Time for some LIFERS!!!!

It is not a secret that while you gain experience watching birds in an area, it become more and more difficult to find new ones.  That's why I celebrate every new bird for my Panama list as if it were a lifer... and I knew that if I want more new birds, I had to climb Cerro Pirre, in eastern Darien province.  The first time I went there (check this post), I got almost all the Darien highlands endemics... but my time at the foothills was limited and I missed several species, including some potential lifers.  This time, I contacted a local expert... my friend Isaac Pizarro, who is a certified guide and who knows extremely well the endemics and the local specialties (and more important, he was available for the free days of carnival).  If you don't want to loose time, contact him to find all the birds you need!

Dock with "piraguas" in Yaviza, Darien province

My plan was to spend two nights at "Rancho Plástico", which is a camp site in the middle of the forest around 622 meters on the slopes of Cerro Pirre, in Darien National Park. My journey started very early, driving all the way from Panama City to Yaviza, where I met Isaac, who was waiting for me at the public dock.  From there, we took a "piragua" along the Chucunaque river, arriving to El Real around one hour later, where we met our porter and took a taxi to the community of Piji Basal, where we started to walk.  On the way, we got several eastern Panama specialties, including Double-banded Graytail, Choco Syristes, Yellow-backed Tanager and obliging Black Oropendolas, to name just a few.

Black Oropendola

We reached Pirre Station (better known as Rancho Frío) where part of a group of entomologist was collecting butterflies and other insects.  The other part was already at the Rancho Plástico camp site, so we hurried to go there.  The trail to Rancho Plástico from Rancho Frío is extremely good for birding, specially close to and at Rancho Plástico.  After one hour of hiking, Isaac guided me off the trail to a spot where he regularly sees Black-tipped Cotinga.  To my surprise, an adult male Black-tipped Cotinga was perched and exposed atop a tall and distant tree!  My very first Lifer of the trip!  Terrible photos so I will keep on.  With each step, I was adding more and more species to my Year List (remember that I'm doing a Big Year in Panama for The 600 Club).  Before reaching Rancho Plástico, we checked the lookouts ("Miradores") for mixed flocks (almost always including Scarlet-browed Tanagers) and some other specialties.  Some species easy to hear, but almost impossible to see, where quickly detected and actually seen!  Plumbeous Pigeon, Yellow-browed Shrike-Vireo and my life Choco Tinamou!

Scarlet-browed Tanager, adult male

Plumbeous Pigeon

We set the camp at Rancho Plástico, where the rest of the entomologist group was working on the specimens they collected earlier.  Darien National Park is mega diverse, just imagine how many different insects they found!  But well, I was there for the birds... and the birds did not disappointed us.  Central American Pygmy-Owl, Choco Screech-Owl, Crested and Spectacled Owls were all heard (if not seen) at night, plus bonus Tawny-faced Quail at roost!

Central American Pygmy-Owl 

Tawny-faced Quail, female

The next morning, we started the hike (or I may say climb) to the summit ridge of Cerro Pirre with the entomologists.  The dawn chorus at Rancho Plástico was alive.  We recorded several species by voice first, eventually seeing most of them.  The trail up to the ridge is quite steep and muddy... but there are plenty of avian highlights possibilities to entertain you.  Many of the species are essentially restricted to Darien National Park, while others are way easier to see here than in any other part of Panama (or Central America!).  Most of the lifers I got where in these middle elevations, since the last time I was there, essentially birded only the highest slopes.  Some (HUGE) highlights included Crested Eagle (a dark morph adult), Wing-banded Antbird, Sooty-headed Wren, Gray-and-gold Tanager, Lemon-spectacled Tanager, Yellow-green Grosbeak, Orange-bellied Euphonia and a stunning pair of Yellow-collared Chlorophonia.

Lemon-spectacled Tanager

Yellow-green Grosbeak

Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, immature male

Even before reaching the ridge, as soon as we passed the 900 meters mark, we started to find some of the Darien highlands endemics.  In quick succession we recorded Pirre Hummingbird, Choco Tapaculo, Varied Solitaire and Pirre Chlorospingus.  We dipped on the Green-naped Tanager and on the Pirre Warbler.  The later is nowadays very rare and localized in this part of its limited range and, according to Isaac, it is now necessary to hike around three hours along the ridge to find a good spot for it... time we didn't have.  The group of entomologists set camp at the ridge while Isaac and I spent a couple of hours birding nearby.  We added several Tooth-billed Hummingbirds, King Vulture and Ornate Hawk-Eagle, but nothing else, so we headed back to Rancho Plástico.

Pirre Hummingbird, male

Varied Solitaire

Pirre Chlorospingus

For the last day of the trip, Isaac took me to THE spot for one of the rarest birds in Panama.  I knew all about it... a narrow trail that descends vertiginously from Rancho Plástico to the river, then climb back up a small stream covered with dense vegetation to reach the place where the chances to finding it are the best.  In the way, we found most of the river-dweller birds you might expect: Dull-mantled Antbird, Sapayoa, Buff-rumped Warbler, and many more.  Once at the spot, we waited for the bird to response a taped call... after some tense minutes we heard a response from upstream.  Eventually, a pair of Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper showed up in full display!  What a bird!  I can't show you a decent photo of it but trust me, that is a bird you need to see!

Sapayoa

The Streamcreeper is one of those furnariids that is not closely related to other members of the family; although, the general jizz, accentuated by its long bill, reminded me a leaftosser with bold pale spots in the underparts.   With that great lifer in the bag, the way back up was less miserable than expected.  Once again in Rancho Plástico, it was time to pack up and roll out.  Isaac managed to get me another two lifers (Saffron-headed Parrot and Olive-backed Quail-Dove) before getting to Pirre Station, where we rest a little bit (and I took a well deserved shower!).   As usual, the trail from Pirre Station to the main road was full of nice birds, like Sunbittern, both Rufescent and Fasciated Tiger-Herons, Rufous Piha, White-fronted Nunbird and many more... but my time was limited.

Fasciated Tiger-Heron

White-fronted Nunbird

Our taxi driver from El Real was already waiting for us at the road.  Soon, I got to El Real where I said goodbye to Isaac and thanked him for all the lifers and new year-birds I got.  After all, it was -again- just a three days trip to one of the most remote and preserved forests of Panama.  In summary, I got 77 new year-birds, including seven (7) lifers plus other three (3) Panama lifers!  What a great trip... I can't wait to go back!

Pirre Range (eastern Darien)