Xenornis

During my last trip to Darién on August 4th to 7th, specifically at El Real, I saw the Large-billed Seed-Finch and the Yellow-hooded Blackbird around the airstrip. Both were singing. On the way to the airstrip there are a few patches of heliconia where I saw a female Ruby Topaz for three days in a row. The best fieldmark was its tail, bronzy in the middle tail feathers and rufous on the outer tail feathers with a dark subterminal band and white tips. It was kind of grayish underneath and bronzy on top. I noticed during the third day of observation that she raised her crown feathers and spread her tail and was perched around 3 m above ground. I heard several Gray-breasted Crakes with their peculiar call of 4 notes, te-te-te-te, along the airstrip. Other interesting birds I saw every single day were Spectacled Parrotlet, Agami Heron, immature, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Gray Elaenia, Black Oropendola, Yellow-backed Tanager, Red-billed Scythebill, and a Golden-green Woodpecker was hear...

While on the Panama Audubon fieldtrip to Summit Ponds, Rosabel Miró located a barely-visible Agami Heron stealthily walking among some twigs on the far side of the left pond. Also seen on fieldtrip day were two Capped Herons, as well as a couple of Yellow-green Tyrannulets. The Agami was also seen near dusk on Saturday the 14th by Ariel Aguirre and José Tejada.

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.

Darién Montañez spent five days with Brian Beers and Jim Cone looking for Canal Area Specialties. Highlights are as follows: 1st: Stripe-headed (Black-headed) Brush-Finch about 600 meters down Vistamares Trail in Altos de Cerro Azul. 2nd: A single White-eyed Vireo was in a mixed flock of warblers and euphonias on the trees beside the French Canal, all the way to the end of the Gatun Drop Zone. At dusk we had reasonably good looks at two Gray-breasted Crakes, in tall, thick grass 100 meters beyond the ditch/creek. We had not heard many calling as we drove in, but these two birds at least showed some interest in our tape. 3rd: Crummy looks at a single Yellow-Green Tyrannulet high up a tree above Plantation Road, over a mixed flock of antwrens. 5th: Much better looks at Yellow-Green Tyrannulet on Mono Titi Road, Metropolitan Nature Park.