Xenornis

Forster's Tern, more at El Agallito

2009-11-29T20:19:00.004-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, Rosabel Miró, Yenifer Díaz, Dinora López and Delicia and Darién Montañez ventured out on the mud at Playa El Agallito to get a better look at the flock of terns at the surf's edge. Tern of the day was an adult Forster's Tern in non-breeding plumage, easily told apart from the others by its size and bold black spectacles. Also seen were about five Common Terns and two Caspian Terns. The mudflats were full of shorebirds, including a few Sanderlings and American Oystercatchers.

Then this afternoon, Rosabel, Yenifer, Dinora and Alfred Raab returned and saw at least 15 Blue-footed Boobies flying and fishing at the distance. I've never heard of them beeing seen at El Agallito. Is this the beginning of an El Niño invasion? Remember the recent records of large flocks from the upper reaches of the Gulf of Panama. We'll keep you posted.

Mixed bag, from Barry Zimmer

2009-11-25T19:27:00.004-05:00

Barry Zimmer sends in the highlights of three Panama tours led on October and November.

Blue-footed Booby - 100+ off Costa del Este (east of Panama City) October 19 feeding very close to shore; more impressive was more than a thousand along the beaches (and covering an offshore island) off Santa Clara and near Juan Hombrón November 12

Swallow-tailed Kite - two from the Canopy Tower October 18 seemed very late. I have not seen them here in October before.

Sharp-shinned Hawk - one at the Canopy Lodge in El Valle November 8 was the first I have seen in that area of Panama

Collared Plover - pair at Panama Viejo October 23; only my second for Panama

Long-billed Curlew - one found and photographed at Panama Viejo October 23; this is the third or fourth time I have seen one at this location in the last ten years (maybe the same bird coming back to winter each time?); attached photo

Black-billed Cuckoo - one seen on La Mesa above El Valle October 25; only my second in Panama

Touit species - a group of four Touit parrotlets came low right overhead on Los Altos del María on October 26. From the view I had I could not distinguish which species as I was either looking straight up or at the flock going away so I could not see the head clearly, However my co-leader Danilo Rodriguez says that only Blue-fronted has ever been documented in this region of Panama, so I am assuming that is what they were.

Spot-crowned Barbet - three just above the Canopy Lodge on November 8 were my first for that location; also had a pair at Cerro Azul October 19 and another pair at Achiote on October 21 (more expected locales).

Rufous-browed Tyrannulet - one on Altos del María November 11.

Rose-throated Becard - one female found and photographed just outside of El Valle on the Las Mozas trail November 10. I am guessing this is a fairly significant record as Danilo had never seen them there before and Ridgely indicates only records for the Chiriquí region. Even given that the species has expanded in Chiriquí I would think this could be a southernmost (easternmost?) record.

House Sparrow - we had a pair in Panama City on October 23 which were my first for that city. I had previously only seen them around Colon, but perhaps they have now spread into Panama City with regularity.

Juvenile Sabine's Gull in Costa del Este

2009-11-25T07:38:00.003-05:00

Jan Axel Cubilla photographed this small gull in Costa del Este on Friday, November 20. The bird was noticeably smaller than the Laughing Gulls around it, with a thinner bill and a more delicate shape, plus it was browner on the hind neck and back and whiter below. Based on these differences (and on the white skirt of the secondaries and the black primaries) we are calling this a juvenile Sabine's Gull. If we squint we can even see the scaly back.

Wandering Tattler in Coiba

2009-11-23T21:21:00.004-05:00

Rafael Luck and Euclides Campos found this Wandering Tattler (of the adult non-breeding denomination) on Coiba National Park's Granito de Oro beach, on November 21. Seen teetering like a Spotted Sandpiper, but larger and longer-billed. The photos show the typical tattler jizz, halfway from Spotted Sandpiper to Willet, with a horizontal stance and attenuated silhouette. Notice also the medium bill, distinct facial pattern (dark lores, pale supraloral, white eye crescents), and short, yellowish legs.

Blackpoll Warbler in Cerro Azul, a report by Bill Adsett

2009-11-23T20:45:00.002-05:00

Yesterday (Sunday) there was a male Blackpoll Warbler in non-breeding plumage at the house in Cerro Azul. The distinguishing features were lemon-yellow breast, otherwise white underparts (including tail); quite heavy dusky streaking on sides; yellowish eyebrow above dusky stripe through eye; crown and back olive green, heavily streaked dusky; white wingbars; no chestnut or buffy coloring on sides. It was subtly but clearly different from the non-breeding Bay-breasted warblers we are so familiar with. No photos, I'm afraid. I used Curson, Quinn and Beadle's New World Warblers to confirm the identification.

Green Thorntails still in Cerro Azul

2009-11-23T07:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday evening, Jan Axel Cubilla and Gloriela Archbold visited Birders' View in Cerro Azul in search of Green Thorntails, and they saw three: a male, a female, and a female-plumaged bird with a long tail (a young male, perhaps). Also seen were nine other species of hummingbird, including Violet-headed and Violet-capped, and tanagers galore. More photos and details are over at Jan Axel's Blog.

Mixed bag: Crested Owl, Green Thorntails, Wood Storks

2009-11-21T21:48:00.004-05:00

Bill Adsett forwards this photo of a Crested Owl taken by Javier Araúz, perhaps in the grounds of Petroterminales de Panamá reserve near Puerto Armuelles.
Rosabel Miró went to her house in Cerro Azul this morning, and she found a big tree full of flowers above her parking lot that had at least two female and one male Green Thorntail, as well as Violet-capped Hummingbirds.
Como a las 4:30pm del sábado 21 de noviembre, cuando Karl y yo nos disponíamos regresarnos a la Ciudad, en el estacionamiento de Birders' View, Cerro Azul, observamos unos Green Thorntails, un macho con su cola bien larga y por lo menos dos hembras en un árbol que está justo en el estacionamiento. Este árbol tiene florecitas blancas pequeñas que cuando está en flor, atrae a los Violet-capped Hummigbirds, los Snowy-bellied Hummingbirds y a los Thorntails. Vi varias veces que los Violet-capped y el macho del Thorntail se enfrascaban en lucha pero el Thorntail nunca abandonó el árbol. Por lo general los colibriés más grandes siempre hacen que los más chicos sólo lleguen de paso por el árbol y en esta ocasión me extrañó bastante ver que el Thorntail pelea a la par que un colibrí más grande, no se dejó someter.
Charlotte Elton spent her afternoon up in Cerro Ancón watching for the trailing edge of the raptor migration, and she saw a flock of about a hundred Wood Storks circling overhead.

Crested Eagle in Nusagandi

2009-11-18T07:13:00.003-05:00

A week ago, José Carlos García photographed this dark phase Crested Eagle near the old Cabañas El Jaguar site in Nusagandi. Upon reviewing the photo, Panama Records Committee chair George Angehr points out the following diagnostic field marks:

Crested Eagle has a rare all-dark morph. This form is not known to occur in Harpy Eagle. A Harpy should also show a distinct contrasting black chest band.
Single pointed crest rather than double.
Relatively slender legs and feet, much thinner than Harpy.
Rounded rather than squarish tail.
It's much too bulky and the crest is too long for Black Hawk-Eagle, which would also have feathered legs.

José Carlos also reports that the Nusagandi refuge is now cleaner than before, with two showers and two flushing toilets. Food-wise, there is a small fonda before Burbayar that's open for breakfast and lunch.

Mystery hummingbird at Cerro Punta, a report by Jan Axel Cubilla

2009-11-17T07:22:00.005-05:00

Jan Axel Cubilla and Gloriela Archbold spent the weekend in Cerro Punta looking for Peg-billed Finch, which remained elusive. On the 15th, they saw this mystery hummingbird in the grounds of Hotel Los Quetzales in Guadalupe. ¿What do you think it is?

El domingo 15, mientras tomaba fotos en los alrededores del Hotel Los Quetzales en Guadalupe, observe un colibrí pequeño (de igual tamaño que un Scintillant Hummingbird o ligeramente más grande). Como no le vi nada de rufo al principio, pensé en un Volcano Hummingbird; sin embargo, al revisar y aumentar las fotos noté la ausencia total de rufo en la cola (a ciencia cierta no puedo distinguir que tuviera blanco, pareciera que no). No tenía rufo en las alas tampoco. Es completamente blanca por debajo, sin pintas en la garganta y sin cambio de color en los flancos, con una pequeña pinta post-ocular blanca. Ambos Selasphorus tienen rufo en la cola y tienen una forma más rechoncha... la ausencia de marcas en la rabadilla descartan coquetas y a la Magenta-throated Woodstar, comparables en tamaño. La hembra del Violet-bellied Hummingbird y de la Violet-crowned Woodnymph no se esperan a esa altitud... esta última tiene dos tonos en las partes ventrales y la primera no se conoce en Panamá occidental. El Sapphire-throated Hummingbird es más grande y tampoco se espera a esa altitud. Me parece que es una hembra de Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Alguna opinión?

[And we agree, even if this winter visitor usually sticks to the lowlands. —Ed.]

[UPDATE: Venicio Wilson tells us he's seen Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in Volcán, and his formerfieldeditorshipness Dodge Engleman thinks this also looks like a female Ruby-throated. Case closed.]

El sábado 14 observamos en Cuesta de Piedra un Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner y un Riverside Wren en los alrededores del río Macho de Monte. Me parece que, aunque no son inesperados, se reportan pocos desde Chiriquí.

Long-winged Harrier in El Real, a report by Euclides Campos

2009-11-13T17:57:00.007-05:00

Durante los días patrios decidí ir con unos amigos a visitar el Real y Rancho Frío. El jueves 5 de noviembre, fui al airstrip en la mañana donde me tropecé con este harrier. Este individuo era bien oscuro con algunas rayas blancas por debajo. De acuerdo a la literatura, el juvenil dark morph Long-winged Harrier es todo dark brown y poseen rufous thighs. En una de las fotos se puede ver algo los rufous thighs. Los juveniles northern harrier son oscuros en el chest y luego twany el resto.
En rancho frío vimos Double-banded Graytail, Wing-banded Antbird, Yellow-backed Tanager, Scarlet-browed Tanager, Sapayoa, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Plumbeous Hawk y Tawny-faced Quail.

Live from Cerro Punta

2009-11-04T16:30:00.005-05:00

All week we will be on location in Cerro Punta an environs investigating the reports of seeding bamboo and hoping to run into those pesky seeding bamboo followers: Peg-billed Finch, Barred Parakeet, and Maroon-chested Ground-Dove. Since blogger's iPhone interface sucks (i.e. It doesn't have one), we will be posting mostly on Twitter. @xenornis. Go ahead, follow us.
But here's what we have so far: yesterday morning I walked up to the grounds of Los Quetzales cabins and found two big patches of bamboo. The first one was completely devoid of birds, but the second had a flock of at least four Peg-billed Finches, foraging and calling. No adult males were seen, just female-plumaged birds. Also seen were Green-fronted Lancebill and Scaly-throated Foliage-Gleaner (shamebird no more). Today I went with Jan Axel Cubilla and Gloriela Archbold to PILA Las Nubes, where we found lots of bamboo but no bamboo followers. After lunch, and after Jan Axel and Gloriela had headed back to civilization, I walked up towards the waterfall, where the only noteworthy event was a flock of Barred Parakeets calling from the mist above the canopy (heard only, sadly enough). The town of Las Nubes had a flock of about 50 Crimson-fronted Parakeets, which may or may not be noteworthy.

Xenornis on the twitter

2009-11-01T12:32:00.004-05:00

Our ever-growing media empire expands. From this point on, posts will be mirrored on Twitter (which seems to be all the rage, our savvier sources say). Join in the fun. #follow@xenornis

Slate-colored Seedeaters galore, a report by Jan Axel Cubilla

2009-10-26T07:36:00.003-05:00

Hoy domingo 25, junto a Osvaldo Quintero, observamos por lo menos dos machos y una hembra de Slate-colored Seedeater mientras cantaban en la sección de bambúes del Old Gamboa road south (aka Summit Ponds). Respondían a las grabaciones y los observamos por espacio de unos 15 minutos antes de partir. Al regreso aún estaban allí. Decidimos ir al Parque Natural Metropolitano a ver si nos encontrábamos con los gavilanes migratorios. Eran como las 10 am y no vimos nada por lo cual nos regresamos por el sendro de la Cienaguita. A mitad de camino (justo donde está el hormiguero gigante de Hormigas Corta-hojas y el Ficus con el letrero de "higuerón") volvimos a escuchar los seedeaters; esta vez observamos dos machos cantando sobre el bambú (como era de esperarse). A éstos no le pudimos tomar fotos.

[Full account in english at Jan Axel's blog. —Ed.]

Black-crowned Tityra visits Panama Audubon office

2009-10-20T18:18:00.008-05:00

Panama Audubon Society executive director Rosabel Miró photographed this male Black-crowned Tityra from the PAS office in Curundu Flats this morning. Black-crowneds are uncommon at the nearby Metropolitan Nature Park.

Cave Swallow at Punta Chame

2009-10-19T18:47:00.005-05:00

On Friday, October 16, Euclides Campos noticed an odd, light-throated swallow in a flock of Cliff Swallows perched on a wire at Punta Chame. The bird in question is the fifth from the bottom. Adult Cliff Swallows are dark-throated birds (as in the third bird from the bottom), and even the pale-throated juveniles shouldn't be this buffy. Euclides identified this bird as a Cave Swallow, a rare vagrant to Panama with an old record from Tocumen and a recent one from nearby Playa Corona. Upon close scrutiny of the photographs, we see a buffy throat on the seventh bird, too.

UPDATE: That seventh bird is but a Barn Swallow, fide Euclides. Our apologies.

Sunbittern at Pipeline Road

2009-10-19T18:43:00.007-05:00

Osvaldo Quintero photographed this Sunbittern at Pipeline Road yesterday. The bird was on a small creek on the left side of the road, a few meters beyond the bridge over quebrada Juan Grande, and was observed from the road for 15 minutes while it preened.

Green-and-rufous Kingfisher at Pipeline Road, a report by Jan Axel Cubilla

2009-10-13T22:53:00.003-05:00

El día de ayer (domingo 11 de octubre), junto a Osvaldo Quintero, observamos un Martín Pescador Verdirrufo macho en el puente sobre la quebrada Juan Grande en Pipeline road. Se mantuvo sólo unos segundos para luego alejarse quebrada arriba posándose al descubierto sobre el agua por un instante y luego desapareció en el bosque. Caminamos por las riberas y lo reubicamos posado tranquilamente en una maraña (al mejor estilo de un hormiguero u otra ave similar por lo elusivo). Incluyo una foto en donde se ve de frente (nada de blanco en las partes ventrales inferiores).

Peg-billed Finch, etc. in PILA

2009-10-12T19:36:00.004-05:00

Euclides Campos spent a couple of days birding La Amistad International Park. The highlight for October 7 was a pair of Green-fronted Lancebills seen at El Retoño trail. Things turned for the best on October 8, with Ochraceous Pewee, a male Peg-billed Finch (feeding on the seeding bamboo two meters overhead), and a few Slaty Finches. Also recorded were Ornate Hawk-Eagle and a few Purple-throated Mountain-Gems and Barred Parakeets.

Dickcissels in Gamboa

2009-10-12T19:32:00.004-05:00

Enrique Rodríguez Álvarez sent in photos of a flock of Dickcissel photographed by the STRI dock in Gamboa on September 27.

Terning at Aguadulce

2009-10-06T20:56:00.002-05:00

While in Coclé, Rosabel and Karl Kaufmann and Delicia and Darién Montañez decided to swing by Aguadulce Salinas to try for the Yellow-billed Tern seen there on September 20. Even though the tide was very high, there weren't many shorebirds anywhere, but we did find a flock of terns by the restaurant at the end of the road (Mar Nathy; great pescado frito): at least 18 Black Terns, about the same number Gull-billeds, a few Sandwiches and fewer Royals. No Least Terns nor Yellow-billed Terns were seen.

Birding El Copé

2009-10-06T20:10:00.010-05:00

Rosabel & Karl Kaufmann, Björn Anderson, and Delicia and Darién Montañez spent the weekend at Parque Nacional General de División Omar Torrijos Herrera (née El Copé), hoping against hope to run into an umbrellabird or three. As luck would have it, we saw none, but we did run into a few interesting species.

Saturday's birding began as soon as we crossed the park boundaries, with a flock of migratory warblers, including the first of many Blackburnians, a couple American Redstarts and a Canada or two. After settling into the very comfortable cabin (which at $10 a night is a steal) we moved to La Rana trail, which produced Chiriquí Quail-Dove (voice only, alas), a small flock of tanagers and warblers and what looked like the remains of a Black Guan (we'd rather not think that this was our umbrellabird). We then continued along Snowcap (née La Rica) Trail, which also proved quiet at the time (near noon). On our way back we had a small flock at the intersection with La Rana that had Tawny-faced Gnatwren, Plain and Spot-crowned Antvireos, Slaty Antwren, and a White-breasted Wood-Wren building a nest. Björn stayed back and saw a Purplish-backed Quail-Dove. Karl and Rosabel had a male Cerulean Warbler foraging around the cabin for about an hour. After lunch we took naps, which a torrential rain extended well into the afternoon. By the time it stopped raining it was too late and foggy to do any real birding, but that didn't keep us from trying. We saw one Bananaquit.

We repeated our routine for Sunday morning, but this time we saw a little more. La Rana had bigger flocks of tanagers, some with Yellow-throated Bush-Tanagers, and one with a pair of White-throated Shrike-Tanagers. Snowcap Trail produced a female Snowcap, Dull-mantled Antbird, Slaty-capped and Olive-striped Flycatchers, and a nice male Yellow-eared Toucanet. Rosabel, Delicia and Karl got to the cabin early enough to try their luck at Los Helechos Trail, which loops from the visitor center back to La Rana, and saw Ruddy Quail-Dove and a mysterious all-slaty, black-capped becard: perhaps a 300-km range extension east for Rose-throated Becard or a 200-km range extension west for One-colored Becard.

The Panama Audubon Society (which published some photos of the trip here) will probably attempt a fieldtrip to El Copé early next year. Would you like to join us on a becard hunt?

Xenornis redesigns

2009-09-28T23:14:00.000-05:00

Xenornis will be getting a long-overdue makeover, courtesy of Typekit and my terrible css skills. Thank you for your patience.

Slate-colored Seedeaters at Parque Metropolitano

2009-09-28T23:00:00.006-05:00

And speaking of seedeaters, Osvaldo Quintero sent in these photos of Slate-colored Seedeater taken yesterday at Parque Metropolitano. The birds, a flock of 10, were in a patch of bamboo by the first mirador on Mono Tití Road, about halfway up to the top.

Also photographed was this drab olive bird. We're calling it a juvenile Black-striped Sparrow, but feel free to leave any dissenting opinions in the messages field below.

[Update: Bill Adsett another possible identity for this bird is a Orange-billed Sparow of the juvenile denomination.]

Blue Seedeater in El Valle

2009-09-28T22:54:00.003-05:00

Björn Anderson photographed this male Blue Seedeater this morning, while visiting Cerro Gaital in El Valle with Ken Allaire. Also photographed, a Black-crowned Antpitta.

Is this a Yellow-billed Tern?

2009-09-25T20:54:00.005-05:00

Euclides Campos and Laura Reyes found this odd tern at Aguadulce salinas on September 20. The bird was with a few first-year Least Terns, but was clearly different. For one thing, it had a yellow bill (hint, hint). The gray crown and unmottled gray back on this bird show it to be an adult in basic plumage. The bill of a non-breeding Least Tern is all-black, but would be yellow and dark-tipped on a non-breeding Yellow-billed Tern, a vagrant from South America that has been recorded in Panama a few times, with records from Aguadulce and El Agallito (but has never been photographed, as far as I know). This bird's bill also seems too heavy for Least, but it lacks the dark area around the nostrils that basic-plumage Yellow-billed Terns should have (see Cotinga 15:10–13 and the identification essay on the Southeastern Caribbean Birds Photo Gallery).

So what do you think? Do we have photo documentation of Yellow-billed Tern in Panama or is this a Least Tern with a freaky bill? Do chime in via the comments, s'il vous plaît.

Below, one extra photo, and two of Least Tern and Red Knots seen that day.