Panama
February 2004 - Trip Report

Monday, Feb. 16 Arrival in Panama City
Since nearly half the group had come in a day early, one of our guides, Hernan, picked them up in the morning to spend the day touring Panama City. They enjoyed the chance to learn more about Panamanian history and culture. They saw the old part of the city, "Panama Viejo," in detail, walked around the historic French section by the waterfront, and visited other local highlights. To add a little natural history to the day, Hernan took the group to the lower section of Metro Park, where they had great looks at Three-toed Sloths and a good variety of birds. Sadly, Peg was not here to enjoy the day, as she had missed multiple airline connections due to airplane mechanical problems and overbooking. Hernan handled everything, and the group was settled in by the time of her arrival the following day.

Tuesday, Feb. 17 Panama City / Shorebirds and Waders / The Panama Canal Railroad
The highlights of today's birding were shorebirds and waders: we watched several species congregate in mudflats and along a local river to feed and rest. For several the Southern Lapwing was new, and it put on an impressive vocal show. Short-billed Dowitchers were particularly abundant, and it's hard to beat the visual elegance of Black-necked Stilts. We had lunch at a restaurant with a great view of both the bay and the boats lining up to pass through the canal, soon to pass under the massive Bridge of the Americas.

In the afternoon Hernan led an in-depth tour of the excellent Panama Canal Museum, which put into perspective how critical Panama's narrow land passage has been to trade and civilization for centuries - the canal being only the latest chapter in a long history. This visit certainly made the canal passage more interesting later in the week.

Thanks to the services of ANCON, our tour operator in Panama, Peg was able to join the group in time to take the bus across the canal zone to Colon and the Panama Canal Railway's Atlantic Station. Bright yellow train cars awaited us. We were the first to board the bright yellow train cars and had great seats up in the dome car. The train departed just after 5 p.m., so light for photography was superb en route. Many of us spent part of the trip in the open air sections between cars, as Snail Kites flew in good numbers over the waters of Gatun Lake. The ride lasted about an hour and proved to be a great way to see the Canal, imagine the challenges of constructing it, , and glimpse some lovely, lush vegetation. Peg purchased a hat and T-shirt at the end station and thus doubled her wardrobe - she had arrived but her luggage had not! She and Hernan quickly went out in search of a tripod, just in case .. We had a nice dinner at the hotel, and were soon off to sleep to prepare for adventures ahead.

Wednesday, Feb. 18 Metropolitan Park / First Monkeys / Summit Gardens / Canopy Tower
Our modern hotel serves breakfast early, but Peg was quite surprised when she was presented with a birthday cake at 6:30 a.m., complete with candles! It would prove to be a great day to celebrate a birthday. Metropolitan Park has to be one of the best places in the world to begin a day's birding. Because it is a city park, no one was prepared for the abundant variety of life there. One of the first birds we saw as we stepped of the bus was the incredible Scaled Pigeon - it perched for quite a display. An Osprey flew over, a familiar sight and sound for many in the group. Marge and Joy spotted a Crimson-crested Woodpecker, a species Joy had particularly wanted to see. We had a tree full of flycatchers, the precious Common Tody, the tiny Tropical Gnatcatcher, and two species of euphonias. Several brilliant butterflies cruised by, none getting anywhere near the attention the morpho would in a few days, but still we had great looks.

The walk up to the Mirador (lookout point) was splendid. We went slowly, observing a steady stream of species -- including a Blue-crowned Motmot -- in the scope. We observed male and female Lance-tailed Manakins in the shorter trees and thickets; quick elusive looks that included the shocking first site of the male's bright red crown. Seeing Squirrel Cuckoos was a thrill - we got great views of two of these russet beauties chasing about in the thick tangles of vines about half way up. From the top of the Mirador we could see the whole city, more ships lined up to cross the canal, and the high buildings of downtown.

Near the trail junction by the giant Ceiba (tree of life), Susie spotted a troop of Geoffroy's Tamarins, our first of four New World Monkey species. After Susie's keen eyes picked up the movement, Charlie and Roy called out the locations of several more troop members. Several participants followed Hernan down a narrow, steep trail to the bus and were rewarded by great looks at a Crane Hawk, not common to see here. Others went with Peg and saw Dusky Antbird, as well as a huge group of local schoolchildren who all practiced their English saying, "Hello, and how are you?"

We then went to the local handicraft market, where we dispersed quickly to take in the vast array of carvings, clothing, sandals, baskets, wooden masks, and more. Baskets had gone up quite a bit in cost, but the quality was even more incredible - nice to see this art form becoming so well known. At lunch we joined the locals, picking up trays to go through the cafeteria line at Nico's. Jan must have been very friendly to the servers, as she had a giant tray of food to tackle! It was fun to try tamarindo juice and other regional dishes, and to have time to watch people and take in the local scene.

In the afternoon we went to the Summit Botanical Gardens and Zoo, primarily to see the Harpy Eagle exhibit and the new Tapir exhibit. The zoo has a striking pair of Harpys and displays on everything from their cultural significance to life history. The film of these powerful birds catching a sloth was quite memorable. We found some exquisite flowers in bloom, giant waxy blossoms full of color that kept the cameras clicking for a while. Then we were off to our unique home for the next three nights -- the green dome of the Canopy Tower! On the way up the hill we had great looks at a pair of White-nosed Coatimundi.

Our stay at the Canopy Tower was the highlight of the trip for many. Shortly after we settled into our rooms, there was quite an uproar: we all piled into Susie and Roy's bedroom and bathroom to get incredible looks through their windows at a mother sloth with a tiny new baby. We were squealing with delight like little kids, and Peg even set the scope up in the shower! After this great welcoming event, we enjoyed relaxing on the observation deck for much of the afternoon. As the sun set over the long reaches of forest and ships turned their lights on to navigate the Canal, we went downstairs to enjoy some great hors d'ouevres. Dinner was served buffet style, in a gracious space one can't quite imagine was ever a radar tower. We had chicken with a lovely Thai sauce and all the fixings, plus a fresh green salad, homemade bread, and scrumptious desert - not too bad! After dinner, we ventured out on a night drive - great fun! We had superb luck: a good look at Night Monkeys,a chance to see Tamadua, and fabulous looks at a Great Potoo.

Thursday, Feb. 19 Canopy Tower / Gatun Lake
This morning several of us woke early to be up on deck to greet the day, Phyllis and Charlie leading the pack. We listened to the calls of parrots, forest falcons, and tinamou as we watched the lights of ships in the Canal. By 6:15 it was light enough to make out their forms, particularly parrots winging across, two by two. Other birds sang dawn songs, often short, strange renditions of calls biologists have yet to decode. The Green Shrike Vireo was incessant and elusive, calling just under the tree canopy. Marge spotted a Black-headed Tody Flycatcher -- a nice complement to yesterday's Common Tody and certainly one of the world's cutest birds. He even sat still enough for scope views by all! Far away was a stunning bird, the Blue Cotinga; even from a distance it was, as Mary Louise said, "electric blue." The whole morning was vibrant: the birds, the birders, a pageant of subtle colors at sunrise, the ebullient calls of Howler Monkeys.

Soon a male and female Blue Dacnis posed in the Kapok tree. Last night's mom and baby sloth were gone; Mary Louise mused on how the mother sloth knew it was just the RIGHT time to make the effort to climb that tree and to eat the rich buds. Today our gift from the Kapok tree was flowers (no more edible buds!) and this first-hand glimpse of the finely tuned interactions of tropical ecology.

At 7:30 our bus picked us up, and off we went to explore the waters of Gatun Lake, the central geographic feature of the Panama Canal. Hernan was waiting at the bottom of the hill - wanting to show us Black-crested Jays and Dusky Antbirds. We boarded our small boat, jostling about for seats in sun or shade. Soon, the flashing yellow wings of Wattled Jacana, the purple-blue of Purple Gallinule, and the intricate wing pattern of Anhinga mesmerized us. Susie spotted a really BIG Green Iguana - one of several we would see as the morning progressed. We wove in and out of the islands on the lake, a thick green canopy giving way to water in a most intriguing way. It was disconcerting to shift views from a tiny Red-legged Honeycreeper to that of a giant container ship and back again! One boat went so fast we had to take refuge from its wake -- Roy said it was heavy and full of petroleum. We saw the dredging crane "Hercules" at work and admired the Titan, one of only three cranes like it in the world.

Two species of monkeys, the Mantled Howler and the White-faced Capuchin, stole the show today. Hernan had shown us a large male Howler early that morning, and we now had five sprawled sleeping on a large horizontal branch right before us. Peg compared the sluggish behavior of these low-protein leaf-eaters to the wild antics of the insect-feeding White-faced Capuchins, especially the young who frolicked on swinging vines while mothers grazed on orange Erythina flowers. They were very tolerant of our approach, so several of us got good photos and all got great looks at troop behavior. Nearby, a line of Sac-winged Bats decorated a lichen-clad tree. We were also treated to the sight of several Greater Ani and then to a dozen or more Snail Kites -- perched, flying, male and female -- it was grand!

At lunch our boatman showed us several of the large snails the kites feed on, illustrating why the kites are so dense in this area. Hernan explained that the snails were introduced to the lake; once the population was established, the Snail Kites became residents rather than migrants. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on one of the islands. On the way home we birded at another pond near the Ammo Dump, picking up a few more species and probably deserving Charlie's observation that we "were obsessed."

People spread out to relax when back at the Tower, some in hammocks, some on the observation decks, some asleep in their rooms. In the late afternoon, while some remained to enjoy an afternoon of leisure, about half the group went out to walk down Semaphore Hill. One of our first finds was a group of very tolerant Red-naped Tamarins - several of us got great photos as they scampered close by in the dense foliage. The real highlight and reward for our patience, however, was a look at the secretive Great Tinamou. Our guide had thought we'd have luck around 5:30 at a certain corner, and we did - it was marvelous. At dusk our guides showed us two species of toucans from the observation deck, as well as a roosting Great Potoo -- now our second of the trip.

Friday, Feb. 20 Canopy Tower / Pipeline Road
Several of us were up again early to hear the calls of Howler Monkeys and Collared and Barred Forest Falcons from the deck. We ate breakfast while it was still dark so we could leave early to explore the Pipeline Road, one of the world-famous birding spots of the New World Tropics. Getting off the bus we stepped into a veritable explosion of bird activity! Hernan, Melanie, and Peg were all calling off birds so fast no one knew where to look first. We had encountered a large canopy flock. Everyone got a superb look at what turned out to be a common bird - the Crimson-backed Tanager. How can anyone call this a "trash bird"! We had Buff-throated Saltator, Blue Dacnis and many more species. Joy found a Summer Tanager female, and Phyllis locked into several flycatchers, including the Panama Flycatcher, which was new for most. Many local trees were in bloom, a really beautiful setting for our morning. It was hard to pull ourselves away, but we were still on the edge of the forest and wanted to look for species deeper in the interior.

Pipeline Road is difficult to describe - it simply pulls you into the forest. Mary Louise was just captivated by all the forms of vegetation, and Carlyn got looks at birds she never imagined seeing. Her favorite was the female Blue Cotinga, not so bright but beautiful in her own way, particularly mixed in with a flock of dacnis and tanagers. At a small creek crossing, we got good looks at colorful fish - small Jack Dempseys flashing in the sunlight. We walked a bit farther at Hernan's insistence and were rewarded by the sight of a courting pair of Purple-throated Fruitcrows, the male calling and puffing out his magenta feathered throat. The morning passed quickly, but by 10:30 the heat was building, so we elected to make our way back. Hernan demonstrated the use of the water vine, cutting a piece with his machete and offering Helen a drink. He pointed out several other medicinal plants and challenged any to try the antiseptic power of several species of biting ants. This was the dry season so there were few frogs or snakes to observe, but we did find some great beetles and the numerous Morpho butterflies, which charmed the group with their darting flight and electric blue color.

We returned to the Canopy Tower for lunch and a siesta. Peg and several others got caught up on the bird list while others napped or read in the library. Joy propped her feet up by one of the big windows and just took in the view. Having been so successful on our afternoon walk yesterday, we tried again, getting dropped off at the point on the road where we had quit the day before. Eagle-eye Susie spotted a White-necked Puffbird outlined beautifully in an open-canopy tree where we could get the scope on it, and even scope photos of it. A great bird and some great spotting! We did not find the Tinamou again, but upon entering Plantation Trail we had a real find - super looks at a Slaty-backed Forest Falcon. We first saw it in flight, then heard it calling, then found it perched and kept our scope on it to photograph and record all details. Raul joined us for cocktails and told us about his years of finding and building the Canopy Tower - quite a story and quite an endeavor.

Saturday, Feb. 21 Panama Canal
We enjoyed a good breakfast and were off for the day; while we were sad to leave the Canopy Tower, today's highlight was a full transit of the Panama Canal! At the day's end Susie summed it up: when you sign up for the trip, you want to see the whole canal, do the full crossing; but once your half-way through, you start looking for a way to get out! This year's group was not quite as captivated by the Canal experience as those of the past two years, but then again, they were stuffed into a small and very uncomfortable yacht. We're still not sure what happened, as last year we'd had a roomy comfortable boat; but it seemed that a cruise line had placed literally hundreds of passengers that day on local ships, pushing small groups like ours to fend for ourselves - it was an experience!

The crew tried to serve us lunch, sort of an exercise in body scrunching. The few comfortable seats in the shade were at a real premium, and luckily we had enough in our group to switch around. We did enjoy watching the flight of Magnificent Frigatebirds; the steady passing of huge ships from around the world; and seeing (over the many bodies aboard) the dynamic workings of the locks, the mechanical mules, the dredges, cranes, and other machinery of the Canal. We had a further hour delay waiting for lock space - our British fellow passengers got very testy with the pilot but that backfired - so our Canal experience was more than a little colorful.

As was our stay at the historic Hotel Washington. Once such a grand old place, it is sadly past its prime. Peg, Jo, Marge, and Joy had a drink out by the water, watching sunset and the setup of a local wedding. We did have a very good dinner, with delicious steaks and, for Peg, the corn arepas (considered tortillas in Panama) she so loves. Poor Susie and Roy had the worst of it: an airy room in which the air did not move, and the air conditioning did not work. They made the best of it, but looked a little tired by the next afternoon. Moving on to the mountains and the cool air sounded just right about now

Sunday, Feb. 22 Achiote & Escobal Roads / Ft. San Lorenzo / Flight to Chiriqui Highlands
The whole purpose of staying at Hotel Washington was to get an early start to enjoy birding on the Caribbean side of Panama, along the Achiote and Escobal Roads. Despite Hernan's best efforts, no one would serve us breakfast before 7:00 on this Carnival Sunday morning, and even 7:00 was nothing shy of a miracle. So while we could see its potential, Marge noted we were just a bit too late in getting to the Achiote Road area - the toucans were calling but not perching boldly as they did for us at the Canopy Tower. We did have good looks at Crested and Montezuma Oropendolas, Brown-hooded Parrot, and, at the end, the Flame-rumped Tanager (which was a treat as we saw him during a small downpour). The Yellow-tailed Oriole on the phone wire was a big hit, as were male and female Blue Dacnis.

There were some interesting characters for us to admire during Sunday morning post-Carnival traffic as well. We soon made our way to Fort San Lorenzo, constructed by the Spaniards in the 16^th century. Quite a bit of the Fort remains. It's a World Heritage site and full of history - which Hernan interpreted with a dramatic flair (don't get this guy started on the horrors of crimes committed by pirates!)

In the afternoon, we returned to Panama City to fly to David (about a one hour flight). It was a beautiful flight with a bird's eye view of the rugged mountain terrain, the Pacific Ocean, and finally the vast mangroves around David. From the airport we drove to Chiriqui Highlands town of Boquete and a most delightful and charming family-run hotel, the Panamonte. Boquete is famous for producing oranges, coffee, and fresh-grown vegetables and flowers. We watched sunset rays on Volcan Baru as we got close to town, and enjoyed the cool air that greeted us at the vista point. In fact, we had to put on our sweaters, and in the hotel's cozy bar a big fire was blazing -- quite a switch from the sultry lowlands.

Monday, Feb. 23 Finca Lerida Cloudforest Trails / Boquete
What a grand day we had at Finca Lerida, the stunning private farm and reserve of the Collins family. We started with high adventure - a locked gate. Nothing daunts Hernan, however, and after a consultation with the workers and local guide, he efficiently cut through it with the machete. His Darien jungle skills come in handy even in the mountains! Phyllis, Helen, and Charlie documented it all on film and we were soon on our way, in four-wheel drive vehicles up the rutted road to a parking spot that I would describe as next to heaven. Here the soil was rich and black, vegetables grew in perfect rows, abundant water supports irrigation, and one can see forever to the surrounding mountains.

The first settlers chose well, and their hard work paid off in a very good quality of life today. We were lucky to share it but had little time to gaze -- soon Peg and Hernan were calling off bird names as rapidly as machine gun fire! Hernan's excited call, "look at this one, look up at this one!" alerted us to a passing Barred Hawk, which circled back around so we could get superlative views. Underneath it a Band-tailed Pigeon crossed and then the day-glow orange of the Flame-colored Tanager captured all our attention. The wild call of the Three-wattled Bellbird chimed in next to that of the Blue-crowned Mot-mot - what a place!

We left the edge of the farm and walked through ancient and lush epiphytic cloud forest. The many tiers of green coalesced into magnificent forms as we approached an opening with views from the road. We could watch birds fly across the gap underneath us. We watched Dark Pewee flycatching, and an Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush poking about for insects at our feet. Meanwhile, Hernan was on a mission, and soon he roared out to come quickly because he had the bellbird in the scope.

We had such a good time looking at this crazy bird with his punk-rock throat garnish. What an odd creature to find here, so at home in this mystical forest. Everyone got great views, and several tried photographs through the scope. The bird would change its perch and then we'd set up again. Finally we left it to utter its great "bong" calls in search of a mate. The sun was bright this day; the uphill walk a challenge for many. But the rewards were high: soon we heard the calls of the Resplendent Quetzal, and trained the scope on a beautiful male of this remarkable species. Jo demonstrated remarkable agility in trying to get the best view!

We enjoyed fresh coffee and cakes in the grove of trees at that trail's end. Carlyn loved the peace of nature so abundant here. Back in town, we had some free time to shop and explore - several got on the Internet to connect with friends and family back home. Peg and Jo walked a road above town to bird and did really well despite light rain. Dinner at the hotel was delightful in the cozy dining room, with good food and nice wine, homemade lemon meringue pie - a super ending to a really great day.

Tuesday, Feb. 24 Boquete / Volcan Baru / Dos Rios
This morning we drove the scenic loop road around the Boquete area. Hernan had explained how a proposed road from Cerro Punto threated the pristine condition of the cloud forest, and we wanted to see where the road would come out on the Boquete side. Phyllis had brought school supplies for the local children, and in the small workers' huts we found some happy takers. We stopped at a bridge, selecting a perfect "fixer-upper" building for Hernan and Mel -- a sort of octagonal building being claimed back by the forest that would make an ideal birding lodge!

We found several hummingbirds, a small mixed flock, and some delightful scenery. We returned to Boquete for lunch and ate at a delightful local bistro. Roy and Susie really enjoyed it, and Jan found a super hand-carved wooden platter among the local artwork. Then it was time for a trip by to the other side of the mountain. Our route took us down to David, so we had a second look at the Carnival activity, which seemed to be dying down a bit. People had that sort of tired happy look, and many lined up to escape the heat with a dousing from the fire truck - a ritual of rural Panama at Carnival.

We arrived in time to tour the butterfly garden at Dos Rios Hotel with a local guide. Mel translated while he explained many aspects of butterfly ecology. The structure was new and the vegetation was not yet fully developed, but we saw a number of species in several life stages. Just before dinner, Hernan showed an excellent slide show on the history and geography of Panama -- including the Darien region -- using impressive slides he had taken over the years. Dinner here was not the experience we had at Boquete, but those that had pizza enjoyed it immensely.

Wednesday, Feb. 25 A Day of Quetzals / La Amistad National Park / Cerro Punto
Diane, smiling happily on her birthday, announced to all "this is a day of quetzals!" Going on Hernan's hunch about the location of quetzals based on an earlier trip, we left the hotel early to be ready as the full light hit a spectacular wild avocado tree loaded with fruit. We actually waited quite a bit for the show, entertaining ourselves with views of several hummingbirds and a small flock of Long-tailed Silky Flycatchers.

The first bird to arrive, a female, called softly, soon followed by a male in diligent pursuit. His spectacular vertical dive, with full tail feathers streaming, caused actual gasps from the group. The three-foot-long jade green feathers waving back and forth during its fast descent was so remarkable. We had great scope views of the first two; soon there were several males, two or maybe more females, and then a brilliantly adorned pair of Collared Trogon! Hernan carried on quite a conversation with the trogon using perfectly synchronized whistles. Melanie's smile at the sight of the Quetzals was as bright as the birds are, because she had never seen such a big group of the birds even while living in Panama. As no one felt the need to move on, we talked about the ecology and distribution of the trogon and quetzal family -- all the while enjoying the show. We observed a variety of courting antics, with pauses to see other intriguing birds such as the female White-throated Mountain Gem (a hummingbird) and the noisy Spot-crowned Woodcreeper.

This spot was at the entrance to Baru Volcano National Park. Because the birds were so active, we decided to hike here for the morning and save our visit to La Amistad for the afternoon. Agile Susie and Roy volunteered to make a run back for sunscreen, hats, and water as the day wore on and we continued hiking and birding! Collared Redstarts were particularly common and charmed everyone. Mary Louise loved the vegetation, exclaiming over the vast difference in species from those seen in the lowlands. We saw several plants endemic to the Talamanca Mountains and a wonderful array of ferns. The huge oaks that stretched boldly above us were laden with epiphytes. Phyllis and Janet spotted several orchids in bloom. Each tree's shape and sculptured form was so different. Jan looked hard to find a spot for a photograph that would show the complexity of this forest. Charlie had as much fun observing the birders as the birds and, to Peg's delight, helped much of the day with carrying the scope.

For almost two hours Quetzals were in view, though no one tired of males following females, showing off their electric jade plumage. Marge enjoyed the diminutive Paltry Tyrannulet and the Flame-throated Warbler, a gorgeous little higher-elevation creature. Carlyn particularly was taken with the Long-tailed Silky, Melanie was beside herself at seeing so many new species, and Diane just kept grinning -- "what a splendid birthday!" Her spotting skills remained keen, as she kept excellent track of an elusive Black Guan, which enabled others to see it. What a morning! Jo later summed it up, "I'm just happy - it was a beautiful day with beautiful birds!"

Only the promise of lunch pulled us down the mountain. We ate a great lunch in Cerro Punto, including delicious strawberry liquados. Helen, Peg, and Jan purchased lovely string bags made by the local Guayami people. After lunch we took a loop hike in La Amistad National Park. We got a good look at an Opossum, released from a garbage can it had gotten stuck in at the guard station. The trail was a loop through a young forest of alder, already 15-20 feet tall in the lush growing conditions found here. We admired the flowers, a Three-striped Warbler, a Collared Redstart, and a Red-tailed Hawk.

Back at the hotel, several wandered out near sunset to watch the Cattle Egrets come in to roost. Local people were coming and going on the rural road and as day ended, so we got a nice glimpse into the lives of others.

Thursday, Feb. 26 Cerro Punto / David / Panama City
This morning we visited yet another habitat and locale, a small, mid-elevation residential area and park. We had hoped for a real show of tanagers and got a fair one; but everyone loved seeing the Bay-headed Tanager and a good number of new species for the trip. The Gray-headed Chachalacas were a big hit, as were the rock formations and waterfall of the local river.

We observed a good variety of hummingbirds and enjoyed slowly walking up the hill, pausing for different species here and there. The most elusive was the Slaty Spinetail, but because we were determined I think almost everyone got to see it. A real highlight was Jo's spotting of a Fiery-billed Aracari -- an outrageous member of the toucan family. The morning went very quickly. Soon we were back at the hotel to pack for the return flight to Panama City and have lunch. The drive down was by a different route, so we could see some of the arid country and observe Brown -throated Parakeet and some other arid land birds. We had a great final stop at a river where we saw Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, and both Green and Amazon Kingfishers. Our flight back went smoothly, and we enjoyed dinner outside on the porch at a local seafood restaurant.

Friday, February 27 Departures
Our trip had come to an end - off we flew to various destinations in the U.S., with many new birds on our lists and wonderful memories in our minds.

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