Yeap, we did it again this weekend, all the way directly to the western highlands in Chiriqui province. The area is so picturesque and has so many special (and near-endemic) birds that deserves many visits. We reached the Concepcion-Volcan road quite early, so we got an opportunity to birdwatch some areas on the way up, including the Macho de Monte river in Cuesta de Piedra. We found a nice assortment of tanagers (Blue-gray, Cherrie's, Silver-throated, Bay-headed and Golden-hooded) mixed with Thick-billed Euphonias and Variable Seedeater. A ruddy bird working on a mussy branch was a
Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner, our first (but not last) surprise for the site. An active Buff-rumped Warbler was inspecting the creek, while a sudden movement inside a bunch of dead leaves on a
tree (yes, on a tree) resulted in a
Riverside Wren, a lifer for me!!! It was more dark than I expected, but beautiful anyway. It stayed for five seconds, sang a little bit and then flew away to be seen nevermore, in spite of our efforts to relocate it. We kept going and by noon we were resting at our hotel room in Los Quetzales Lodge & Spa, in the lovely town of Guadalupe, beyond Cerro Punta. The lodge is surrounded in flowers, located close to a stream, and with hummingbird and fruit feeders in its grounds, so it is a very good place for birders despite is right in town. Before lunch I already had photographed some Flowerpiercers and hummingbirds chasing each other. Seeing an entrusted male
Tennessee Warbler eating bananas in the tropics reminds me that all these birds
belongs to the world, not to a single contry or a region. I wanted to visit the cabins, inside the La Amistad International Park, but Gloriela pointed out to me the cloudy slopes over the town, indicative of heavy rain in the area. During the lunch, we decided to visit the cabins next day and to pass by the Volcan lakes (Lagunas de Volcán) instead. Few minutes later, we were at the airstrip, walking the road to the lakes. Somehow, we forgot that in Panama usually rains during the evening, and this day was not the exception. A cool drizzle covered us, refreshing our spirits (we left the umbrellas in Panama city!) but chasing away the birds according to a local guide, Charlie, that was birding in the area. Anyway, we found a mixed flock with Silver-throated & Cherrie's Tanagers, Red-faced Spinetail, Mountain Elaenia, Slate-throated Whitestarts and a female American Redstart. We missed the Collared Trogon and Fiery-billed Aracaris watched by Charlie a couple of minutes before, but found four American Coots at the lakes. All wet, but happy, we enjoyed a chicken dinner in a restaurant at Volcan with live band... then, a well deserved dream in our hotel room preparing ourselves for the next day.
tree (yes, on a tree) resulted in a Riverside Wren, a lifer for me!!! It was more dark than I expected, but beautiful anyway. It stayed for five seconds, sang a little bit and then flew away to be seen nevermore, in spite of our efforts to relocate it. We kept going and by noon we were resting at our hotel room in Los Quetzales Lodge & Spa, in the lovely town of Guadalupe, beyond Cerro Punta. The lodge is surrounded in flowers, located close to a stream, and with hummingbird and fruit feeders in its grounds, so it is a very good place for birders despite is right in town. Before lunch I already had photographed some Flowerpiercers and hummingbirds chasing each other. Seeing an entrusted male Tennessee Warbler eating bananas in the tropics reminds me that all these birds 
belongs to the world, not to a single contry or a region. I wanted to visit the cabins, inside the La Amistad International Park, but Gloriela pointed out to me the cloudy slopes over the town, indicative of heavy rain in the area. During the lunch, we decided to visit the cabins next day and to pass by the Volcan lakes (Lagunas de Volcán) instead. Few minutes later, we were at the airstrip, walking the road to the lakes. Somehow, we forgot that in Panama usually rains during the evening, and this day was not the exception. A cool drizzle covered us, refreshing our spirits (we left the umbrellas in Panama city!) but chasing away the birds according to a local guide, Charlie, that was birding in the area. Anyway, we found a mixed flock with Silver-throated & Cherrie's Tanagers, Red-faced Spinetail, Mountain Elaenia, Slate-throated Whitestarts and a female American Redstart. We missed the Collared Trogon and Fiery-billed Aracaris watched by Charlie a couple of minutes before, but found four American Coots at the lakes. All wet, but happy, we enjoyed a chicken dinner in a restaurant at Volcan with live band... then, a well deserved dream in our hotel room preparing ourselves for the next day.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment