Still there!

In our way to Panama City from Penonome this morning, we decided to visit the Malibu pond in the way to Gorgona beach to check the status of the -now famous- Whistling Herons.  This is a species considered a vagrant in Panama; however, it seems that a pair has spent the season in our country since July 2014 (Xenornis report here).

Whistling Herons

After finding the usual suspects at the pond, I drove to the field right next to it.  Almost immediately I saw two Whistling Herons in the distance.  The photo above shows both of them... it is impressive to see how they blend into their surroundings despite their striking plumage.  Using the car like a blind, I managed to approach them and started to shoot... the closest one seemed curious.

Whistling Heron

After a while it started to feed again unconcernedly... certainly they are used to see the cars passing all day long.  At this point, my wife and mother in law were having unobstructed views with my binocs... lots of WOWs and AHHHs of course.  It was a life bird for Gloriela.

Whistling Heron

There is no way to miss this spot... just drive through Gorgona's main road until you reach the Malibu development to the left... the pond is just after this and become obvious as soon as the road deteriorates.  Who knows... probably you will be the first one to register nesting activity for this species in Panama!

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

In search of THE heron. Part I

There were some clues in the air... something really important was happening to the east of Panamá City.  But in spite of all my suppositions, I never thought that it would be a NEW species for the country and North America!  The news were published in various social media and in Xenornis a week ago.  A Whistling Heron was photographed and videotaped in the outskirts of the town of Chepo, 30 minutes east of Panamá City by Kevin Easley and others.  This is an extraordinaire record, since there are no known populations of this beautiful heron close to the Panamá border in Colombia.  Two distinct populations exists, one in the llanos of Venezuela and eastern Colombia (where I took the next photo, that I published elsewhere); the other, in the open lands of Bolivia to northeastern Brazil and Argentina.

So far, some resident birders visited the place after the first report, but the heron could not have been relocated.  So, accompanied by Rafael Luck, Venicio "Beny" Wilson and Itzel Wong, I went last saturday in search of it.   After checking maps of the area, Beny chose the route, following the old road to Chepo from the town of Palo Blanco, crossing pastures and degraded habitat, but also many gallery forests along creeks and rivers supporting species typical of wetter habitats.  That is so, that in our first stop we found a Rufous-breasted Hermit... essentially unexpected for us.

Others unexpected finds were Brown-hooded Parrots, Gray-headed Kite and this Gray-lined Hawk, nicely perched atop a dead tree.

However, the most common birds were those typical of open lands and marshy areas.  In fact, we checked many marshes in the middle of huge pasture lands, and we were glad to see again some species restricted to this type of habitat.  For example, this Pale-breasted Spinetail was very cooperative, calling from exposed perches and even showing the reason of its name.

And who can't be glad of finding Pied Water-Tyrants?  This elegant bird is restricted to the eastern part of the country, and always is a great bird to see.

And what about the heron?  Well, eventually we found the very same perch where the Whistling Heron was photographed.  The tree was a preferred perch for many species in the surroundings, including  Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Little Blue Heron and Great Egrets.  We waited and searched all around, but the heron was not there.

To be honest, we were quite optimistic, considering that the area is huge, full of adequate habitat... it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.  However, we kept searching... only stopping for a quick meal in town.  That habitat was also excellent for birds of prey.  Besides those already mentioned, we saw other seven hawks and kites species, including this majestic Savanna Hawk.

We also saw (or heard) four falconids, including three pairs of American Kestrels.  Formerly only a winter visitor from northern latitudes; now, South American subspecies have been established in our fields.

Notice the completely lack of spots in the underparts of this beautiful male, characteristic of southern subspecies.  Well, we didn't find the heron... but have a lot of fun looking for it!

More habitats, more birds

Canoeing along the Caño Negro creek is not the only way to reach the Laguna Negra... you can drive to some touristic cabins at the shores of the lagoon, passing through more degraded habitat, cultivated fields and gallery forests.  That's why we decided to walk that route during our second day of birding in the department of Guaviare (Colombia), with Rafael Cortes, Mauricio Rueda and our guides Derly Blandon and Luis Fernando Galindez.   The cultivated fields were full of birds, including many Bare-faced Ibis, Little Blue, Cocoi and Capped Herons, Great Egrets a Limpkin and a very attractive Whistling Heron.

The road we followed runs along a gallery forest bordering the Caño Negro creek, and we saw some interesting species like Amazonian Streaked-Antwren, our third species of jacamar for the site (a pair of White-chinned Jacamar), many Cobalt-winged Parakeets and a noisy Black Caracara.  Its cries reminded me those of the Yellow-headed Caracara in Panamá.

The combination of habitats was so extraordinaire that we saw five vultures species during the walk (that also happened the day we saw Harpy Eagles in eastern Venezuela), including these Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures (adult on top, immature below in the first picture) and Turkey Vulture of, perhaps, the resident subspecies considering its pale nape (of course, the others birds seen were Greater Yellow-headed, King and Black Vultures).

An interesting fact: we didn't only saw both Black-tailed and Black-crowned Tityras... we saw both of them excavating nests in different sites along the trek!  Also saw Cinnamon Attila, Bare-necked Fruitcrow and a pair of Gilded Barbets.

Once at the touristic cabins, we had some cokes and rest a little... the heat was barely bearable.  While comfortable seated, we enjoyed some birds around: both Ruddy and Blue Ground-Doves, more White-winged Swallows, Black-capped Donacobius, Shiny Cowbirds, and a familiar bird for me in the form of of a Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet calling constantly.

We returned to Playa Guio, watching mostly the same birds we had in the morning, plus hearing the call of a Green-backed Trogon.  To be honest, it sounded to me exactly like our White-tailed Trogons back in Panama, despite the differences in voice were part of the arguments to separate these two species (we saw later a pair close to our cabins).

As soon as we crossed the Caño Negro creek, a flock of Maroon-tailed Parakeets landed over a palm tree and stayed for a couple of minutes, allowing great views and photographic opportunities.  Notice the flash of color in the closed wing... very evident at flight.

Great way to spend most part of the day... after a late lunch we decided to stay around our cabin in a wait-and-see fashion... and it worked!