Taking advantage of my free day, I went today with Osvaldo 
(no last name required) to the Gamboa area. Not an early start because we were more interested in photography and the light was not good enough. One thing is for sure... Pipeline road is getting popular among both visitors and locals. The parking lot was full of cars and we crossed many scientists, hikers, joggers, bikers and birders along the way. We drove directly to Juan Grande where we found our big surprise of the day. I saw "something" flying inside some bushes when crossing the bridge. Through a little space in the foliage I distinguished a typical kingfisher silhouette, a little bigger than the usual Green Kingfisher that we are used to see there... but it quickly flew away and perched over the water. Using my binoculars I saw the rufous underparts with no white at all... a Green-and-rufous Kingfisher!!! and it flew again after a short glimpse, and Osvaldo didn't see it. We walked 
along the muddy riverbank and after a couple of meters I saw the bird again, this time nicely perched behind a bunch of dead leaves. It took some time to place ourselves in order to start shooting our cameras, but at least we got a couple of recognizable pictures. Pretty shy for a kingfisher! Happy with our luck, we continued. The bird activity was low after our first sighting... only few antwrens and antshrikes, but eventually we found an antswarm attended by Bicolored and Spotted Antbirds, Gray-headed Tanagers and a Plain-brown Woodcreeper. An antswarm in the tropics always is a good find... except if you are so amazed 
enjoying the birds that forget the ants that are going towards you!! This particular antswarm was composed of thousands of little black ants, smaller and faster than the Eciton burchelli that usually we found, and it was not until we feel the bites in our ankles that we realize that we were in the middle of it!!! We stepped aside for a while, but the birds were so tame that I kept shooting. Being a little swarm, it did not have Ocellated Antbirds, always a spectacular guest to see... but the Spotted Antbirds offered a great show, jumping to few feet of us, vocalizing incessantly its buzzing calls that, with those of the Bicolored Antbirds, make 
unmistakable the sound of an approaching antswarm. Now, more than happy and thirsty, we drove to the Rainforest Discovery Center for a soda or two. Of course I took my time to photograph the hummingbirds, with a cooperative White-vented Plumeleteer being the highlight, gleaming with natural sunlight... but I must admit that those Blue-chested Hummingbirds are really spectacular when facing the sun. Well, a nice day after all, with no rain at all despite the weather forecast.
(no last name required) to the Gamboa area. Not an early start because we were more interested in photography and the light was not good enough. One thing is for sure... Pipeline road is getting popular among both visitors and locals. The parking lot was full of cars and we crossed many scientists, hikers, joggers, bikers and birders along the way. We drove directly to Juan Grande where we found our big surprise of the day. I saw "something" flying inside some bushes when crossing the bridge. Through a little space in the foliage I distinguished a typical kingfisher silhouette, a little bigger than the usual Green Kingfisher that we are used to see there... but it quickly flew away and perched over the water. Using my binoculars I saw the rufous underparts with no white at all... a Green-and-rufous Kingfisher!!! and it flew again after a short glimpse, and Osvaldo didn't see it. We walked 
along the muddy riverbank and after a couple of meters I saw the bird again, this time nicely perched behind a bunch of dead leaves. It took some time to place ourselves in order to start shooting our cameras, but at least we got a couple of recognizable pictures. Pretty shy for a kingfisher! Happy with our luck, we continued. The bird activity was low after our first sighting... only few antwrens and antshrikes, but eventually we found an antswarm attended by Bicolored and Spotted Antbirds, Gray-headed Tanagers and a Plain-brown Woodcreeper. An antswarm in the tropics always is a good find... except if you are so amazed 
enjoying the birds that forget the ants that are going towards you!! This particular antswarm was composed of thousands of little black ants, smaller and faster than the Eciton burchelli that usually we found, and it was not until we feel the bites in our ankles that we realize that we were in the middle of it!!! We stepped aside for a while, but the birds were so tame that I kept shooting. Being a little swarm, it did not have Ocellated Antbirds, always a spectacular guest to see... but the Spotted Antbirds offered a great show, jumping to few feet of us, vocalizing incessantly its buzzing calls that, with those of the Bicolored Antbirds, make 
unmistakable the sound of an approaching antswarm. Now, more than happy and thirsty, we drove to the Rainforest Discovery Center for a soda or two. Of course I took my time to photograph the hummingbirds, with a cooperative White-vented Plumeleteer being the highlight, gleaming with natural sunlight... but I must admit that those Blue-chested Hummingbirds are really spectacular when facing the sun. Well, a nice day after all, with no rain at all despite the weather forecast.
P.D. : if you have any idea of the identity of this winged friend below, let me know.
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