The morning of our 4th day in Panama I was up at 4:45am.  I had to get ready and then drive about an hour from our hotel into the mountains and the town of El Valle de Anton to meet my guide for the day Jose Perez.   El Valle sits in the bottom of the caldera of an inactive volcano.  It is about 6 KM wide and surrounded by mountains/ridges that were once the rim of the volcano.  The area is one of the most popular birding destinations between the canal and the western highlands, boasting a list of over 500 species.  A couple trips ago I decided that on every vacation I took I would hire a guide for at least one day of birding.  Nothing beats a local with knowledge of where to find what quickly and somewhat easily.  I contacted Jose via Facebook and his rates for private guiding were a great deal.  In any event, I made the drive in the dark and got there about 15 minutes early--Jose was already waiting for me at the Hong Kong Market on the main drag in El Valle.  We dropped my rental off at his house, and then we took off towards the hills outside of town.  During the drive he asked if I was okay to do some hiking and I said no problem.  He explained that to get to the areas where a few birds I want to see are present we have to do a short hike…

The view up from the parking area

We arrived on the outskirts of town-the way outskirts--and parked the car.  Jose pointed to a road going up a hill and said, “we have to hike to the top of that”. It was a steep dirt road, but it didn’t look like it went more than a couple hundred meters--no problem!  It was early and although light, it was still not great lighting.  Birds were singing everywhere, but we didn’t stop for them.  I knew the majority sounded like Clay-colored Thrush, and Blue-gray Tanager, but there were plenty of sounds I didn’t recognize. We hit the trail and passed folks walking down it.  Jose explained that they come into town to work every day, and hike out at the end of the day to return to their homes in the hills.  The road was very steep, and it made for a tough hike.  Eventually it plateaued out and the birding started.  The first sighting of the day was a BAT FALCON screaming across the morning sky.  That was followed by a few SWALLOW-TAILED KITES circling the ridge lines nearby.  A flock of BROWN-HOODED PARROTS came in and landed in a nearby tree, but the light made for terrible photo ops.  The first lifer of the morning were a small troop of BLACK-CHESTED JAYS that flew past.  Despite seeing numerous flocks of this species over the following 5 days, I only managed a few crappy photos.  Jose pointed out a coughing sound in the distance--KEEL-BILLED TOUCAN.  Eventually we saw a couple fly across one of the wide canyons.  The road dipped down and dropped into a ravine before heading back out, topping out again, and then dropping into a wider canyon.  Here the road split in 2 and Jose pointed to the hills to our left, “that’s where we are going.”  No problem!

Making our way up the dirt road

At this point the bird activity exploded.  I spotted a MOURNING WARBLER skulking just off the road. Jose pointed out the calls of a WHITE-LINED TANAGER, then a WHITE-SHOULDERED TANAGER.  Both LESSER and YELLOW-BELLIED ELEANIA were flycatching over the road, while RUFOUS-AND-WHITE as well as BAY WREN chuckled from the understory.  RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLERS were singing from various trees on the hillsides.  A female SUMMER TANAGER flew past us, and a DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER landed in a tree to close to photograph.  This was tropical birding at its finest.

Dusky-capped Flycatcher checking me out

We came to a draw near splitting off from the canyon we were in and Jose pointed out the song of a WHITE-RUFFED MANAKIN.  We got several bad looks at birds flying past, and one female that posed long enough for a photo.  This was typical of my past experience with manakins--zip zip gone!

Female White-ruffed Manakin in the understory

While we were looking for the manakins a PALE-VENTED THRUSH started singing--we looked but never got eyes on the bird; strangely just moments later this was followed by a singing WHITE-THROATED THRUSH.  This bird we were able to find and digiscope some crappy shots of before it flew off.  All the while a GREAT ANTSHRIKE sang from a nearby thicket.  As if on queue to tick off the other thrush for the area, an ORANGE-BILLED NIGHTINGALE-THRUSH started singing from the same thicket.  Sensory birding overload commence!

White-throated Thrush digiscoped

We came to a split in the road, where one road meandered off to the right.  To our left a road set off straight up the mountainside.  There was a lot of activity here where a yard left for an open area between the forest.  Tanagers were shooting left and right across the opening.  Jose pointed out a FLAME-RUMPED TANAGER that flew off before I could get a picture.  A LESSER GOLDFINCH started singing, and within a matter of minutes we had BUFF-THROATED, BLACK-HEADED, and STREAKED SALTATOR for the 3 species saltator sweep.  Then Jose pointed up the road and says, “are you okay to go up there? That’s where the birds are.”.  At this point all I could say was, “sure, no problem!”.  After all, the birding had been great thus far.

Male White-ruffed Manakin trying to hide

So up we went.  It wasn’t long till Jose spotted a WHITE-RUFFED MANAKIN male sitting in a bush on the edge of the road.  While we hike a MISSISSIPPI KITE flew over and past.  The next 200 meters seemed bird-less though.  It was just up, up, straight up. Eventually an OLIVE-STRIPED FLYCATCHER sang from the trees nearby, but that was it.

The tanager section of the trail

We came to a flat area lined with some type of fruiting trees.  Jose said, this is where we could get some of the specialty forest tanagers.  It was quiet as we walked.  For about 100 meters there were no birds, then the road started up the mountain again--straight up.  Jose explained that this road was no longer used--It used to connect the road from Altos del Maria to El Valle, but a mud slide a few years ago took out the road.  Now it was used by very few people, and was a great road for birding because of this. All of the sudden Jose stopped and pointed into the forest, “BLACK-EARED WOOD-QUAIL!”, he exclaimed.  They were singing in the forest.  As we kept walking another started singing.  We stopped and realized we were between two birds singing on either side of the road.  Jose started whistling--his talent for mimicking birds of the jungle was amazing.  Where I would have to use an iPod, he had memorized and could mimic almost every bird we heard and saw.  The whistling battle was intense.  Jose would whistle, then a quail here, and another there--they were getting closer.  I was able to get a pretty damn good recording of this species--there are only a 1/2 dozen in Xeno-Canto, so it was a good capture:

All of the sudden one popped out of the bush on the opposite side of the road--as soon as it saw us it jumped back into the woods.  The birds singing from the near side got closer and closer, until it was only a dozen or so feet away.  We could see it in the understory kicking around, but when it saw us, it ran off down the hill.  Jose said he figured the bird on our side would cross the road to try and get to the other male--it wasn’t even 30 seconds later when the bird on our side flew out and across.  I snapped one picture as it went into the bush--somehow catching it in the frame--albeit dark and blurry.

Bad record shot of a Black-eared Wood-Quail in flight

Jose was stoked that we were able to see the quail.  He froze in his steps when another odd sound came from the jungle--”PURPLISH-BACKED QUAIL-DOVE!”, he said with an excited look.  The road kept going up and eventually we got into a small flock that included SILVER-THROATED TANAGER, GOLDEN-HOODED TANAGER, COMMON CHLOROSPINGUS (formerly the Bush-Tanagers), and TAWNY-CAPPED EUPHONIA. That latter a lifer. There were also a few birds from up north still around, including 2 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, and a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER.

Silver-throated Tanager feeding

About this time a HEPATIC TANAGER flew across the road and landed on some exposed branches.  I told Jose this was my current nemesis bird.  I had not see it in America, Mexico, Costa Rica, or Peru, and finally had one in my binoculars.  I grabbed my camera and started to lift it up when Jose exclaimed, “SNOWCAP!!!”.  My focus was re-shifted--this was one of my top 10 birds for the trip.  Jose pointed out the sound they were making and said there were 3 or 4 birds in the understory.  Eventually we saw the movement and then the birds.  They were tiny and zipped by quickly.  We were at a lek site that Jose said seems to be active at random, and often moves to different spots along a 200 meter section of road--today the birds were active and close.  I finally got some okay shots when a bird landed in the trees--it wasn’t great but it was a lifer and a brilliant bird.

Best bad shot I managed of a Snowcap

As we stood enjoying this show, one bird flew too close to even photograph.  It hovered in the flowers nearby for 30 seconds giving outstanding looks before disappearing.  It was amazing.  Over the next ¼ mile we had no less than 10 SNOWCAPS, and possibly more.  We also picked up some other great hummingbirds like: BLUE-CHESTED and SNOWY-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRDS, WHITE-TAILED and GARDEN  EMERALD, and GREEN HERMIT.  I had already lost count of lifers for the morning.

The not-so Snowy-bellied side of a Snowy-bellied Hummingbird

We kept on hiking and eventually got looks at a SLATE-COLORED GROSBEAK singing from a tiny tree on a cliff above us.

A RUSSET ANTSHRIKE was singing from the forest at the edge of a clearing near the cliffs.  We walked to the edge here to try for a few birds and were rewarded when a SCALE-CROWNED PYGMY-TYRANT flew in and sat in the open for a few minutes.

Scale-crest Pygmy-tyrant trying not to be seen

Jose pointed out a calling ORANGE-BELLIED TROGON from the forest, so we headed up the road to get closer.  Eventually we found both a male and female sitting right above the road.  The female was much more obliging, but eventually the male emerged and sat out on a limb doing his thing.  My love of trogons is second only to tanagers, and this was one of those great birding moments.

Female (top) and male (bottom) Orange-bellied Trogons

While we watched Jose pointed out a couple of calls from the trees--one was of the TUFTED FLYCATCHER.  A really colorful little guy.  Despite being a base gray, the subtle yellows, oranges, and reds give it some character.  It was hard to photograph deep in the forest, but I managed a distant shot.

Distant Tufted Flycatcher in the forest

More notably, was a bird that was very close to the road that was hard to find--a NORTHERN SCHIFFORNIS.  It was singing, and with a little help from my phone it flew over us once, then back again.  The second time it landed in a small opening, where I was able to snap a shot before it scampered off.  Another plain bird, that was covered in subtle yellows, oranges, reds, and also greens.  The most surprising thing about this species is for some reason I always thought it was the size of an empid, when in reality it was the size of a kingbird.

Subtly colorful Northern Schiffornis

The road opened up and I could see what looked like a summit ahead.  It was.  From here I could see down into another valley and a gravel road in good shape. Jose pointed to the right and said, “this is Altos del Maria”.  You can actually drive here, but I guess it's a paint in the ass now, something about a permit, and permission, and by the time you get up here its too late for the birding.  The peak above us could be reached by a trail that was another ? of a mile long.  He asked if I wanted to go to the top--and of course I said, "yeah".  How could I not want to hike to the top when I had already come all this way?

Me just below the summit of the hike

Through the forest the trial was basically cement stairs that led up and up and up.We eventually hear both BLACK-CROWNED ANTPITTA, and BLACK-FACED ANTTHRUSH.  The latter we spent probably almost 30 minutes trying to get a look at.  The birds was no joke within 15’ of us the entire time but due to it’s secretive style walking on the forest floor, we managed just 2 seconds of actually seeing the bird.  I fared much better recording its song.

As we continued up Jose stopped me and pointed to a call off in the trees--EMERALD TOUCANET!  This was another top 10 species for me.  I pulled out my phone and played the call a couple times and the bird flew in.  It wouldn’t come any closer than about 50’ and stayed high up in the trees.  The fleeting glimpses were less than satisfying.  I headed up the trail to see if I could get to a better vantage point.  I was about 75’ higher up and had a better view into the canopy below where the bird was.  I played the call again and almost instantly it landed on an open snag in good view about 30’ away.  I snapped two pictures, before it lifted off, flew right over me and down the other side of the hill--it was gone just like that.  The photos turned out super dark, but with a little Photoshop magic everything turned out okay.

Heavily Photoshopped shot of an Emerald Toucanet

An interesting side note is that it has been suggested that the Emerald Toucanet actually could be split into at least 7 species.  There is some disagreement on the treatment, but in general there seems to be strong evidence that there are 7 distinct species.  In central Panama there is some disagreement about which sub-species actually occurs--currently it is listed as Blue-throated Toucanet, but according to George Angehr, author of The Birds of Panama, it is possible toucanets from central Panama actually are closer to the Purple-throated sub-species.  As our science gets more and more advanced it seems that more and more species are going to be “discovered” as they are split out or suggested to be split out like this group.

Looking back down the stairs through the jungle

As we continued up the trail was got into a small group of SPOTTED BARBTAILS.  We could hear them calling but only ever got good looks at one.  There were much fewer birds up here than below, but they were some high quality species.  We soon emerged from the forest onto wooden steps that skirted the cliffs and let to a boardwalk and finally a viewpoint above the trees.  The view was incredible.  On certain days during the year I was told you can see both oceans form here--but the moisture-filled air below kept us from seeing the Atlantic side.  We did however have an amazing view back to El Valle.  We had hiked 3 miles up from where we parked and gone up almost 1,500’ in elevation.

The view of El Valle de Anton below

We watched BROAD-WINGED HAWKS soaring above the mountains and snacked on licorice then headed back down, down, down.

Soaring Broad-winged Hawk

The trip down didn’t take long and soon we were back at the main road where the closed road started.  Jose told me that there was a guy who would drive us from just below here back to the car--but when we got to his house, he wasn’t home… So we walked all the way back.

Jose ahead of me headed back down the road

We did add SHORT-TAILED HAWK for the day, and got a good look at a soaring BLACK HAWK-EAGLE which Jose heard calling way up in the air before we ever saw it.

Black Hawk-Eagle high above us

By the time we got back to the car my legs were destroyed--the down, down, down was brutal on my quads, and this was my first hike of the year--but it was well worth is as we tallied 97 species and I snagged 39 lifers.  I downed two bottles of water and then we ate what I can honestly say was the best Pineapple I’ve ever had--seriously amazing.  I ended the hike with a stellar photo op of a RED-LEGGED HONEYCREEPER, and a joke from Jose.  He told me that as a kid they played soccer with the kids from the village we had hiked down from.  He said every game, every year, all the way through school  they never beat them once.  He said it wasn’t till the first time he hiked over here to look for birds that he understood why! We watched the current group of kids making their way up the hill and back to their village--probably getting ready to beat the local kids from El Valle in a soccer match :)

Obliging Red-legged Honeycreeper

We headed back into town, made a couple stops, and then headed off to our next spot to look for birds.  We pulled off the road and a guy emerged from the a trail with 4 people.  One of the guys was obviously a guide while the other 3 were American birders--they didn’t bother to say hello and went on their way.  This is so typical of most American birders I see outside of the states--for god sakes people, have a little personality, and try to be friendly when you see other birders--we have a common hobby, and it wouldn’t hurt to put the anti-social awkwardness aside for a bit.  The other gentleman was a Panamanian and he had a machete--he also happened to be friends with Jose and the next little bit of our trip included some staged birding--and some very lucky birding.  As we walked down the path a couple STREAKED FLYCATCHERS flew past and landed for good looks.

Once down the trail and into the woods the other gentleman knelt down and pointed up into the trees. Jose pulled me aside to a spot where we could see the prize--a SPECTACLED OWL.  This bird was found some time ago and is apparently now a popular staked out species.  Just a few years ago this species wasn’t recognized to be found anywhere in central Panama, but this family group in El Valle broke the rules.

Gorgeous Spectacled Owl hiding in the forest

While we watched a YELLOW-OLIVE FLYCATCHER came in.  This was followed by WHITE-VENTED PLUMELETEER that were harassing the owl.  Finally, a WHITE-WINGED BECARD came in to check out the commotion.

Yellow-Olive Flycatcher striking a pose

White-vented Plumeleteer in the under story

White-winged Becard overhead

Back on the trail Jose pointed out the call of a ROSY THRUSH-TANAGER in the woods.  There were LESSER GREENLETS, CRIMSON-BACKED TANAGERS, RED-CROWNED ANT-TANAGER, and YELLOW-BACKED ORIOLE. It wasn’t long before Jose was pointing up in the trees and had a male LANCE-TAILED MANAKIN perched nicely.  We kept going and after a minute he explained this is where we could find a Tody Motmot--however the first bird we actually spotted was a WHOOPING MOTMOT.

Whooping Motmot (I missed the tip of the tail!)

We spent the next 45 minutes wandering through the woods looking for the tiny prize bird--twice we heard it calling, and the other gentleman got a brief look at it.  It was starting to see like we were not going to get this bird.  We got better looks at LANCE-TAILED MANAKIN along the way, and had another ROSY THRUSH-TANAGER.  BLACK-CHESTED JAYS moved through the trees above, while House, Plain, and RUFOUS-AND-WHITE WREN sang from the understory.

Lance-tailed Manakin showing off those colors

Jose stopped us and said the other guy had just seen the bird and was going to loop around and try to get it between us.  Within 5 minutes we were off the trail, kneeling below the limbs of trees, and looking at a TODY MOTMOT!  The tiny bird was  hard to see without binoculars in the poor light of the understory, yet the other gentleman had spotted it from 60’ away without any help.  He was a true expert of the local birds and their habits and knew how to find them.

Super rewarding look at a Tody Motmot

After enjoying the bird for a few minutes we headed back towards the car emerging in a yard.  The gentleman who had helped us was a caretaker for this weekend home for someone with money from Panama City--he also owned the land adjacent to this property where we had seen most of the birds mentioned above--it was only the smaller Motmot we added on this other property.  He took us up to the house and out on the deck where he produced a ladder and had me climb up and look down into a planter on the deck--there inside was a nesting TROPICAL SCREECH-OWL.  They had their show staged down to the details, acting surprised about these staked out birds, and then later Jose gave me the low down on them.  It’s a good show, and they were awesome guides.

Tropical Screech-Owl nesting in a planter

I tipped the guy $10 for his help and we were back on our way. From here we drove through town out a place known as Las Minas--a popular birding road a few miles from town.  By this point in the afternoon things had slowed a little bit.  I still managed 3 lifers with DUSKY-FACED TANAGER, SCARLET-THIGHED DACNIS, and CHESTNUT-CAPPED BRUSH-FINCH.  New trip birds included STRIPE-THROATED HERMIT and SHINY COWBIRD.

We had hoped for a Yellow-eared Toucanet here, but the heat of the day wasn’t helping.  We found a small army ant swarm but surprisingly no ant birds were attending.  I wondered what things were like here early in the morning.

Las Minas Trail--I need to come back here in the morning

We made a couple more stops to try for other motmots, and finished the day off at La Mesa to look for sicklebills. No new trip, or life birds, and just like that the day was over.  We headed back to town and parted ways.  I thanked Jose for his expertise and help.  Without him I would have gotten life birds and seen a few things, but I never would have known where to go to find the things we did--and I wouldn’t have added almost 50 life birds.  If you ever go birding in Panama, reach out to Jose.  He will give you a good deal and show you lots of birds.  He knows the country from east to west and can help you just about anywhere you would want to go. Of every guide I’ve had in various foreign countries, Jose was by far the most knowledgeable, and fun to bird with.

I headed back to the hotel, met Sam and relaxed for a bit before we had dinner.  It had been an epic day of birding and I was ready for some relaxation!

49 life birds here / 58 total trip life birds / 171 total trip species

photos from this post:
http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=1152

eBird Checklists:
Altos del María
El Valle de Anton
Las Minas
La Mesa
Sheraton Bijao Beach Resort

Our first morning waking up in Panama I was out of bed before sunrise, ready to go see what I could find in the gardens and surrounding neighborhoods. El Palmar is one of many small towns just south of the Pan American Highway along the Pacific Coast between Punta Chame and the town of Anton.  The tourism business is booming in this area, and the beautiful beaches and warm water are not only an attraction for foreigners, but also for middle class Panamanians escaping the hustle and bustle of Panama City on weekends.  Many of these once quiet towns are now side by side with large westernized resorts, or soon to be completed resorts.  Think Cabo or Playa del Carmen, but with fewer people.  The skyline is here is increasingly becoming dotted with these resorts and hotels that see the future of this industry here.  Anyways, back to El Palmar, where one main dirt road marked by a tiny sign takes off the highway towards the ocean.  The first ½ mile is tree lines second growth that will undoubtedly be developed sooner or later.  The last ½ mile is quiet neighborhoods where retirees and expats from America and elsewhere live the easy life by the sea.  And in the morning the bird activity is booming.

Magnificent Frigatebird to start off the day

As I emerged from the room the first sighting of the day was a stream of 40 some odd MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRDS heading along the coast.  I  walked the yard of the lodge, along a fence line and a Mangrove lined river that flows into the Pacific.  TROPICAL KINGBIRDS were busy calling from nearby, while BLUE-GRAY TANAGERS and CLAY-COLORED THRUSH zipped through the yard, singing and calling from various trees.  In the Mangroves, a GREEN KINGFISHER was fishing while a WHITE IBIS fed on the opposite shore. I heard a staccato call  coming from nearby that reminded me of a Screech-Owl, but mid-morning and in Panama, the sound didn’t match up.  I started mimicking back and immediately two beautiful BARRED ANTSHRIKE flew in to see what I was.

Lifer Barred Antshrike peeking through the leaves

Before Panama I had struggled at finding “ant-birds” of any kind, despite trips to Costa Rica and hello, the Amazon in Peru.  I had seen 4 “ant-birds” in Costa Rica, and shockingly, did not see a single one in Peru--only an audible for Ornate Antwren.  In my mind these birds were hard to come by, so getting an Antshrike so easily seemed like good luck--and just the tip of the iceberg for this trip.  As I sat in the trees mimicking the antshrike other birds came in to see what the ruckus was.  First was my first new tanager of the trip in a CRIMSON-BACKED TANAGER--one of the most common species here, and utterly beautiful.  Next were a pair of YELLOW-GREEN VIREOS that seemed to follow me around most of the morning.

Great pose from this Yellow-green Vireo

I walked from the yard towards the main road.  PALM TANAGERS were zipping from tree to tree, while a small flock of BRONZED COWBIRDS perched in a palm above. On the main road there were several TROPICAL MOCKINGBIRDS and the ubiquitous GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES.  I walked over to the beach where high tide brought the water so close you couldn’t walk fown the beach further than 50 feet either direction before hitting seawalls.  The water was literally 20’ higher than the day before-and incredible shift in tide. No beach, meant no beach birds, so I headed to the road again.

A view up Calle Hacia in El Palmar towards the Pan Am Highway

The first empty lot on my left was full of RUDDY-GROUND DOVES, along with a pair of PLAIN-BREASTED GROUND-DOVES.

Palm Tanager showing off those subtle yellow tones

The trees lining the field were full of activity too--as GREAT KISKADEE called, and a pair of BOAT-TAILED FLYCATCHER made a racket.  There was an alley lined with flowering trees so I decided to walk it. Here I picked up my first GARDEN EMERALD of the trip and watched a BLACK-THROATED MANGO feed.

The only shot I managed of a Black-throated Mango

RED-CROWNED WOODPECKERS came and went--they appeared to have a nest in one of the trees.  The PALM and BLUE-GRAY TANAGERS were coming and leaving the trees in a hurry--a constant flurry of movement, hard to keep track of what was new, and what I had already seen.  I flushed a WHITE-TIPPED DOVE along the path and by the time I got to the end I was at the top of the seawall overlooking the ocean. Here a SPOTTED SANDPIPER was bobbing a few feet down the wall--it would soon be headed back towards us.

Spotted Sandpiper on the sea wall in El Palmar

I headed back towards the main road where the birds were much of the same.  I had gotten most of the common yard-birds for the area, so was hoping for something less common to pop up--no such luck.  I did spot a couple PALE-VENTED PIGEONS perched in the tree tops.  Back at the main road a CRIMSON-BACKED TANAGER appeared in the open, letting me get a nice posed shot of this beautiful species.

Crimson-backed Tanager in El Palmar

I headed back towards the beach when I heard the familiar call of a falcon and looked up--a PEREGRINE FALCON came gliding by landing on a radio tower a the beach.  I headed to the other side of the tower so I could see the falcon in good light and take a picture.

This Peregrine Falcon frequented this radio tower in town

I headed back to the lodge to relax for a little bit.  The day time brough mostly the same birds.  As it warmed up the swallows started to show up--mostly SOUTHERN ROUGH-WINGED and MANGROVE SWALLOWS.  GRAY-BREASTED MARTINS were also in the fray and a couple CLIFF SWALLOWS passed by-they as well should be headed north soon.  Eventually Sam and I headed to the beach as the water started to recede.  The same shorebirds as the previous day were present while gulls and terns started appearing out over the water. 2 OSPREY flew along the coast, while 1 VAUX’S SWIFT passed overhead.  It was hot so the birding gave way to swimming in the warm waters here.  But it’s hard not to notice those birds--a small swarm of BARN SWALLOWS came by heading to the west (which leads north), hopefully on their way back to Utah!

Pale-vented Pigeon from our room at the Manglar Lodge

The afternoon was mostly relaxing at the lodge.  The PALE-VENTED PIGEONS frequently stopped by a snag just outside our room, allowing for photos.  As the evening came to we headed to walk the beach again.  The water had started to come back in and was starting to cover the rocks.  The shorebirds were hopping around making them easy to spot.  Lots of SPOTTED SANDPIPERS and one RUDDY TURNSTONE were seen.  One of the WHIMBREL from the previous day was perched on a rock in great lighting for photos.

Whimbrel in the rocks on the beach

Flocks of ROYAL TERNS passed just off shore, while a CASPIAN TERN and ELEGANT TERN each passed by as the sun started to dip.  there were quite a few LAUGHING GULLS along the beach, including one eating what looked like like a dead catfish along the shore--the lighting, and the water set up a great photo op before dark.

Laughing Gull picking at a dead catfish?

After dinner we headed to our room but a TROPICAL SCREECH-OWL singing from somewhere in the neighborhoods along the mangroves caught my attention. I hate just hearing owls, but the AC units kept kicking on and try as I might, I couldn’t whistle the bird in.

"The Manglares" from the Manglar Lodge

The following morning I birded the neighborhood in the same fashion but only added one new trip bird in a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH in the Mangroves.  The rest of the morning was spent relaxing and walking the beach looking for shells before we headed to our next destination just 10 miles down the road in Santa Clara.

El Palmar Beach almost at high tide

The only issue is we had 4 hours to burn before check in--so we decided to head to El Valle de Anton, where a local market would give Sam a chance to shop, and provide a little relief from the heat on the coast.  The drive up was 26 kilometers on a windy, narrow, 2-lane road.  “The Valley” as it is often referred to is beautiful, and it would be the setting for a whole day of birding for me the following day.  But this day we visited just one site outside of town--a waterfall called El Macho.

El Macho Waterfall in El Valle

After the waterfall we snagged lunch at a pizza joint on the main drag called Carlito’s that had killer empanadas--the best I’ve ever had and only $1.50 each.  We stopped in at the market and surprisingly Sam didn’t buy a single thing--me on the other hand, I had a few things I had to grab, like an authentic rice serving dish carved from a tree, and a smaller version painted with a couple birds on it to hang on the wall. Sam did finally find some stuff at a shop near the end of town--I found an amazing carving of a Harpy Eagle that I wanted, but couldn’t bring myself to fork out the $155 to buy it, and worry about trying to get it home in one piece.

Harpy Eagle carving I wanted to buy

In the heat of the day, the birds were far and few between, but I did add SCARLET-RUMPED CACIQUE flying across the road in town, and just outside of town a pair of GOLDEN-COLLARED MANAKIN darted across the road bring me to a break slamming stop.  I grabbed for my camera but like most manakins, they didn’t sit still long, and disappeared into the jungle.  We timed it perfectly arrive in Santa Clara at the resort we’d spend the next 3 nights at.  There was a golf course here that in the 3 days we were there, never saw a single person playing--however a large flock of BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS and a couple SOUTHERN LAPWINGS took advantage of the ponds here.

Gray-breasted Martins out our window in Santa Clara

Our room overlooked the ocean, pools, and a forest on the edge of the resort.  I watched SQUIRREL CUCKOO and BLUE-GRAY TANAGERS in the trees.  A RINGED KINGFISHER made a pass out over the pools, as did a LAUGHING FALCON--I’m sure I was the only person here to notice either. The GRAY-BREASTED MARTINS must have caught a good draft off the building here, because they were constantly gliding above the building.  Just before sunset 2 perched just outside my window at eye-level--the best look I’d ever had at this species, and the last bird of the day! Tomorrow things were going to get serious...

6 life birds here / 9 total trip life birds / 70 total trip species

photos from this post:
http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=1151

eBird Checklists:
El Palmar (3/23 - morning)
El Palmar (3/23 - day)
El Palmar (3/23 - evening)
El Palmar (3/23 - night)
El Palmar (3/24 - morning)
El Valle de Anton
Sheraton Bijao Beach Resort

We landed in Panama City, early on Saturday the 22nd.  The whole day was open for birding in the mountains, and then a 3 hour drive to our hotel along the south coast  (Pacific) west of Panama City.  The plan was to head to Cerro Azul for my chance to finally get my lifer Speckled Tanager, along with a number of other species I wouldn't have the opportunity to see during the rest of our trip.  We made our way through customs fairly quickly and headed to the car rental area to pick up our SUV.  Things started to slow down here--despite it being Budget, it seemed to be a little behind the times.  It took about an hour to get our car which we had booked ahead of time.  By the time we were in the car and ready to go, I realized we hadn't asked for a GPS--and by this point the Budget guys were nowhere to be found.  So I decided, we were going to have an adventure--we had maps after all, and I had printed out step by step directions to each place we were going so we should be good right?

A first look at the jungles of Panama from above

1 Block out of the airport we realized that there were no street signs in Panama City.  So despite knowing that we had to turn right in 500 meters on Avenue Domingo Diaz, we didn't know if the street was actually Avenue Domingo Diaz.  The directions to the mountains were pretty straightforward, and we thought we were going the right direction, but after about 10 minutes, I decided we didn't know where we were.  We turned around and went back to the airport to try again (The irony I learned later was that we were indeed going the right direction--the mileage gauge on the car was on a different setting than it was supposed to be so our KM's weren't adding up as we expected).  This time we took another turn onto what seemed like the right street, but pretty soon we realized again that the directions didn't match  up.  It was official, we were lost in Panama City.  The road we were on seemed like a major thoroughfare given the bumper to bumper mid-morning traffic on a Saturday.  It was headed west in the general direction downtown and the Panama Canal so I told Sam that we would just keep going this way and instead of heading to the mountains go right to the first place we were staying. 30 minutes in on day one and my #1 target bird was instantly off the table as a possibility yet again.

But there were other birds. At the airport Sam spotted the first bird of the trip, a GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE.  Next came Rock Pigeons, followed by both CATTLE EGRET and LITTLE BLUE HERON.  In our 30 minutes of wandering along fields and marsh we added both EASTERN MEADOWLARK and my first lifer of the trip, RED-BREASTED BLACKBIRD. Both BLACK and TURKEY VULTURES could be seen soaring over the highway as we made our way towards downtown.  The slow crawl of traffic should have been mundane, but the "Panamaniacs" (a term I used to describe the drivers in this beautiful country) made sure to keep things interesting, by darting in and out of lanes, cutting you off, ignoring your presence, and all around making you fear for your life, or at least the well being of your rental.  It was stress filled driving at its best.

As we made our way into the heart of the city we soon found ourselves near the waterfront.  Lifer number two for the trip appeared on a power line along the road--a FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER.  Then things got crazy--one wrong turn and we were in old town. Wall to wall people and cars--this was not where we wanted to be and I was looking hard for an out--but not hard enough to notice the PEREGRINE FALCON cruising overhead.  Eventually everything worked itself out and I managed to make it onto Balboa Avenue, and with a little luck we were crossing the Bridge of the Americas on our way up (west) the coast.

Driving on the Pan-Am Highway

Once out of the city things were pretty fast going--minus the 25 minutes it took to get through the town of La Chorrera.  I missed a turn off just before town to take a "newer" highway that misses all the traffic--oops.  I didn't see a ton of birds as we made our way through small towns and villages along the Pan-American Highway.  YELLOW-HEADED CARACARA and AMERICAN KESTREL were two birds I noticed. By lunch time we found our way into the "surf-town" of El Palmar and our lodging for the first two nights--the Manglar Lodge.

Manglar Lodge front walk

We ate a quick lunch while watching a few birds around the garden.  TROPICAL KINGBIRDS and SOCIAL FLYCATCHER patrolled the area even in the heat of the day.  There were flowers along the fence in the yard and before long my 3rd lifer of the trip showed up in a BLACK-THROATED MANGO.  For the next two days this bird was a constant in the garden.  After lunch we decided to head to the beach which at this point was a ¼ mile out due to low tide.  I wasn't sure how high it go, but at its current state rock beds were visible all along the beach, and shorebirds were using them well.  WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPER were seen along with COLLARED PLOVER and 2 WHIMBREL.  A lone SNOWY EGRET also was hunkered down trying to avoid the wind which was blowing sand.  We walked further west along the shore to where the rocks disappeared and the locals were out enjoying the warm tropical water.   The afternoon faded into evening and we retreated to our room to rest a little bit and cool down.  3 lifer birds on the first day was far fewer than I had hoped, and I knew missing Cerro Azul was going to take  a chunk out of my trip list. Maye tomorrow would bring some birds and photo ops.

3 life birds this day / 3 total trip life birds / 25 total trip species

photos from post:
Tocumen International Airport 
Balboa, Panama 
El Palmar (3/22 - day)
El Palmar (3/22 - evening)

Will we be seeing Carolina Parakeets in the wild soon?

You may have heard of the ongoing research of Dr. Marvin Cambrich at Cornell University, working to isolate usable DNA to try and "bring back" extinct species of animals, specifically birds.  Dr. Cambrich and his team of researchers have spent the better part of the last decade working on a project dubbed "Carolina", that sounds like a real life rip off of Jurassic Park.  This week it was announced that an upcoming issue of National Geographic is going to feature a story talking about the project, and its apparent first successful product.  Details are murky, but the following quote was available form Cornell's website directly from Dr. Cambrich:

The news is very exciting.  We can't say what we've done yet, but very soon the details will be released and what we have done will change science forever.

Rumors have been swirling in the online birding world for the past few days that the team of scientists have actually been able to birth a Carolina Parakeet using another species from the Arini family, specifically in the closely related genus Psittacara.  To spare you my explanation check out this posting on the birding forum talking about the ground breaking technology believed to have been used for this.  It's freaking amazing!

Post from John Thomasson on Birding Forum

Seriously crazy stuff going on out there!