Xenornis

On Friday, March 26th, on our way to Bocas del Toro, we made a one-day birding stop at Cerro Redondo, a community located near the entrance of La Mesa in Veraguas, and saw the Rufous Nightjar which is common in the area. We arrived at Changuinola the following day. On Sunday the 28th we headed to Bongik, located close to Wekso. That afternoon we spotted a Snowy Cotinga and plenty of White-collared Manakins . Next day, we started hiking up the Bongik River and saw a Barred Hawk , three Snowy Cotingas and a Solitary Eagle . This was seen very well against a dark background close to the Rancho Quemado community. It had a very short tail with one tail band and, of course, its slaty gray color. We had a clear sky that day. Further at Rancho Quemado we reached a spectacular forest that yielded Rufous-winged Tanager , Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush , Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner ( hypophaeus subspecies), a pair of Cerulean Warblers , and a heard Thicket Antpitta . On Monday...

El sábado 9 de mayo estuvimos visitando El Valle de Antón y sus alrededores, los birriosos pajareros y fotografos Osvaldo Quintero, Jan Axell Cubilla y Gloriela Archibold y Rafael Luck. Entre algunas aves vistas y fotografiadas estan los colibríes Snowcap y White-tipped Sicklebill, Tody Momot y Schiffornis. Otras aves por el area de Mata Ahogado fueron Black-headed Saltator, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Rufous-breasted Wren y Rosy Trush-Tanager (todos fotografiados).

Delicia, Pedro, Camio and Darién Montañez made a short visit to Summit Ponds and found a nest of Boat-billed Herons with a downy chick in it, on the fallen trees on the left pond. As an added bonus, a Bran-colored Flycatcher was heard, but not seen, singing from the shrubs to the right of the road about 100 meters before the ponds.

Camilo Montañez discovered a Bran-colored Flycatcher perched on a wire over Plaza Bolívar, Catedral, right across from our home. All the field marks were easy to check, since it stayed put for about 10 minutes. It was chocolate brown above, with darker wings with buffy wingbars; light buff below, with the characteristic streaking on the breast. It did not sing, but we got such a good look at it that we're sure of its identity anyways. What was it doing here is another question, since there are no "overgrown fields, pastures or shrubby areas" nearby.

A Veery was seen in the bamboo by the south entrance to Old Gamboa Road. The grass fields were full of Yellow Tyrannulets, and one Bran-colored Flycatcher was glimpsed as it flew over the road.

A Bran-colored Flycatcher was seen on Old Gamboa Road.

A pair of  Bran-colored Flycatchers were seen on the side road that parallels Old Gamboa Road. Also seen was a small group of  Plain-breasted Ground-Doves .