Curlew Sandpiper in Panama Viejo, a report by Tom Hince
This afternoon (October 27th) around 12:45 pm I found a Curlew Sandpiper near the old city ruins while heading towards Tocumen airport to return my rental car. I stopped about half way between the visitor center and the ruins area, where a road turns to the north and there is a good view of the mudflats. I had good scope views of the bird, which based upon plumage was a juvenile and likely a female based upon bill length. I watched the bird foraging with Willets, Western Sandpipers and dowitchers. Twice it made short flights and I could see the wing and rump pattern clearly. I made notes in the field and will forward those when I get home. I was about to go back to the car to get my digital camera to digiscope the bird when the whole mass of shorebirds took flight for a third time and this time they moved a great distance and I couldnt relocate the Curlew Sandpiper. I decided to move on as my spouse was walking ahead taking photos and a passerby with good English stopped and told me i