Xenornis

Suzanne Osier photographed this Black-whiskered Vireo today on San Lorenzo Road, close to the entrance of the National Park. It was in a mixed flock with Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Dacnis, Shining Honeycreeper and a female Golden-collared Manakin.

Michael and Christian Gernez from Sendero Panama and Venicio Wilson visited the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal to scout some birding spots. Here are the most remarkable sightings: a very tame Yellow-throated Vireo in the garden at the mechanic who fixed our flat tire in Escobal a very shy family of White-headed Wrens in El Trogon Trail, Achiote Road a Black Hawk-eagle at Gatun Dam spillway a Crested Guan in the road to Fort San Lorenzo Yellow-rumped Warbler female Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding in the flowers at the fort a pair of Indigo Buntings The Gatun Dam spillway had 3 gates open and hundreds of gulls and terns at the spillway and at the river mouth. At both places we had a large, dark-mantled gull which I believe was a Lesser Black-backed Gull . From fort San Lorenzo we watched a tern that seemed to me like a Bridled Tern : dark gray mantle, whitish narrow collar around neck, dark crown, white forehead, black bill. Anyone going that way keep an eye in tha...

Jacobo Ortega photographed this Montezuma Oropendola a the entrance of Fort San Lorenzo near Sherman on December 31st, 2008. Montezuma Oropendolas, here at the western limit of their range, are somewhat rare around Achiote, which is about 11 km south of San Lorenzo.

The Canopy Tower's Carlos Bethancourt sent in these photos of a rain-soaked Western Kingbird, seen while both bird and birders braved the rainstorm of November 26 at San Lorenzo. The photos clearly show the black tail with white-edged outer rectrices typical of Westerns, but we're blaming the notched shape to feather wear and to the rain. This is only the second record of this extremely rare migratory vagrant to central Panama, the first being one seen at Chivo Chivo Road in 1988.

Ariel Aguirre spotted a a Tawny-throated Leaftosser while birding San Lorenzo National Park's Tortuguilla Trail. The bird was hoping next to trail's third creek and making its call, a loud sharp : "zick, zick"