ORIOLE BIRDING TOUR REPORT PANAMA 2012
Weather Visiting towards the end of the wet season, we expected some rain during the week though perhaps we got a little bit more than expected. It only really affected us on one day [in the highlands above El Valle] where we birded most of the day in rain and low cloud. Most of the remaining precipitation fell either during the night or during early afternoon, when we were often taking a break. Temperatures were in the high twenties throughout, creeping into the early thirties for our day at Juan Hombron on the Pacific coast. General The trip was a great success, and the two bases at Canopy Tower and Canopy Lodge offered both superb accommodation and excellent food. The Lodge definitely offers more plush accommodation, with rooms at the tower small and a bit noisy, but the experience of viewing the rainforest canopy at first light from the towers unique observation deck is second to none. Our two guides, Michael Castro and Eliecer Rodriguez Madrid, were both superb and worked tirelessly to find us the birds not to mention the awesome whistled mimicry of many of our targets! Monday 3 rd December After stopping overnight in Norfolk, Ashley met three of the group at 4am [!] at the Blue Boar Great Ryburgh and transferred them to Norwich International Airport where they med a fourth group member before checking in for the early morning flight to Amsterdam. Arriving in The Netherlands on time, we met our fifth and final group member at the departure gate for the Panama City flight having arrived separately from Birmingham. We experienced a delay of around two hours, some of which we recouped in the air, but we still arrived later than planned at around 1800. We were met by a Canopy Tower driver called Andy who managed to keep us all awake [just!] on the drive to the Tower with his running commentary! Of course arriving in the dark meant that we didn t see any birds today, and we even decided to skip dinner in favour of heading straight to bed as we knew we d need to be up early tomorrow! Tuesday 4 th December We rose at 6am for our first experience of the Canopy Tower Observation Deck, and we weren t to be disappointed. Blue Dacnis was our first trip bird as the sun began to rise, feeding in a flowering tree at eye level the key feature of this amazing viewing platform. Green Honeycreeper, White-necked Jacobin, Palm Tanager, Bay-breasted Warbler and Blue-chested Hummingbird were common species which would no longer receive a mention, but that were none the less superb to see. Keel-billed Toucans began to appear in the treetops for their early morning sojourn they were incredibly elusive and difficult to see during the rest of the day. Grey-headed Kite, Crane Hawk, Violet-bellied Hummingbird, Western Slaty Antshrike, Squirrel Cuckoo, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Scaled Pigeon, Twotoed Sloth and a large Iguana were also noted before breakfast. As would become the norm, breakfast itself was punctuated by some good sightings, as three Olivaceous Woodcreepers appeared in the trees outside, drawing our attention to a superb Crane Hawk perched and then two Collared Aracari which flew into a Cecropia right outside the dining room. Our destination for the mornings birding was the Old Gamboa Road, only five minutes drive away in the open-backed Rainfo-mobile. White-faced Capuchin Monkeys were observed in the trees along Semaphore Hill Road on our way down and a Yellow-headed Caracara was perched in a Banana tree at the road junction. Once at Gamboa, it took about half an hour to walk more than ten yards from the parking area as a host of new birds came thick and fast. Tropical Kingbird, Greattailed Grackle, Great Kiskadee, Turkey Vulture, Blue-Grey Tanager, Crimson-backed Tanager, Southern Rough-winged Swallow and Streaked Saltator would all become familiar birds in open areas such as this, though of course the first time you see them they are still new birds for many! A Broad-winged Hawk drifted over, a Red-crowned Woodpecker called from the top of a pole and a cracking Yellow Warbler was feeding in the palms. Walking along the road to Summit Ponds, we located four roosting Boat-billed Herons, Anhinga and American Alligator while a quite dazzling Prothonotary Warbler worked above our heads. From here a trail leads through quite open secondary growth forest, and this was a good area for getting views of our first forest birds. Boat-billed Flyatcher followed up its namesake Heron, and both Great and Fasciated Antshrikes fed low in the
back of a tangle. The same dense clump also held Variable Seedeater, Long-billed Gnatwren, Lesser Greenlet and three Yellow-tailed Orioles, with a fine male of the latter perched in the open. Two Lineated Woodpeckers were excavating their nest hole in a nearby tree, where two Orange-chinned Parakeets were loafing in the high branches of the same tree. The second section of the trail eventually opened out onto a wide track where Southern Rough-winged Swallows were feeding and a smart Bat Falcon was spotted perched in a dead tree. The walk back through the denser distal section of forest added a superb Yellow-throated Vireo among a feeding flock that also hosted Plaincoloured Tanager, while three Squirrel Cuckoos moved through the tangled vines. A Song Wren was tempted into the open for good views and a second flock in the canopy held Baltimore Oriole, Streaked Flycatcher, White-shouldered Tanager and another Yellow-throated Vireo, The Prothonotary Warbler showed much better on the way back, a Green Heron was at the ponds and our first Magnificent Frigatebird drifted over. After a long lunch break back at the Tower [adding Black Vulture and Long-billed Hermit], we ventured out again in the afternoon to the Ammo Dump Ponds. This proved to be a very birdy area with a superb Grey Hawk kicking things off as we arrived, perched on a pylon beside the canal. The undoubted highlight was a stunning juvenile Rufescent Tiger-Heron which showed down to about ten feet throughout our time here, even sneaking up behind us at one point while we were watching something else no nab a grasshopper! The pools themselves held Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Wattled Jacana, Anhinga and another [adult] Rufescent Tiger-Heron, though it was really the surrounding trees and vegetation that held the majority of the birds. A Northern Waterthrush was creeping along the edge of an overgrown ditch, where we also saw Cocoa Woodcreeper, Social Flycatcher, Plain-coloured Tanager and some more rather large Iguanas! The grassy areas held both Variable and Ruddy-breasted Seedeaters while the trees bordering the road hosted a series of flycatchers Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Yellow-margined, Streaked and Panama Flycatchers. Thick-billed Euphonia and Golden-fronted Greenlet were also seen before we moved on a little further, to the entrance to the famous Pipeline Road. We only spent about half an hour here in the fading light but it was clear what a fabulous area this was for seeing forest birds. A female Gartered Trogon perched in the open for us, a male Red-throated Ant-Tanager was seen and Michael called out the Chestnut-backed Antbird which despite eventually giving some of the group a really hard time, eventually showed at close range among the shady leaf litter. A quick stop by the ponds on the way back out added a stunning Ringed Kingfisher, sharing its chosen tree with a Common Todyflycatcher. A Snail Kite perched on a stump at the far side of the pool was a real bonus to end the day. White-necked Jacobin Wednesday 5 th December Our usual meet on the observation deck for early morning birding at 0600 was productive as we added a few new species, notably the two larger parrot species which we had seen in flight a few times but not managed to pin down properly. Both Red-lored and Mealy Amazons were scoped up perched in the treetops, as well as the usual Keel-billed Toucans. Other species noted included good views of Bay-breasted and Chestnut-sided Warblers, two Blue-headed Parrots, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, Double-toothed Kite and Purple-crowned Fairy. The two species which interrupted
breakfast today were Scarlet-rumped Cacique and Fulvous-vented Euphonia, both right outside the window. Our morning excursion today was to the nearby Plantation Trail, a good path running through secondary growth forest that starts at the bottom of Semaphore Hill Road. Much of this area was an old Banana plantation and a few of these trees can still be seen, hinting at its past use. Otherwise you would not think this was anything other than prime forest, with huge emergent trees strung with vines and bromeliads and some huge buttress roots. Just around the parking area, we had great views of Black-tailed Trogon, White-bellied Antbird and Dusky Antbird, and clearly this was going to be another birdy area! New birds came thick and fast, including three Rufous Motmot, Black-chested Puffbird, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Scaly-throated Leaftosser, Checker-throated Antwren, Plain Xenops, Olivaceous Flatbill, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Song Wren, White-breasted Wood-wren [building a nest], Lesser Greenlet and Black-faced Trogon. Our first really experience of birders neck was not helped by the Black-capped Pygmy-tyrant, a tiny bird which is only found at the top of the tallest emergent trees! Orange-billed Sparrow was present and seen well by Michael and Ashley, but unfortunately would not show for the group we d be saving this one for later on at the Lodge! After a superb lunch and welcome hammock time we set off on foot after lunch to explore the Semaphore Hill road itself. Checker-throated and Dot-winged Antwrens were very common, being encountered in several small feeding flocks. Long-billed Gnatwren remained typically elusive among these flocks though many other species showed well such as White-shouldered Tanager, Fasciated Antshrike, Western Slaty Antshrike, Plain Xenops, Black-bellied Wren, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Cocoa, Northern Barred and Plain-brown Woodcreepers [all virtually in the same tree!], Southern Bentbill and Black-throated Trogon. Perhaps a highlight was our first humbug-like Black and White Warbler, a bird which would become a real crowd-pleaser each time we saw it. Back at the Tower, and there was just time to add Short-tailed and Lesser Swallow-tailed Swifts and a stunning Golden-hooded Tanager before the onset of dusk. Rufescent Tiger-Heron Thursday 6 th December We skipped our pre-breakfast observation this morning in favour of an early start for the world renowned neotropical birding location that is Pipeline Road. This however saw us pass the Ammo Dump ponds again, and a quick look turned into a bit of a bird bonanza! We d already added Claycoloured Thrush, Mangrove Swallow, Sandwich Tern, Laughing Gull and Tropical Mockingbird on the way through Gamboa, and the ponds produced further views of species seen yesterday such as Ring Kingfisher, Wattled Jacana, Rufescent Tiger-heron, and both seedeaters. A Blue-black Grassquit, perched on an adjacent fence, was new for the list. Once at the Pipeline Road, we drove down the first section in the 4X4 vehicle so that we could park and walk. Band-rumped Swifts were seen overhead and around the parking spot, a feeding flock was moving through. Dot-winged and Checker-throated Antwrens were common, and amongst them we picked out our first Brown-capped Tyrannulet. The first part of our walk was dominated by time spent looking for two of the most skulking forest floor species of this area. The first was a bird which could be heard in virtually any
piece of forest in Panama the Black-faced Antthrush. However, seeing this bird, which is somewhat like a cross between a thrush and a rail, is a different matter! Eventually with Michaels perseverance and everyone s patience, we got some really good views. Thankfully the second skulker, the Streakchested Antpitta [or egg-on-legs as it became affectionately known!] was more obliging, and even hung around for scope views after Michael had coaxed it out from the undergrowth. What a superb little bird! Some more really good birds included both Black-striped and Cinammon Woodpeckers, Spot-crowned Antvireo, Southern Bentbill, Red-lored Amazon and the fantastic Purple-throated Fruitcrow before we reached the end of the first section of the walk. While Michael went back for the vehicle, we found a Broad-billed Motmot and then a female Slaty-tailed Trogon in quick succession, followed by a welcome cold drink. The second section of the walk added more of the same species, though White-shouldered Tanager and Brown-capped Tyrannulet gave some better views. Speckled Mourner, Red-capped Manakin and King Vulture were new species, and another new trogon wrapped up the walk a superb White-tailed Trogon. Back near the exit on the way back [after negotiating a rather sticky section of the track which almost swallowed the 4x4!] we had another flurry of birds as we bumped into Eliecer leading another group. As we stopped to chat to them, we picked up a flock of Greater Ani, Cinammon Becard and Yellow-backed Oriole moving through the trees, as well as another Gartered Trogon. Everyone rushed back to the Tower so as not to miss lunch as we had a busy afternoon ahead. The afternoon was dominated by our visit to the engineering marvel that is the Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal, where ships transit the lock system to reach sea level from their passage through Lake Gatun which is several metres higher. We visited the museum and watched a short film about the locks and spent some time on the observation decks watching an enormous cruise liner transit the lock system. Birds seen incuded Tricoloured and Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egret, Magnificent Frigatebird, Laughing Gull, Brown Pelican, Great Egret, Osprey, Broad-winged Hawk and Cattle Egret. Back at the Tower, we rounded off the day with another new species in the form of a Whitevented Plumeleteer visiting the nectar feeders. We also saw Band-rumped and Short-tailed Swifts, Mealy Amazon and Bat Falcon. Friday 7 th December Our final morning at Canopy Tower was a cracker, with our pre-breakfast observations adding Black-headed Tody-flycatcher to the list as well as providing good views of Mealy Amazon, Keelbilled Toucan, White-vented Plumeleteer, Blue Dacnis, Scaled and White-vented Pigeons and two superb Squirrel Cuckoo which were playing about in the Cecropia outside the window during breakfast. The undoubted highlight came just as we were loading up for our morning excursion, as two Green Shrike Vireo, a bird we had heard relentlessly for the last three days and got nowhere near seeing, appeared in a low tree right outside the front door of the Tower! Gamboa was our destination for the morning and we all agreed that to date, this was our best birding session. The place was simply alive, and new birds began with three Grey-headed Chachalaca in the trees along the entrance road to the Gamboa resort. Tropical Kingbirds, Great Kiskadees and Social Flycatchers sallied from every vantage point and both Red-legged Honeycreeper and Rufoustailed Hummingbird had been added by the time we reached the parking spot. Here a bird table was bustling with Golden-hooded, Flame-rumped, Crimson-backed, Palm, Plain-coloured and Blue-Grey Tanagers, Thick-billed Euphonia and a stunning male Red-legged Honeycreeper. Tropical House Wren and Yellow-crowned Euphonia shared a dead tree snag with a Red-crowned Woodpecker and the denser trees hosted Clay-coloured Thrush, Golden-fronted Greenlet, Streaked and Buff-throated Saltators, Common Tody-flycatcher and Scrub Greenlet. Ruddy Ground Dove was a new list addition, though this was a species which would become incredibly common as we headed further west. An irrigated allotment was bustling with flycatchers, and Rusty-margined was a new bird for us. Northern Waterthrush showed extremely well here, and had previously only been glimpsed by about half the group. In the rushes behind, Michael called in a White-throated Crake to about 2 feet, and a Scrub Greenlet perched inquisitively on the reeds behind showing its white eye. Walking on from the habitation into a forested track, a feeding flock moved around us and we were blown away by such gems as Golden-winged Warbler and a brief Shining Honeycreeper. Another Cinammon
Becard was here too and we also saw Buff-breasted Wren, Mourning Warbler, Streaked Flycatcher, White-shouldered Tanager and Southern Beardless Tyrannulet. An isolated clump of taller trees produced our only Blue-crowned Motmot of the tour and by the adjacent ponds, American Purple Gallinule and Green Heron showed well. A female Summer Tanager appeared briefly and Michael called out the elusive Jet Antbird from the reeds. Male and female Slaty-tailed Trogons capped off a mad half hour, at which point Michael announced that we should start making an effort Lets Go Birding!. The denser woodland should have proven more difficult, but after getting superb close range views of a Chestnut-mandibled Toucan we chanced upon a vast feeding flock of tanagers. All the previously seen tanager species were present, flycatching in a glade, and amongst them we saw Green Shrike Vireo, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Masked Tityra [at least half a dozen], Black-chested Wren, Panama Flycatcher and new birds in the form of Tropical Gnatcatcher and White-winged Becard. The walk back to the car added two Forest Elaenia, and once back at the car Mike revealed that his visit into the vegetation for a pee had flushed a large rail! We deduced that it must be Grey-necked Wood-Rail, and Michael played the call to check. Two came rushing out of the undergrowth and began to call loudly another one in the bag! We were not done yet though, and on our way out of the complex we called at the Rio Chagres to look for waterbirds. Common Moorhen and American Coot were keeping a raft of Lesser Scaup company, and both Spotted Sandpiper and Royal Tern were seen distantly. The highlight though was a roosting Lesser Nighthawk which Michael had found the week before, lying motionless on a horizontal tree branch. After our final lunch back at the Tower, we were collected by minibus to transfer approximately two hours to the Canopy Lodge. A Savannah Hawk by the side of the road along the highway was the only additional species noted, and we arrived at the Lodge at 1615 with our new guide Eliecer. After checking into our luxurious rooms and reconvening at the viewing area overlooking the beautiful gardens, Eliecer put some Bananas out on the bird tables. Immediately, scores of Clay-coloured Thrushes came tearing down from the forest and within seconds the tables were bustling with a cocktail of colourful tanagers and euphonias. This was a great chance to see species such as Buff-throated Saltator, Tennessee Warbler, Red-crowned Woodpecker and the stunning Flame-rumped Tanager up close as they joined the feast, though we also saw a Black and White Warbler and added Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, Red-crowned Ant-tanager, Rufous-capped Warbler, Bananaquit and a female Green Kingfisher on the stream running through the garden. Believe it or not it was time to go birding though, and a short walk to Chorro Macho waterfall in the last hour of light added yet more species. The previously glimpsed Orange-billed Sparrow was found near the entrance to Canopy Adventure and an Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush did its best to avoid detection in the undergrowth. Bay Wren, Dusky-faced Tanager and Black-chested Jay were all new birds though the icing on the cake was a cracking White-tipped Sicklebill, seen at its roost in a bush overhanging the river in front of the spectacular waterfall. What a way to end a simply breathless days birding. Rufous-capped Warbler Saturday 8 th December Pre-breakfast birding in the Canopy Lodge garden yielded the usual great views of birds coming to feed at the tables, including Summer and Red-crowned Ant-Tanagers. Two Social Flycatchers, Rufous-capped Warbler and crippling views of Orange-billed Sparrow were also had.
Las Minas trail would be our destination for the mornings birding, up at the top of the El Valle crater rim at around 2500ft and accessed along the rather bumpy and steep road from the Lodge. We were there and birding in twenty minutes though, with a Roadside Hawk perched in a Cecropia to welcome us! Mourning Warbler, Yellow-faced Grassquit and Stripe-breasted Hermit were seen in the hedgerow and as we started the walk along the trail new birds continued. Paltry Tyrranulet, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant and Green Hermit were all seen, and it did not take long to locate the iconic bird of this high altitude forest the Orange-bellied Trogon. We were particularly pleased to see this fine bird, as it completed our full set of trogons for Panama. Some spectacular hummingbirds were seen with the sparse scattering of heliconia flowers attracting them down to the side of the track. Purple-throated Mountain-Gem was perhaps the pick of the bunch, though we also saw Violet-crowned Woodnymph, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird and even a brief female Snowcap. Next it was off into the undergrowth about fifty yards from the main trail where Eliecer instructed us to stand as quietly as possible while he tried playing the call of the Black-crowned Antpitta Just in case. After a couple of minutes, Ashley looked casually behind him to see the bird in question sitting in full view about ten feet away, and gesticulated to the others. This was quite unlike any bird any of us had ever looked for, however. It moved like a Ninja, sticking religiously to the darkest recesses of the forest floor and moving from one spot to the next without so much as rustling a leaf yet alone showing itself. It really did make the likes of Corncrake and Cetti s Warbler look easy, but with patience, two leaders working hard with laser pointers and careful use of the playback, we all eventually had some very good views of this amazing bird. If there were ever an advert for the necessity of a small group, this was it! There was no time for resting on our laurels though, as we had more birds to find and as we continued along the main trail, we soon encountered a feeding flock. Tufted Flycatchers were suddenly easy to see, and we saw Spotted Woodcreeper, White-ruffed Manakin, Plain Antvireo, Tawny-capped Euphonia, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, Silver-throated Tanager and Yellow-bellied Elaenia in quick succession. Again though, much patient observation and hard work was required to get everyone satisfactory views of all the species present. Moving out onto the ridge, we could just about see down to the Pacific coast between the clouds, and here deforestation has created open high-altitude grassland shrouded in clouds. Common Bush Tanager, Thick-billed Seed-finch and a cracking White-tailed Kite were the new species of this terrain, with pride of place going to a Black Hawk Eagle which circled over us calling. Back at the Lodge for lunch, Tennessee Warbler and Snowy-bellied Hummingbird finally made it onto everyones list having by seen by some previously, and three of us also added Whitetipped Dove while the more adventurous members of the group took an hour out to complete the exhilarating Canopy Adventure zip line. Eliecer had more great birding lined up for us after lunch though, as we headed down into the El Valle suburbs and picked up the Cara Iguana trail. Some large gardens here were good for viewing and species such as Plain Wren, Barred Antshrike, Social Flycatcher, Orange-chinned Parakeet [at least twenty seen], Red-legged Honeycreeper, Rufouscapped Warbler and Black-chested Jay were easily seen. A Stripe-throated Hermit buzzed at flowers right under our nose but defied the focussing speed of the human eye in typical hermit fashion would we ever see a member of this genus for more than a tenth of a second? Thankfully Eliecer s next piece of magic needed no such concentration, as we enjoyed crippling views of two adult and one young Spectacled Owl, roosting in some dry woodland just off the path. After initially flushing easily, the birds soon realised we were no threat to them and just watched us from the branches above. Definitely one of the most magical moments of the tour. We now had about an hour of light left lets see if we can find any wintering warblers along this trail announces Eliecer. We decided that one tree with Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided, Tennessee, Black and White and Blackburnian Warblers, Yellow-throated and Philadelphia Vireos and American Redstart could just about be regarded as a success! A Swainson s Thrush feeding quietly under the trees before perching motionless on a branch in typical fashion highlighted that this was clearly an important area for wintering North American passerines. Male Summer Tanager, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, Broad-winged Hawk, Streaked Saltator and Rufous-breasted Wren were our final birds of the day as we headed back to the Lodge with another bulging notebook.
Green Kingfisher Sunday 9 th December Heading back up into the mountains today we spent a full day at Altos del Maria, a rather strange place which is essentially a new plush development of properties for wealthy Panamanians, with landscaped gardens and a lake all randomly located at about 3000 feet in the cloud forest at the edge of the El Valle crater. Despite the wealth, the access road was more like Hardknott Pass in the Lake District, and even with 4x4 vehicles was interesting in places to say the least! Virtually a whole day of rain or drizzle, coupled with the low cloud, meant that the area definitely posed our most difficult birding challenge of the tour, but nonetheless we were successful here with perseverance. Our first walk through the forest on one of the metalled roads yielded a new bird almost straight away, with a fine Canada Warbler feeding at eye level. Black and White Warbler, Whiteruffed Manakin female, Tufted Flycatcher and Tawny-capped Euphonia were part of the same flock. Several Green Hermit sightings were all typically brief, though Violet-crowned Woodnymph was more obliging as it perched up for us. While paying a visit behind a tree Ashley was joined by two Spotted Barbtails, another new species, and fortunately we were able to relocate them along with two Grey-breasted Wood-wrens for good measure. We enjoyed several sightings of Swainson s Thrush, an Olive-sided Flycatcher was new and we also noted Spotted Woodcreeper, Plain Antvireo and Silver-throated Tanager. Another small feeding flock produced another crop of new species, as we notched Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, Ochraceous Wren, Hepatic Tanager and the superb Tawnycrested Tanager. Moving on in the vehicles to a new spot, and again the trees were busy with activity. Scalecrested Pygmy-Tyrant, Canada Warbler, Spotted Woodcreeper, Spotted Barbtail, Plain Xenops and a very brief male Snowcap were seen, while new birds included Red-faced Spinetail, a pair of very brief Slaty Antwrens and a cracking view of Bright-rumped Atilla. A nearby trail through the forest, randomly served by an expensive looking concrete pathway, actually produced little though we did have very good views of an Orange-bellied Trogon. At a nearby lake, a Green Heron was doing its best to turn itself into a branch and we were pleased to see that our driver Rodrigo had laid out lunch for us under a gazebo by the lakeside. After lunch we decided to return in the vehicles to the first area that we had walked, as this had seemed the most birdy spot around. Sure enough this proved a good call as we added a further three new species. An Eastern Wood Pewee was the least inspiring of these, being yet another similar looking flycatcher! However the other two made up for it a flycatching Brown Violet-ear which allowed scope views as it fed high in the canopy, and two Blue-throated Toucanets, expertly spotted by Eliecer as they blended beautifully with the foliage of the canopy. Tawny-capped Euphonia and Common Bush-Tanager were also seen, while at the entrance gate, we had good views at last of Green and Stripe-breasted Hermits. It was here that we then struck upon the highlight of the day, as Eliecer found us a male Snowcap perched!! We watched this most stunning little hummer as it darted about the canopy, each time returning to the same perch and at one point even seeing off a rival. Finally, we rounded off our visit to this area by walking around the landscaped gardens, and while a little quiet we did see more Green Hermits, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Bananaquit, Mourning Warbler,
Yellow-crowned Euphonia and Paltry Tyrannulet. A Wilson s Warbler would have been an addition to the list had it stuck around long enough for anyone other than the guides to see it. Finally as we headed back down to El Valle, we decided to have a quick look in a high altitude grassland area on the edge of the crater to check for Wedge-tailed Grassfinch and Crested Bobwhite. However, despite negotiating some more very tricky roads, we arrived to find the site extremely exposed and windy, with little prospect of either species. However, a pair of Hepatic Tanagers showed well in a bush by the side of the road, and we managed to add another new hummingbird to our list as Ashley found a Garden Emerald perched in the open. Snowcap Monday 10 th December Another full day today saw us head down to the Pacific coastal lowlands where we visited some very different habitats and hence enjoyed another wealth of new species. Juan Hombron turned out to be our main destination for the day, as we took our time exploring the network of ricefields from the main track that ran for several kilometres off the main highway and down to the Pacific Ocean. Our first stop was no more than 200 metres from the highway and a garden here yielded Groove-billed Ani [common for rest of day], Tropical Mockingbird, White-tipped and Ruddy Ground-Dove and a superb Rufous-browed Peppershrike singing from high in a tree. Moving on further down the track another savannah Hawk stopped us in our tracks as it sat close to the road, allowing for some good photo opportunities this would be the first of several seen in this area. The technique from there on was to walk a section of the track and then wait for Eliecer to go back for the minibus. This tactic worked well, and along the first walk we added Plain-breasted Ground-Dove, Mourning Dove, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Eastern Meadowlark, Yellow-crowned Parrot, Brown-throated Parakeet, Lesser Goldfinch, Crested Caracara and Sapphire-throated Hummingbird and also saw both Roadside and Broad-winged Hawks, Scrub Greenlet and Common Tody- Flycatcher. The next section was more wooded each side of the path, and a dense area held a fine male Lance-tailed Manakin and a Yellow-green Vireo. Prothonotary Warbler and Golden-fronted Greenlet were also present and while waiting for the vehicle, we explored an adjacent ditch which produced both Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers. Next up was a field full of herons! A tractor was working and there must have been a couple of thousand herons in the one field, mainly Little Blue Herons but also Cattle, Snowy and Great Egrets, Yellow-headed and Crested Caracara s, Southern Lapwing and a hunting Peregrine. The next damp field gave us superb close up views of two Solitary Sandpipers right next to the van, amongst a group of Southern Lapwing. The final section of the track leading to the beach gave us our best views of the tricky Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, a nice flock of White Ibis, a Great Blue Heron and displaying male Blue-Black Grassquit, jumping up and down on a branch! The beach itself was very hot, but by setting up our scopes under the shade of a few plams we enjoyed a successful seawatching session. Willet and Hudsonian Whimbrel were both on the shore and hundreds of Magnificent Frigatebirds were around a fishing boat offshore. This melee was attracting several Blue-footed Boobies, Brown Pelicans and Neotropical Cormorants in too. A flock of American Wigeon flew past and a group of Lesser Scaup were on the water. The marshy fields behind were very productive, with a large flock of Blue-winged Teal flying around and good sightings of
Great Blue Heron, Wattled Jacana, Greater Yellowlegs and about forty Glossy Ibis were obtained. A Wood Stork circled overhead here and a couple of Tropical Mockingbirds were in the garden of the house were Eliecer was busy preparing our cooked lunch. We enjoyed this in the shade before taking a walk along the track to get closer views of the pools. This proved oppressively hot, and we struggled a bit with the temperature for the first time on the trip, though we still saw some good birds. A Yellow-rumped Warbler was a nice find along the fenceline, and we managed to get good views eventually of the extremely skulking Pale-breasted Spinetail. Black-crowned Night and Tricoloured Herons, Black-bellied Whistling Duck and a smart Common Black Hawk rounded things off. We were glad to get back into the air-conditioned bus and start making our way back out towards the highway, but a stop to view a Grey Kingbird on the wire also led to us spotting a cracking Aplomado Falcon perched on the same wire a little further down. We were able to position the vehicle to get great views of this rare raptor, on the eastern edge of its range at this site. One more stop by a flowering tree then produced the iconic bird of the area the endemic Vereguan Mango. Everyone was pleased to get such good views of this new hummingbird, and to cap it off we had much better views of a group of Brown-throated Parakeets and chanced upon two Crested Bobwhite feeding along the edge of the track, too. Eliecer had one more trick up his sleeve before we left the area completely, as we took the turning for El Chiru after a few miles back down the highway. This area is a shadow of its former self as the local people are now growing corn here on an industrial scale, making viewing the area very difficult. However, a quick stop by some mature gardens yielded our target within minutes, as Eliecer called out a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl in typically expert fashion and we all had excellent views! So it was back towards El Valle, but with a little time left we felt we could try again for the Tody Motmot, and so made a stop in the forest about 8km south of the town. Perseverance and quite unbelievable eyesight conspired to produce a good sighting of this cracking little bird, perched motionless and almost invisible in a tangle of vines along a dry stream gulley. This really did epitomise how brilliant these guides had been, seeing things hidden behind foliage at 50 metres range without even looking through binoculars! So the Tody was finally in the bag, after whistling it for the last three days, and to cap it off we added White-lined Tanager and Grey-capped Flycatcher too before dusk began to fall. Back to Lodge then for our last supper and the chance to do a bit of packing ready for tomorrow. Solitary Sandpiper Tuesday 11 th December Despite being our homeward bound day today, we still had a bit of time for some birding due to the evening flight time. We took a leisurely breakfast as we were all tired after the last couple of days early starts, and thinking ahead to the long haul flight. Still we were of course able to see a few birds around the garden with a cracking Collared Aracari on the bird table a highlight. A Lousiana Waterthrush was glimpsed by two of the group, but not quite well enough to make it onto the list. We left the Lodge at 0930 and made the two hour transfer into Panama City, where we had arranged to make a stop overlooking Panama Bay in the hope of connecting with a few shorebirds. Our driver took us to a spot where we could view the shore by the mouth of a river, and with the tide rising there were huge numbers of birds present. An Agamai Heron fed under the bridge where
several Spotted Sandpipers were also seen, and a mixed party of Laughing and Franklin s Gulls made for some handy comparisons. The bulk of the waders were Marbled Godwits, Willets and Shortbilled Dowitchers, with a few Black-necked Stilts, Grey Plovers, three Greater Yellowlegs and a single Semipalmated/Western Sandpiper seen amongst them. A Forster s Tern was loafing on the rocks and an Osprey gave superb views as it dismembered its prey on a protruding log. We couldn t pick out anything else though, and so we made the short transfer from here to Tocumen International Airport. After getting ourselves freshened up and re-packing, we had a coffee and finished our trip list before checking in for the overnight KLM flight back to Amsterdam. Collared Aracari Wednesday 12 th December We arrived a little later than originally scheduled in Amsterdam, which suited most of us as we had a long wait in Schipol Airport for our connection back to Norwich, which departed on time at about 1645. Due to the hours time difference, we arrived back in Norwich at 1615 to be greeted by freezing conditions! The tour concluded once we had safely transferred the 45 minutes or so back to Great Ryburgh. Systematic List 1. Black-bellied Whistling Duck 2. American Wigeon 3. Blue-winged Teal 4. Grey-headed Chachalaca 5. Crested Bobwhite 6. Wood Stork 7. Magnificent Frigatebird 8. Blue-footed Booby 9. Neotropical Cormorant 10. Anhinga 11. Brown Pelican 12. Rufescent Tiger-Heron 13. Great Blue Heron 14. Great White Egret 15. Snowy Egret 16. Little Blue Heron 17. Tricoloured Heron 18. Cattle Egret 19. Green Heron 20. Agami Heron 21. Black-crowned Night-heron 22. Boat-billed Heron 23. White Ibis
24. Glossy Ibis 25. Black Vulture 26. Turkey Vulture 27. Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture 28. King Vulture 29. Osprey 30. Grey-headed Kite 31. White-tailed Kite 32. Snail Kite 33. Double-toothed Kite 34. Crane Hawk 35. Common Black Hawk 36. Savannah Hawk 37. Broad-winged Hawk 38. Roadside Hawk 39. Grey Hawk 40. Short-tailed Hawk 41. Black Hawk-eagle 42. Crested Caracara 43. Yellow-headed Caracara 44. American Kestrel 45. Aplomado Falcon 46. Bat Falcon 47. Peregrine 48. White-throated Crake 49. Grey-necked Wood-Rail 50. American Purple Gallinule 51. Common Moorhen 52. American Coot 53. Southern Lapwing 54. Wattled Jacana 55. Spotted Sandpiper 56. Solitary Sandpiper 57. Greater Yellowlegs 58. Willet 59. Hudsonian Whimbrel 60. Marbled Godwit 61. Semipalmated/Western Sandpiper 62. Short-billed Dowitcher 63. Black-necked Stilt 64. Laughing Gull 65. Franklin s Gull 66. Royal Tern 67. Sandwich Tern 68. Forster s Tern 69. Pale-vented Pigeon 70. Scaled Pigeon 71. Mourning Dove 72. Plain-breasted Ground-dove 73. Ruddy Ground-dove 74. White-tipped Dove 75. Brown-throated Parakeet 76. Orange-chinned Parakeet 77. Blue-headed Parrot 78. Mealy Amazon 79. Red-lored Amazon 80. Yellow-crowned Parrot
81. Squirrel Cuckoo 82. Greater Ani 83. Groove-billed Ani 84. Spectacled Owl 85. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 86. Lesser Nighthawk 87. Short-tailed Swift 88. Band-rumped Swift 89. Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift 90. Green Hermit 91. Long-billed Hermit 92. Stripe-throated Hermit 93. White-tipped Sicklebill 94. White-necked Jacobin 95. Brown Violet-ear 96. Vereguan Mango 97. Garden Emerald 98. Violet-crowned Woodnymph 99. Violet-bellied Hummingbird 100. Sapphire-throated Hummingbird 101. Blue-chested Hummingbird 102. Snowy-bellied Hummingbird 103. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird 104. Snowcap 105. White-vented Plumeleteer 106. Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer 107. Purple-throated Mountain-gem 108. Purple-crowned Fairy 109. Slaty-tailed Trogon 110. Black-tailed Trogon 111. White-tailed Trogon 112. Gartered Trogon 113. Black-throated Trogon 114. Orange-bellied Trogon 115. Tody Motmot 116. Rufous Motmot 117. Broad-billed Motmot 118. Blue-crowned Motmot 119. Ringed Kingfisher 120. Green Kingfisher 121. Black-breasted Puffbird 122. Blue-throated Toucanet 123. Collared Aracari 124. Keel-billed Toucan 125. Chestnut-mandibled Toucan 126. Black-cheeked Woodpecker 127. Red-crowned Woodpecker 128. Cinammon Woodpecker 129. Lineated Woodpecker 130. Crimson-crested Woodpecker 131. Scaly-throated Leaftosser 132. Pale-breasted Spinetail 133. Red-faced Spinetail 134. Spotted Barbtail 135. Plain Xenops 136. Plain Brown Woodcreeper 137. Olivaceous Woodcreeper
138. Northern Barred Woodcreeper 139. Cocoa Woodcreeper 140. Black-striped Woodcreeper 141. Spotted Woodcreeper 142. Fasciated Antshrike 143. Barred Antshrike 144. Great Antshrike 145. Western Slaty Antshrike 146. Plain Antvireo 147. Spot-crowned Antvireo 148. Checker-throated Antwren 149. Slaty Antwren 150. Dot-winged Antwren 151. Dusky Antbird 152. Jet Antbird 153. White-bellied Antbird 154. Chestnut-backed Antbird 155. Black-faced Antthrush 156. Black-crowned Antpitta 157. Streak-chested Antpitta 158. Brown-capped Tyrannulet 159. Southern Beardless Tyrannulet 160. Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet 161. Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet 162. Forest Elaenia 163. Yellow-bellied Elaenia 164. Rufous-browed Tyrannulet 165. Paltry Tyrannulet 166. Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant 167. Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant 168. Southern Bentbill 169. Common Tody-Flycatcher 170. Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher 171. Olivaceous Flatbill 172. Yellow-margined Flycatcher 173. Golden-crowned Spadebill 174. Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher 175. Tufted Flycatcher 176. Olive-sided Flycatcher 177. Eastern Wood-Pewee 178. Long-tailed Tyrant 179. Bright-rumped Atilla 180. Panama Flycatcher 181. Great Kiskadee 182. Boat-billed Flycatcher 183. Rusty-margined Flycatcher 184. Social Flycatcher 185. Grey-capped Flycatcher 186. Streaked Flycatcher 187. Tropical Kingbird 188. Grey Kingbird 189. Fork-tailed Flycatcher 190. Speckled Mourner 191. Cinammon Becard 192. White-winged Becard 193. Masked Tityra 194. Purple-throated Fruitcrow
195. Golden-collared Manakin 196. White-ruffed Manakin 197. Lance-tailed Manakin 198. Blue-crowned Manakin 199. Red-capped Manakin 200. Yellow-throated Vireo 201. Philadelphia Vireo 202. Yellow-green Vireo 203. Scrub Greenlet 204. Golden-fronted Greenlet 205. Lesser Greenlet 206. Green Shrike-vireo 207. Rufous-browed Peppershrike 208. Black-chested Jay 209. Grey-breasted Martin 210. Mangrove Swallow 211. Southern Rough-winged Swallow 212. Barn Swallow 213. Black-bellied Wren 214. Bay Wren 215. Rufous-breasted Wren 216. Buff-breasted Wren 217. Plain Wren 218. House Wren 219. Ochraceous Wren 220. White-breasted Wood-wren 221. Grey-breasted Wood-wren 222. Song Wren 223. Long-billed Gnatwren 224. Tropical Gnatcatcher 225. Orange-billed Nightingale-thrush 226. Swainson s Thrush 227. Clay-coloured Robin 228. Tropical Mockingbird 229. Golden-winged Warbler 230. Tennessee Warbler 231. Yellow Warbler 232. Chestnut-sided Warbler 233. Yellow-rumped Warbler 234. Blackburnian Warbler 235. Bay-breasted Warbler 236. Black and White Warbler 237. American Redstart 238. Prothonotary Warbler 239. Northern Waterthrush 240. Mourning Warbler 241. Canada Warbler 242. Rufous-capped Warbler 243. Bananaquit 244. Common Bush Tanager 245. Dusky-faced Tanager 246. White-shouldered Tanager 247. Tawny-crested Tanager 248. White-lined Tanager 249. Crimson-backed Tanager 250. Flame-rumped Tanager 251. Blue-grey Tanager
252. Palm Tanager 253. Golden-hooded Tanager 254. Plain-coloured Tanager 255. Silver-throated Tanager 256. Blue Dacnis 257. Green Honeycreeper 258. Red-legged Honeycreeper 259. Shining Honeycreeper 260. Streaked Saltator 261. Buff-throated Saltator 262. Black-headed Saltator 263. Blue-black Grassquit 264. Variable Seedeater 265. Ruddy-breasted Seedeater 266. Thick-billed Seed-finch 267. Yellow-faced Grassquit 268. Orange-billed Sparrow 269. Hepatic Tanager 270. Summer Tanager 271. Red-crowned Ant-Tanager 272. Red-throated Ant-Tanager 273. Blue-Black Grosbeak 274. Eastern Meadowlark 275. Great-tailed Grackle 276. Yellow-backed Oriole 277. Yellow-tailed Oriole 278. Baltimore Oriole 279. Scarlet-rumped Cacique 280. Yellow-crowned Euphonia 281. Thick-billed Euphonia 282. Fulvous-vented Euphonia 283. Tawny-capped Euphonia 284. Lesser Goldfinch