Xenornis

These are a male and female nonbreeding plumage American Avocets found around the mudflats at Panamá la Vieja behind the museum on November 12. The female has a more upturned bill than male.

The Bonaparte's Gull that's been making the rounds at Costa del Este and Panamá Viejo  since late November is still around. Rosabel and Karl Kaufmann found it yesterday at 5 pm, conveniently standing at the edge of the flock of Laughing Gulls, and right in front of the mirador at Panamá Viejo.

The Bonaparte's Gull seen at Costa del Este last month is still around. Itzel Fong Gadea found it at Panamá Viejo on Saturday, December 28 , and got some great photos, including some of the upper wing that show the dark M-shaped pattern of a 1st winter bird. The gull was found again by Itzel on the morning of Sunday the 29th, who again took some great photos... ...and was seen later by Osvaldo Quintero, Rafael Luck and Jan Axel Cubilla, who also took some great photos. On related gull news, there's also a Lesser Black-backed Gull this season, also at Costa del Este/Panamá Viejo. It was first seen on December 22, the day of the Pacific Christmas Bird Count, by Rosabel Miró. And again by Itzel Fong Gadea on December 29. And there's lots of Franklin's Gulls, too.

Itzel Fong Gadea photographed this [Western] Willet at Panamá Viejo, on September 2.

Leslie Lieurance shares his footage of the Panama Viejo  Gray-hooded Gull shot the day it was found, July 13.

Gray-hooded Gull , vista el domingo 29 a las 2:00 pm en Panamá Viejo, en la arena que lleva a la islita detrás del Centro de Visitantes. La buena noticia es que todavía está en el área. UPDATE: Karl Kaufmann adds: Here's some photos of the Gray-headed Gull that Rosabel found at Panama Viejo on Sunday July 29. It looks like a 2nd year or non-breeding adult to me.

Bob Behrstock, Cindy and I were standing close to the visitor center at Panama Viejo looking through the birds brought in by the high tide around 11 am on Friday the 13th. Cindy looked in the direction Bob was looking when he asked for the scope and saw a gull with red bill and legs. Very quickly Bob said it had characters consistent with Gray-hooded Gull which he has seen in Ecuador. Cindy and I have never seen this species. It had a more rounded head and was more robust looking than the few Laughing gulls present. Behind the light eye there was a black smudge on the edge of a faint dark hood which ran up around the crown. In flight there was a white slash across the dorsal black primaries. The underwing was dark. Bob pointed out the nape was white while the few Laughing Gulls present had gray napes. We made some phone calls and Carlos Betheancourt responded to see the bird some minutes later. The bird appeared comfortable in the location even while being disturbed by...

As a preface, we have these photos of the Kelp Gull reported from Costa del Este by David Uit de Weerd and Lennaert Steen on December 1 . Then we have these photos of a mystery gull seen by Rosabel and Karl Kaufmann at Panamá Viejo during yesterday's Pacific Christmas Bird Count. This is clearly a different bird, with the solid mantle and darker streaks on the head that usually signal a third or fourth year bird and (gasp) pink legs —which would rule out pretty much anything known or from Panama. What do you think? A Western Gull with uncommonly streaky face? A very lost Slaty-backed Gull? Ring-billed Gull included for comparison.

El pasado viernes 3 de septiembre, junto a Osvaldo Quintero, observé en Panamá Viejo un Wilson's Phalarope en los fangales en plumaje de invierno. También una Lesser Black-backed Gull con plumaje de sub-adulto (?, lo discutí en mi blog ), la cual me parece es lo más temprano que hemos visto esta gaviota en Panamá.

Itzel Fong Gadea photographed this Long-billed Curlew at Panamá Viejo on August 20.

Claudia and Bill Ahrens photographed this Lesser Black-backed Gull (a third winter bird, according to expert consensus) behind the Panama Viejo Visitor Center at the end of the day today. Which allows us to alert all local birders that a good row of high high tides are headed in our general direction ( fide Venicio Wilson). Evento Hora Metros Domingo 28 de febrero de 2010 Marea alta 03:08 4.84 Puesta lunar 06:16 Amanecer 06:32 Marea baja 09:27 -0.45 Luna llena 11:38 Marea alta 15:38 5.04 Puesta del sol 18:29 Salida lunar 18:39 Marea baja 21:54 -0.51 Lunes 1 de marzo de 2010 Marea alta 04:00 5.10 Amanecer 06:32 Puesta lunar 07:04 Marea baja 10:13 -0.72 Marea alta 16:26 5.29 Puesta del sol 18:29 Salida lunar 19:35 Marea baja 22:39 -0.76 Martes 2 de marzo de 2010 Marea alta 04:49 5.23 Amanecer 06:31 Puesta lunar 07:51 Marea baja 10:57 -0.82 Marea alta 17:14 5.41 Puesta del sol 18:29 Salida lunar 20:31 Marea baja 23:23 -0.83 Miércoles 3 de marzo de 2010 Marea alta 05:37 5.22...

Rosabel and Karl Kaufmann, Jan Axel Cubilla and Darién Montañez spent last afternoon's high tide again braving rain and shine to scour through the flock of gulls at Costa del Este. We got there earlier this time, which gave us time for a first stop at Panamá Viejo, where we had a Lesser Black-backed Gull, a Herring Gull, a few Ring-billed Gulls, a first-cycle Forster's Tern, a diminutive Elegant Tern in front of a huge Royal Tern, a Franklin's Gull and a Laughing Gull with aberrantly-bright-red bill and legs. Photos by Rosabel Miró. Then on to Costa del Este, where we had pretty much the same as on Friday: at least five Ring-billed Gulls, at least three Herring Gulls, at least two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and the third-cycle type Kelp Gull that has been hanging around for a week or so. Alas, no Kittiwake. Photos by Jan Axel Cubilla.

El grupo compuesto por Gloriela Archbold, Osvaldo Quintero, Rafael Cortéz (quien nos visitaba desde Colombia) y mi persona salimos los días 29 y 30 de noviembre hacia el camino del oleoducto y alrededores. El 30 observamos muy brevemente un Sungrebe (Heliornis fulica) en el lago Gatún desde el puesto de observación del sendero del Centro de Visitantes de Avifauna gracias a Venicio Wilson, Rafael Luck y compañía, quienes localizaron el ave gracias a su sonoro llamado. El lugar es fácilmente accesible y los que ahí trabajan refieren que observan el zambullidor con cierta regularidad (paciencia y scope). Camino al aeropuerto, el 30, Rafael Cortéz y mi persona observamos una Franklin's Gull (Larus pipixcan) y una Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) en Panamá Viejo. Regresé por mi cuenta el día de hoy (1 de diciembre) a Panamá Viejo y nuevamente observé las cigüeñas (un grupo de cinco) y una Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) inmadura (1st winter) junto a las Laughing y Franklin...

Itzel Fong photographed this flock of eight Wood Storks this morning at Panamá Viejo. Here's hoping they stick around for the Pacific Christmas Bird Count, coming this Sunday, December 14.

Itzel Fong photographed this first-winter Ring-billed Gull taking a dip in one of the puddles by the new visitor center at Panama Viejo. The Southern Lapwings were also at Panama Viejo, but the Black-necked Stilts were at Costa del Este.