Xenornis

A group from New Orleans—David Muth, Phillip Wallace, Dan Purrington and Mike Tifft— visited Panama July 31-Aug 10. We hit Plantation Rd. (photos and video of calling So. Bentbill), Rainforest Discovery Center and Pipeline Rd. (Blue Cotinga, Scaly-throated Leaftosser) while in Gamboa (2 nights at Soberiana Research Station). After that we went west to Fortuna and Finca la Suiza (2 nights). From there we visited Willie Mazu ( Barred Hawk , but otherwise rain and fogged optics) and the area up at the continental divide ( Brown-billed Scythebill ). Then west to Los Quetzales in Chiriqui-- 3 nights. We stayed up at Cabinas #9. From there we went to El Valle, and stayed at Canopy Tower 2 nights, then a night at Albrook Inn. Despite our short visit, we were delighted to get a half day tour from Danilo Rodriguez. The morning walk up the El Convento Trail was slowed by rain, but still memorable. Danilo made it up to us by meeting us at 5 p.m. and showing us, in short order, Mottled Owls, Tod...

El pasado sábado 25 de julio fui con Osvaldo Quintero y Rafael Luck al Valle de Antón. Antes de llegar, en un camino que sale cerca de Los Llanitos (en la vía al Valle) observamos por lo menos SEIS diferentes Tody Motmots (dos tríos en distintos lugares del camino) que respondieron brevemente a las grabaciones. También escuchamos un Sepia-capped Flycatcher en el mismo sitio. Ya en El Valle, camino a La Mesa, nos detuvimos junto a unas heliconias que simplemente lucían iguales a todas las otras cuando de repente apareció un White-tipped Sicklebill, se posó sobre la flor unos segundos, para rápidamente desaparecer tal y como llegó. No regresó a pesar que nos quedamos esperándolo varios minutos. Escribí una pequeña crónica en mi blog por si quieren más detalles.

El sábado 9 de mayo estuvimos visitando El Valle de Antón y sus alrededores, los birriosos pajareros y fotografos Osvaldo Quintero, Jan Axell Cubilla y Gloriela Archibold y Rafael Luck. Entre algunas aves vistas y fotografiadas estan los colibríes Snowcap y White-tipped Sicklebill, Tody Momot y Schiffornis. Otras aves por el area de Mata Ahogado fueron Black-headed Saltator, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Rufous-breasted Wren y Rosy Trush-Tanager (todos fotografiados).

On January 30 We went to El Chirú, where we had a brilliant day of birding! First we all got excellent views of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and Tropical Screech-Owl... In the same area we have close views of the endemic Veraguan Mango, as well as Crested Bobwhite, Saphire-throated Hummingbird, Red-breasted Blackbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike... After a great morning we went to Juan Hombrón where we had perfect views of Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Mouse-colored Tyrannulet, Northern Scrub-Flycatcher.... The most amazing thing for us during the day was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which is a rare migrant for Panama especially in the Coclé Province. We saw this bird, a juvenile, at El Chirú. Tino Sanchez (Canopy Lodge Top Guide) and I got great views of it. I had the close telescope views so I could see the bright red gorget. We could not take a picture there, but every one in the group got to see it. Once in Juan Hombrón I found another Ruby-throated but this one has less red on the gorg...

Canopy Lodge's Tino Sánchez and visiting birder Vince Parslow found a Scaled Antpitta at a large army ant swarm at the Canopy Adventure trail in El Valle. Unable to resist the temptation to see this bird, Sam Britton and Canopy Tower's Carlos Bethancourt visited the antswarm two days later, but all they saw was Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo and Tody Motmot.

It's only natural for a couple of rarities to pop up after five days of 90+ birders combing central panama for all things avian. Highlights include Red-tailed Hawk and Black Swift at the Canopy Tower, Ornate Hawk-Eagle at Achiote Road, Yellow-green Tyrannulet both at the base of Semaphore Hill and at the Metropolitan Nature Park, Great Jacamar on Pipeline Road, and Tody Motmots at El Valle.

Michael Gaston Harvey sent in the following report: I'm not sure if anyone still recieves these reports, but I thought some sightings from the last few months in El Valle/Altos del Maria would be of interest. I, along with Danilo Rodriguez and various other people, have found several unexpected species to be present and even common in the right habitat in this area. Barred Hawk, Black Guan, Purplish-backed Quail-Dove, White-tipped Sicklebill, Green Thorntail, Rufous-crested Coquette, White-tailed Emerald, Snowcap, Purple-throated Mountain-Gem, Orange-bellied Trogon, Tody Motmot, Blue-throated Toucanet, Red-faced Spinetail, Spotted Barbtail, White-throated Spadebill, White-thighed Swallow, Ochraceous Wren, Pale-vented Thrush, and Blue Seedeater all seem to be present fairly reliably, many of them in numbers. Other species seen on occasion include Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo, Black-crowned Antpitta, and Rufous-browed Tyrannulet. The Mountain-Gem, Snowcap, Spinetail, Barbtail, and Wre...

His formerfieldeditorshipness himself Dodge Engleman (kinda) sent us the following report: Lorna and I went to El Valle as a guest of Raúl [Arias] on December 3d --4th. Rain prevented much birding but during a spell in the weather on the AM of the 4th, we did get the Tody Motmot and Eye-ringed Flatbill. Raúl and his birding manager, Danilo, say the Motmot is fairly regular along the trail below the Chorro Macho falls. On the AM in question, while I was awaiting Lorna and Raúl at the trail head, Danilo went in and heard it calling. He came to fetch us and we heard and saw it against the banks of the creek side ravine. Of interest to me, while it perched quietly on an arching horizontal branch about three feet above the ground, it would twitch its tail slowly back and forth as is the wont of its larger relatives that have a raquet-tail! I managed a shitty recording and it showed little interest in playback. Perhaps because the recording was shitty. Eye-ringed Flatbill. I report this beca...