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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Latest from Panama (1 Viewer)

Coati

Yo Vi Quetzales!
B :)

Hey
Been on the ground for 3 weeks and just 104 species.
Started in PC where the birding was fair; then Gamboa/Pipeline/Ammo/Discovery Tower
Now in Chirriqui, can report good birding at Finca Lerida!

Notable birds

Three wattled Bellbird - 4 at FLerida some really cool pics to come.
Resplendant Quetzals, both sexes FL good shots from just 20 metres away!
White Hawk X 2, Momentum 5 km south Boquete
Fork Tailed Kites - several around Boquette
Both Toucans and Collared Aracari - Gamboa
Slaty Tail Trogon -Pipeline
Golden collared Manakin - Gamboa
Blue Dacnis - Pipeline
Crested Oropendula - Boquette
Chestnut headed Orop - Gamboa
Black chested Jay - outside Ivans at Gamboa :)
RED HEADED BARBET (hurrah!) - Lerida
Dusky Antshrike -Pipeline
Silver throated Tanager - many at the Garden Inn, Boquette
SOUTHERN LAPWINGS - 10 at Gamboa Resort, Chagres River
CHESTNUT CAPPED BRUSH FINCH -Lerida
Laughing Falcon, Broadwing Hawk.
GRAY BREASTED CRAKE -Ammo :)!!!!

TROPICAL MOCKINGBIRD! Boquette , pair

more later!

Rich
 
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Seems that you are having fun! The Gray-breasted Crake in the Ammo Dumps is particularly rare for the area... I think you already know that or it was a lifer for you considering the happy face and the number of exclamation marks you posted !!!! I have heard it many times (in others sites) but still need to actually SEE one!
 
I am currently in the Fortuna area, staying at Lost and Found hostel. It is a fantastic area. I saw a pair of Yellowthroats on the microwave tower road (Palo Seco). They seem closest to Masked: male with just a small grey patch on the forecrown as far as i could see, female with grey wash to crown and cheeks, not solid. I haven´t other wise seen masked or Olivecrowned. Is this now a known site?
The birds on the continental divide trail, and indeed all the trails in the area, other than those near the LF hostel are incredibly shy, and from their behaviour obviiously shot at a lot. Wrens hide behind leaves at 30m! Nevertheless there are many kinds of bird around. A couple of days ago I had a sharpbill, Blackbreasted Woodquail and a pair of Rufous-browed Tyrannulets within a few hours.
No internet access up there though. No sign of Sootyfaced Finch or Stripeheaded brushfinch so far though. Does anyone know sites in the Fortuna area?
Patrick posted on Lost and Found some time ago, and also David. I have found the area around the Bambu hostel very good, with even Bat Falcon, and White tailed Kite.
cheers
Des
 
Nice to here from you Jan; nice blog too!

Yes we are enjoying Panama but I agree with Des, hi Des! birds seem very shy lol
 
I am currently in the Fortuna area, staying at Lost and Found hostel. It is a fantastic area. I saw a pair of Yellowthroats on the microwave tower road (Palo Seco). They seem closest to Masked: male with just a small grey patch on the forecrown as far as i could see, female with grey wash to crown and cheeks, not solid. I haven´t other wise seen masked or Olivecrowned. Is this now a known site?
The birds on the continental divide trail, and indeed all the trails in the area, other than those near the LF hostel are incredibly shy, and from their behaviour obviiously shot at a lot. Wrens hide behind leaves at 30m! Nevertheless there are many kinds of bird around. A couple of days ago I had a sharpbill, Blackbreasted Woodquail and a pair of Rufous-browed Tyrannulets within a few hours.
No internet access up there though. No sign of Sootyfaced Finch or Stripeheaded brushfinch so far though. Does anyone know sites in the Fortuna area?
Patrick posted on Lost and Found some time ago, and also David. I have found the area around the Bambu hostel very good, with even Bat Falcon, and White tailed Kite.
cheers
Des

Glad to hear that you are birding the La Fortuna area- some nice ones, wish I were there too! Your description sounds like Masked Yellowthroat. I don't know sites for either of those birds but maybe Jan does? I would expect the finch in the same area you saw the wood quail and other species, perhaps a bit higher while the brush finch could be a bit lower than Lost and Found on the Pacific slope. If you still need Chiriqui Quail Dove, it occurs at the hostel- have seen it below in the orchard (along with White-tailed Emerald).
Keep us posted!
 
I am currently in the Fortuna area, staying at Lost and Found hostel. It is a fantastic area. I saw a pair of Yellowthroats on the microwave tower road (Palo Seco). They seem closest to Masked: male with just a small grey patch on the forecrown as far as i could see, female with grey wash to crown and cheeks, not solid. I haven´t other wise seen masked or Olivecrowned. Is this now a known site?
The birds on the continental divide trail, and indeed all the trails in the area, other than those near the LF hostel are incredibly shy, and from their behaviour obviiously shot at a lot. Wrens hide behind leaves at 30m! Nevertheless there are many kinds of bird around. A couple of days ago I had a sharpbill, Blackbreasted Woodquail and a pair of Rufous-browed Tyrannulets within a few hours.
No internet access up there though. No sign of Sootyfaced Finch or Stripeheaded brushfinch so far though. Does anyone know sites in the Fortuna area?
Patrick posted on Lost and Found some time ago, and also David. I have found the area around the Bambu hostel very good, with even Bat Falcon, and White tailed Kite.
cheers
Des

Hi,

the expected Yellowthroat in the Palo Seco area is the Olive-crowned... very good birders friends of mine have recorded it singing all the way up there. The Masked (Chiriqui) Yellowthroat is not expected, nor the Gray-crowned, both restricted to the Pacific slope and (in the case of Masked) to westernmost Chiriqui province. However, Common Yellowthroat is a possibility too. I have seen Sooty-faced Finch in the forest behind the grounds of the STRI cabin/station, which is four kilometers before the dam (if coming from the Pacific). Also have seen it walking upriver the "Quebrada Arena", which is the closest stream to the Continental Divide. I think that the general area of Fortuna is to high for the Stripe-headed Brush-Finch. Happy birding!
 
jcaxel: thanks for the info on the finches. I have tried walking up and down the quebrada but didn't see or hear anything like it. It is a lovely river to walk and it seems no one has been shooting there. I didn't try STRI. Ridgeley and Gwynne mention a site for Stripe-headed Brush-Finch in the area that I had trouble interpreting but I think must be the 'Aleman' trail just a bit east of STRI. They say it goes as far as the Hornito ridge.
Patrick: Chiriqui Quail dove - several sightings at L&F and one at the quebrada also. White-rtailed Emeerald and Snowy bellied HB are in the orchard still along with Elegant Euphonia and I had a Blue winged Warbler by the road there a few days ago.
Re the yellowthroats, I was wondering if they might be hybridising in that area. I will try to check skins back in the UK.
While up at the Continental divide trail (that only seems to be cleared to 1.2km at the moment) a bird photographing team arrived. A Canadian photographer in a huge camper van is photographing birds in minitents for his companion from a private zoo. They have an experienced guide who is mistnetting birds for them. They told me the Smithsonian collected 4000 specimens 2-3 years ago as part of a birdflu study. If they were mostly shot that might have contributed to the shyness of birds in the area, but I suspect that it is more recent than that.
I am now over in the Guadalupe-Volcan area so I hope to be able to see pure Masked yellowthroat. I had Common here this afternoon.
The feeders at Los Quetzales have hordes of hummers and are well worth a visit.
Des
 
Hey Des

We are at Cielito Sur right now; had dinner at LQL last night, lots of hummers.
Waiting for dawn here. looks good.
BTW saw a kettle of 200+ Swainsons Hawk yesterday 15 th heading West to Costa Rica just south of Boquete, a few others like Broad wing mixed in

Rich
 
I just came from the Chiriqui highlands. Saw Masked Yellowthroat along the access road to the Volcan Lakes (after the airstrip)... that is a regular site.
 
Well I dipped on the yellowthroat at that site at Volcan Lakes. It was incredibly birdy though with over 70spp seen and a couple of others heard that I could actually identify. And I also dipped on 'Masked' Yellowthroat at SAn Joaquin marsh near San Vito, Costa Rica, when coming back to San Jose,though I did see a Common YT there.
But hereis what the taxonomy section of IBC says:
'axonomy: Motacilla aequinoctialis J. F. Gmelin,1789. French Guiana.
Races geographically discrete; chiriquensis sometimes considered a separate species, and recently suggested, on basis of mitochondrial DNA, to be closer to G. subflava than to other forms currently included herein. In one recent study, nominate race, chiriquensis, auricularis and velata found to be genetically distinct from one another; vocal differences also apparent. They may be better treated as four separate species, with peruviana then a race of auricularis; some authors have suggested that peruviana differs from auricularis in its song, and that it, too, may merit elevation to species rank. Further research required. Five subspecies currently recognized.'
Des
 
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