Xenornis

Hoy domingo 25, junto a Osvaldo Quintero, observamos por lo menos dos machos y una hembra de Slate-colored Seedeater mientras cantaban en la sección de bambúes del Old Gamboa road south (aka Summit Ponds). Respondían a las grabaciones y los observamos por espacio de unos 15 minutos antes de partir. Al regreso aún estaban allí. Decidimos ir al Parque Natural Metropolitano a ver si nos encontrábamos con los gavilanes migratorios. Eran como las 10 am y no vimos nada por lo cual nos regresamos por el sendro de la Cienaguita. A mitad de camino (justo donde está el hormiguero gigante de Hormigas Corta-hojas y el Ficus con el letrero de "higuerón") volvimos a escuchar los seedeaters; esta vez observamos dos machos cantando sobre el bambú (como era de esperarse). A éstos no le pudimos tomar fotos. [Full account in english at Jan Axel's blog . —Ed.]

I just wanted to share a pic of a nesting Rufous Nightjar. As you notice on this pic it has two chicks. It's the first time I see a nightjar chick. About two years ago I found a nest on Old Gamboa Road with Jean Iron, a friend from Canada, but we were monitoring the bird and no chick wa seen. But this year we discovered this beautiful bird almost on the same spot! By the way Jean came back on March and Alexis found it with her too, so now Jean's nickname is the Nightjar. I took this photographs last Friday, April 17th while birding with the famous world traveler and blogger Charlie Moore. You can also check his report here. Early morning that same day we had also seen this Pheasant Cuckoo on Pipeline Road. This bird has been observed by our team of guides near Juan Grande creek and at the entrance of the road for the past month, even though it has not been very vocal this year! Finally, on March 30th while leading a birding trip with Sam Fried, we observed a Sunbittern ...

Last Sunday, December 14 saw a small number of brave birders spend hours and hours in the field looking for all the birds they could count in 24 hours. Yes, it's CBC time again. Some highlights: Plantation Road: Dull-mantled Antbird seen around the creek (Iván Hoyos). Old Gamboa Road south: Short-tailed Nighthawk seen flying above Summit Ponds at dawn. Rufous phase juvenile Tiny Hawk seen about 500 m from the Summit Golf Club entrance to Old Gamboa Road (50 meters before the first clearing) being mobbed by six or seven Purple-crowned Fairies. (Darién Montañez). More highlights and preliminary totals to come.

Gonzalo Horna photographed this juvenile Ornate Hawk-Eagle at noon on November 22 about 300m from the southern entrance to Old Gamboa Road. The bird flew in and flushed a Collared Forest-Falcon that had flown in in response to tape playback. Ornate Hawk-Eagle is very rare in the Canal area, especially this close to the continental divide, with just a handful reports from Pipeline and Achiote Roads.