Darien Lowlands Clean-up!

Darien, of eastern Panama, is the largest and less-developed province of the country, home of great biodiversity, including tons of endemics and regional specialties found nowhere else in North America.  That is why, if you are doing a Panama (or Central America) Big Year you MUST include several trips to this province.  I covered well the highlands of the province with their hordes of endemics (see field trips posts HERE and HERE), getting some lowlands species as well in the same trips plus other trips with specific targets (like my flash trip to Finca Los Lagos)... but I still needed some lowlands specialties of the province.  So, I contacted Domiciano "Domi" Alveo, of Birding Trips Panama, an experienced bird guide and good friend of mine, to take me to the eastern lowlands in search of those targets.

Because I'm always short of time, we planned a weekend trip leaving Panama City Friday afternoon.  Leaving the city on Friday afternoon is a mess, but somehow we managed it without too much delay.  The 4-hours trip to the town of Metetí was more enjoyable with Domi's company ... we talked about the possibilities that awaited us all the way, and we even had time to spy an Striped Owl on the side of the road.  We got to our hotel at Metetí on time to sleep right away!

Striped Owl

Very early the next day, at first light we were boarding our "piragua" at the town of La Peñita, along the Chucunaque river.  Our destination was the Embera village of Nuevo Vigía, along the Tuquesa river, a tributary of the Chucunaque river.  This community has received visiting birders and naturalists since a while ago and are  well aware of the benefits of the sustainable tourism activities.  It became clearly evident that they know their birds... after all, where can you see a Welcome Sign with Dusky-backed Jacamar on it?

Domi and our boatman on the piragua along the mighty Chucunaque river

"Welcome to the community of Nuevo Vigía"

In fact, the Dusky-backed Jacamar was my main target for the site.  This range-restricted species is only found in eastern Panama and north-western Colombia.  It is quite localized, but usually faith to known locations where it is quite reliable... but you need the local expertise to find them anyway.  A short boat ride took us to a former orchard, now overgrown.  We immediately started to find some eastern Panama specialties, like Capped Heron, Spectacled Parrotlet, Black-tailed Trogon, Double-banded Graytail and Black Oropendola.  Soon Domi located our target: a young male Dusky-backed Jacamar was quietly waiting for its prey to fly-by.  Nice start!  Soon we moved to another locality, this time closer to the village.  The trail took us through secondary forests and degraded areas, to finally reach a swampy area where we looked after Black-collared Hawk without success; however, we got the most amazing views of secretive Bare-crowned Antbirds in the understore.  The pair, but specially the adult male, left us astonished while they confidently stayed in the open, preening and showing off.  Believe me or not, that was my second sight ever of this species and a great addition to my Year List!

Dusky-backed Jacamar

Adult male Bare-crowned Antbird showing its bare crown!

But there were not only avian highlights in Nuevo Vigía.  The open areas and the village itself were exceptionally good for butterflies, including rare and restricted species.  The whites, yellows, sulfurs and patches were exceptionally common, but the diversity was so high that I'm still trying to ID some of them.  My personal highlights were the Glorious Blue-Skipper (Paches loxus), the Zebra Lonwing (Heliconius charithonia) and my long-expected lifer Red Peacock (Anartia amathea) which is an specialty of eastern Panama.

Glorious Blue-Skipper

Zebra Longwing

Red Peacock

Short before midday, we left Nuevo Vigía in order to visit some sites along the Pan-American highway.  The short stops along the road produced more and more eastern Panama specialties, but certainly the highlights were a singing Red-billed Scythebill and a pair of dueting Black-capped Donacobius allowing great views.  Other highlights of these stops along the highway were Yellow-hooded Blackbirds, Large-billed Seed-Finch, Pied Water-Tyrants, Gray-breasted Crake and a mixed flock with rare White-chinned and Spot-fronted Swifts among others (check this eBird checklist).

Red-billed Scythebill

Black-capped Donacobius

Yellow-hooded Blackbird, adult male

Eventually, we reached the town of Yaviza, at the very end of the Pan-American highway.  This town is the gateway to Darien National Park and to hundreds of communities only reachable through piraguas.  We had lunch there and then spend the part of the afternoon looking for some other species.  The usual stakeout for Bicolored Wren (the graveyard) worked well... we saw a family group near its huge nest foraging at all levels and taking dust baths.  They have certainly prospered in the place, the same as the Carib Grackles that were quite common at town.  In fact, we saw more Caribs than Great-tailed Grackles and even saw juveniles and begging immatures all around.

Bicolored Wrens

Carib Grackle, female

It was a successful and long day, but was not over.  A good friend of us, also an expert birding guide resident in Darien, invited us a cup of coffee at his house.  Ismael "Nando" Quiroz (of Tamandua Nature & Photo Travel Panama) is almost a legend in the birding world of Darien and we know each other since long time ago, so paying him and his beautiful family a visit was a must.  Nando was free that weekend and agreed to join us the next day... I still had some targets and he knew some nice spots where we could try for them.  For some reason, I mentioned that I still needed Tropical Screech-Owl for my Year List... Nando knew a nearby spot where it was guaranteed.  Of course, we jumped into the car and started to drive.  Soon, a curious screech-owl was in the spotlight, perched along a live fence bordering pastureland with thousands of fireflies... what a show!

Tropical Screech-Owl

As planned, we met Nando again for breakfast the next day.  We visited several sites, including famous ones like the roads to Lajas Blancas and to El Salto, finding many eastern Panama specialties (and Year birds) like Red-throated Caracara, Barred Puffbird, Orange-crowned Oriole, White-eared Conebill, among others.  But for my main target of the trip, Nando took us to some rice fields by Quebrada Félix.  Of the five species of macaws in Panama, four of them are found in Darien province and, for some reason, one of them have eluded me all these years.  Supposedly common, the Chestnut-fronted Macaw is the smallest of the macaws found in the country.  Probably bad luck or simply short time birding the appropriate habitat explains why I still needed that bird for my Panama list, but I was decided to add it to my lists this year... so was Nando.  Soon, he heard a pair flying across the field and I was finally able to put my binoculars on them.  They were far away... but eventually we got much better views of other individuals (but no better photos).

Chestnut-fronted Macaws

With most of our targets in the bag, and running out of time, we said good-bye to Nando and started our journey back to Panama City.  Birding can not be easier when you have two excellent guides by your side.  Thanks guys for the GREAT weekend.  I recommend both for them if you want to visit Darien province of eastern Panama..., please don't hesitate to contact them!

Great White Longtail (Urbanus chalco) at Nando's backyard!

They are here to stay!

And that is for sure!  I'm talking about the Carib Grackles.  For some reason, this species colonized Panama unnoticed more than one and a half year ago from Colombia, where it showed an explosive expansion of its natural range.  In fact, the first record was mere 40 kms to the east of Panama City.  

Back then, I noticed this rather small adult male grackle with a huge group of normal-sized Great-tailed Grackle... nothing rare, just unusual... until I heard it!  This small grackle had a different voice!

Carib Grackle.  Finca Bayano, Panama.  August 15th, 2017

I hurried to take photos of this grackle, and managed some (like the one above)... but soon concluded that it had to be some dwarf or anomalous individual or something like that.  After all, there were no previous records in eastern Panama of this conspicuous species, which I already knew from South America.  But for some reason, I did not erase those photos.  Just a few weeks later, while birding some fields close to the town of Chepo with some fellow birders including Venicio "Beny" Wilson and Rolando Jordan, I noticed again these small grackles accompanying normal-looking Great-tailed Grackles... but this time there were no doubts... those were Carib Grackles!

Carib Grackles.  Near Chepo, Panama.  September 9th, 2017

Since then, the grackles were recorded in several hotspots to the east of the first records and into Darien province.  In fact, there are some regular spots where the birds are almost guaranteed, like the river near the town of Torti in eastern Panama province.  There have been reports of juveniles birds there, although we have not yet found a nest so far.  I went to this site in my way back from Finca Los Lagos after my twitch for the Bare-faced Ibis.  As soon as I got there, I noticed the Carib Grackles at the bank of the river.  They were vocalizing and I managed photos and sound recordings this time, that I included in my eBird checklist for the site.

Carib Grackles. Torti, Panama. February 3rd, 2019

Carib Grackle. Torti, Panama. February 3rd, 2019

Its similarity to the ubiquitous Great-tailed Grackles certainly had something to do with its "sorpresive" colonization... simply no one cared to check the grackles before!  Several reports have been of birds in association with Great-tailed Grackles, and almost all the birds have been found associated with water.  I wonder how far will they reach into western Panama, but something seems sure... they are here to stay!

2017's Top 10 Birds!

And here we are again!  This year is about to end, and everyone is looking forward to have a new beginning, with new goals and resolutions.  I'm glad to say that my last year's wish came true, to have  more life birds... and some of them, plus other goodies, are now part of this new Top 10 Birds for Panama in 2017.

Large-billed Tern

10. Large-billed Tern: extremely rare and erratic in Panama, this impressive species showed up at the Charges river in Gamboa (central Panama), where I was able to twitch it successfully.... several times!  Curiously, later in the year, a pair appeared in Finca Bayano, where I was able to photograph and audio-record them!

Buff-fronted Quail-Dove

09. Buff-fronted Quail-Dove: this secretive species was a long expected lifer for me.  I include it in this top 10 not because of its rarity or beauty, but for the story surrounding it... a long twitch with my wife Gloriela, a scary drive in the dark through an extremely rough road, and finding it quietly walking the trail in the chilly morning... simply a sublime experience!

Hermit Warbler

08. Hermit Warbler: also a long twitch to the western highlands with my family.  This rare migrant warbler decided to spent some days in Bambito (Chiriqui province).  Thanks for the alert of fellow birders, I was able to catch it during the most important festivity for the Panamanians: the carnival.

Dusky-backed Jacamar

07. Dusky-backed Jacamar: this range-restricted species, found only in eastern Panama and Colombia, used to need a complete expedition to find.  My good friend Nando Quiroz showed it to me, with many more eastern Panama specialties, aboard a little canoe and whistling it in!

Nop, there are no birds in the picture!

06. Gray-capped Cuckoo: another extremely rare and erratic species.  A Gray-capped Cuckoo appeared in Finca Bayano and stayed for three more days (at least).  No photo of this one.  It was probably taking advantage of the caterpillars feeding on the mangroves, as pictured above by my friend Rosabel Miró.  The mangroves suffered... but at least it made some lucky birders very happy!

Little Cuckoo

05. Little Cuckoo: this one appeared while trying to relocate a Dwarf Cuckoo reported in Rio Torti.  I dipped on the Dwarf Cuckoo, but this localized species made my day.  Why?  Because that was the last species missing in my very first "Wish List", which I wrote down more than 20 years ago!  Follow the link and you will see the blank space after the "Cuco Enano" entry!

Maguari Stork

04. Maguari Stork: this huge and elegant vagrant from South America was found by my friend Rolando Jordan in Finca Bayano... just the second sighting for the country.  One day later, short of time and in a hurry, I was able to relocate the bird with some friends.  I was unable to find it the first time it appeared in Panama, and curiously, it was a species that eluded me in South America as well... so it was a huge lifer for me!

Volcano Junco

03. Volcano Junco: this is the only species that was not a Panama-lifer for me in this list.  But seeing it after more than 15 years (and just for the second time) at the highest point of the country (at the summit of the Baru volcano, in the western highlands) with my wife and the fading light of the sunset... priceless!

Carib Grackle

02. Carib Grackle: this smart and adaptable species colonized Panama unnoticed!  The first records for the country are so close to Panama City that it is almost shameful.  After seeing it with a group of fine birders and friends (including Beny Wilson, Rolando Jordan and Natalia Decastro), I realized that this was the species that I saw and photograph some weeks before in Finca Bayano as well!

Russet-throated Puffbird

01. Russet-throated Puffbird: I know you already figured it out... a new species for Panama and North America!  Found yesterday by an organized birding group, I twitched it immediately with my friend Rolando Jordan, sorting traffic jams, pot-holed roads, torrential downpours and bad light conditions... well, that's probably the recipe to success!

OK, I hope you enjoyed this list as much as I did... and now, take your binoculars, go out, sort some obstacles, and lets find some new life birds in the new year!

Landing in eastern Venezuela!

After so many preparatives, finally, Rafael Cortes and your blogger host were heading to eastern Venezuela in search of those Guianan shield and Tepuis endemics. I have to say that it is not easy to get by your own into interior Venezuela, but somehow we managed the trip without incidents. We spend almost a full day flying from Bogota (Colombia) to Caracas and then to Puerto Ordaz, at the margins of the mighty Orinoco river. Puerto Ordaz is a HUGE city, with wide avenues, modern malls and all the facilities you need. We spend the night in downtown, with Carib Grackle as my only life bird for the day (watched at the airport near Caracas).

Very early the next day, we hired a taxi cab to ride us to the little town of El Palmar, the gate to the forests of the Sierra de Imataca. The average speed of our taxi was around 120 km/h, due to the excellent highways and little traffic on route. We left the main highway (that eventually reach La Gran Sabana and the Brazil border) just before the town of Utapa and took a windy paved road through pasture land with savanna-like habitat and many lagoons. Despite the velocity, we did saw some birds, including a flock of Yellow-hooded Blackbirds, many heron species and even a Black-collared Hawk.

At the main plaza, we asked for a local guide, Blas Chacare who works monitoring Harpy Eagle's nest and chicks (more about Blas and this project in another post). We didn't knew him in advance... Rafael only had some references by some colombian birders that met him before. Eventually, we reached Blas' house close to the main plaza, and after the corresponding introductions, Blas agreed to guide us the next three days and even offered to stay at his house, with his beautiful family. I already was counting my first life birds of the day: Green-rumped Parrotlets, Gray Seedeater, Orange-fronted Yellow-Finch, Pale-breasted Thrush, and so on... Of course, I didn't count the pet Spix's Guan they have in their backyard, but it was useful to familiarize with its jizz and size. In addition, the rice thrown to the guan was attracting Tropical Mockingbird, Ruddy Ground Doves, a Spectacled Thrush, and Palm, Blue-gray, White-lined and Silver-beaked Tanagers allowing decent photos.

Soon, we were on route to the forest of the Sierra de Imataca, entering through the bridge over the Rio Grande, more or less 45 minutes from El Palmar. The forest was impressive, but it was already a little late and hot, so we decided to follow Blas (and his son) inside the forest, walking narrow trails and sometimes making our own trail... Blas has an excellent sense of orientation and we crossed several mixed flocks with highlights like Black Nunbird, both Brown-bellied and Rufous-bellied Antwrens, a male Fulvous Shrike-Tanager (feeding VERY low!!!) and the bird of the day: a Ferruginous-backed Antbird that responded well to playback.

Before leaving the forest, we crossed a huge group of Collared Peccharies (surely more than 100 individuals, known as Báquiros), but they went away quite scared before we were able to check if a "baquirero" (Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo) was following them. We left the forest interior and started the return journey through the main road, finding some interesting hummingbirds in the way. The most colorful was a White-chinned Sapphire shining with the sun, but then Blas pointed me a tiny one perched atop the bushes that turned out to be a female Festive Coquette! I also managed to take a photo of a White-chested Emerald in the same spot, its all-black bill separates it from the very similar Versicolored Emerald (which we also saw).

We spend all the day out in the forest, and in the evening (back at Blas' place), we celebrate our first day of birding with a couple of beers. The plan the next morning was to visit one of the active nests of Harpy Eagle that Blas have been monitoring since a couple of weeks before... stay tuned!