A promising pond

If you are planning a trip to eastern Panama province searching for the Whistling Heron (last time seen this monday, july 28th), remember to visit the pond that is to the left of the Panamerican highway just after the turn-off to the heron site.  As many others have noticed, this pond is full of life and, certainly, will produce some goodies in the future.  After seeing the nesting Pearly-breasted Cuckoo in Bayano, we stopped for a while to check this pond.

Wood Storks

Of course, the first thing we noticed was the immense number of Wood Storks.  More than 200 birds gathered there... they seemed to be just resting and relaxing.  This species is rather odd, with its bare head... but in the air its elegance has no parallel.  Here is another shot of part of the flock.

Wood Storks

Second after the storks were the Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks.  They were farther away, so my shot is not very good.  Along with the whistling-ducks, we also saw Neotropic Cormorant, Least Grebes and a Common Gallinule.  The pond is perfect for migrant ducks, and in the past both American Wigeon and Northern Shoveler have been present.

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks

There were some migrants too: Least, Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs and Black-necked Stilts (although the last one could be a resident population).  Along with these migrants were Wattled Jacanas and Purple Gallinule.  The rice fields nearby had produced Paint-billed Crakes (!) and Long-billed Dowitchers (!!) too.  We also got many herons (seven species), including no less than four Cocoi Herons.

Cocoi Heron

Most of the small birds and the whistling-ducks flew off when an Aplomado Falcon showed up... yes, an Aplomado Falcon!  It was too fast for photos... but, as you can see, this pond promises good birds in the future, so keep an eye on it!

Some -confirmed- Pearly-breasted Cuckoos for Panama!

While guiding some foreign birders two weeks ago, my friend Euclides "Kilo" Campos heard an unusual call in the bushes next to the Rio Mono bridge in eastern Panama province.  After playing the recorded call, a Coccyzus cuckoo appeared calling back... but the sighting was to brief to make any positive ID.  He returned to the same spot three days ago with Alexis Guevara and started to search again... this time, they found two birds and had enough time to take definitive pictures, but more important... one bird was sitting on a nest!

Pearly-breasted Cuckoo

The news spread quickly: a pair of Pearly-breasted Cuckoos were found nesting in eastern Panama.  My friend Venicio "Beny" Wilson saw the bird on the nest yesterday and today I went with Kilo and Osvaldo Quintero to watch them!  We saw one bird sitting quietly on nest and took some photos, including the digiscoped image above with my cell phone.  I took the next photos with my DSLR camera.  All are similar.  We didn't want to make any noise or to play recorded calls for not disturbing the bird; however, after 10 minutes motionless, the bird flew off abruptly... none of us saw the bird leaving the nest... it simply was gone.

Pearly-breasted Cuckoo

We decided to explore some side trails ahead in the road, but it was really hot and dry.  We returned to the bridge some 30 minutes later but the bird was not there.  The fragile nest structure was empty, and through the scope it seems that the bird has not laid eggs yet.  We just stayed for a couple of minutes more before leaving the place to have some cold drinks to celebrate!

Pearly-breasted Cuckoo

There are several unconfirmed reports of this species for Panama, the most promising was that of Guido Berguido from Las Macanas marshes in june 2009 (report here), so this species was in the radar for some, but only as an accidental vagrant (it seems erratical everywhere, even in its main distribution in South America).  So the news of a nesting pair is simply GREAT.  In fact, this is the first Coccyzus nest ever recorded in Panama, if I recall well.  I hope this nesting attempt will be successful.  

Trying again eastern Panama province for THE heron

Officially, we are experiencing an invasion of South American species into Panama.  The most remarkable example so far is the influx of Whistling Herons, the last ones seen in Gorgona (West Panama province) and another close to the town of Santa María in the Azuero Peninsula, both 100 and 200 km to the east of the first report close to Chepo! (see this eBird map).  In a random afternoon, I went to the original site close to Chepo with Osvaldo Quintero, who still needs the heron for his life list.  When we arrived, the place was very dry and hot.  We decided to explore the surroundings because the Whistling Heron was not in the original site.

Great Egret

Cattle Egret

We saw other herons species, like Little Blue Heron and both Great and Cattle Egrets.  The last two breed very close to the site; however, these were not the heron we were looking for!  Back in the site, we decided to wait.  Some common species started to show up as the afternoon wore on and the temperature descended.  We noticed a pair of active Pied Water-Tyrants picking insects from the ground and flying to some low bushes at the banks of a pond.

Pied Water-Tyrant 

Pied Water-Tyrant's nest

As you can see, they were carrying food into a globular nest... probably for some hungry chicks.  The minutes passed and the heron did not appear.  To protect me from the sun, I waited under the shade of a tree... and I was accompanied!  This little friend was also taking advantage of the shade to capture some ants.

Yellow-headed Gecko

Yellow-headed Gecko

This is a male Yellow-headed Gecko.  In the field, its body looks all dark... but a closer look reveals an intricate pattern of silver lines all over the body, except the lower belly and the tail, that has a white tip.  Also notice the blue spangles under the eye... sublime.  According to my grandparents, the introduced (and now abundant) House Geckos replaced this species in and around the houses... but this is prettier!

Buff-breasted Wren

After five hours, we saw no signs of the heron.  This Buff-breasted Wren said goodbye with several phrases of its sonorous song.  The bars in the closed wing were more evident in the field, just like those in the tail, separating it from the similar Plain Wren that is also present in the same habitat.  After all, it was a nice day in eastern Panama province!

An unusual sighting

At this point, you may know that several Whistling Herons have been observed in Panama in an unprecedented.  Yesterday, I joined Osvaldo Quintero and Rafael Luck in a search of the most recent record of these species (a pair near Gorgona beach by Euclides Campos).  At the site, we met Venicio Wilson and Ezequiel Jakub who where after the heron too.

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

We did not find the heron, but found some goodies instead.  I only got photos of the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, but we also heard a couple of Gray-breasted Crakes, saw some Purple Martins migrating with other migrant swallows and a pair of American Kestrel of southern subspecies.  The pond after the Malibu development was full of Least Grebes and other aquatic birds... but no Whistling Herons.  In one extreme of the pond, both Venicio and Zeke found an unusual duck.

Masked Duck

The distant shot with my DSLR camera shows an adult male Masked Duck!  Why so excited?  Despite being considered frequent by Ridgely & Gwynne, this species is rare and local, as best described by Angehr & Dean.  Retiring and shy, this species is mainly crepuscular (even thought it was nocturnal!).  This was only my third sight, and the first male with its alternate plumage.  Through Venicio's scope we were able to see the beautiful patterned back... I even managed a nice digiscoped picture of this bird.

Masked Duck

The chick close to the Masked Duck is a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck one of five chicks that approached the duck each time it resurfaced from its dives.  Mommy was close however.  I spite of not seeing the heron, this duck worth the effort!

P.D.: that same day, a Whistling Heron was spotted by members of the Panama Audubon Society in the rice fields of Santa Maria in the Azuero Peninsula... this is an invasion!

Beach weekend with family

In order to celebrate some birthdays in the family and to see the final of the World Cup, the extended Cubilla family decided to spent the weekend at the beach!  We chose to rent a spacious apartment in Playa Blanca, in the Pacific coast of Cocle province (central Panama).  This part of the country is blessed with year-round good weather, with sunny days most of the year, making it perfect for beach resorts.

Gabrielle and her cousins Analia and Kevin really enjoyed the trip, as you can see in the photo.  While they played in the sand, I was watching the ocean.  Recently, some rare vagrants have been seen at our Pacific coast probably due to "El Niño" (Gray Gull, Peruvian Booby, Inca Tern).  During "El Niño" years, the water temperature rise, moving into deeper waters those typical cold-water species such as anchovies.  Many birds specialized in feeding from these species have to disperse from their usual haunts to find food, and the Peruvian Booby is a good example.  However, I only saw some common species, like Neotropic Cormorants, Royal and Sandwich Terns, Brown Pelicans, and an unusual number of Blue-footed Boobies flying very close to the beach.

Brown Pelicans

Blue-footed Booby

The white patches in the back and nape, as well as its dark head, distinguishes this species from the similar Peruvian Booby.  One Peruvian Booby was found weakened in the coast Panama City last month.  The story was published here.  Back in the apartment, I noticed that some windows had silhouettes of hawks to prevent small birds crashing them.  It is a good practice after all.

However, I think that another ornament on the roof was also preventing small birds to approach the building.  During the half-time break in the World Cup final, I noticed a characteristic silhouette approaching the roof.  A quick glimpse from the balcony showed this:

Aplomado Falcon

An Aplomado Falcon!  A second bird left the roof when I was staring at it, but this individual stayed for long time, enough to grab my camera and to took some photos.  It was curious as well!

Aplomado Falcon

These fields are close to the eastern limit of its usual range in Panama, as you can see in this eBird map; however, there are several records from eastern Panama province and even from Darien province...,  deforestation certainly have something to do with this range extension.  Nice roof ornament don't you think?  

Code 5: Whistling Heron!

Almost exactly one year ago, a new bird for Panama (and North America), a Whistling Heron, was found in the pastures close to the town of Chepo, in eastern Panama (45 minutes from Panama City).  Intensive search at and around the site were unsuccessful.  Personally, I visited the site several times (chronicles here).  A previous record (from february 2010) was validated in eBird only after photographic evidence was sent to the regional reviewer (me).  Then, my friend and professional birder Guido Berguido (from Advantage Tours, found another Whistling Heron yesterday close to the original site while guiding a birding group late in the afternoon!  In a show of camaraderie, he sent a report almost immediately through social networks, with specific details of the site.

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks

Although I considered going there early today, my job duties prevented me of doing so... but then Rafael Lau photographed the bird this morning almost exactly in the same site.  I took advantage of a gap in my agenda, waited for Gloriela and Gabrielle and went to the site.  It took me one and a half hour to reach the site due to the traffic jams in the city, leaving me only one hour to search the area and find the bird before returning to my clinic with the patients!  Coincidentally, we joined our friend Justo Camargo in the road.  He spent four hours searching for the heron with no luck, so he decided to join us for another try.  He showed me the Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks pictured above, and both saw some nice species, like Pied Water-Tyrant and this Striated Heron.

Striated Heron

After a while, we decided to walk into the pasture where the bird was seen in the morning.  It was around 4:00 pm and the sun was high, so Gloriela and Gabrielle stayed in the car.  I walked with Justo to some artificial ponds... a quick search with my binoculars and PAM!!!  A Whistling Heron was standing some 30 meters away.  It was shy (similar to my previous observations in Venezuela and Colombia last year), and soon took flight to some nearby pastures.  I managed a couple of flight shots.

Whistling Heron 

Whistling Heron

I decided to approach carefully, almost crawling, to not disturb the bird.  It was feeding by craning its neck and taking something in the straws with the beak (I hope it were not ticks because I was surrounded by these straws).  I got some distant shots... good for documenting the sighting.

Whistling Heron

Cattle Egret and Whistling Heron

It was larger and stockier than the Cattle Egret as you can see in the picture above.  Not a lifer for me (it was for Justo), but a HUGE Panama life bird instead!  This is just the third record of this species in Panama.  Original from the wet plains of northern and south-east South America, its range and habiat is similar to another recent vagrant to Panama and North America: the Maguari Stork.  Are they only accidental vagrants or we have to wait for a horde of south american new species in the future?  Who knows... I only know that both Justo and I will remember this forever!

JC & JC.  Photo by Gloriela

Bird of the Month: Vaux's Swift

The Vaux's Swift (Chaetura vauxi) is a small species resident from northwestern North America to Panama.  Like many other swifts species, these birds are expert fliers, usually hard to identify unless you have excellent viewing conditions (prolonged close views in clear days with dark backgrounds).  To photograph them is even harder, so in this post you'll see essentially Vaux's Swifts silhouettes.

Two subspecies occur in Panama: richmondi, a common breeder of the western highlands; and ochropygia, which is the common small swift over forested area in central Panama (pictured above).  

I took the above photo in the Chiriqui lowlands.  The identity of the birds occurring in the western lowlands of the Pacific slope is still a mystery; however, the best candidate is richmondi coming down from the adjacent highlands (this is what happens in the rest of its Mesoamerican distribution).  The nominal vauxi, which breeds in North America is another possibility although there are no records of this migratory race south of Honduras.  In any case, the pale area restricted to the throat discards vauxi, in which it extends to the belly.

Some consider richmondi a good species.  The differences in rump patterns (less contrasting in richmondi than in ochropygia) could justify this split; however, more studies are needed.  The above photo, from the western highlands, shows the stubby shape, short tail and paddle-shaped, short wings.  In the next photo, the characteristic pale throat of this species is more evident.  For these, and many others reason is why we chose the Vaux's Swift as our Bird of the Month.

Literature consulted:

1.  Ridgely R, Gwynne J.  A Guide to the Birds of Panama. Princeton University Press. 1989.

2.  Chantler, P. (1999). Vaux's Swift (Chaetura vauxi). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2013). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved fromhttp://www.hbw.com/node/55311 on 1 July 2014).