Xenornis

Enero 30, 31 y 1 de febrero Un macho Lesser Scaup y lo que parece ser una hembra Ring-necked Duck fueron observados en un laguito ubicado en el centro de la isla Contadora, archipiélago de Las Perlas. Durante los 3 días que observamos estos patos, siempre estuvieron juntos, como si fueran parejas (¿será una híbrido?). Eran los únicos patos del lago, donde habían no menos de 30 Least Grebes. Observadores: Rosabel Miró y Karl Kaufmann. En otro lago, en un costado de la pista de aterrizaje, cerca del antiguo hotel Contadora, escuchamos tanto el 31 de enero como el 1 de febrero a los White-throated Crakes, en varias partes de ese lago. (Foto de Rosabel) Sábado 7 de febrero Antes del Censo Centroamericano de Aves Acuáticas Una Whistling Heron en la arrocera de Santa María, Herrera, cerca de la entrada del pueblo de El Rincón. Esta garza estaba junto con otras garzas locales. Observadores: Yenifer Díaz, Alberto Bethancourt, Roxana Alveo y Stephany Carty. (No sacamos fotos). Dura...

The two Whistling Herons that have taken residence at the pond in Playa Malibú ( first seen on July 15 by Euclides Campos ) have been visited by many a birder in the last few days.    First were Venicio Wilson and Maurice Posner, who went there on the morning of Wednesday, January 7. They found them on the fields north of the pond, where they also had a juvenile Tricolored Heron that may be the mysterious possible third Whistling Heron reported previously. The pond had Masked Duck and the Lesser Scaup reported previously, as well as many American Coots . On the morning of Friday, January 9, Delicia, Camilo and Darién Montañez tried yet again, this time successfully. The two birds were on the edges of the greener grass around the small pond on the NE of the big pond. The juvenile Tricolored was also there, so caveat emptor. The pond had a raft of 6 female Masked Ducks (out in the open, too), lots of Coots and two Lesser Scaup . That same afternoon had Rolando Jordán v...

Por un reporte realizado en el dia de ayer por nuestro colega, José Tejada, fuimos hoy en la mañana Jan Axel Cubilla y Rafael Luck a Gamboa para encontrarnos con Rafael Lau y Jose Soto del Gamboa Rainforest Resort en el muelle del Resort. Gracias a la cortesía de José Soto en una embarcación vimos muchas aves, entre ellas American Coots y 7 patos: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Muscovy Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal y Northern Shoveler.

November 8:  Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup  (no valid picture of Lesser Scaup as they are all blurry cause I was doing a cruise ship tour and didn't have my spotting scope; so I TOOK THE PICTURES THROUGH MY BINOCULARS!!!!!). All the ducks were located in front and to the right of Los Lagartos restaurant at Gamboa.

I just came back from Gamboa: plenty of Scaups and at least 1 Northern Shoveler in the group! Best spotting at "Los Lagartos" restaurant by the Gamboa Rainforest Resort Marina.

Euclides Campos and Laura Reyes saw a big flock of diving ducks at Las Ciénagas de Las Macanas today. It was made up of many females and few males of Ring-necked Duck and Lesser Scaup . Alfred Raab adds: Just for documentation. On Jan 3 2011 I saw 2 males and 4 female Ring-necked Ducks within a large group of Lesser Scaups (about 30) at Macanas. I did not report them because I could not take a picture, they were too far away.

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.

Gonzalo Horna photographed this drake Mallard (which was accompanied by a camera-shy female) on the morning of December 6 on the Gatún river, about 2 km downriver from the Transisthmian highway. His boatman, who lives in the area, says that he sees these birds almost every year from october to the end of the dry season. We think (at the risk of being called conservative skeptics) that these birds can't be safely called vagrant wild migrants. Wild Mallards winter south to central Mexico, even though some venture further south. Meanwhile, domestic Mallards are pretty common throughout Panama, and these birds were too close to houses and farms for comfort. Also, the chances of not just one but two adults overshooting their regular wintering location are pretty slight. Also seen that day were Cocoi Heron, which is rare away from the eastern Pacific slope of central Panama, plus a Lesser Scaup in Gatún Lake.

Panama Audubon Society's Rosabel Miró with Ariel Aguirre taught a basic birding course at Las Macanas Marsh from November 30 to December 2 and sent in the following report: Swainson's Hawks: Los días viernes 30 de noviembre, sábado 1 de diciembre y domingo 2 de diciembre Ariel Aguirre, un grupo de estudiantes del curso de observación de aves en Las Macanas y yo observamos a eso de las 5:30 pm varios Gavilanes de Swainson, 12 individuos cada día, posados en los terrenos desmontados de la arrocera Santa Rita. De seguro habían más pero por cuestiones de tiempo no estuvimos en todos los rincones de la finca. Nuestras observaciones incluyeron individuos de diferentes fases: fase clara, fase oscura, fase rufa, juveniles y adultos típicos. Lesser Scaup: Durente la mañana del sábado 1 de diciembre se observó 1 individuo en el área de Las Garzas (Las Macanas). En la mañana del domingo 2 habían alrededor de 105 individuos (machos y hembras) en el área de la torre de observación. En la fo...

Camilo Montañez saw another Gray-breasted Crake at the Gatún Drop Zone (not fair!), and a pair of Marbled Wood-Quail and an Ovenbird at Skunk Hollow. Two different Northern Parulas: Darién's at the Drop Zone, the Kaufmanns' on Dock 45 Road. The Kaufmanns also had a flock of Lesser Scaup on the Chagres River at Fort San Lorenzo, where Guido Berguido saw a Northern Scrub-Flycatcher. More to come.

The following report from Dodge Engleman was also received deviously: Karl and Rosabel took Lorna and I to Las Macanas 19th and 20th. We picked up the ANAM girl, Marina Gómez, and went out to the lake. The north end, where the tower is, yielded +/- 100 Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, with at least 5 Fulvous Whistling-Ducks being seen at one time. Seemed like more, but most seen at once was the 5. The thick-leaved shallow water vegetation was pretty obscurring and most good sights were of flying birds: all fulvous with black wings and white rump patch. a couple seen standing revealed the white scalloping on the sides. Bills and feet dark gray, but with all the immature Black-bellieds around, this wasn't a good field mark. In the south branch there was a strung out raft of 250-300 ducks viewed from less than 100 yds with the light at a 90 degree angle. I say less than 100 yds because I could have flown a wedge into them. All were Lesser Scaup with females out-numbering males about 6-1...

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.