Xenornis

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron in Bocas del Toro, a report by Pat Wade

2012-02-22T21:07:00.001-05:00

Greg and Eileen Meyer of Santa Cruz, CA were recent visitors to Isla Colon. Greg had contacted Pat Wade, a resident of Boca del Drago, through Birding Pal about doing some birdwatching during their stay on Isla Colon.

While boating down the old banana canal between the Drago cut and the Changuinola River on Feb. 17 they sighted and photographed a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron. The bird was seen about 1 km from the entrance of the canal. According to Angehr and Dean's field guide, there has been only 1 other report of this bird on Panama's Atlantic coast, and that was from the easternmost part of the coast.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds in Mariato, a report by Kees Groenendijk

2012-02-16T23:07:00.001-05:00

Over the last few days we have been seeing a few unusual humminbirds in our garden (just south of Mariato, on the western side of the Azuero Peninsula). Today I finally managed a (not very good) picture of one of them. And managed to identify it as a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Even on this picture you can see the beginnings of the ruby throat. So this is a first year male. There is another individual of the same species with a more developed ruby throat.
[Ruby-throated Hummingbird is a regular winter resident in western Chiriquí, with a few records from southern Coclé. This may be the first record from Veraguas].

Gray-cheeked Thrush en Cerro Jefe, un reporte por Rosabel Miró

2012-02-12T11:59:00.000-05:00

Este Gray-cheeked Thrush lo vimos el viernes 10 de febrero, como a eso de las 10 am, ya casi llegando al sendero del Xenornis, en la última loma que lleva a ese lugar, en Cerro Jefe. Lo observó primero Bea Roy y estábamos con ella Sue Chamberlain, Karl y yo. Estaba en el piso, en lo que parece alimentándose de insectos. Tenía años que no veía a uno y es primera vez que veo esta especie en Cerro Jefe.

Birding Cerro Colorado, a report by Bill Adsett

2012-02-12T09:33:00.000-05:00

I spent 4 days in the Cerro Colorado area from 23 to 26 January with Ramón Pineda Jr as guide.

Most notably, we found a young Glow-throated Hummingbird (Selasphorus ardens) being fed by its mother, both of which were photographed. I base the identification as Glow-throated mainly on location (4km east of Cerro Flores on the new road to Llano Tugrí, at 1250m) and the white bellies of the birds. According to all books and my own experience, the Scintillant is not found to the east of Cerro Flores, and according to Ridgely, the very closely related female Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla) has a cinnamon belly.

My theory after several visits is that the dividing line between the ranges of Scintillant and Glow-throated Hummingbirds is the ridge that separates the San Félix and Tabasará river basins. Cerro Flores forms part of that ridge.

The “main” road to Cerro Colorado runs more or less up that ridge, then turns off it slightly to the west at about 1500mt and after peaking at over 1600m continues west along the Continental Divide. Selasphorus hummingbirds are common to abundant at certain times of the year on that road—especially on or close to the Divide. Occasionally young males with partial gorgets are seen amongst such birds, and to my mind they all show the orange-red color of Scintillants (though not everyone will agree with this). An adult male killed by local children in Ratón (just to the west of Cerro Colorado) in September was photographed and was clearly a Scintillant. But in the last few months all these birds have disappeared. It is my belief that all or nearly all those birds are Scintillants that head westwards at this time of the year to breed nearer to Volcán Barú.

As far as Glow-throated is concerned, this theory is supported by Wetmore, but not by Ridgely, who suggested that Glow-throated was the dominant species “above Cerro Colorado”—i.e. on the main road—and Scintillants found in the area were “wanderers”. I believe that the reverse is true.

Unfortunately no male Glow-throateds were seen this time, but its quite likely that they are in meadows off the road in the same area where we saw the female and young. To enter such off-road areas you must get the permission of the landowner. Failure to observe this rule may get you locked up in the nearest village, or put in the “cepo” (stocks).

Magenta-throated Woodstar was again common along both roads with several males displaying their gorget which—according to Wetmore—is exactly the same colour as that of the Glow-throated Hummingbird. The Woodstar is definitely a confusion species (and should be mentioned as such in literature) and may account for some of the reports mentioned by Ridgely of supposed Glow-throated Hummingbirds “above Cerro Colorado”.

Black-headed Nightingale Thrush was again common in the same area as the Glow-throated Hummingbirds. One was glimpsed crossing a small open area, and the back was more ruddy than is indicated in book illustrations.

Another noteworthy sighting was of a Fiery-throated Hummingbird in a small clearing caused by a tree-fall west of Cerro Colorado, on the Continental Divide at 1750m. This is a range extension, similar to those we have reported previously for other species. Also of interest was a pair of Brown-billed Scythebills.

We went a little way down the Atlantic slope to about 1500m and found that Yellow-green Finch is if anything more abundant there than on the Pacific slope. Blue-and Gold Tanager was seen, well above its normal altitudinal limit. Amongst other species were Plain Antvireo, Buffy Tuftedcheek and a whole tribe of Ruddy Treerunners. A presumed Yellowish Flycatcher looked completely different from the illustrations in Ridgely and in Angehr, having a huge yellow eye-ring, a light yellow head and underparts and prominent broad yellow (not buffy) wing bars.

[Bonus photos: Sooty-headed Bush-Tanager, Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher, Mountain Elaenia].

New for Panama: Gray-bellied Hawk, a report by Venicio Wilson

2012-02-11T08:04:00.000-05:00

On February 9th of 2012, at 7:17 AM while guiding a birding program for Sendero Panama, we spotted a raptor on top of a Cuipo tree near the road in the way to El Salto, Darien.
The bird was very similar to a Bicolored Hawk but inmediatly I noticed the paler gray on the belly and the lack of rufous on the thighs. Immediately our guest, Larry Wan took his 500mm camera and made several pictures of the bird which are the ones posted here. I also remembered a 2008 report of an immature Gray-bellied Hawk in Costa Rica and started pointing at the differences between both hawks.
The lack of rufous on the thighs, the paller grey in the chest and belly, the contrast between black crown and dark cheeks were the immediate marks we noticed.
While Larry and Sara were making pictures and observing the bird, I got to hear the bird call: 6 or maybe 7 notes, high pitch, 1 1/2 seconds apart from the other. I have heard and seen several times Bicolored Hawk in Bocas del Toro and this bird was lighter in color and called very different.
Sara Wan, Larry Wan and Christian Gernez were present during this sighting. The morning was hazy and not to bright. The present picture were made by Mr. Larry Wan with a 500mm Canon camera at about 250 to 300 mts.

Breaking: One Jabiru in Chiriquí Grande. And then another.

2012-01-31T14:00:00.000-05:00

As you read this, Jacobo Ortega is in Chiriquí Grande seeing the second Jabiru of the day. The first was seen from the main road on the fields on the south side, near the oil tanks up in the mountain.

The second one (photo below) was seen further out, also from the main road. Who's up for a flash trip out there?

The hunt for the Grasshopper Sparrow

2012-01-28T10:34:00.001-05:00

Success, pretty much. This morning, Jan Axel Cubilla, Venicio Wilson, Rafael Luck, Osvaldo Quintero, and Camilo and Darién Montañez converged upon the fabled spot near Penonomé to look for the Grasshopper Sparrow, unrecorded in Panama for fifty years. The spot, shown on the map we tweeted earlier, is on a dirt road on the left side of the Interamericana a bit over 6 km past the Penonomé McDonald's. About 100 meters in, there is a patch of short, green grass on the right shoulder of the road, and that's both where Jan Axel found the bird last Saturday and where we saw it today. Repeatedly. Very briefly. The first sighting was shortly after we parked at the spot: Osvaldo walked ahead of the cars and the sparrow flushed from the grassy shoulder into the field beyond, landing on a patch of short grass surrounded by taller grass. We followed, but hard as we looked we couldn't find it. It flew back to the shoulder, where it remained unfound until it flushed a few inches from my feet as I was walking to the car. So, in typical Grasshopper Sparrow fashion, it has a tendency to tuck into the shorter grass and freeze until flushed. This happened a number of times, and all the looks we got were as it darted from cover. Still, the field marks seen (or lack thereof) eliminate all the other expected grassland species: a tiny, grayish/buffy/streaky bird, paler below and with yellow on the bend of the wings.
We had a very windy morning. My recommendation would be to arrive at dawn before the wind picks up and check the grassy shoulder carefully. Oh, and it seems the tall grass on the fields around the area are being harvested, so I would hurry.

Grasshopper Sparrow (!!!) near Penonomé, a report by Jan Axel Cubilla.

2012-01-22T09:35:00.001-05:00

I just came from a short walk in the Cocle savana following the directions gave by Ken last year to find the Ring-necked Ducks close to Cocle town, 5 min west of Penonome (second dirt road to the left after the "push buttons"). After seeing the ducks (lifer), I was about to leave the place, more or less 300 mts from the Panamerican highway (I was able to see the cars in the highway), when I detected a movement right next to the car. It looked like a mouse, walking very low, even crawling under the grass, but eventually frooze no more than 4 mts from my car. It stayed for 5 minutes, only moving very quickly few steps to stand again. It didn't vocalize, not even a chip. I took plenty of photos... but I was not able to see its breast... I wonder if someone knows how to separate the migrant Grasshopper Sparrows in the field... I hope it is of the endemic race, thought to be erradicated due to habitat loss.

[More details on the sighting at Jan Axel's blog.]

Grasshopper Sparrow rediscovered?

2012-01-21T17:26:00.001-05:00

Breaking: Jan Axel Cubilla found a Grasshopper Sparrow near Penonomé earlier this afternoon. He went looking for the Ring-necked Ducks that Ken Allaire had found, and he stopped on a field on the way back, on one of the new roads opposite the push buttons. He was looking at some meadowlarks, when he saw a tiny bird running like a mouse.
This is the first record in eons of Grasshopper Sparrow, a near-mythical bird in Panama. Photographs were taken, too, so we'll hopefully determine if this bird was a migrant or if it's a surviving member our local subspecies that has been presumed extinct.
I'll try for it tomorrow, but there will probably be a full fledged expedition next weekend. Study up!

Snail Kite en Albrook, un reporte por Rosabel Miró

2011-12-10T12:38:00.001-05:00

Acabo de tomar esta foto, 11:20am. Esta hembra está posada en la recta que va detrás de El Rey de Albrook al área residencial, cerca del cuadro de beisbol y la piscina.

Lesser Black-backed Gull in Panama Viejo, a report by Rosabel Miró

2011-12-05T20:17:00.001-05:00

Rosabel Miró photographed this large gull, most likely an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, last Thursday, December 1, at 7:11 am whilst with a group of shorebird monitorers in Panama Viejo.

Clay-colored Sparrow at San Lorenzo, a report by Sue Osier

2011-12-04T14:23:00.001-05:00

I found a Clay-colored Sparrow at Fort San Lorenzo on December 3, 2011. It isn't on the listed on the species list for I have for Panama and I'm not sure if one has been seen here before.
I saw it at 4:52 p.m. in a Hibicus rosa-sinensis overlooking the Chagres River near the ruins of Fort San Lorenzo. I had my back to the ruins and it flew from behind me and into the Hibiscus. I got it in my binoculars and realized I needed some photos. I got four pretty bad shots and when I had the camera up, it flew off. I didn't see where it went and couldn't locate it again.

[This would be, indeed, the first record of Clay-colored Sparrow in Panama. Clay-coloreds normally winter in Mexico, rarely as far south as Chiapas.]

Long-billed Starthroat in Costa del Este

2011-11-28T20:34:00.001-05:00

Itzel Fong Gadea visited Costa del Este this morning, where she ran into Dr. Osvaldo Quintero and into this Long-billed Starthroat, quite the rarity anywhere near the city.

Red-tailed Hawk at Cerro Ancón, a report by Daniel Hinckley

2011-11-10T21:16:00.001-05:00

On November 3rd, 2011 I saw and photographed an immature Red-tailed Hawk at Cerro Ancón during the hawk count. A previous report from a few years ago was met with some skepticism so we hope this will lay any doubts to rest. We've also counted 7 Northern Harriers and 11 Merlins this year, all since October 1st. We'll be up there till November 18th, so please feel free to stop by for a visit. We're getting close to last year's record of 1.77 million raptors.

Yellow-collared Chlorophonia at Altos del María, a report by Carlos Bethancourt

2011-11-07T16:27:00.002-05:00

On Monday, October 31, two of our top guides, Danilo Rodríguez and Moyo Rodríguez, went to Altos del María for a full day of birding. What Danilo and Moyo did not know is that they would be finding a lifer for both of them: an immature male Yellow-collared Chlorophonia—found by Danilo and photographed by Moyo. The best part is that the only records for this bird in Panama are from Cerro Pirre in Darién at about 4,000 ft. It is now known from Altos del María thanks to our expert guides who are always looking for rarities on the area.

Mixed bag, from Euclides Campos

2011-11-07T16:18:00.000-05:00

1. I saw a Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaner at Los Quetzales Trail (Boquete side) on September 20th 2011.

2. Northern Parula at Cuesta de Piedra on September 26^th.

3. Yellow-billed Tern, I saw this tern with Laura Reyes at Agualdulce salt Ponds on October 5^th.

4. I think this gull is a Lesser Black-backed Gull taken at Paitilla on October 11^th 2011. Laura Reyes came along with me.

Cape May Warbler in Fort Sherman, a report by Suzanne Osier

2011-10-29T22:22:00.001-05:00

Hello,
I thought I should write and let you know I found a Cape May Warbler at Fort Sherman/Shelter Bay Marina, this morning.

Prairie Warbler and Blue-throated Goldentail in Escudo de Veraguas

2011-10-21T08:16:00.002-05:00

Daniel Hinckley forwarded these photos of a young male Prairie Warbler seen during a visit to isla Escudo de Veraguas last September.

More interesting are these of a Blue-throated Goldentail, thus confirming its presence in the island.

Darién Lowlands Trip Report, by Venicio Wilson

2011-07-30T21:25:00.000-05:00

Last week Moyo Rodriguez and I (Venicio Wilson) guided a couple of dutch birdwatchers, Yvonne and Atze, into eastern Panama. We had and incredible luck finding birds we had not seen yet in the previous months of development of a new Canopy Tower tour to the Darien lowlands.

Orange-breasted Falcon was seen near the ‘Mirador’ in Nusagandi, Guna Yala. A pair was spoted by the group and Moyo noticed the large size of the bird. Once we stopped the car we heard clearly the falcons' calling and realized the call was nothing similar to a Bat Falcon, which are much more common.

After playing the Orange-breasted Falcon call the female flew some 40-50 meters above us allowing us to see her breast band! Later we saw the same couple perched and I made some crummy pictures that I still like to share with you.

Nusagandi produced some great birds such as White-thighed Swallow, Rufous Piha, Crested Guan, Black-and-Yellow, Dusky-faced and Sulphur-rumped Tanagers.

During our second day we birded the Torti river before breakfast and found a Fasciated Tiger-heron wading the river. Lots of Buff-rumped Warblers were also found in this spot. We had to improvise a birding spot since the Embera Indians from Arimae closed the Panamaerican Highway to get the attention of the autorities regarding their ancestral land being invaded by teak plantations and cattle ranchers.

We visited the community of Vista Alegre Embera, where we saw a couple of Bat Falcons that were just too large! I post these pictures also since, to me, they looked like Orange-breasted Falcons. The Embera indians told us that the latin farmers shot dead the Harpy Eagle that used to nest near the community. The good news is that there are some nice patches of forest in the way where we managed to see Red-rumped Woodpecker, Laughing Falcon, Crane Hawk, Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher and Brown Chested Martins.

In the afternoon we drove towards Yaviza. Rick Morales, who is walking from the border with Colombia to the border with Costa Rica, saw Yellow-hooded Blackbirds here 3 weeks ago. I mentioned this to Moyo who has seen this species before in Trinidad and Tobago. As we drove near Nuevo Bijao, Moyo stopped the car to show us a small and very active flock of 7 females and 1 male of Yellow-hooded Blackbirds. Together in the same field where also 3 Black-capped Donacobius. Later, near Yaviza, we found at least 5 Black Oropendolas.

Day 3 turned out lots of surprises. We stopped for a Spot-breasted Woodpecker and found several dozens of Yellow-hooded Blackbirds, some Black-capped Donacobius and at least 3 Gray-breasted Crakes that were calling constantly. We managed to get some glimpses of these birds later.

This spot offered the best birding that day with Limpkin, Capped Heron, White-headed Wrens, Striped Cuckoos, Giant Cowbirds and Black Oropendolas. We found at least two other spots near Betzaida and the entrance to Mamey with dozens of Yellow-hooded Blackbirds.

While waiting for SENAFRONT to answer our request to visit a town in the Chucunaque River, a Bicolored Hawk was seen flying and been bombarded by flycatchers. Moyo heard the bird and thought first it was a Barred Forest-falcon. After playing the falcon call the Bicolored Hawk showed right above our heads.

We spent the last hours of the day in Fundacion Tierra Nueva where we managed to get nice views of Spot-crowned Barbet, Black, Crested and Chestnut-headed Oropendola, White-winged Becard, Black-billed Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher (heard mostly), Gray-cheecked Nunlet, Black Antshrike and Black-crowned Tytira. The best finding was a male Orange-bellied Euphonia which we identified by its distinctive short rounded yellow crown.

After dinner in Arreti Guest House we found 2 Great Potoos hunting under the lights in their front yard. Later in the way to Torti we had Striped Owls in 2 different spots. Acording to George Angher in his new “The Birds of Panama, a field Guide” these owls had a range that finished near the Mamoni River. This is a range extension of over 140km. Not a good news since this is a species of the open field/forested grasslands that are replacing the existing forest.

On our last day in Darien and eastern Panama we visited Playa Chuzo to find the trails flooded by the persistent rains. Despite of the weather and poor conditions of the trail we saw some nice birds such as Royal Flycatcher, Sooty-headed Tyranulet, over a hundred Brown-chested Martins, Sapphire-throated Hummingbirds, Long-billed Starthroat and Crimson-crested Woodpeckers. In the road to Playa Chuzo we also saw Savanna Hawk, Pearl Kite, Olivaceus Piculet and Plain-breast Ground-dove.

Cattle Tyrant at Cinta Costera

2011-07-26T16:19:00.001-05:00

Last Friday, Venicio Wilson found a Cattle Tyrant on the lawns at Cinta Costera, across from the Rivage building at calle 32.

Gira de Audubon Panamá a Santa Fe, un reporte por Rosabel Miró

2011-07-12T20:26:00.000-05:00

Durante el fin de semana del 9 y 10 de julio se realizó la gira anual de Santa Fe, Veraguas. El día sábado camino a Guabal pudimos observar un grupo de 8-10 Black-faced Grosbeaks alimentándose en un árbol frutal al pie de la carretera. Algunos juveniles eran alimentados por sus padres. Otras observaciones incluyeron la Crimson-collared Tanager, una pareja de Barred Hawks sobrevolándonos a la altura de la nueva sede de ANAM en el parque, una Sulphur-rumped Tanager, una Olive-backed Euphonia alimentando a una parejita de bebés en un nido de lo más discreto y un Northern Barred Woodcreeper, estas tres últimas especies por primera vez reportadas en el área en una gira de SAP.

De regreso a Alto de Piedra, en la carretera, a un par de kilómetros antes de uno de los brazos del Río Bulabá vimos un par de Sunbitterns cruzando la vía en pleno mediodía y mientras parte del grupo las perseguía en un extremo de la calle, en el otro extremo cantaba un Lattice-tailed Trogon. Un poquito más adelante paramos el auto por los cantos que venían de lo alto de un árbol y nos recordaban el canto de las bandadas de Barred Parakeets que para la misma fecha el año pasado encontramos cerca de Alto de Piedra. Al bajarnos todos del auto a los segundos dejaron de cantar y fueron infructuosos nuestros esfuerzos por ver estas aves.

En la tarde, como a eso de las 4:00 pm, caminando en el sendero principal de Alto de Piedra y muy cerca de donde observamos en el año 2000 un Bare-necked Umbrellabird, la suerte nos acompañó y esta vez Daniel Hinckley, Michael Froude, Antonio Domínguez, George Angehr y yo pudimos ver un tímido macho juvenil que no nos permitió observarlo por mucho tiempo pero al menos si fotografiarlo para dejar prueba de este reporte (foto de Daniel).

En la mañana del domingo caminamos por Wimpy Trail y entre las aves observadas estaban un Orange-bellied Trogon, un Rufous Mourner y un Black-crowned Antpitta que posó por breves segundos a un lado del sendero.

Roseate Spoonbills at Aguadulce, a report by Daniel Hinckley

2011-07-11T21:46:00.000-05:00

On the way back from the Annual Panama Audubon Society field trip to Santa Fé, Michael Froude and Daniel Hinckley stopped in at the salt ponds of Aguadulce. The highlight was two Roseate Spoonbills in the ponds near the beach. The birds, though of a feather, were not flocking together but rather on opposite sides of the salt farms.

Other interesting birds observed and photographed were almost 200 Black Skimmers seemingly (fide G. Angehr) of the South American race, a White-winged Dove near the first pond visited and a Zone-tailed Hawk at the beach (!). I shot many of these doves at the same place almost a year ago, so they seem to be a permanent fixture there now. Shot with my camera, of course.

Rosabel Miró, Karl Kaufmann, George Angehr and Antonio Domínguez were also able to view most of these birds later in the afternoon as well as observe chicks and active nests of the very, very plentiful Black-necked Stilts.

Cattle Tyrant at Amador, a Report by Daniel Hinckley

2011-07-01T15:56:00.004-05:00

Following a tip from my friends at the Cerro Ancón Raptor Count, Ovidio Jaramillo, Euclides Campos & Juan Pablo Rios, I found a Cattle Tyrant yesterday on the lawn of the Areas Revertidas Administration Building at Amador. It's a big building on the left as you head out towards the islands. Big sign across the front. Can't miss it. The parking area across the street was also full of birds, including Saffron Finch and many Fork-tailed Flycatchers.

Cerros Colorado and Santiago, a report by Bill Adsett

2011-06-30T08:01:00.000-05:00

From June 23 to June 25 Charlotte Elton, Cora Herrera, Dan Hinckley, Celestino Mariano and Bill Adsett visited the mountainous area of Cerros Santiago and Cerro Colorado in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé on and near the Continental Divide.

On June 23 we explored the new road that turns off eastward from the Cerro Colorado Road at 30.9 km from the Panamericana highway and goes all the way to Llano Tugrí, capital of the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé. The road is between 1050 and 1300 m above sea level, and passes through degraded land and forest patches (some connected to higher forest), crossing several streams. It was not very birdy but did yield a few species of interest such as White-throated Thrush, White-winged Tanager, Elegant Euphonia, Lesser Nighthawk, Long-billed Starthroat and Torrent Tyrannulet. The road gives a spectacular view of the imposing nearby hills and Cerro Santiago itself (2100 m), most of which are still forested. It is worth further exploration, especially to look for Glow-throated Hummingbird. However, all land is privately owned by individual Ngäbe families and if you are discovered walking away from the road without prior permission you are likely to get locked up or worse!

At the road to Llano Tugrí, we also had Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush! Ken Allaire helped me to identify a song I recorded in the more forested bit of the road, of a bird that was moving around low in dense undergrowth but would not show itself. I shall have to check if I took a waypoint, but I estimate the altitude at around 1300 m. There were several Lance-tailed Manakins at the same spot. Its a bit of a surprise to find this species in that area, but according to Ridgely and Angehr, it does cross to the Pacific slope from its more usual haunts on the Atlantic Slope in Veraguas.

Later that day, and the next we explored higher up the mountains, on the road that flanks Cerro Santiago, goes over Cerro Colorado and ends in Ratón. At heights of 1500 to 1700 m above sea level we found many female plumaged Selasphorus hummingbirds (above) that could have been either Scintillant or the endemic Glow-throated Hummingbird, and mixed in with them all the way to the top were several very similar-looking female Magenta-throated Woodstars (below). They were feeding mainly on red flowers of ground epiphytes, but seemed to be extracting some kind of seed pod rather than nectar. As on previous trips, no male of any of these species was seen.

There were also many Green Violetears, and of special note was one well-lit and very obvious Magnificent Hummingbird, far away from its formerly known range around Volcán Barú. We surmise that both these species are seasonal altitudinal migrants from the surrounding mountains (2100–2500 m) that have never been reached by ornithologists or birders.

Other species of note were Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager, Prong-billed Barbet, Red-faced Spinetails attending a nest, a family of Ruddy Treerunners, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Purple-throated Woodstar, Chestnut-collared Swift and last but not least the endemic Yellow-Green Finch, posing nicely for photographs.

The photos are by Daniel Hinckley.

Las Lajas Beach, a report by Bill Adsett

2011-06-30T07:42:00.001-05:00

On the evening of June 23, and the morning of June 25 Cora Herrera, Charlotte Elton, Dan Hinckley and Bill Adsett visited the lagoon, swamp and grasslands at Las Lajas beach.

On June 23 a Rufous Nightjar was picked up by spotlight near the lagoon.

On June 25, bird of the day was Muscovy Duck; at least 4 were seen flying and landing, looking magnificent in the morning light. Other birds of note were unusually tame Pale-breasted Spinetail, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Black-hooded Antshrike, a juvenile Little Blue Heron and the local White-collared Seedeater.

We found the colony of Lesser Nighthawks on the far (eastern) end of the beach that was first reported by Craig Bennett a few weeks ago. Thanks Craig.

Photographs are by Daniel Hinckley