Xenornis

A principios de esta semana visité la provincia de Darién con Euclides Campos, Dave Klauber y Margot Ramos.   En la tarde de 20 de Julio visitamos un propiedad privada con arrozales cerca de Aligandí. Poco despues de llegar encontramos un  Agilucho de Azara  (Long-winged Harrier) de fase oscura, y lo observamos volar y cazar durante unos 10 minutos. Pude tomar algunos fotos de este ave hermosa. Un poco despues vimos otro Aguilucho de Azara —esta vez un individuo de fase clara. Nuestra increíble tarde continuó cuando escuchamos un  Rascón Moteado (Spotted Rail). Tuvimos breves vistas de esta ave difícil de ver en el borde de un arrozal, pero finalmente pudimos obtener vistas más claras —aunque demasiado rápidas para obtener un foto [ eBird ]. A la mañana siguiente volvimos al área y volvimos a ver el Aguilucho de Azara de fase oscura. Otras aves raras que vimos en el área incluyeron a varios Tordos Capuchiamarillos (Yellow-hooded Blackbird) y un Halcón Aplomado ...

On Sunday, November 28, Delicia, Pedro and Darién Montañez made a midday visit to Las Macanas Marsh. Bird of the day was a male Ring-necked Duck seen from atop the tower while foraging and diving near the floating vegetation at the lake's edge. Its head, chest and back were very dark, contrasting boldly with the very light gray sides. The usual Lesser Scaup, two rafts of 10–20 birds each, were way on the other side of the lake including a few males with their lighter backs showing no contrast with the flanks. The somewhat usual Fulvous Whistling-Ducks were heard and mixed in with the huge flock of Black-bellieds. On our way in, beyond the town of Rincón de Santa María, we had an Aplomado Falcon sunning in the middle of the gravel road, while its consort ate the last bits of a White-tipped Dove.

Sólo quería compartir algunos avistamientos que Gloriela y yo hemos realizado desde el pasado fin de semana. Antes de encontrarnos con el grupo de participantes de la gira de campo de la SAP a Santa Fe, fuimos en horas de la tarde del viernes 17 de julio a las ciénegas de Las Macanas (Herrera). Sólo a destacar la presencia de al menos tres Aplomado Falcons a lo largo de la carretera nacional y otro (fotografiado) en la vía de acceso en las Macanas. El tiempo en Santa Fe no nos favoreció (mucha lluvia). Aún así pudimos llegar hasta cerca de la divisoria continental. Cerca del sitio de construcción de la nueva sede del PN Santa Fe en la carretera Alto de Piedra - Guabal (apenas en la vertiente pacífica) nos encontramos con una bandada mixta de tangaras conformada principalmente por Dusky-faced Tanagers con las cuales viajaba un sólo individuo de Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager (luego envio la documentación completa). Varios miembros del grupo pudimos observarla (inclutendo a Gloriela y ...

Guido Berguido sent in a report of his group's visit to Ciénaga de Las Macanas. While leading an Advantage Tours birding group on our way back from Coiba Island last Saturday June 20th, I decided to break the drive and do a brief visit at Las Macanas wetlands. Upon our arrival we were greeted by a covey of Crested Bobwhites at the parking lot, promptly followed by views of Mouse-colored Tyrannulets, and flocks of Black-bellied Whistling-ducks, as well as a vocal Rufous-browed Peppershrike. Later we saw a pair of Pale-eyed Pygmy Tyrants near some Common Tody-flycatchers, and a flock of "Veraguan" Brown-throated Parakeets. While walking around the water's edge, we saw lots of Grooved-billed Anis and were fortunate to spot a roosting Striped Owl. Towards mid-morning we decided to wrap it up. Back at the parking lot we heard a pair of Gray-necked Woodrails nearby and decided to wait under the shade to try to see them. Suddenly, a cuckoo flew in front of us and perc...

Over the last couple of weeks we have gathered a couple of interesting bird sighting from all over the country. Sapayoa (Oct 6, 2007): While conducting a scouting trip for Advantage Tours in a remote creek in the vicinity of La Marea village in Darién, Euclides Campos filmed for about 3 minutes a pair of Sapayoas. These elusive birds are only found in a few places in Panama. They were foraging close to the ground and under a drizzle common to this month. Blackpoll Warbler (Oct 7, 2007): While conducting an Advantage Tours snorkeling trip at Playa La Huerta , Portobelo National Park, Guido Berguido and Venicio Wilson Altamiranda spotted a 1st year male Blackpoll Warbler . The bird was filmed for around 4 minutes while foraging intensively at a recently-cut bush some 20 meters inland from the beach. After several revisions using Sibley’s Guide to Birds of North America, National Geographic Birds of North America and some pictures from internet we were able to identify this confusing...

Karl & Rosabel Kaufmann, Chris Rhodes and Darién Montañez visited la ciénaga de Las Macanas to look for Aplomado Falcon. An immature Snail Kite was seen perched on a low fence post right by the main road out to Chitré, about 300 meters before the entrance to Rincón de Santa María. The first Aplomado was seen on a field that was being plowed in front of the entrance to the observation tower. The field was full of. It was standing on the ground, surrounded by Cattle Egrets and Caracaras, with a recently caught morsel in its talons. A second bird was seen diving at a male Snail Kite over the ciénaga. Then a third bird was seen perched on the wires next to the interamerican highway a few kilometers past Divisa. At the marsh itself we found a flock of at least 33 Fulvous Whistling-Ducks seen together with a similar number of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. The ducks were standing on the shallow ponds near the edge of the ciénaga about 100 meters before the observation tower. They were bu...

Bill Porteous and Indra Candanedo spent the weekend on the Azuero Peninsula and sent a report on some interesting sightings: Aplomado Falcon. An adult, possibly 2, or the same bird seen twice. First seen on Friday 11 Feb hunting over a recently cut cane field just south of Divisa on the road to Chitré. Then on Sunday 13 Feb perched on a utility tower just west of Aguadulce by the side of the Panamerican Highway. These two sites are quite close together, which is why I think it may be the same bird. Caspian Tern. Two, with Gull-billed Terns, at the Ciénaga de las Macanas in Herrera, on 13 Feb. We watched both of them for some time as they flew around near the observation tower. The all-dark crown and thick, dark red bill were well seen as was the obvious dark tip on the underwing formed by the dark outer primaries. There was a flock of about 45 Lesser Scaup there as well. Prairie Warbler. An adult male in good plumage. This one was in a patch of mangrove 24Km west of Pedasí on the road ...

Bill Adsett, Loyda Sánchez and Delicia and Darién Montañez went to el Cenagón del Mangle to look for the Jabiru that were reported in november. They didn't see it, though. But just to make the 4 hour drive worthwile, they saw many pairs of the very rare Common Ground-Dove. On their way to the Ciénaga de Las Macanas they saw about four Aplomado Falcons, and in the Ciénaga itself had distant views of a flock of more than 50 Lesser Scaup with a few Blue-winged Teal mixed in for easy comparison.

A juvenile Aplomado Falcon was seen on a tree next to the road out to Punta Chame, some 60 Km East of its known range. The bird was studied carefully at close range by Rosabel Miró, Bill Adsett and Darién Montañez. Also, a male Northern Harrier was seen at the airstrip, and a flock of Brown Boobies, and at least one Blue-footed Booby, was fishing far offshore.