Xenornis

This past weekend I had a complete deep immersion into eastern Panama, that part of the country that remained pure and untouched on it's vast majority until the mid-60's. On Friday 24 and Saturday 25 I was invited by Raúl Arias de Para, along with Carlos Bethancourt and Ismael Hernando Quiróz (the famous Nando from Cerro Azul) to birdwatch the area between Metetí and Yaviza. [ See Carlos' report here ].  On Saturday afternoon, after saying goodbye to my original team, I joined the group of birders from Panama Audubon Society that the next day would observe birds in the forests around Rio Bayano. Claudia and Bill Ahrens, Cindy and Leslie Lieurance, Rosabel and Karl Kaufmann ventured to visit places that we have recently discovered in the area of ​​Tortí.   Early Sunday morning we visited the Playa Chuzo forest where, thanks to an excellent recording played by Bill Ahrens (recorded by Ken Allaire) we saw a couple of Double-banded Graytails  up close, a life...

Ariel Aguirre continues his treks to Quebrada Bonita (La Cascada) trail in Chagres National Park. Highlights are Sunbittern on March 23 and Marbled Wood-Quail on March 27. José Tejada sent in a list of highlights from the first six months of his tenure as Burbayar Lodge's birdmonger. Highlights (of the highlights) are as follows: Central American Pygmy-Owl around the lodge and Plumbeous Hawk on the red trail on Sept. 5 2006. Great Green Macaw on waterfall trail on Sept. 10. Green-crowned Woodnymph on El Llano-Carí Rd about 3 Km north of Burbayar on Nov. 18. A possible Tawny-breasted Flycatcher (a bird similar to the common Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher but with distinctly darker orange underparts), on the red trail on Jan. 27, 2007. Slate-throated Gnatcatcher on El Llano-Cartí Rd on Jan. 28. Green Manakin on the red trail on Jan. 29. Chestnut-collared Swifts and a pair subadult Harpy Eagles on El Llano-Cartí Rd on Jan. 31. White-fronted Nunbird, Red-billed Scythebill and Thicket Antpit...