forest Elania, Blue-black Grassquit, and others.

From the private residence we drove about 6 kilometers to the Rio Mono bridge, another location cited in the bird guide as being very good for a number of local specialties. Upon arrival another birder, Tom, was scanning the area. Tom was from the San Francisco bay area and was spending 36 days in Panama. Together we scanned from the bridge and picked up Lesser Greenlet, Orange-crowned Oriole (lifer), Yellow-backed Oriole, Blue Dacnis, Plain-colored Tanager, Panama Flycatcher, and a few others. After about 20 minutes, another group of birders arrived in a small van. Myself and the group then saw White-eared Conebill (lifer), Blue Ground-Dove, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Cinnamon Becard, Black-tailed Trogron, and King Vulture. Now the day was starting to look a lot better, but with the heat of the day upon us, we decided to slowly make our way back to Panama City.

The drive back to town was largely unproductive, except for one particularly great bird, an immature Snail Kite (lifer; photo below) observed sitting in a tree just a few meters from the road. Not only was this a new species for me, but it was outside of its usual range in Panama. Virtually all sightings are from the Canal Area according to e-bird and the new Panama bird field guide, and there is just one outlier record from Tocumen Marsh. To officially document our record we posted the observation to e-bird; when I get home I'll try to see if any other agencies are tracking bird records in Panama, such as the Smithsonian or Audubon Society.

Once back in Panama City we returned to the hotel for a quick shower and a drink. By now it was 3:00pm, so I spent some time transcribing today's notes to my field diary and writing yesterday's blog posting. At 4:15pm we decided to head out to Summit Ponds, and to our surprise it was incredibly productive. The heat of the day had subsided, relatively speaking, and it was quite comfortable walking along the road under the shaded of the canopy. In and around the pond we spotted Boat-billed Heron, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Greater Ani, Collared Aracari, and Ringed Kingfisher. We then proceeded down the trail where a hive of activity was amidst the forest layers, including: Plain-colored Tanager, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Thick-billed Euphonia, Forest Elania and Scarlet-rumped Cacique. Then, the best bird of the day flew over - a gorgeous Capped Heron! It was only a fleeting glimpse, but the black cap, blue bill, and cream-colored chest are diagnostic. What a gem.

Along the rest of the trail we picked up Plain-brown Woodcreeper, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, and Fasciated Antshrike. This one hour walk was very good, and ended the day on a high note. Hard to believe that a day that started out looking like a disaster, would turn out to be an all-round excellent day. We left Summit Ponds at 6:15pm, had dinner at the pub next to the hotel, and turned in for an early night (8:15pm) for tomorrow's early rise to go to Achiote Road.

Total species seen today = 67

Total cumulative species for trip = 174

Total lifers seen today = 6

Total cumulative lifers seen for trip = 14

18 February 2012

2012-02-19T13:07:00.002-08:00

Today our adventure takes us to the famous (for birding), and local, Pipeline Road in Soberania National Park. we woke at 5:10am and departed the hotel at 5:45am. After a short drive, we arrived at 6:15am. Previously, all of my trips to Pipeline Road have begun at the first gate, just a few hundred meters above the Gamboa boat dock. But today, based on advice from Simon yesterday, we decided to start at the second gate located at the junction to the Discovery Centre. Upon arrival the forest was alive with sound, and as we got our bearings, Simon arrived just behind us. To make a good go of it, the three of us birded together.

Simon is a Londoner, and true to the British birding core, is an excellent hardcore twitcher with a sharp eye. Within minutes he had spotted Black-throated Trogon, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, and Rufous Motmot. Further down the trail he spotted three Song Wrens foraging together, and nearby a pair of Violaceous Trogons. Among the more common species, we observed Southern Bentbill, White-shouldered Tanager, Western Slaty-Antshrike, and Violet-bellied Hummingbird. Other 'good' birds included Long-billed Gnatwren, White-flanked Antwren, Checker-throated Antwren, Dot-winged Antwren, and Scarlet-rumped Cacique.

After nearly 3.5 hours of birding we arrived at the next main bridge, about two kilometers from where we had parked. Simon had birded this area yesterday and commented to us about having found an army ant swarm with some army ant bird specialists. Today, within minutes of arriving at the site, Simon picked up on a familiar bird call, the Bicolored Antbird, and I spotted a Northern-barred Woodcreeper (lifer) - both army ant specialists. Subsequently, the three of us headed into the forest about 20m and suddenly found ourselves amidst a swarm, of birds that is. Bicolored Antbirds (lifer) were seemingly everywhere, as were Oscillated Antbirds (lifer; photo below), Northern-barred Woodcreepers, and Plain Woodcreepers. Also among the group were several Gray-headed Tanagers, and at the periphery of the flock were two male and one female Spotted Antbird.

We stayed with the flock for about 20 minutes, constantly scouring the area for other ant specialists, such as Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo or Ruddy Woodcreeper, but no such luck. For me, it didn't really matter (although another lifer would have been nice). I was pleased as punch to have finally encountered my first-ever army ant swarm and to witness the bird activity around them. The birds are remarkably approachable while feeding!

From the swarm we continued along the road for about another 20 minutes, picking up Slaty-tailed Trogon and Red-capped Manakin along the way. Now it was just after 10:00am and it was time for Simon to head back to his hotel to check out. I have a feeling this is not the last time I will see Simon, as he offered to take me birding in England for a day during my upcoming visit there in April. I shall be be sure to do my best to take him up on his offer, as there are still a number of good birds that I don't yet have for the U.K.

Soon after Simon departed, Dad and I began the long walk back. Along the way we picked up Keel-billed Toucan, Broad-billed Motmot, and Purple-crowned Fairy. The highlight however was a fleeting look at a Jagurundi that walked across the road not more than 50 feet ahead of us near where we parked the car. After Pipeline Road we stopped at the Ammo Dump ponds and picked up Gray-headed Chachalaca among several of the more common species. We arrived back at our hotel a little after 12:00pm, and with a quick clean-up we went for lunch at Albrook Mall, picked up a few groceries, and filled up the car.

At 4:30pm we headed to Summit Ponds for a bit of late afternoon birding. There we saw 23 species, including Boat-billed Heron, Green Kingfisher, Amazon Kingfisher, Greater Ani, and Prothonotary Warbler. At 5:45pm we returned to the hotel, had some dinner, and were in bed for 8:00pm in preparation for our very early rise tomorrow.

Today's birding was one of the best in a long time, and definitely the best so far for this trip. Although we didn't see that many species, the army ant swarm and it's associated bird specialists was truly amazing. Until next time, happy birding wherever you may be.

Total species today = 59
Total cumulative species for trip = 151
Total lifers today = 3
Total cumulative lifers for trip = 8

17 February 2012

2012-02-18T10:14:00.002-08:00

Today we woke at 5:00am and departed the hotel at 5:30am to head to Cerro Azul. We expected the drive to take about 45 minutes, but instead, thanks to my GPS guiding me to the land of nowhere, it took nearly 1.5 hours by the time I had back-tracked from obscurity. As it turned out, the maps I downloaded for my GPS did not have roads going to Cerro Azul, so the GPS was trying to get me to the closest possible point, which was nowhere near where I really needed to be.

By the time we did get onto the correct road, our first stop was Los Nubes, a small residential area that is just downhill from Cerro Azul. We had stopped at Los Nubes in March 2010 with Mae from Birding Panama and learned at that time it was quite productive. We started birding at 7:15am, picking up many of the common species first: House Wren, Clay-colored Thrush, and White-tipped Dove. We then spotted a few other interesting species including Bananaquit, Streaked Saltator, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Blue-black Grassquit, and a nice male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Overhead there were several American Swallow-tailed Kites flying, and my first lifer of the day, a Plumbeous Kite.

From Los Nubes we drove to the Rio Mono trail in Cerro Azul and set off down the very steep trail. It didn't take long to realize that bird activity was absent. We could hear very little, and saw even less. Of note however were two lifers, Tacarcuna Bush-Tanager and Long-tailed Woodcreeper. After spending about 1.5 hours on the trail and having found only 10 species, we returned to the car. The only other birds of note we saw were Stripe-throated Hermit and Green Honeycreeper.

From the Rio Mono trail we drove to Cerro Jefe Cloud Forest Reserve where we spent another hour walking in strong wind and direct sun. That trail yielded only two species: Plumbeous Kite and Black Vulture. By now it was just after 11:30am, and so we decided that today was a bust and headed back to town. We arrived back at the hotel at 2:30pm, had a shower and a drink, and went to the Ammo Dump ponds at 4:00pm and birded for about 1.5 hours.

At Ammo Dump ponds we spotted may of the regular species, but in the short time we were there, tallied an impressive 26 species and saw Capybara and White-faced Capuchin. The highlight was a King Vulture (lifer) flying overhead. Other notable birds included Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Green Heron, and Yellow-tailed Oriole. While at the ponds we met a nice birding chap from London, Simon. He had been birding in the area for several days and was mentioning his good fortunes on Pipeline Road, our destination for tomorrow. Turns out he was also going back there, and so there was a chance we may do some birding together. He had an incredibly sharp eye.

Dad and I returned to the hotel by 6:15am, went straight for dinner at the restaurant next door, and went to bed by 9:00pm. Tomorrow, as we are going to bird locally, means that we get to sleep in until 5:15am! Until then, happy birding.

Total species today = 53
Total cumulative species for trip = 125
Total lifers today = 4
Total cumulative lifers for trip = 5

16 February 2012

2012-02-16T17:06:00.001-08:00

Today we woke at 4:45am and were on the road by 5:17am. We headed north toward the Centennial Bridge where we crossed the Panama Canal and drove to Cerro Campana National Park. It took a little over an hour to get to the park headquarters where, with great anticipation, I had hoped to find my first Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch. Sadly, the wind was blowing a gale and I knew instantly that most birds would be taking shelter. And, true to my prediction, we could not locate a bird.

From the headquarters we drove along the part paved, part gravel, road toward the Panama trail. Along the way we stopped near some houses and picked up a few birds in the shrubs, including Hepatic Tanager, Keel-billed Toucan, and Chestnut-headed Oropendola. A second stop along the road, near a small stream surrounded by primary forest, we spotted Bay-headed Tanager, White-ruffed Manakin, Green Honeycreeper, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, and Rufous-capped Warbler. At the trail head the wind was still blowing a gale, but to add insuklt to injury, the cloud had rolled in. We walked about 400m along the trail and spotted only two birds: Gray-breasted Wood-Wren and another Bay-headed Tanager. We walked another 100m and it started to rain - we were doomed. We umm'd and ahh'd for about 10 minutes trying to decide what to do, and reluctantly we made the decision to head back to Panama City and try our luck at Summit Gardens. Sadly, we departed Cerro Campana at 8:30am.

On the way to Summit Gardens we saw very little along the highway. A highlight however was my second ever sighting of a Crested Caracara as it flew across the road. We arrived at Summit Gardens at 10:00am and it was hot! We paid the $2 entrance fee and proceeded to walk the grounds, navigating from one shady patch to another. The birds were quiet, although we did pick up some species we were expecting, including Giant Cowbird and Shiny Cowbird. The only other notable birds were a single Broad-winged Hawk, two Yellow-rumped Caciques, and colony of Chestnut-headed Oropendolas. We departed Summit Gardens at 11:30am and went back to the hotel for a much needed shower. After that we went for lunch at Albrook Mall and mosied through the air conditioned halls for about 30 minutes. From there we went to the Smithsonian bookstore which was about 10 minutes away and took 40 minutes to get to! The road works in Panama City are unbelievable- major diversions and back-ups everywhere.

By the time we finished at the Smithsonian it was 3:30pm, so once again we headed back to the hotel where I updated my notes and blog, and Dad had an unusually long blink. At 5:15pm we decided to go for dinner at the Amador Causeway, but just before going I checked my e-mail and was pleasantly surprised to learn that we had obtained permission to access Cerro Azul tomorrow. So on that happy note, off to dinner we went, discussing along the way how we hope the wind and cloud will cooperate for tomorrow. During dinner we watched the sun set over the canal and at 7:30pm we headed back to the hotel to turn in for an early night.

Total species seen today: 35
Total cumulative species seen for trip: 112
Total lifers today: 1
Total cumulative lifers for trip: 1

15 February 2012

2012-02-15T17:16:00.003-08:00

Our first day of full birding, and true to the saying, "the early bird gets the worm", we were up at 5:20am, 10 minutes before the alarm was set to go off. After a quick wash and some breakfast, we were on the road by 5:52am and at our destination, Old Gamboa Road, by 6:30am.

For Panama climate, today was very pleasant - somehow the humidity seemed less than usual and the early morning warmth cooler. Right where we parked the car we started the day off with several Blue-headed Parrots, two Golden-hooded Tanagers, a Common Tody-Flycatcher, a Summer Tanager, and several of the commoner species. From the parking lot we headed down the small access road toward Old Gamboa Road. Along the way we heard a trogon, which I successfully imitated as indicated by a male Violaceous Trogon that flew immediately to a branch above where we were standing. Other birds along the access road included Southern Bentbill, Blue Dacnis, Plain Xenops, Streaked Saltator, and Keel-billed Toucan, among others. Now at Old Gamboa Road we headed south toward the ponds. Soon after beginning we spotted a beautiful male Indigo Bunting, my second only sighting ever - the first being from Tucson, Arizona in 1994. In the same general area we also spotted Blue-crowned Motmot, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, and Blue-black Grassquit. The remainder of the road was relatively quiet to the ponds, although we did have good looks at a Yellow-headed Caracara and a Gray-headed Kite. At the ponds we spotted two Boat-billed Herons on nests, and three species of kingfisher: Ringed, Amazon, and Green.

With much of Old Gamboa Road complete, we headed back toward the car once we finished birding the ponds. On the way back we spotted Piratic Flycatcher, Prothonotary Warbler (my second only since Memphis, Tennessee in 1993), Purple-crowned Fairy, Yellow-green Tyrranulet (first lifer for the trip), and Golden-fronted Greenlet. From Old Gamboa we headed to Plantation Road. Upon arrival it was notably hot and humid, and the cicadas were in full song. We walked about 400m along the trail, and after having not seen or heard a single bird, decided to head to Gamboa Park.

We arrived at Gamboa Park at 10:05am and quickly tallied a number of waterbirds: Great Blue Heron, Common Moorhen, Mangrove Swallow, Tricolored Heron, and Little Blue Heron. We also saw a Caiman (about 6 feet long) and an American Crocodile (about 15 feet long). From Gamboa Park we headed to Ammo Dump Ponds. Here we had an impressive tally of species, including three species of oriole: Yellow-tailed, Orchard, and Baltimore. Other highlights included Yellow-rumped Cacique, Fasciated Antshrike, and Snowy-bellied Hummingbird. From Ammo Dump Ponds we went back to the hotel for a quick clean-up, then went to Albrook Mall for Popeye`s Chicken (mmmmm, tasty treat).

From Albrook Mall we headed west to Playa Bonita and spent some time birding the Panama Canal estuary where we tallied Yellow-crowned Nigh-Heron, White Ibis, Whimbrel, Wood Stork, Black-bellied Plover, and Willet. We then went to Amador Causeway and visited Punta Culebra, the marine interpretive centre hosted by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. In this area we tallied such species as Laughing Gull, Spotted Sandpiper, Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Northern Waterthrush, Garden Emerald, Yellow-bellied Elania, and Plain Wren. We departed the Amador Causeway at 5:05pm and went for dinner at 6:45 at a nice restaurant / bar beside the hotel. Both of us are very tired, and tomorrow's rise at 4:45am means getting to bed early.

Total species seen today: 98
Total cumulative species seen for trip: 98
Total lifers today: 1
Total cumulative lifers for trip: 1

14 February 2012

2012-02-14T19:04:00.001-08:00

Rise n' Shine. Oops - it's 4:45am, no sun for another 2.5 hours. Ah well, onto the airport shuttle bus at 5:15am and at the Vancouver airport by 5:30am where we joined the very long line to check-in with Air Transat. Forty-five minutes later we had our tickets and proceeded through security - no problems. Then for breakfast at the White Spot...er, no. Major renovations at Gate D, so the only option was A&W or Tim Horton's - we went to the former and had bacon and eggs on toast. At 7:05am we decided to head over to our gate, and upon turning the corner, quickly realized the plane was almost completely loaded. We were the last ones to board.

Thinking we were going to depart on time, we quickly learned differently. An airplane inspection, which was supposed to occur in Panama, was rescheduled to occur now. That put our departure behind by 20 minutes. Then, during the inspection, they discovered frost on the wing and called for the de-icer. I was baffled. Since when does frost form on the wing of a plane in Vancouver when it's +7C? Anyway, we were finally left the gate at 8:03am, 28 minutes behind schedule.

The flight was like any other - long and uninteresting. It took nearly an hour to get a drink, and nearly 3 hours to get some food. There were two movies, both of which weren't that bad: Moneyball and Crazy, Stupid, Love. The remainder of the journey was spent playing Sudoku and studying the bird guide.

We approached Panama at just before 6:00pm EST, flying first over Colon and Gatun Locks, and then following the canal north to Panama City and then lining up for a westbound landing. Just prior to touching down I spotted Cattle Egret and Black Vulture, and as we taxied along the runway I spotted 3 Smooth-billed Ani's and a flock of Great-tailed Grackles. Other than at Vancouver airport a Red-tailed Hawk on a guy-wire and a Coyote running parallel to one of the aprons, that was it for wildlife for the day.

As we near the front of the plane, we cleared customs relatively quickly, claimed our bags, and got our rental car. Everything went very smoothly, until I used the GPS to navigate to the hotel. We got hopelessly lost, and what should have been a 30 minute drive, turned out to be 45 minutes. We also paid nearly $5 in toll fees because we kept ending up one the wrong road. Once at the hotel we checked in, unpacked, and went for some groceries. There have been some major changes to the roads in the canal area, and several of the areas I knew quite well have changed. We returned to the hotel by 9:15pm, and I wrapped up the day my writing this posting.

Tomorrow we are going to Old Gamboa Road and Summit Gardens. Depending on how that goes, we may even pay a quick visit to Gamboa Park and Ammo Dump Ponds. Until tomorrow, happy birding wherever you may be.

The Adventure Begins

2012-02-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been very busy with wrapping up various tasks at work and planning the final details of the trip. Yesterday Joanna and I participated in a couple’s only birdathon, lasting from 6 am to noon, in the Victoria area. It was a great day, and really got me psyched up for today’s departure for Panama. Joanna and I won the friendly competition with 82 species!

Last night I completed my packing, printed all the trip confirmation details, and hit the hay early – six hours of birding can really take it out of a guy! This morning it was off to work, first dropping Amelia off at daycare, then rendezvousing with Joanna at my parent’s place so that we could coordinate transport and vehicles. Work was hectic, but productive, and before I knew it was 3:30pm and I was being paged – my Dad had arrived at the office. Joanna drove us to the ferry and dropped us off. We had an hour to kill before the ferry departed, but that hour felt like 2 as some guy decided he would play his banjo in the waiting area and sing. It’s one thing to be just generally rude, but another thing entirely when both the banjo and singing are off key. I’m always surprised to see people staring and shaking their heads in dismay, but no one ever has the nerve to say anything – myself included.

Once onboard, Dad and I bought our bus tickets for the ride to the hotel in Vancouver. We then went to the Pacific Buffet – oh, wait – we’re on the crappy retrofit BC Ferry, there is no buffet. Ah well, I really had my heart set on the deep fried chicken parts with sugar sauce available from the cafeteria anyway.

By the time the ferry ride was half over, it was dark. We saw a few birds along the way: American Coot, Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Pelagic Cormorant, Belted Kingfisher, Pigeon Guillemot, to name a few.

Tomorrow our flight departs at 7:35am PST. We land in Panama at 5:55pm EST. Unlike previous trips we don’t have a firm plan, despite my best efforts to make one. We will be visiting Cerro Campana National Park and the Nusagandi and Bayano regions, both of which are new destinations for us. We will also be visiting some familiar locations, including Old Gamboa Road, El Valle, Metropolitan Park, and Pipeline Road. We may also visit Cerro Azul if I can arrange permission to enter the private residence. Another area we had hoped to visit was Tocumen Marsh, but I learned just yesterday that it is no longer accessible to birders. Apparently the site had some of the best wetland birding in the region – I guess I’ll never get to find out.

It is now time to get on the bus. The ferry ride is just about over. So, until tomorrow, happy birding wherever you may be.

Panama, Again!

2012-01-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, I'm heading to Panama, again! I thought that after my 2010 trip that that would be it - for a long while. But, after doing my usual weekly search for great flight deals, I came across an out-of-this-world deal from Air Transat. Previously, my flights to Panama have been in the range of $1200-$1400 CDN round-trip, with a connection either in Los Angeles, Miami, or Houston. This flight deal however was better; much better. For a round-trip, taxes included, non-stop from Vancouver to Panama City, the flight is just $499 CDN. How could I pass on this opportunity?

I mentioned the deal to Joanna, but she didn't share the same enthusiasm for going as I did - something about saving her vacation time to visit family in the U.K. Yikes! Comments like that in the birder's world are like blasphemy, but who am I to judge. Looks as though I'll be birding on my own. Or not.

Shortly after finding the deal and deciding to go, I called my parents to let them know. Low-and-behold, Dad expressed interest in going again, much to my surprise. So, with little less than a 10 minute discussion about the logistics, we were ready to book our flights. Here's how it'll pan out.

1) Catch ferry from Victoria to Vancouver on February 13 and fly from Vancouver at 7:30am on the 14th direct to Panama City, arriving at 5:50pm.

2) Bird like mad - Tocumen Marsh (hopefully), Cerro Azul (hopefully), Cerro Campana, El Valle, Summit Gardens, Metropolitan Park, and possibly Pipeline Road and Gatun Lake.

3) Fly direct from Panama City at 7:30pm on February 21 and land in Vancouver at 12:20am on the 21st. Catch the ferry back to Victoria first thing in the morning on the 22nd and go to work.

Assuming all goes well, the trip should be a hoot (no pun intended) - and it will give me a chance to try out the new Panama bird field guide (shown below).