Waders at El Agallito

Last saturday, I went with my family and my mother-in-law to Chitré (Herrera province, central Panama) in order to make some shopping... but I took advantage to check the mangroves and mudflats of El Agallito beach, just 5 minutes away of town.  We arrived at low tide, watching the extensive mudflats with some shorebirds and the Cocle province's coastline in the background.

The shorebirds were too far away to identify... mostly peeps, Semipalmated and Black-bellied Plovers, plus White Ibis and some herons, so I tried the lagoons at the mangroves around the former Alexander  Humboldt Ecological Station.

For my surpise, the small lagoon close to the station was full with resting shorebirds!

As you can see, most of them were Short-billed Dowitchers, but also you can see Willets, three Marbled Godwits (uncommon in this part of Panama), Greater Yellowlegs and Whimbrels.

Good numbers of Lesser Yellowlegs and Black-necked Stilts were present as well.

Sometimes, the whole flock was taking off if any large bird was flying nearby, like this fierce-looking Crested Caracara, but only to return exactly to the same place after a couple of seconds.

Well, nice way to start a shopping journey!