House birds of Penonome

When we visit Penonome (Cocle province, central Panama), we usually spent most of the time at our house in a new development devoid of big trees but surrounded by savanna-like habitat with some gallery forest at the perimetric fence... or at Gloriela's relatives house in downtown, which is more wooded, and with a little creek running behind the house. Despite both places share many common, urban birds, there are some differences. At our house, the most common birds are Great-tailed Grackles and Gray-breasted Martins... however, I enjoy more the beautiful song of the resident pair of Tropical Mockingbird or the gang of House Wrens that search carefully every corner, every bush, everything they can... even the frontal tire of our Picanto. Sometimes, the Tropical Kingbirds surprise me because they take advantage of every perching site available, even our trash basket, despite how close to the house (or us) it is. The perimetric fence of the development is another thing. Big trees and bushes separates the houses from the surrounding savanna... and these habitat results very attractive to many species of birds. I have seen so far many migrants, like Summer Tanagers, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Yellow Warblers and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, among others, inspecting the trees at the fence. Last time, I heard the characteristic call of a Crested Bobwhite and soon found the singing male inside the trees, very close to one of the resident White-tipped Doves and the common Red-crowned Woodpecker. The savanna attracts raptors like Short-tailed, Zone-tailed and Roadside Hawks, plus Crested and Yellow-headed Caracara.. At night, the loud calls of the Pauraques remind me why they are called bujío by the panamanians... it sounds exactly the same (you have to say it in spanish of course). Downtown Penonome, which is more wooded, the birds change a little bit... the same common birds appear as well, but then you get some additions like Rufous-browed Peppershrike and Lineated Woodpeckers to complement. At Gloriela's relatives house, the bananas left in the open attracts Clay-colored Thrushes, Palm and Blue-gray Tanagers ("Azulejo"). I will say this forever, but no matters how common the "Azulejo" is, it is gorgeous! A Common Basilisk resides at the creek behind the house, often showing its ability to run over the water, the reason why this reptile is also known as Jesus Christ Lizard. This particular one was changing its old skin. Well, I still need to make a list of all the birds I have seen so far in the urban area of Penonome... I'll try as soon as the birds lets me.... oh, oh, is that a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl singing across the street? I think I will left the list for another day again!

Panama City's common tanagers

Panama City is blessed with a great diversity of wildlife within its limits, not only birds, but also mammals and other critters. This is thanks to the many types of habitats surrounding it, like the extensive mudflats of its coast, the forests to the west and north and the savannah to the east. But we can't forget that part of this diversity actually reach the very same concrete jungle, as long as there is any tree or shrub, though decorative. Often, this diversity strikes us as a colorful kaleidoscope in the form of birds so common that most panamanians don't even turn to see them. I'm talking about two beautiful tanagers, antagonist in color and well-known by its popular names. The first is the ubiquitous Blue-gray Tanager, widespread known as the "Azulejo" by its soft blue tones. Think about it... blue tones, big black eyes and sweet chattering make this bird sooo charming. They are found in groups, and are common visitors to feeders (they love bananas). These birds are so sociable, that they even nest in man-made structures, including our own homes! Despite most of the citizens can identify an Azulejo quite easily, not all of them distinguish it form the very similar Palm Tanager, which is as sociable and charming as the Azulejo, but less known and duller-colored in olive with black wings... but a closer look usually reveals its attractive violet tones (enlarge the photo). In some parts of the city, both species can be very tame, sharing a feeder or a bird bath very close to the observers without fear. The other species is known by us as the "Sangre e' toro" (bull's blood)... a name that becomes immediately obvious when you see an adult male Crimson-backed Tanager showing its bright-red contrasting with the velvet black and the silver beack in all its brilliance! Of course, the duller females and immatures (photo below) exceed in number the adult males, but these birds always are found in groups with at least one adult male attending. This species is less common than the Blue-gray Tanager, but still pretty common. A family group regularly visit the Espave tree at the parking lot of the hospital where I work (the other two tanagers do the same), giving some color to the otherwise homogeneous landscape of concrete and glass. The tanagers are only a minimal example of the birds commonly found within the city limits... there is even a book on the theme (A Guide to the Common Birds of Panama City by Jorge Ventocilla, illustrated by Dana Gardner) that I'll follow for future posts. So, take your time to appreciate these colorful birds sharing the city with us!

Penonome pics

Our vacations are almost over, and we spent great part of it at our home in Penonome, Cocle province in central Panama. Now, we are in the city again, but I took some photos of common birds, wildlife and landscapes along the roads and rivers (specially the Zarati river, which we visited at least in four different sites) that I want to share.

Penonome is very hot, considering that we are in the middle of the dry season, and the trees and other plants are blooming or having fruits, allowing the wildlife (specially birds) to feed their youngs. This is the case of the House Wrens and the Blue-gray Tanagers that nest by the roof of our neighbors... always busy looking a fresh meal for their youngs.The great variety of flowers that the people keep in their gardens attract many hummingbirds, including the Garden Emeralds (a female in the picture).Also, it is time for lot of singing... and the most perseverant singers are the Clay-colored Thrushes and the Rufous-browed Peppershrikes. They even sing in the hottest part of the day!Even the all-black birds shine in these bright days, like the Great-tailed Grackles and the Bronzed Cowbirds. No matter their abundance... they look simply great with a suitable light.The insects also enjoy this time of sun... including the pair of damselflies I found in the shores of the Zarati river.Well, these were good vacations, I hope you enjoyed the pics... now, back to the real life!