Re: TAS Panama Trip


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Posted by Brian Rapoza on 20:32:46 08/02/13

In Reply to: TAS Panama Trip posted by John Boyd

Thanks John, for a great trip report.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Canopy Tower Family for making this amazing Panama tour possible. Our primary guide, Carlos Bethancourt, once again proved he is one of the best in the business. Also providing expert guide assistance along the way were Eliecer and Danilo Rodriguez and Alex and Tino Sanchez. Thanks to the staff at both Canopy Tower and Canopy Lodge for making us feel at home during our two-week stay and to all our drivers for keeping us safe while on the road. Thanks also to Jerry and Linda Harrison, formerly of Jacksonville, for opening their hummingbird-filled home to us during our visit to Cerro Azul. Special thanks to Canopy Tower founder and president Raul Arias de Para for hosting us during our stay at Canopy Lodge; it was an honor to finally meet this neotropical ecotourism pioneer. Finally, thanks to trip participants Bob and Alice Pace, Ted and Barbara Center, Bruce and Nancy Moreland, Ann Wiley, Ruth Baker, David Schaffter, Beth Shilling and Carol Schoeck, plus of course John Boyd; the trip wouldn't have happened without you!

Here's a report for the day John missed due to illness, followed by a comprehensive bird and mammal trip list:

Friday, July 26: Altos del Maria is a gated mountain community east of El Valle that is owned by the Melo Corporation, Panama s largest poultry producer. The area was once heavily deforested for cattle grazing, but a massive tree-planting effort has restored much of the forest habitat. Nearly 60% of the property is permanently set aside for preservation; 90% of each lot must remain undeveloped. Much of the area we visited remains almost completely undeveloped; the only house we passed was the castle-like residence of Melo Corporation s founder. Though most of the roads in the development are paved, most are steep, so four-wheel drive vehicles were used.
At our first stop, the guides quickly located a pair of Brown-billed Scythebills. Minutes later, a thunderstorm sent us scurrying for the safety of the vehicles. After nearly an hour, the rain and lightning ceased and we were able to resume birding. We parked near a tree where male and female Snowcaps and a White-tailed Emerald were actively feeding. Blue-throated (Emerald) Toucanet and Red-faced Spinetail were found nearby. Other birds seen in this area included Scaled Pigeon, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Tufted Flycatcher, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren and Common Bush-Tanager.
Before lunch, we explored a paved trail system around a pond and along a stream. A Neotropical River Otter exited the pond and scurried across the road soon after we arrived. Nesting Long-tailed Tyrants, a Masked Tityra battling a Tropical Kingbird and a Lesser Goldfinch were among the birds seen around the pond. A Dull-mantled Antbird was heard along the stream, but it never made an appearance. A Clay-colored Robin nest was found near the gazebo where we had lunch; the parent cautiously delivered food to its young while we ate. After lunch, we hiked up a steep hill. Purplish-backed Quail Dove were calling along the hillside, but remained invisible to us. New species added in this area included Russet Antshrike and Pale-vented Thrush; a female White-ruffed Manakin was also seen.

Bird List (* species not listed in John Boyd's trip report)
Great Tinamou

* Little Tinamou (H) - Pipeline Road, Valle Chiquito (El Valle)
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Black Guan

Gray-headed Chachalaca

Crested Bobwhite

White-tipped Dove

* Gray-chested Dove Canopy Lodge
Scaled Pigeon
Pale-vented Pigeon

Short-billed Pigeon

Rock Pigeon (I)

Plain-breasted Ground-Dove

Ruddy Ground-Dove

* Purplish-backed Quail-Dove (H) Altos del Maria
* Ruddy Quail Dove Pipeline Road
Common Potoo

Common Pauraque

Lesser Nighthawk

Band-rumped Swift

Short-tailed Swift

* Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift Canopy Tower
White-necked Jacobin

White-tipped Sicklebill

Rufous-breasted Hermit

Stripe-throated Hermit

Green Hermit

Long-billed Hermit

Purple-crowned Fairy

* Black-throated Mango Ammo Dump Ponds
Long-billed Starthroat

Garden Emerald

Violet-headed Hummingbird

* White-tailed Emerald Altos del Maria
* Snowcap Altos del Maria
White-vented Plumeleteer

Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer

Crowned (Violet-crowned) Woodnymph

Snowy-bellied Hummingbird

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Sapphire-throated Hummingbird

Violet-capped Hummingbird

Blue-chested Hummingbird

Greater Ani

Smooth-billed Ani

Groove-billed Ani

Squirrel Cuckoo

* Striped Cuckoo Mata Ahogado (El Valle)
* Sunbittern Canopy Adventure (El Valle)
* White-throated Crake (H) Ammo Dump Ponds
Gray-necked Wood-Rail

Purple Gallinule

* Common Gallinule Juan Hombron Road
Wood Stork

Magnificent Frigatebird

Brown Booby

Anhinga

Neotropic Cormorant

Brown Pelican

White Ibis
* Roseate Spoonbill
- Panama Viejo
Rufescent Tiger-Heron

Boat-billed Heron

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Cattle Egret

American (Great) Egret

Great Blue Heron

Cocoi Heron

Green Heron

Snowy Egret

Little Blue Heron

* Tricolored Heron Panama Viejo
Black-bellied Plover

Black-necked Stilt

Southern Lapwing

Wilson's Plover

* Semipalmated Plover Panama Viejo
Wattled Jacana

Whimbrel

Ruddy Turnstone

Western Sandpiper

Willet

Short-billed Dowitcher
* Laughing Gull
- Panama Viejo
Turkey Vulture

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

Black Vulture

Osprey

* Gray-headed Kite Canopy Tower
Pearl Kite

* White-tailed Kite Miraflores Locks, Canopy Tower
Swallow-tailed Kite

Black Hawk-Eagle

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Double-toothed Kite

Plumbeous Kite

Snail Kite

Common Black-Hawk

Savanna Hawk

Great Black Hawk

Roadside Hawk

White Hawk

Gray-lined Hawk

Short-tailed Hawk

Zone-tailed Hawk

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

Tropical Screech-Owl (H)

Spectacled Owl

Mottled Owl

Black-throated Trogon

Orange-bellied Trogon

Slaty-tailed Trogon

Black-tailed Trogon

White-tailed Trogon

Gartered (Violaceous) Trogon

Tody Motmot

Broad-billed Motmot

Rufous Motmot

Whooping (Blue-crowned) Motmot

Ringed Kingfisher

Amazon Kingfisher

Green Kingfisher

American Pygmy Kingfisher

Great Jacamar

White-whiskered Puffbird

Barred Puffbird

Pied Puffbird

Black-breasted Puffbird

White-necked Puffbird

Spot-crowned Barbet

Chestnut-mandibled (Black-mandibled) Toucan

Keel-billed Toucan

Collared Aracari

* Blue-throated (Emerald) Toucanet Altos del Maria
Crimson-crested Woodpecker

Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker

Lineated Woodpecker

Cinnamon Woodpecker

Black-cheeked Woodpecker

Red-crowned Woodpecker

Crested Caracara

Yellow-headed Caracara

American Kestrel

Bat Falcon

Orange-chinned Parakeet

Brown-hooded Parrot

Blue-headed Parrot

Red-lored Amazon

Mealy Amazon

Yellow-crowned Amazon

Brown-throated Parakeet
Lance-tailed Manakin

Blue-crowned Manakin

Golden-collared Manakin

* White-ruffed Manakin Cerro Jeffe, Las Minas Road (El Valle), Altos del Maria
Red-capped Manakin

Purple-throated Fruitcrow

Blue Cotinga

Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher

Black-tailed Flycatcher

* Thrush-like Schiffornis (H) Pipeline Road
Speckled Mourner

Masked Tityra

Cinnamon Becard

White-winged Becard

Golden-crowned Spadebill

Sepia-capped Flycatcher

Olive-striped Flycatcher

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher

Olivaceous Flatbill

Yellow-olive Flycatcher

Yellow-margined Flycatcher

Common Tody-Flycatcher
Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher

Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant

Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant

Southern Bentbill

Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant

Mistletoe (Paltry) Tyrannulet

Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet

Brown-capped Tyrannulet
* Forest Elaenia
- Pipeline Road, Metropolitan Park
* Gray Elaenia Pipeline Road
Greenish Elaenia

Yellow-bellied Elaenia

Lesser Elaenia

Mouse-colored Tyrannulet

Bright-rumped Attila

Piratic Flycatcher

Rufous Mourner

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Panama Flycatcher

Great Kiskadee

Lesser Kiskadee

Boat-billed Flycatcher

Streaked Flycatcher

Rusty-margined Flycatcher

Social Flycatcher

Fork-tailed Flycatcher

Tropical Kingbird

Long-tailed Tyrant

Bran-colored Flycatcher

Tufted Flycatcher

Tropical Pewee

Dot-winged Antwren

Checker-throated Antwren

Moustached Antwren

Pacific Antwren

White-flanked Antwren

Slaty Antwren

Great Antshrike

Fasciated Antshrike

Plain Antvireo

Spot-crowned Antvireo

Barred Antshrike

Black-crowned (Western Slaty) Antshrike

Spotted Antbird

White-bellied Antbird

Chestnut-backed Antbird

Bicolored Antbird

Dusky Antbird

Streak-chested Antpitta

Black-faced Antthrush

Wedge-billed Woodcreeper

Plain-brown Woodcreeper

Northern Barred-Woodcreeper

Spotted Woodcreeper

Black-striped Woodcreeper

Cocoa Woodcreeper

Straight-billed Woodcreeper

Streak-headed Woodcreeper

Plain Xenops

Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner (H)

Pale-breasted Spinetail
Green Shrike-Vireo

Rufous-browed Peppershrike

Scrub Greenlet

Golden-fronted Greenlet

Lesser Greenlet

Yellow-green Vireo

Black-chested Jay

Mangrove Swallow

White-thighed Swallow

Southern Rough-winged Swallow

Gray-breasted Martin

Long-billed Gnatwren

Tawny-faced Gnatwren

Tropical Gnatcatcher

* Scaly-breasted Wren (H) La Mesa (El Valle)
Southern House-Wren

White-headed Wren

Plain Wren

Bay Wren

Rufous-and-white Wren

Song Wren

* Buff-breasted Wren Ammo Dump Ponds, Metropolitan Park, Valle Chiquito (El Valle)
White-breasted Wood-Wren

* Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Las Minas Road (El Valle), Altos del Maria
Rufous-breasted Wren

Black-bellied Wren

Tropical Mockingbird

* Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush (H) Mata Ahogado (El Valle)
* Pale-vented Thrush Altos del Maria
Clay-colored Thrush

Yellow-crowned Euphonia

Thick-billed Euphonia

Fulvous-vented Euphonia

White-vented Euphonia

Tawny-capped Euphonia
* Lesser Goldfinch Altos del Maria
* Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch
- Las Minas Road (El Valle)
Black-striped Sparrow

Orange-billed Sparrow

* Common Bush-Tanager Las Minas Road, Altos del Maria
Red-breasted Blackbird

Eastern Meadowlark

Yellow-billed Cacique

Yellow-rumped Cacique

Scarlet-rumped Cacique

Chestnut-headed Oropendola

Yellow-backed Oriole

Yellow-tailed Oriole

Giant Cowbird

Bronzed Cowbird

Shiny Cowbird

Great-tailed Grackle

Buff-rumped Warbler

Rufous-capped Warbler

* Rosy Thrush-Tanager (H) Metropolitan Park, Valle Chiquito, Cara Iguana (El Valle)
Dusky-faced Tanager

Red-throated Ant-Tanager

Red-crowned Ant-Tanager

Carmiol's Tanager

Highland Hepatic-Tanager

Blue-black Grosbeak

Buff-throated Saltator

Black-headed Saltator

Slate-colored Grosbeak

Streaked Saltator

Bananaquit

Yellow-faced Grassquit

Rufous-winged Tanager

Bay-headed Tanager

Emerald Tanager

Silver-throated Tanager

Plain-colored Tanager

Speckled Tanager

Blue-gray Tanager

Palm Tanager

Golden-hooded Tanager

Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch

Green Honeycreeper

Sulphur-rumped Tanager

Black-and-yellow Tanager

Red-legged Honeycreeper

Shining Honeycreeper

Scarlet-thighed Dacnis

Blue Dacnis

Blue-black Grassquit

White-lined Tanager

Flame-rumped Tanager

Crimson-backed Tanager

White-shouldered Tanager

Tawny-crested Tanager

Gray-headed Tanager

Thick-billed Seed-Finch

Variable Seedeater

Yellow-bellied Seedeater

Ruddy-breasted Seedeater

Saffron Finch (I)

Mammal List
Central American Woolly Opossum
Hoffmann s Two-toed Sloth
Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth
Nine-banded Armadillo
Lesser White-lined Bat
False Vampire Bat
Orange Nectar Bat
Common Tent-making Bat
Geoffroy s Tamarin
Panamanian (Western) Night Monkey
White-faced Capuchin
Mantled Howler
Variegated Squirrel
Red-tailed Squirrel
Western Pygmy-Squirrel
Central American Agouti
White-nosed Coati
Kinkajou
Neotropical River Otter
Collared Peccary



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