Xenornis

On the early afternoon of June 16, the Panama Audubon team surveying shorebirds in Pacora—including Yenifer Díaz and Rosabel Miró—spotted this Large-billed Tern out on the mudflats. Needless to say, this is the first record of this rare vagrant from South America in forever. Also present were about 50 Common Terns , and a pair of American Oystercatchers with a chick in tow.

This morning (september 27th) I saw an Elegant Tern at the easternmost end of playa Veracruz (by the river). It was alone and stayed only 10 minutes, resting close to a flock of Whimbrels and Willets. Then it flew directly to the sea. Later, I found two American Oystercatchers at Farfan, by the bridge between the former beach and the entrance to Palo Seco Hospital. They were not close to the road, I had to walk a lot through the beach (with rubber boots) in order to find them feeding in a rocky shore. It seems that this is a regular site, since I saw also a pair there during the last Pacific Christmas Bird Count (curiously, I also saw an Elegant Tern in Veracruz during the last Pacific CBC).

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.

Delicia, Pedro and Darién Montañez saw a female Snail Kite eating a snail on a fencepost by the main entrance to El Rincón de Santa María. An ANAM park ranger said that it has been around for about a month. This is, to my knowledge, the second report from Azuero of the species. The flock of Lesser Scaup was not at the Ciénaga, and neither were the Caspian Terns. The Scaup were still there on wednesday (Feb 16), though. Francisco Delgado reports American Oystercatchers at Isla Iguana, possibly the first time they've been seen there. Also, he found a Gray-breasted Crake dead-on-the-road at Playa Blanca, and a Forster's Tern at El Agallito. On February 20, a brief morning visit to the road that goes into the mangroves at the right from El Agallito produced an even briefer sighting of a female Common Ground-Dove. Also, a White-winged Dove made a fly-by appearance.