Xenornis

Ismael "Nando" Quiroz photographed this male Ruby Topaz at the Canopy Camp on January 30 at 5:30 pm. Also present was a dull-plumaged bird, perhaps a juvenile? Both birds have been coming to the verbenas around camp for the last few days, always at the same time of day. Also, this female Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker was at the San Francisco Reserve on January 31.

This were the Highlights from the last Program I led: Jan 24: Metropolitan Nature Park White-vented Euphonia (male and female) in a mixed flock by the unpaved side inlet left past the Ranger checkpoint at Mono Titi trail. (as far as I know, there is no record of this species here) Jan 25: Cerro Azul Rufous- crested Coquette at Birders' View Lodge backyard Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker in front of a house called: Mi Refugio at Altos del Frente Jan 26: Gamboa Hooded Warbler (male) by the beginning of the forest patch at the maintenance road past the Marina warehouse Jan 31: El Respingo/Los Quetzales Trail. Tawny-crowned Greenlet at a mixed flock past the first turn Rough-legged Tyrannulet ( zeledoni, also known as White-fronted) perched above ANAM checkpoint by the entrance.

Les "Marco" Lieurance sent in this still from the male Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker he videotaped from his Cerro Azul terrace apartment last Friday. The Lieurance's blog has an account of their first jaunt down Xenornis Trail, and is definitely worth a read, so click on.

On Dec 28, 2008, I took my friends Debi Shearwater, Don, David, Helen, Cindy and Les, birding to the Bayano Lake, where we got some Darien specialties. Seen that morning were White-eared Conebill (a lifer for me, woooo!), Gray-cheeked Nunlet, Barred Puffbird, White-headed Wren, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Black Antshrike, Crane Hawks and Bare-crowned Antbird, just to mention a few!.... We all had a great time in Bayano plus a lifer for me, not bad... Then on Dec 28th (With Debi Shearwate, Don, Les, Cindy, David and Helen) 2008 and Jan 9, 2009 (with the VENT group, Lifer for my friend Jery Langham) I went up to Cerro Azul and both days I got great views of the endemic Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker.

I wanted to send in a report for Xenornis of some of the more significant sightings during my visit for the last half of October. On October 17th, Danilo Rodriguez and I heard (only) a pair of Stripe-cheeked Woodpeckers on the Caribbean slope of Las Minas Trail, near El Valle (good audio was captured). These birds have now been present in the area for at least 5 months, and we are on the alert for signs of breeding. Other good finds at Las Minas were a calling Black-headed Antthrush, large numbers of Black-and-yellow Tanagers, a Spot-crowned Barbet, a pair of amorous Ornate Hawk-Eagles, a point-blank Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, and a flock of at least 10 Yellow-eared Toucanets. A field trip to the western limits of Altos del Maria on 10/19 (also with Danilo) yielded Black-crowned Antpitta, Red-faced Spinetail, Spotted Barbtail, White-tailed Emerald, Snowcap, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, and Purplish-backed Quail-Dove. On 10/22 I took a trip with Danilo, Eliacer and Rodrick Rodriguez to ...

Ben Lascelles sent in the highlights of his two-month stay in Panama: 10th June - A Colombian race American Kestrel in Parque Metropolitano. 16th June - At El Copé treated to some fine views of Black-crowned Antpitta, with one by the visitors centre being particularly approachable down to just a couple of metres, wished I'd had some meal worms! Also saw female Snowcap and Spotted Barbtail. 19th June - Spectacled Owl with a large chick at Old Gamboa Road, also 2 Capped Herons on Summit Ponds 28th-30th June - Around Birders' View, Cerro Azul. Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker, Black-eared Wood-quail and Violaceous Quail-Dove (both heard only.) The Blue-fronted Parrotlet nest fledged the days we were there, with 2 young seen to leave the nest and at least one more heard inside still. 4th July - Rainforest Discovery Centre, Pipeline Road. Great Black Hawk, and male Tiny Hawk. 12th and 13th July - Haven't seen a report from the Panama Audubon Society trip to Santa Fe, so here are a...

Ken Allaire sent in the highlights of his first month in Panama: On July 4th I found a Sapayoa on the upper reaches of the Río Blanco, below Peña Blanca in Omar Torrijos N.P.. I was with a local guide named Santana. The bird called in a very appropriate spot (a lushly-vegetated spot where a wash met the river.) I recognized the call and got a brief but good look at the bird before it flew off. I tried playback, and the Sapayoa responded but did not return. I know this is an unusual locale for the species but I am confident in the i.d.. On July 5th I found a Plumbeous Hawk along La Rana trail. The bird perched several times and was seen quite well. The next day, also on La Rana, I had a mixed flock that included a Lineated Foliage-Gleaner, Spotted Barbtail, and a probable Streak-breasted Treehunter (the last bird was seen briefly and I could not confirm my initial impression.) This is a low elevation for all three species. On July 14th I found a Grassland Yellow-Finch in the grassla...

On Wednesday, February 6 at around 10 a.m. John Rowlett (Field Guides Inc.) and Faustino Sánchez (Canopy Lodge) had a Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker at Altos del María, while leading a birding group. This Panama endemic is more frequently reported from the foothills east of the canal, but the British Museum has a 1875 specimen from (possibly) the Caribbean slope of Veraguas. Also, the type specimen was actually collected near the Panama Railroad, on the Atlantic side. Whilst waiting for the full report, here is a photo of the bird in question, taken by Faustino Sánchez.

Guido Berguido sent in the following report about a recent jaunt to Cerro Chucantí, an isolated mountain range in Eastern Panama: I recently came back from our Field Station in Cerro Chucantí, Darién. We had a wonderful trip, the weather cooperated this time and saw tons of birds including most of the specialties (Russet-crowned Quail-dove, Varied Solitaire, Tacarcuna Bush-Tanager, etc) and endemics (Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker and Beautiful Treerunner), and even heard what sounded like a Scytalopus sp. (Tapaculo) calling... It was at aprox. 4,000 ft. near the ridge top. I had been thinking for a while about the possibility of a Tapaculo there, because the altitude is about right.. and if all other highland species are found ...(Solitaire, Bush-tanagers, Treerunners, etc.) why not a Tapaculo. So I finally talked to a friend from Colombia who provided various vocalizations for Chocó and Nariño Tapaculos... so this time I played their vocalizations hoping to get some kind of response.. wel...

Rosabel Miró and Darién Montañez met a Field Guides group in Cerro Azul; had a high-speed sighting of a Capped Heron perched on the fence near a bridge on the final stretch of Corredor Sur as it approaches Via Tocumen. Up at Rosabel's house we had a male Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker in a mixed flock led by Olive Ttanagers, a flock of about 25 Chestnut-collared Swifts, and the usual Black and Black-and-white Hawk-Eagles and Rufous-crested Coquettes.

Calle Maipo was really jumping with mixed flocks yesterday due to the abundance of fruiting trees. The usual tanagers, honeycreepers and dacnis were there. Of note were Rufous-winged Tangers, usually more infrequent than the other tangers, but this time easily seen at several places; and Sulphur-rumped Tanager - always infrequent on Cerro Azul (however, the Grey-and-gold Tanager seen there in the dry season seems to have disappeared). Tawny-faced Quail responded to whistles, but as usual held back and were not seen. Long-Tailed and Spotted Woodcreepers were also present. A good flock of Brown-hooded Parrots added color and their curious whistles to the scene. The first part of the río Mono trail was equally active, and added Great Curassow and Stripe-cheeked Woodpeckers to the list, as well as Northern Barred-Woodcreepers. If the trees remain in fruit until next Saturday, and the weather is good, these two trails should provide a lot of enjoyment for the field trip. A note on the ident...

Bill Adsett, Gilles Seutin, Darién and Camilo Montañez and Jan Axel Cubilla visited Xenornis Trail in the morning. Things were rather slow, but we had some interesting species: Green-crowned Brilliant, Slaty Antwren, male and female Speckled Antshrike (seen separately), Slaty-winged Foliage-Gleaner, Tacarcuna Bush-Tanager, Black-crowned Antpitta (heard), and Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker (also heard).