18 - 25 May 2001
by Robin Carter
Introduction
My wife Caroline Eastman, our birding buddy Donna Bailey, and I spent a week in late May 2001 on a low-key birding trip to central Panama. We stayed the entire time at the Canopy Tower (in Soberania National Park, about 30 minutes’ drive from Panama City), and had a great birding adventure. In all we recorded about 179 species, mostly within a few kilometers of the Canopy Tower. While this is not a huge total, it does include some very good species, including good looks as Great Tinamou, Blue Cotinga, and even a Rufous-breasted Antthrush.
This was the fifth trip to Central America for Caroline and me, but we still got over 50 lifers. Donna was on her first trip outside of the USA, so she got an overwhelming number of new birds.
We wanted a single destination in Central America, with low stress,
good food, good birds, good guides, and not too far from the airport.
The
Canopy Tower delivered on all of those criteria. We had a great time.
Even
though our trip was during the early part of the rainy season we never
got rained on hard while hiking. Usually the rain came during the
afternoon
siesta, so we were treated to a nap while listening to hard rain on a
metal
roof! Fantastic!
Daily Itinerary
Friday, 18 May 2001.
This was a travel day only. Caroline and I got up before dawn and picked up Donna in order to drive 110 miles to the Greenville – Spartanburg, SC Airport (much cheaper tickets than flying from Columbia, SC). We got a noon flight to Newark, NJ and then on to Panama, arriving after dark. We had no more than the usual hassles and delays in Immigration and Customs, and were met outside of Customs by a driver from the Canopy Tower. We arrived at about 10:00 PM. My first bird in Panama was a Great Tinamou, heard calling at about 11:00 PM.
Saturday, 19 May 2001.
Our first full day in Panama, and Donna’s first birding day in the Neotropics! Shortly after 5:00 AM we got our wakeup call, as the howler monkeys greeted the day. Soon this great sound was joined by bird song from Great Tinamou, Little Tinamou, Tropical Kingbird, Rufous Motmot, and Broad-billed Motmot. At 6:00 AM we were on the observation deck, checking out the action. Our best birds seen from the deck this first morning were a couple of male Blue Cotingas, a specialty of the Canopy Tower. Green Shrike-Vireos were calling from all sides, but we could not locate any of these canopy sprites this first morning, even though we were looking down on the singers.
After a great breakfast we took the morning tour, which is typically a guided bird walk down the 2 km paved entrance road (Semaphore Hill Road). Once we got to the bottom of the hill we were met by a vehicle and driven back up to the Canopy Tower for lunch! Delightful decadence! My favorite species of this first walk down the hill were a few Marbled Wood-Quail (heard only, in the distance) and a great look at a Black-breasted Puffbird.
We actually saw a Great Tinamou in the forest a few meters from the road. This was the first of this species that I have actually seen, though I have heard several of them in Costa Rica.
After lunch and a siesta we went to the zoo, actually Summit
Gardens,
a suburban park about 5 km down the road. The zoo animals were not too
interesting, but there were lots of wild birds in park, nothing rare,
but
mostly new for Donna. My favorites were a few Lesser Swallow-tailed
Swifts
overhead, a Streaked Saltator, and a pair of Streaked Flycatchers at a
nest.
Sunday, 20 May 2001.
Our morning routine was the same as the day before – dawn on the observation deck, and then a walk down the Semaphore Hill Road. Today we actually saw a Green Shrike-Vireo.
Our afternoon trip was a short walk on the Plantation Trail. The trailhead for this trail is at the bottom of Semaphore Hill, about 2 km from the Canopy Tower. We rode to the trailhead (more delightful decadence!)
Monday, 21 May 2001.
We varied our usual morning routine by skipping the walk down Semaphore Hill. Instead we booked a special trip to the Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds and the world famous Pipeline Road, about 20 km from the Canopy Tower. Here Caroline and I were treated to a number of species new for us, since they are rare or do not occur in Costa Rica, where we have done most of our Neotropical birding. We were thrilled by a nice Rufescent Tiger-Heron, a Striated Heron, and a number of Greater Anis. The Wattled Jacanas were everywhere in the marsh and mudflat areas. Caroline actually saw a White-throated Crake, but Donna and I just heard their “fried eggs” calls.
Pipeline Road was great – a bit overwhelming. I especially enjoyed Blue-crowned and Red-capped Manakins. I was thrilled to hear a couple of Pheasant Cuckoos calling deep in the forest, but we could not find any in view.
We were back at the Canopy Tower for lunch, and our afternoon outing was another walk on the Plantation Trail. Here the best bird was great look at a perched Semiplumbeous Hawk. Donna, the hawk enthusiast of our group, was disgusted, since she had opted for sitting quietly on a bench on the Semaphore Hill Road and so missed the hawk. She did, however, get a good look at a Southern Bentbill – small consolation!
Tuesday, 22 May 2001.
We observed our usual routine – dawn on observation deck, followed by a morning walk down Semaphore Hill. One goodie this morning was a woodcreeper. Our guide announced “Plain-brown Woodcreeper”, to which some of us replied, “Yes, we can see that. What species is it”? I hasten to add that we were soon straightened our about the English name of this plain brown woodcreeper, and shown its other field marks by our guide.
During the ride back up the hill a pair of Great Tinamous flew across the road just a few meters ahead of the vehicle, so we actually saw three of this species within four days. Great!
Our afternoon tour was a sightseeing and shopping trip. We watched a few ships go through the Miraflores locks of the Panama Canal, and visited a huge handicraft shop in Balboa, for the obligatory tacky souvenirs. Our best birds of the afternoon were dozens of Brown Pelicans and Donna’s first Magnificent Frigatebirds, hovering over the canal at the locks.
Wednesday, 23 May 2001.
Today we started with our usual routine – dawn on the observation deck (where we got a great look at a female Blue Cotinga just 30 meters away), followed by a walk down Semaphore Hill. Here, less than 200 meters from the Canopy Tower, we saw what might have been the best bird of the trip, a great Rufous-breasted Antthrush in plain view, first a few meters into the forest and then actually crossing the road just ahead of us! Fantastic!
Our afternoon trip was a return to the Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds, where we finally saw four White-throated Crakes and also several capybaras, the largest rodent in the world.
Thursday, 24 May 2001.
Since this was our final full day in Panama for this trip we splurged on an all day trip to the foothills forest in El Valle de Anton, about 120 km from the Canopy Tower at about 750 meters elevation. This was high enough up that we found a few foothills species not present in the Canal area. This is the locality for such rarities as Tody Motmot and Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo, which are seen regularly there by the guides. We were not lucky enough to find either of these goodies, but we did have a great day birding. Donna saw a Sunbittern in a creek. My favorites were a pair of White-throated Thrushes (Robins), a species that I have not been able to find in Costa Rica, Belize, or Mexico, and very good hummer at a feeder – Blue-throated Goldentail.
On our way back to the Canopy Tower we stopped 10 minutes at Summit Ponds, where we easily found the stakeout Boat-billed Herons. Caroline and I were pleased to see this species so easily – drive up, get out of the vehicle, and there they are! We are used to seeing them as part of a long boat tour.
Friday, 25 May 2001.
We had time for a few minutes on the observation deck before a morning flight to Houston, and then back to South Carolina. We ended our trip with a trip list of 179 species, of which over 50 were lifers for Caroline and me. We would return in a heartbeat! There are still at least 50 easy lifers for us in central Panama. Next time!
Annotated Species List
| SPECIES | WHERE OBSERVED |
| Great Tinamou | heard in many places; seen twice along the Semaphore Hill Road |
| Little Tinamou | heard from the Canopy Tower. Less common than Great Tinamou. |
| Brown Pelican | common along the Canal |
| Neotropic Cormorant | a few along the Canal |
| Anhinga | one at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Magnificent Frigatebird | common at Miraflores Locks |
| Rufescent Tiger-Bittern | one seen during each visit to Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Great Blue Heron | seen from Tocumen Airport on our last day |
| Great Heron | one near the airport on our last day |
| Tricolored Heron | one at Summit Ponds |
| Cattle Egret | common at the Gamboa Ammo Dump; a couple seen from the tower. |
| Striated Heron | a few at the Gamboa Ammo Dump. |
| Boat-billed Heron | a couple at Summit Ponds. Easy to see. |
| White Ibis | a few near Balboa; common near the Tocumen Airport. |
| Black Vulture | abundant throughout |
| Turkey Vulture | common throughout |
| Osprey | one at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds, seen on both visits |
| White-tailed Kite | one near the airport |
| Semiplumbeous Hawk | one seen along Plantation Trail |
| Gray Hawk | one at Pipeline Road |
| Great Black-Hawk | one at El Valle |
| Zone-tailed Hawk | one at El Valle |
| Crested Caracara | a few along the road to El Valle |
| Collared Forest-Falcon | one heard at dawn from the Canopy Tower |
| Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon | one heard at dawn from the Canopy Tower |
| Gray-headed Chachalaca | a few seen along the Plantation Trail; also seen from the tower |
| Marbled Wood-Quail | heard only along the Semaphore Hill Road |
| White-throated Crake | several seen and heard at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Gray-necked Wood-Rail | one seen along the road in El Valle |
| Purple Gallinule | easy to see at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Common Moorhen | a few at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Sunbittern | one along a creek in El Valle |
| Wattled Jacana | common at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds and a Summit Ponds |
| Laughing Gull | common at Miraflores Locks and along the road to the airport |
| Rock Dove | common in cities |
| Pale-vented Pigeon | common in suburban and urban areas, the most common dove |
| Scaled Pigeon | a few seen from the Canopy Tower |
| Short-billed Pigeon | one (heard only) along Plantation Trail |
| Ruddy Ground-Dove | common in suburban areas |
| White-tipped Dove | fairly common throughout |
| Orange-chinned Parakeet | common throughout; the most common parrot |
| Brown-hooded Parrot | one along the Plantation Trail |
| Red-lored Amazon (Parrot) | a few seen from the Canopy Tower |
| Mealy Amazon (Parrot) | seen or heard several times from the tower |
| Squirrel Cuckoo | fairly common throughout |
| Pheasant Cuckoo | two along Pipeline Road (heard only) |
| Greater Ani | a few at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Smooth-billed Ani | a couple at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Black-and-white Owl | two or three heard calling from the tower at night |
| Lesser Nighthawk | one over eroded savannas along the road to El Valle |
| Great Potoo | two or three heard calling from the tower at night |
| Short-tailed Swift | a few at the tower and near the canal |
| Band-rumped Swift | the most common swift, easily seen from the tower |
| Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift | a few from the tower and a Summit Gardens |
| Band-tailed Barbthroat | one at the feeders at the Canopy Tower |
| Long-tailed Hermit | common at the feeders at the Canopy Tower; one along the Semaphore Hill Road |
| Little Hermit | a few at the feeders at the Canopy Tower |
| White-necked Jacobin | fairly common at the feeders at the Canopy Tower |
| Garden Emerald | one or two at the feeders at the Canopy Tower |
| Violet-bellied Hummingbird | a few at the feeders at the Canopy Tower |
| Blue-throated Goldentail | one at feeders in El Valle |
| Blue-chested Hummingbird | common at the feeders at the Canopy Tower |
| Snowy-bellied Hummingbird | a few at the feeders at the Canopy Tower |
| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird | a few at feeders in El Valle |
| White-vented Plumeleteer | fairly common at the feeders at the Canopy Tower |
| White-tailed Trogon | a few near the Canopy Tower, Plantation Trail and Pipeline Road |
| Violaceous Trogon | fairly common near the Canopy Tower, Plantation Trail and Pipeline Road |
| Black-throated Trogon | fairly common near the Canopy Tower, Plantation Trail, Pipeline Road and at El Valle |
| Slaty-tailed Trogon | common near the Canopy Tower, Plantation Trail and Pipeline Road |
| Blue-crowned Motmot | Summit Gardens and El Valle (heard only) |
| Rufous Motmot | fairly common near the Canopy Tower, Plantation Trail and Pipeline Road; a few at El Valle |
| Broad-billed Motmot | fairly common near the Canopy Tower, Plantation Trail and Pipeline Road |
| Ringed Kingfisher | one at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Green Kingfisher | singles at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds, Summit Ponds and near the airport |
| White-necked Puffbird | one or two at Plantation Trail and Pipeline Road |
| Black-breasted Puffbird | the most common puffbird, seen along Semaphore Hill Road, Plantation Trail and Pipeline Road |
| White-whiskered Puffbird | one each along Semaphore Hill Road and El Valle |
| Collared Aracari | one or two at Plantation Trail, Pipeline Road and El Valle |
| Keel-billed Toucan | commonly seen from the tower; heard in all forests |
| Chestnut-mandibled Toucan | fairly common to hear in forests throughout the Canal area; easily seen from the Canopy Tower. |
| Red-crowned Woodpecker | common at Summit Gardens, Gamboa area, and El Valle |
| Cinnamon Woodpecker | one seen well along the Pipeline Road |
| Lineated Woodpecker | two or three seen along Semaphore Hill Road and Plantation Trail |
| Crimson-crested Woodpecker | one seen from the tower |
| Plain Xenops | one or two along Semaphore Hill Road and Plantation Trail |
| Plain-brown Woodpecker | one along Semaphore Hill Road |
| Cocoa Woodcreeper (formerly Buff-throated) | common throughout |
| Streak-headed Woodpecker | one along Plantation Trail |
| Fasciated Antshrike | a pair along Semaphore Hill Road and also at Pipeline Road |
| Barred Antshrike | one or two at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds and at El Valle |
| Western Slaty-Antshrike | very common in all forests in the Canal area; very commonly heard from the tower |
| Pygmy Antwren | one heard and recorded along the Plantation Trail |
| Checker-throated Antwren | one pair along Semaphore Hill Road |
| White-flanked Antwren | fairly common along Semaphore Hill Road |
| Dot-winged Antwren | common along Semaphore Hill Road, Plantation Trail and Pipeline Road |
| Dusky Antbird | one or two along Semaphore Hill Road; heard only at El Valle |
| Chestnut-backed Antwren | common along Semaphore Hill Road, Plantation Trail and Pipeline Road; a few at El Valle. More often heard than seen. |
| Bicolored Antbird | seen common along Semaphore Hill Road; heard only at Pipeline Road |
| Black-faced Antthrush | several heard at El Valle |
| Rufous-breasted Antthrush | one seen well along Semaphore Hill Road |
| Paltry Tyrannulet | one or two seen from the tower and along Pipeline Road |
| Yellow-bellied Elaenia | fairly common throughout |
| Lesser Elaenia | one seen from the Canopy Tower and one seen at El Valle |
| Olive-striped Flycatcher | one seen along Semaphore Hill Road |
| Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant | two or three heard calling at El Valle |
| Southern Bentbill | commonly heard from the tower and along Semaphore Hill Road; one seen well by Donna |
| Common Tody-Flycatcher | a few at Summit Gardens and at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher | one or two seen at El Valle near a nest |
| Olivaceous Flatbill | one or two seen and heard at Plantation Trail |
| Royal Flycatcher | one heard along Semaphore Hill Road |
| Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher | one seen along Semaphore Hill Road |
| Tropical Pewee | one seen from the tower on two different mornings |
| Bright-rumped Attila | a few heard from the tower; one seen on Pipeline Road |
| Rufous Mourner | one seen and heard along Pipeline Road |
| Dusky-capped Flycatcher | fairly common at the tower, along Semaphore Hill Road and at Pipeline Road; much more often heard than seen |
| Panama Flycatcher | one at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Great Kiskadee | common near the ponds and in El Valle |
| Boat-billed Flycatcher | one heard from the Canopy Tower |
| Social Flycatcher | a few at the tower; common at Summit Gardens, Gamboa area and at El Valle |
| Streaked Flycatcher | a pair at a nest in a light standard at Summit Gardens |
| Tropical Kingbird | common throughout; usually the first bird of the day at the Canopy Tower, where a pair was nesting |
| Fork-tailed Flycatcher | one on the road to El Valle and one on the road to the airport |
| White-winged Becard | one or two seen and heard at El Valle |
| Masked Tityra | a few at Summit Gardens and also seen from the tower |
| Blue Cotinga | at least two males and a female seen from the tower on three different mornings |
| Purple-throated Fruitcrow | a few along Plantation Trail; fairly common along Pipeline Road |
| Golden-collared Manakin | fairly common along Pipeline Road and El Valle |
| Blue-crowned Manakin | one or two along Plantation Trail and Pipeline Road |
| Red-capped Manakin | fairly common, but hard to see, along Semaphore Hill Road and Pipeline Road |
| Gray-breasted Martin | abundant in urban and suburban areas; a few seen from the tower |
| Southern Rough-winged Swallow | a few near Gamboa and also at El Valle |
| Black-chested Jay | small numbers along Plantation Trail and at El Valle |
| Black-bellied Wren | often heard along Semaphore Hill Road; one or two seen |
| Rufous-breasted Wren | three or four seen and heard at El Valle |
| Buff-breasted Wren | two seen and heard at El Valle |
| House Wren | fairly common at Summit Gardens and El Valle |
| White-breasted Wood-Wren | a few heard and one seen along Semaphore Hill Road |
| Song Wren | one seen and briefly heard at Pipeline Road |
| Long-billed Gnatwren | a few seen and heard along Pipeline Road and Semaphore Hill Road |
| Tropical Gnatcatcher | a pair seen regularly from the tower |
| Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush | three or four heard and glimpsed at El Valle |
| Clay-colored Thrush (Robin) | abundant in suburban areas; a few along the Semaphore Hill Road |
| White-throated Thrush (Robin) | one small flock seen and heard at El Valle |
| Tropical Mockingbird | one at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Yellow-green Vireo | abundant in suburban areas; a few seen from the Canopy Tower |
| Lesser Greenlet | commonly heard in all forested areas; seen from the Canopy Tower |
| Green Shrike-Vireo | abundant at the Canopy Tower, but hard to see; a few heard elsewhere in forests in the Canal area |
| Rufous-capped Warbler | three or four seen and heard at El Valle; song like that of a Canada Warbler |
| Bananaquit | two or three seen at El Valle |
| Plain-colored Tanager | a pair easily seen just about any time at the Canopy Tower |
| Bay-headed Tanager | one or two seen at El Valle |
| Golden-hooded Tanager | three or four seen at El Valle |
| Blue Dacnis | commonly seen from the tower; a few elsewhere (Pipeline Road) |
| Green Honeycreeper | commonly seen from the tower; a few elsewhere |
| Shining Honeycreeper | one female seen from the Canopy Tower |
| Red-legged Honeycreeper | commonly seen from the tower; a few elsewhere |
| Yellow-crowned Euphonia | a few at the tower; common at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Thick-billed Euphonia | fairly common at Summit Gardens, Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds, and a few at the tower |
| Blue-gray Tanager | common in suburban areas |
| Palm Tanager | common and tame at the Canopy Tower; a few elsewhere, usually near Blue-gray Tanagers |
| White-shouldered Tanager | fairly common at the tower and nearby |
| White-lined Tanager | one in El Valle; two at the Soberania National Park Headquarters on the way to the airport |
| Red-crowned Ant-Tanager | three or four glimpsed at El Valle |
| Red-throated Ant-Tanager | three or four glimpsed along Semaphore Hill Road |
| Crimson-backed Tanager | several at Summit Gardens, Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds and El Valle |
| Flamed-rumped Tanager | a pair seen at El Valle |
| Streaked Saltator | a few at Summit Gardens and one at El Valle |
| Buff-throated Saltator | fairly common at Summit Gardens, Plantation Trail, Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds and El Valle |
| Black-striped Sparrow | a few at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds and at El Valle |
| Blue-black Grassquit | a few at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Variable Seedeater | common at Summit Gardens, Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds and El Valle |
| Yellow-bellied Seedeater | two or three at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Ruddy-breasted Seedeater | a few at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Great-tailed Grackle | abundant in suburban areas |
| Yellow-tailed Oriole | one at Gamboa Ammo Dump ponds |
| Scarlet-rumped Cacique | fairly common throughout; easier to hear than to see |
| Chestnut-headed Oropendola | common at El Valle; a few along the road to the airport near Balboa |
| House Sparrow | common in urban areas; a few at Summit Gardens |
Mammals seen:
Northern Tamandua (anteater)
Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth
Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth
bat (species?)
Geoffroy’s Tamarin
White-throated Capuchin
Mantled Howler Monkey
White-nosed Coati
Tayra (dead on road only)
Red-tailed Squirrel
Capybara
Central American Agouti
Reptiles:
cayman
turtles (sliders?)
snake (species?)
green iguana
basilisk lizard
skink species
other lizards (genera unknown)
Amphibians:
at least five species of frog
Marine Toad (big enough to kill a dog!)
A few of the invertebrates:
five species of cicada
clear-winged damselfly
morpho species
julia species
swallowtail species
dozens of other butterflies and skippers
almost no mosquitoes
chiggers in the grass, alas
End of report
Robin Carter
4165 East Buchanan Drive
Columbia, SC 29206
rcarter@sc.rr.com