Xenornis

Today I found a female-plumaged Black-throated Blue Warbler working over a recently fallen tree in the forest adjoining our house at Altos de Cerro Azul. I believe it is an adult female rather than a juvenile; the whitish face markings and the white spot in the primaries were prominent (in fact the latter was somewhat larger than that illustrated in Curson's “New World Warblers”). Remarkably this individual has turned up at the exact spot where we found a striking adult male of this very rare (for Panama) species many years ago (Dodge and Lorna Engleman will remember that). Also of note at the same place today was a group of 5 or 6 Black-eared Wood-Quail ; they have been calling on and off around our house for at least a week.

On March 16 visiting bird tour guides John Coons and John Rowlett birded the Xenornis Trail with Dave Kluber and myself. We saw and/or heard many of the specialities - Brown-billed Scythebill, Black-headed Antthrush, Crimson-bellied Woodpecker, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Black-eared Wood-quail, Slaty-winged Foliage-Gleaner, Striped Woodhaunter, Plain Antvireo, a very tame Tawny-Throated Leaftosser etc., - but no Xenornis. However, there was a pair of Stripe-throated Wrens. As far as I know, the first record of this species in the area was two years ago on the north side of Cerro Vistamares, in rastrojo. Until then, the species had not been recorded west of Nusagandi. This new record is from the west side of Cerro Vistamares, in heavy forest. The birds were identified both by sight and by voice. There was again no sign of Black-headed Brush-finch. I have come to the reluctant conclusion that if nobody sees it soon in the Cerro Jefe-Cerro Vistamares area, we shall have to assume it has been...

Early this morning, a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was seen by Steve Huggins, Darién Montañez and Ken Wysocki, perched on a pine tree on the left side of the first stretch of Calle Maipo, Cerro Azul. The facial pattern, though somewhat dull, was quite noticeable, especially since its forecrown was mottled with red. Later on, Black-eared Wood-Quail were heard calling near the end of the trail.

The were antswarms - quite possibly the same one twice - on Calle Maipo on October 21 and again today. Apart from the usual trio of antbirds (Spotted, Bicolored and Ocellated) both were accompanied by a bit of a strange - but at times exciting - mixture of birds. The one last week had 4 species of woodcreeper - Barred, Spotted, Plain Brown and Ruddy. I have noticed before that whenever the latter two species are together, the Ruddies bully the Plain Browns, diving on them and taking over their tree trunk (possibly also their prey). Also, the Ruddies always keep their head feathers raised in such situations. The swarm was also attended by Swainson's Thrushes, a Nightingale Wren and a Kentucky Warbler. There was an immature Barred Forest-Falcon. It bore all the standard fieldmarks, and the collar was plain to see, but the underparts were quite different to those described in any book (though I have still to check Wetmore) being virtually immaculate pale creamy white except for some d...

A great day for the PAS group at Nusagandi's Ibe Igar Trail. They had a pair of  Xenornis on the ridge between the first and second stream crossings. Then they had crippling views of a female (or immature)  Black-eared Wood-Quail in a small flock right after the second stream crossing. A pair of  Dull-mantled Antbirds were found at the last stream crossing before the waterfall.