Jogging was my main intention

I can swear it!  I went with Gloriela, Gabrielle and Teresa (Gloriela's sister) to the Metropolitan Natural Park in order to make some exercise, jogging through the trails, burning out some calories and breathing fresh air.  However, we soon realized that we chose the wrong baby carriage for Gabrielle, because it was completely unsuitable for the gravel-covered paths.  

We walked "Los Robles" trail, connecting the administrative installations with the main trails, taking a couple of minutes to help feeding the turtles at the lagoon.  No herons at the lagoons, but what an amazing experience for Gabrielle!

At the gate of the main trails, it was clear that bearing a 20-pounds girl with you while trying to walk an up-hill trail was not a good idea, so I decided to stay with Gabrielle in the surroundings of the parking lot and the entrance of the "Mono Tití" trail, watching common birds like the pair of Orange-chinned Parakeets pictured here, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Squirrel Cuckoo, Tropical Kingbird and both Cocoa and Olivaceous Woodcreepers.

When Gloriela and Teresa came back 30 minutes later, they told me that my good friend Osvaldo Quintero was photographing birds in the highest part of the trail, in the lookout.  So, it was my turn to walk up-hill.  They leave me because it was getting hot for Gabrielle (she is only 9-months old), but that was not a problem considering that the park is right within the city and is easily accessible by taxi and other public transportation.  I crossed a birding group by the mid part of the trail.  They were in the middle of a mixed flock, with antwrens, White-winged Tanagers, a Plain Xenops, and others... but it was a migrant thrush in the edge of the trail that caught my attention.  After seeing it through the scope of the group guide, it was clear that the bird was a Veery, and uncommon migrant in central Panama, and only my second time ever with this bird!

Eventually, I reached the lookout, and Osvaldo was there in fact.  He photographed some migrant vireos and warblers, but the huge mixed flock of migrants that he was expecting never showed up, so we decided to return.  The only common migrants were the Red-eyed Vireos that were everywhere, and the Canada Warblers, in the peak of their migration.

However, a little bit down in the trail, we saw a high kettle of, mostly, Broad-winged Hawks in their annual southward migration... an amazing spectacle!  October is the month of the raptors river in Panama, a show that we are all expecting soon... so stayed tune! 

Birds bonanza in Metro Park

Yesterday, I went to the Metropolitan Natural Park following the directions of Osvaldo Quintero who told me that the trees at the lookout were full with fruits and birds since the last week. I just wanted to see what it was all about up there so my plan was to walk without resting all the way to the lookout, which is at 135 meters above sea level in Cedro hill. I took the Mono Tití trail because is wider and fresher than La Cieneguita trail, which starts behind the rangers' station. Of course, my plan of walk directly to the lookout without stopping on route was quickly interrupted due to bird activity. Close to the first lookout (in the way up), a dead trunk attracted three different couples of birds: one of Crimson-crested Woodpeckers, other of Lineated Woodpeckers and a pair of Orange-chinned Parakeets excavating a nest in a termite nest... all in the same trunk. Both pairs of woodpeckers were working in different branches, ripping apart and throwing huge pieces of bark from the trunk while looking for worms and other insects, without agressions or shouts, everything in harmony. The parakeets stopped what they were doing to have a look at me, they are so curious! The understory that surrounded some fallen branches and roots of the dead trunk was also alive in birds. A pair of Fasciated Antshrikes were inspecting every corner while a Dusky Antbird sang from a cover. It is fascinating how a dead trunk have so many niches to occupy. Back on route, I started to hear the flocks of birds while approaching the lookout. And then I realized why... many of the trees bordering the lookout were full in fruits, just like Osvaldo told me. Many species were taking advantage of this, not only the frugivores, but also many insectivores as well. I also noticed lots of butterflies and other insects in the area, and many mammals too (more about them in my next post). I simply sat down and waited. The birds appeared in waves. First a flock (yes, a flock) of Tropical Kingbirds, more or less 20 birds eating fruits and flycatching, accompanied by one, possible two Dusky-capped Flycatchers. Also, many Yellow-green Vireos were feeding at the trees, probably preparing themselves for their journey to South America. The frugivores were represented by Blue-gray, Palm, White-shouldered and Plain-colored Tanagers and also Blue Dacnises. Even a Squirrel Cuckoo showed up, also eating fruits! Then, I found a single Double-toothed Kite nicely perched just below the canopy. At first, it was far away, but got closer while following a troop of Geoffrey's Tamarins. That was not the first time that I see those kites following monkeys. If you have any doubt about why they are called double-toothed, check the close-up that I made of its head. A mixed flock of swifts and swallows patrolled the air over the lookout, with Short-tailed and Vaux's Swifts, and Gray-breasted Martins. Sometimes, they were so close that I thought they were going to hit me! I spent more or less three hours at the lookout! In the way out, I checked the spot of the Common Potoo reported elsewhere, finding only the downy fledging acting already as an adult potoo... it is not the cuttest thing?

Time to pay attention to the bamboo?

Today I spent the morning searching for birds with Osvaldo Quintero in the Old Gamboa road (aka Summit Ponds road). This is an easy walk, with many birds due to the variety of habitats and close to the city... it is perfect for those seeking a long list in few hours or if you want to have prolonged views of emblematic neotropical birds like toucans, caciques, trogons, kingfishers and so on... We started at the ponds itself, where we saw Amazon and Green Kingfishers waiting over the surface for a victim, and a Collared Aracari that deigned in giving a glimpse over its shoulder. A pair of Great Kiskadees were on a wire, paying attention to all our movements. Soon we realized that the commonest birds now were the migrants, with Northern Waterthrushes and Eastern Wood-Pewees in almost every corner. Others migrants recorded were Prothonotary, Chestnut-sided and Yellow Warblers plus a lonely Great Crested Flycatcher. That activity was low, but constant, with common birds comming to us like Blue-and-gray, Crimson-backed and Gray-headed Tanagers, a pair of Orange-chinned Parakeets excavating a nest, Clay-colored Thrush and others. A quick search of the skies produced migrating flocks of swallows plus some unidentified Chaetura swifts. Also, we got a migrating flock of Swainson's and Broad-winged Hawks accompanying a greater group of Turkey Vultures (more on them in another post, I promise). I must say that not everything is good in paradise... part of the trail has been widened and cleared in order to improve an access road to some installations of the ACP (Panama Canal Authority), but we still managed to find some specialties of the area, including a Jet Antbird (although only heard). A bit discouraged by the scene, we reached the group of bamboo close to the half way, most of it now lying on the floor. For our surprise (and I mean BIG surprise), we heard the characteristic loud and buzzy thrill of a Slate-colored Seedeater right above us in the bamboo!! We played a tape and then a second male with a female appeared, allowing us to take some shots. We stayed for 15 minutes or so, appreciating these nomadic seedeaters. Very happy with the finding, we decided to go to the Metropolitan Natural Park, just to see if we can catch up the migrating flock of raptors over the city. One hour later we were in the lookout, but with no luck this time (no raptors). We started to return through "La Cienegüita" trail. Few minutes later, I heard what I thought first was an auditive hallucination caused by the dehydration: a loud and buzzy thrill over a bunch of bamboo!! And guess what... for the second time in the day we were watching two males Slate-colored Seedeaters singing with all their forces. Well, I imagine that it is time to pay more attention to the bamboo. Considering that all those bamboo-associated birds are quite rare and nomadic (at least in Panama), and that this particular month of october has produced some reports of these birds (Barred Parakeet, Peg-billed and Slaty Finches here; Slate-colored Seedeater here) is logical to think that maybe IT IS HAPPENING... the flowering of the bamboo... or maybe I'm just overreacting and all these are coincidences? It is supposed to be one of the rarest sight in the botanical world, an event that occurs every 10 to 120 years and when it occurs; well, all the bamboo plants of that species flower at the same time and then die at the same time too... is not amazing? I'm not going to take any risk and I will organize a birding trip to the western highlands, searching for those bamboo-specialists that I still need. Want to join me?