| The following pages will document, on a fairly regular basis, my experiences as a resident of Panamá for three months in the summer of 2007. My success in making this happen will ultimately depend on my internet access and my energy level (neither of which is predictable). Still, keep you eyes on this page, as I certainly will have the opportunity to add at least some material in the course of this grand summer! |
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| No, you haven't misread those dates; I'm moving to Panamá for the entire summer! I've been planning for this for a while, working hard, tightening the belt and saving money so that I can immerse myself in the language, culture, and, of course, the birds of my adopted home country. I'm hoping to find a room or some other low-cost rental in the foothills town of El Valle to serve as a home base, and from there enjoy frequent trips by bus or plane to other parts of Panamá. There's a lot of good birding in the immediate area of El Valle, and this pleasant town is also home to the world-class Canopy Lodge, which I have visited a number of times. I expect that I will be afforded the opportunity to join my friends at the Lodge for a few field trips to more far-flung locales. |
| I'll be spending my first few days in Panamá City, getting settled in and birding at a few sites that are easily accessible by bus. I plan to re-visit some favorite places, such as Mono Feliz and Finca Hartmann in Chiriquí Province, but I hope to spread my wings a little bit, as I have only visited five of Panamá's ten provinces thus far. Below is a detail of central Panamá, showing some of my favorite birding sites and lodgings in the region; I expect to add more detail to the map as the summer goes on. |
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My flight was delayed out of Newark, thanks to a sick passenger; he left the plane, requiring us to wait for his luggage to be
removed (a sensible precaution!), thereby losing our spot in the departure queue. We only arrived about 40 minutes late, and since I was in a forward row I moved quickly through
immigration and customs. The Country Inns and Suites in El Dorado upgraded me to a suite, and it's nice to be able to spread out a little.
My wireless service is not great, however. On my first full day I took care of business, the first order of which was getting my Panamanian
cell phone online. I'm happy to say it only took one call to Cable and Wireless to get me going, and as a bonus I lucked into a promotional period during which my $10 phone card
quadrupled in value! I walked to Parque Metropolitano, and only made one wrong turn, not bad for my first time on foot! I could have predicted within a species
or two the first ten birds I would see in Panamá: Great-tailed Grackle, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Tropical Kingbird, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Pale-vented Pigeon,
Palm Tanager, Plain-colored Tanager, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Black Vulture, and Clay-colored Robin. I arrived at the Parque rather late, and was not really on my game, so my sightings
were somewhat mundane. I was pleased to find a number of beautiful Rosy Thrush-Tanagers, and also a Lance-tailed Manakin lek (mating ground); this species' call is one of the few I can imitate
with any degree of accuracy, so I generally have good luck finding this gorgeous bird. The afternoon was spent buying groceries and napping- I'm off to a slow start!
I took the bus back to Panama City, a bargain at 55 cents for the ride. A taxi from the bus terminal to my hotel did set me back a few bucks. Tomorrow I'll try to find a bus that passes by El Dorado; the bus system is hard to figure out within the city, but I gleaned a useful clue today when I discovered that Avenida Ricardo Alfaro, a main drag that passes within a few blocks of my hotel, is also known as "Tumba Muerto". I know I saw buses with that name plastered on their windshield, so it stands to reason that catching one of those will get me in the right direction! Worth a shot, in any case. |
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On the 31st I headed for Pipeline Road, all the way past Gamboa, at the end of the bus line that runs past Old Gamboa Road and the Canopy Tower. I learned today that the
first bus to Gamboa leaves at 6:00 a.m.; of course, I found this out after arriving at 7:00 and waiting an hour for the next one!
By the by, the 45-minute ride to Gamboa costs all of 65 cents! There was another gringo on the bus, a German fellow
named Michael who was also heading to Pipeline Road to bird. It turned out that Michael has been living, working, and birding in Panamá for a couple of months
(and had already visited an impressive variety of sites, largely by motorbike), but that this was his first time on Pipeline Road. I was happy to show him where to go, and we found
ourselves teamed up for the whole morning. Birders are funny this way; they will join forces quite instinctively unless there is a pressing reason not to! I was grateful for the company;
Michael was an interesting and well-travelled man, and was quite gracious in working through intelligent discussions held only in English. As we were off to a late start the birding was somewhat
slow, so the company passed the time amicably. Michael informed me at the start of the walk that he had not seen any trogons as of yet during his stay in Panamá; I took this as a challenge, and we proceeded
to observe all five species of trogons that may be found on Pipeline Road! The last of the bunch, Black-throated Trogon, was found just before we left the road. Information gleaned in the morning regarding
the timing of the return trip turned out to be spot on, and we caught a 2:00 bus from Gamboa with time to spare. For the second day in a row a freight train passed while I waited for the bus, and I was again surprised
to see some nearby Panamanians go out of their way to watch it pass. I suppose that when there is only a single 45-mile long track in the whole country the novelty of the train does not wear off; I found the experience
charming, and joined the Panamanians in marvelling at the splendid sight. Michael hopped off at the entrance of Old Gamboa Road;
after I told him about the site he decided to spend a couple of hours there and catch the next bus. I hastily drew a map of the area and gave a few tips.
Back at Cinco de Mayo I managed to find a bus heading for "Tumba Muerto", and sure enough, it fought its way through heavy traffic to eventually drop me a few blocks from my hotel. The
cost: 25 cents. I ate at a simple Mexican restaurant in El Dorado in the evening, and enjoyed a fine and inexpensive enchilada suiza.
On the 1st I headed for the Canopy Tower. It was pouring rain in the morning, and traffic was miserable, so I decided to hire my taxi to take me directly to the base of Semaphore Hill rather than to the bus station.
The driver's name was Israél, and we had an entertaining conversation in Spanglish regarding a variety of topics. He cranked up an American rock station and sang his version of the lyrics (the word "baby"
was employed often!). He inquired as to the meaning of Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing"; I decided that "Dinero sin trabajo" was a better
translation than "Dinero por nada". It continued to rain for the whole long walk up the hill, and I arrived at the Tower in a bedraggled state. I chatted with Ana Stevens, the Tower's manager, for a while,
and stepped onto the observation deck for a bit when the rain let up. A pair of Howler Monkeys
Back in El Dorado, Carlos Bethancourt stopped by to solicit a bit of editorial advice for the updated bird checklist for the Canopy Tower and Lodge on which he has been working. The commonly-accepted taxonomic order of avian species is in a constant state of flux, and it is also quite difficult to write articulately in one's second language. We got some good work done, and the end product is wonderfully designed; I was grateful for the opportunity to give something back to my dear friends at the Canopy Tower! Tomorrow I head for El Valle de Anton, which will hopefully serve as my base of operations for the summer. I've got a couple of potential rentals to check out in the next few days. My reports will probably be more sporadic for a while, as I will have fewer opportunities to piggyback onto a wireless network. I'll update as soon as possible! |
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I spent an hour or so on the morning of the 2nd working on the second half of the Tower's checklist; it's amazing how many
taxonomic changes have been implemented in the last few years. I also caught one very common species that Carlos had inadvertantly
left off the list entirely! Then I jammed all of my gear back into bags and caught a taxi to the huge bus terminal at Albrook.
I was delighted to find (and should not have been surprised) that there are uniformed baggage handlers available to help with luggage;
I gave mine a very large tip because of the sheer weight of my summer's worth of luggage! The one-way ticket to El Valle de Anton
costs $3.50 for a trip of about two hours; even with a cab ride to the terminal, a big tip for the baggage handler, and another
for the bus attendant (again for handling the luggage) I made the move to El Valle for about $15. Only one little detail at the terminal
had me stumped; between the waiting area and the buses themselves was a small turnstile, with instructions to deposit 5 cents (cinco centavos, in Panamá).
I fumbled for change at the bottom of my bag until the baggage handler stepped in and dropped a coin in the slot. About the only
reason I can think of that might explain this "toll" is that it might deter non-passengers from loitering. I will be prepared with appropraite
change when next I visit Albrook! Upon arriving in El Valle I called
Monica, the owner of Park Eden, and her son and daughter-in-law came to bring me back to their B&B.
One of the hardest things to deal with thus far is being the object of curiosity; I stick out like a sore thumb here, even in a town frequented often by norteamericanos. I generally seek anonymity in life, and in Panamá I have anything but. I try to answer the stares with a big smile and a greeting, and patiently answer all inquires regarding the purpose of my visit. I hope that eventually, at least in El Valle, I will become a familiar face. On the 4th I slept in a little bit, and enjoyed another huge breakfast at Park Eden- today I opted for a side of tortilla de maíz, a fried cornmeal patty that's one of Panamá's signature dishes. Another is carimañola, a deep-fried yucca and meat treat, which I liked so much that I will order it tomorrow, and at any opportunity for the remainder of the summer. I took a bus up to La Mesa, and decided early on that this was not a day to take the hike up Cerro Gaital. I ran into a trio of fellows from the Canopy Lodge (Moyo, Rodrick, and one I didn't know) driving Raúl's Korean War-Era jeep; they were doing a bit of gardening at the entrance of Cerro Gaital. They caught me on the way out, so I hitched a ride standing in the back of the jeep (now full of weeds), which was in itself an adventure! It turns out that Rodrick's father is the fellow who told Carlos that he has a room to rent, so we stopped by the Canopy Adventure to meet him. His name is Eliseo Rodríguez, and he is the brother of Danilo Rodriguez, one of the guides at the Canopy Lodge (if I've figured correctly, at least five members of the immediate family work at the Lodge or Adventure). Rodrick drove me down the hill a bit to see the room- it's a small but comfy room in a pleasant home, and I have access to a small kitchen and a bathroom with hot water (both shared). It's at a perfect location just down the road from the Canopy Lodge, and I trust this fine family completely, so it's the perfect place to serve as my home base for the summer. The price is right as well. I was pleased that, although there was no one present to translate for me, I managed to discuss a few details with Eliseo entirely in Spanish; it helped that he spoke slowly and was very patient. "Poco a poco" I am getting more comfortable speaking in this second language. By the by, I did see a few birds at La Mesa, including my first Slate-colored Seedeater, which, when I capture it on film, will be the first documented record for the province of Coclé! On the 5th I got up very early to record a few bird songs that are only heard at dawn, but then lounged about for my last hours at Park Eden. A taxi came for me at about noon, and the two sweet
young ladies on the staff came out to give me big hugs goodbye! They were delightfully patient with my broken Spanish, and I felt so very welcome there- I will certainly go back someday.
I arrived at the Rodríguez home in a huge downpour, making getting my luggage inside an adventure! I share the small home with Eliseo, his pleasant daughter Rebeca, and her
lovely 8 month old baby Magdiél, who seems quite fond of me already. The cozy but comfortable home is pictured at left.
I did see a few birds as I walked the streets- it's amazing that in El Valle, even on a day when one makes almost no effort to find them, 50 or so species almost fall into one's lap! The 6th was a very busy day; I got up early to take the bus up to La Mesa,
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On the evening of the 6th I was invited by Raúl Arias to join him for dinner at the Canopy Lodge. The Lodge had just been invaded
by a large (18-19 people) group from the Travis County (Texas) Audubon Society. Carlos had escorted them from the Canopy Tower as well, and the
Lodge's other guides were all present when I arrived so I could catch up a bit. The group was a lively bunch, and I enjoyed sharing tales
of my Panamanian travels with them. I was also happy to be able to spot and get most of them onto a reclusive Black-faced Antthrush, a lifer for most if not all of them.
The food at the Lodge was as exceptional as usual, and I enjoyed catching up with Raúl, although, after not seeing him for 5 months, we
have much more to talk about than can be covered in one dinner! The guides and I also made some loose plans to do some exploration
in the area on their off days, and I look forward to the fine company and fine birding.
For the next several days I fell into a comfortable pattern: I'd get up early, either take the bus or walk to a birding site, and squeeze in four or five hours before the
afternoon rains arrived. I spent the mornings of the 8th and 9th on Cerro Gaital, with vastly different experiences each morning (one of the attractions of this site!).
I got about an hour in on the 8th before it started to rain, and by that point I was almost at the mirador, a plateau with a view that usually serves
as the turn-around point. I waited it out for a while under the thickest tree I could find, but when it showed no signs of letting up I headed
down. At the base I ran into Carlos, Danilo, Moyo, and all 18 of the Travis Audubon gang, all sporting ponchos and doing their best to scrounge a few birds
On the 9th I was blessed with good weather for most of the morning, and found a few different birds on my walk through La Mesa,
On the 10th I decided to walk the trails around the Canopy Lodge, inspired by the fortuitous sighting of a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo by a couple of the guests two days before (I haven't seen this rare bird yet). I hiked several trails around the property, some of which I had never visited, and, while I did not find the Ground-Cuckoo, I did see several excellent birds. Among these was a Slaty-capped Flycatcher, a regionally-rare species that Danilo has yet to see, and we discussed this fact when I stopped by the Canopy Adventure. It's unusual for me to have one up on Danilo, for not only is he an amazingly skilled birder, but he explores new locations all the time. It just so happens that I have probably spent more time on the high trails around Chorro Macho than almost anyone, which is where this particular bird may be found. But for an hour-long cloudburst around midday, the weather was darned-near perfect, so I walked down to the market to buy a small bag of locally-grown cashews and some dulce de leche, a tasty brown sugar and milk candy that I find irresistable. At least today I had something to share with my hosts; they keep putting out food for me, and I've really got to find a way to either repay them or show my appreciation. I have never met more generous people in my life. They have grown comfortable enough with me that I get to play with Magdiél a lot; she's a good-natured and calm baby, and always has a big smile for me. Eliseo's son Rodrick and his wife Yari, both of whom work at the Lodge, and their four year old son Daniél stop by often; the boy is energetic and wants to play constantly, and I have to work even harder to understand his child's Spanish (although at least his vocabulary is within my reach!). |
I decided to give both myself and my host family a little space, and spent the nights of the 11th and 12th in Aguadulce, a bustling
town in the western part of Coclé Province. I stopped in this town once before a couple of years ago, so I knew what I was
getting for $17 a night at the Hotel InterAmericana: a clean room with a/c, a few cable stations, ample hot water, and a decent
and inexpensive Chinese-style restaurant downstairs. It's fairly easy to get to Aguadulce, although it involves a transfer no matter
how you do it. I decided to avoid the chaos of the Penonomé bus terminal, so I took the first bus out of El Valle that would get me to the junction of the
InterAmericana, and then flagged down the forst westbound bus that passed, in this case one destined for Santiago de Veraguas.
It was roughly 2.5 hours of travel at a cost of $4 each way. I also had every intention of checking out the salt flats to the south of Aguadulce, although I really
had no idea exactly where to go.
My best chance of finding this habitat, which I knew to be roughly 10 kilometers south of my hotel, was to hire a cab and ask to be dropped at a nearby landmark. But, never one
to take the easy way out, I decided I'd rather walk in the general direction and see what I found. I woke up on the 12th feeling a little under the weather, so I doubted that I'd make it
to the salt flats before the heat of midday, but I wound up finding two rather quiet country roads that took me through some good light woodland habitat. In fact, between the two roads I probably logged
the same distance that it would have taken to go directly south to the flats. I found two life birds, the endemic Veraguan Mango (a hummingbird), and the striking Blue Ground-Dove, and many other species characteristic of this habitat
and locale, including Crested Bobwhite, Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-crowned Parrot, and Rufous-browed Peppershrike (my first in Panamá). But what I found most striking during
my stroll was the amount of garbage lying on the sides of roads; if there was any human population nearby,
there was at least a little refuse on the shoulders, and in some places huge, stinking piles. This is where I filmed the Black Vulture at left; large numbers were scavenging at the rubbish.
I also noted that there were no roadside trash bins by the homes; these are generally steel cages mounted on posts, both aspects intended to discourage large scavengers.
This means that there is no regular system of municipal trash removal; I did see a few large trucks filled with rubbish heading south, presumably to a dump site, but perhaps
these were servicing businesses or well-heeled individuals who could afford to pay for the service. I was rather appalled by the aesthetic, sanitary, and societal blemish that
this trash represented. I am not sure with whom the responsibility lies for rubbish removal in Panamá, whether it's in the hands of local or provincial authorities, but
I do know that when people are treated like pigs they will act accordingly. If there is no system in place for refuse management, people will take the easiest way out. Mind you, this is not
the only country in which I've seen this problem (China, Puerto Rico, the Lesser Antilles), but I guess it hits home because of
fond I am of this country. The sanitary conditions in parts of Panamá are a national embarassment, and if I were a voting Panamanian
in the next election year I'd be looking for a candidate who promised to make the environment a bit healthier.
Enough pontificating... it was nice to be "home" again. When I arrived at Casa de Rodríguez a young fellow named Michael was climbing the papaya tree in the front yard, hacking away at the limbs that protruded over the house, dropping heavy fruit on the tin roof a few times a night! Rebeca handed me a glass of thick chiche; I teased her that I hoped it was not "Chiche de la Muerte"; there has been a story in the news the last couple of nights about three people who died in Veraguas becuase they drank chiche that was made in a plastic tub that once contained pesticide! The family laughed, mostly because they were delighted that I'd picked up on the news item. In the afternoon I took a walk up the hill and ran into Raúl, who invited me to dinner, as his wife had decided at the last minute that she could not make it in from Panamá City. Who am I to turn down a free meal? We were joined by his cousin Manuel and his wife Mary Beth, the folks working on the house across the road. I enjoyed their company a great deal, and was also pleased that I could understand most of their articulate and literate Spanish. Raúl has suffered from a couple of (hopefully) short-term medical problems this year, and he is not feeling as energetic as usual, but he has also been blessed with a strong sense of what truly matters in life. I pray that his good attitude and healthy lifestyle combine to see him at full strength soon. He did deliver some bad news; an employee of the Canopy Adventure (his first, he thinks), was beaten up outside a bar by a bunch of drunks on Sunday night (apparently some Valleros like to celebrate the Lord's Day by getting hammered). The fellow remains in the hospital in serious condition, and as I write the Rodriguez family has gone down to Penonomé to visit him. It saddens me, but I have also seen how rowdy some of the "jardins" can get, and I hope my more sober friends will avoid these locations. Another prayer to be said tonight.... Follow-up: the victim turned out to be the uncle of my friend Tino Sanchez, a guide at the Canopy Lodge. More than a month later Mr. Sanchez is still comatose, and the prognosis is not good. The evening news one night had a piece on the incident, and it seems that no arrests have been made. Tino's father, who tried to defend his brother, was interviewed, and was visibly battered. I suppose the good news is that this country is safe enough that the beating merits notice- in most of the U.S. it wouldn't make page 53 of the local section of the newspaper! |
On the 15th I woke up early to the sound of heavy rain, and decided to sleep in rather than start the day soaked.
This turned out to be a serendipitous decision. I went to Plan B for the day (Plan A was getting an early start and taking the
bus to El Chirú), and hiked the trails around the Canopy Lodge. I had some good success on the highest trails as usual, but the best
came when I crossed a small gully formed by a stream. I heard a sharp snapping sound in the forest, and, though I had not even heard a recording of the sound,
thought it could be the bill-snapping alarm call of a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo. I put down my knapsack and doubled back a bit, and found
a Plain-brown Woodcreeper (pictured at right), seemingly heedless of my presence. This species is uncommon in the foothills, and in the lowlands is known to frequent ant swarms, so I had a second good sign.
I stumbled a few feet into the underbrush, and found myself standing amidst an army ant swarm. I quickly backed off and tucked my pants into my socks (army ants have a nasty bite, but they aren't
likely to climb past my knee). A couple of Rufous Motmots came in, another species that feeds on the large insects flushed by the army ants. After a few minutes I headed back in the direction
of my pack, and this is when I saw it: my first Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo standing on the edge of the trail. The huge bird (think Roadrunner, which is related) looked at me for a moment, and then darted
back into the thick undergrowth. I captured a bit of audio of its alarm call, a nice catch in itself. Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo is pretty much the Holy Grail of birding in central Panamá, and I was
dying to see this rare and splendid creature. My friends at the Canopy Adventure knew this, and word spread like wildfire about my good fortune. The next step: capture video of this enigmatic bird.
The next day the weather held and I took the bus down to El Chirú, a nice little patch of grassland and light woodlands that I've visited with Canopy Lodge guides.
For once the bus system did me a disservice, and I waited for half-an-hour with a number of locals for a westbound bus with room to spare. I'm guessing that Saturday morning is a big time for
visiting family and such. I had a very good day of birding on the 17th- actually a half-day, which makes my total of 80 species for the day all the more impressive. I haven't been shooting
for triple-digit species counts on this trip in any case; big totals are easier to come by in the lowlands. A group from Panamá Audubon was visiting Cerro Gaital this morning;
I thought about signing up, and certainly could have jumped in when we crossed paths by the Canopy Adventure, but quite frankly I see more birds alone or in a small group
at Cerro Gaital than I would with the 15 or so persons with Audubon. I caught up with and passed the group at the base of Gaital, and enjoyed my hike to the mirador
in peace and solitude.
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The 18th was a slow and rainy day spent around El Valle; the highlight of the day was getting to sample the excellent tamales prepared
by Juana Morena Rodríguez. The 19th was an excellent day of birding on Cerro Gaital; the morning started off quite cloudy, which I really like because of both the pleasant
temperature and the calming effect it has on the birds. I saw a number of excellent species, and even filmed a hummingbird that may have been
a female Snowcap, a rarity on Cerro Gaital. But I'm going to skip right past the details of this day to get to one of the true highlights
of my trip thus far, a field trip to El Copé on June 20th.
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I took it fairly easy for the rest of the week, wanting to be fresh and well-prepared for my trip to Ecuador. Even light birding
in El Valle can offer some surprises; on the 21st I stumbled across a Scaly-throated Leaftosser on what is known as the Aqueduct Trail. This is now something of a misnomer;
the trail used to lead a bit uphill to a water tank that served the Canopy Lodge, but a week of heavy and unseasonable rains in November of 2006 caused a landslide that buried the tank under six feet of mud and debris.
Interestingly, the small-scale natural disaster seems to have altered the habitat enough that the types of bird species found here are now different. This is now a good place to see
a Sunbittern or two feeding in the small pool created by the stream that is slowly breaking through the mud, and the leaftosser was unknown from the area until after the slide.
On the 23rd I spent part of a very cloudy morning on Cerro Gaital. I something different 
on every visit to this site, and this day was no exception. I added Ochraceous Wren and Purplish-backed Quail-Dove to my trip list; I'm dying to record the voice of the latter, but it was calling too distantly
on this occasion for me to get a clean cut. In La Mesa I also had my best look ever at the very uncommon Bran-colored Flycatcher. But the most interesting
bird of the day was the hummingbird pictured at right. It's a female, and the same bird that I saw near Estacion #2 on my last visit to Gaital. I got some excellent footage from multiple angles this time; note that this
bird is less than three inches long, which should give you an idea of how close I had to get. Moyo and I think this bird is a female Snowcap, based on the tail length and a slight violet tinge to the crown. Danilo
is hesitant to call it such, if for no other reason than the species is unknown from Cerro Gaital; female White-tailed Emerald is also a good possibility. Our diagnosis is complicated by the fact that I have not found a field
guide yet that has accurate renderings of the females of these species. I'll have to submit my photos to a bird i.d. forum when I get back to the States. Just goes to show that there is still a great deal to be discovered
about the identification and distribution of neotropical birds.
On the 24th I took the bus to Panama City, where I would stay overnight before my flight to Quito. It's an easy ride on two-and-a-half at a cost of $3.50- plus a few dollars for a taxi to my hotel, although I could probably find a bus that passes nearby if I were carrying less luggage. Country Inns El Dorado is conveniently situated near a good-sized mall, and I had a couple of items to purchase. Unfortunately my I-Pod crapped out on me a few days ago, and I've come to depend on this luxury item. I use it both for the study of bird songs and (with a little speaker attached) to play back songs in the field. I didn't have much time to shop, as I was arriving in the middle of a Sunday afternoon, but I managed to find a 4GB Nano at a decent price- it has more than enough room for my bird sounds, and the speaker works just fine with it. I just hope this is the last of the technological breakdowns for the summer. |
| From the last week of June to the first week of July I took what I hope will be the first of a several short trips outside of Panama (this simplifies immigration matters a great deal, if nothing else). I stepped foot on the South American continent for the first time, visiting Ecuador. I planned an itinerary that gave me time in both the Andes mountains and in the Amazonian jungle, as well as a small taste of what the capital city of Quito has to offer. The trip was a great experience in many ways; as I'd like to keep this page focused on my time in Panamá, please click here to read my Ecuador journal. Or just keep reading to find out more about my adventures in Panamá! |
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I stayed in Panama City for a couple of days upon my return, essentially "taking the days off" (yes, I know I'm on vacation), running a few errands and catching up on computer work.
I had a bit of good luck on my first evening back from Ecuador. I called my friend Carlos to say hello and tell him about Ecuador, and it turned out he
was eating dinner with his family at a restaurant across the street from my hotel. I went over and spent some time with them; Carlos has a beautiful wife, Evelyn, a four year-old daughter,
Cristy, and a baby boy of 8 months, Roberto, who I was meeting for the first time. As is generally the case with me and babies, Roberto and I got along quite well, and I held him while Carlos and Evelyn
ate dinner, a real treat for them. I had purchased an extra doll in Ecuador, and gave it to Cristy as a gift. She is very shy, but warmed up eventually and played with me and Roberto.
It was great catching up with my dearest friend in thsi country, and quite fortunate timing; Panamá really is a small country!
My bus ride back to El Valle turned into quite the adventure. First off, I found out that the direct buses to El Valle don't run
on Sundays; no big deal, I bought a ticket to San Carlos on the Antón bus and would transfer to El Valle. I waited at San Carlos with a father and daughter from Hawaii
and a pair of pretty young German girls from near Frankfurt. The bus to El Valle was packed to the gills; passengers were sitting everywhere, including the hump
next to the driver, and enough passengers were standing that everybody had to breathe in so that they could close the door. The
bus attendant seemed to bend over backwards to make sure the foreigners had seats; this is quite customary, and very hospitable, but I feel guilty about
being accorded special treatment. In this case I could not complain, as I am tall enough that I have to hunch over when standing in a mini-van, which would have been awful for the hour-plus
we spent on the road. I looked behind me to see who was standing, and the Panamanian sense of chivalry had done its chore, and only
healthy young men were standing. We were about three or four kilometers below El Valle when we heard a popping sound, and from my seat behind the driver
I watched him fight the damaged vehicle, swerving left and then right, finally coming to a stop in the middle of the road, a few feet either way from a ditch.
At this point it started to rain, a rain that seemed to grow stronger by the second. I could not pick up on all of the Spanish words from the men who investigated the problem, but it seems that
the rear axle of the van snapped, which would explain the loss of control. Indeed, when a truck from one of the chicken farms pulled over and tried to give us a tow with
a chain, the van protested mightily, and the driver waved off the attempt. I killed the time by getting to know my American and German fellow travellers, assuring them that in hundreds of hours on Panamanian buses
this was the first time I had been involved in an accident of sorts. We watched with sympathy
as the driver and his attendant got soaked to the bone trying to make the van vaguely mobile. We waited for perhaps half an hour, and I was considering calling my friends
in El Valle for a ride, when backup vans arrived, and bit by bit we were shuttled to El Valle. I was impressed that the other foreigners followed my lead and let the Panamanians go on the first vans; my thinking
was that many of them had jobs and/or family to go to, and that, as a fellow on holiday, I should give them priority.
I realized later how lucky we were. When the axle snapped we were heading uphill at a slow rate of speed; had the same thing happened on the way downhill, or at the high velocity
customary on the InterAmericana, I might not be telling this story. As it stands, I have to congratulate the driver of the bus for his skill and calm in bringing the vehicle
to a safe stop.
I was welcomed "home" to El Valle with open arms. Magdiél, only 9 months old, did not recognize me at first, and cried when I reached out to her. It took about an hour for her to regain her memory, and from that point onward I have been her favorite member of the family. I have spent the last week or so more or less at home, so I must break the timeline here a bit to share a couple of warm moments I have shared with my Panamanian family. As I have said before, one of the regular visitors to the Casa Rodriguez is Daniél, the son of Rodrick and Yarisel, and grandson of Eliseo. Daniél is four years old, and rattles off his juvenille Spanish at a rate I cannot possibly understand, but he is sweet, and he likes to engage in the kind of physical play that needs no translation. He stayed over one night, and I overheard him doing his prayers at bedtime with Eliseo (one cannot help but overhear conversations in this small house). Eliseo was feeding Daniél the words, saying "Gracias por la comida...Gracias por la casa...", etc.. When he got to people, I heard, "Gracias por abuelo, gracias por Tia Rebeca, gracias por Magdiél, gracias por Ken....". I was so touched that I was included in their prayers, and the warmth of the faith of these dear people will remain one of the highlights of my stay in Panamá. A second "family moment" occurred a few days later. Magdiél is very close to walking, and constantly wants to stumble forward with the strong arms of an adult keeping her upright. When the grown-ups get tired of walking her around (even with six regular adults in the household this happens quite often), she cries when picked up. I have found the solution to this problem; I pick her up and give her the opportunity to pat my bald head (she loves this), and then walk her around while whistling or singing to her. About half the times I have done this in the last few days she has fallen asleep on my shoulder; needless to say, this has endeared me to the females of the household, who have remarked that Magdiél is "happy in the arms of Ken".
I took it pretty easy most of the week, although I did visit Cerro Gaital on two occasions. I joined Danilo Rodríguez and an American couple one rainy morning, but I kept my own pace, and they
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I've had an interesting week, with my plans changing frequently in response to circumstances beyond my control.
It rained for much of the 15th and 16th; on the latter day I visited La Mesa and Cerro Gaital, hoping to find many birds shaking off
the effects of the rainy night before, but the rain continued for much of the morning. The best thing about the day was that I identified a
rather scarce species, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, by its voice, a call which I heard for the first time only a few days before.
I found the constant rain a bit depressing, and decided to escape it for a day (July 17th) by taking the bus to Juan Hombrón, in the lowlands
of Pacific Coclé Province.
The bus ride went about as well as it possibly could, and I was birding a rural road before 8:30. I had a relatively slow day, but I did
find the bird I most wanted to see (and film) in this area, the gruesome-yet-handsome Yellow-headed Vulture. This lowland species
is very local in Panamá, and can be distinguished at a glance from the very similar Turkey Vulture by its habit of flying very
low off the ground. I lucked into the perched bird pictured at left, and got some nice footage of its rather cartoonish face. I find birding
the Pacific lowlands on foot a bit frustrating, as I can't cover the ground necessary to rack up good species counts; Juan Hombrón is good
for light woodland and birds of the rice fields, but one must visit El Chirú, about five kilometers east, for birds of the dry grasslands,
and Tino Sanchez of the Canopy Lodge tells me he has found a good wetland nearby that holds several interesting species.
On the 18th and 19th I enjoyed one of the crowning achievements of my time spent birding Panamá. On the first day I hiked
alone on the highest trails at the Canopy Lodge, and lucked into a rather large army ant swarm. I found the swarm by noticing a large
number of Black-chested Jays behaving in an unusual manner, foraging close to the ground, and being totally silent, uncharacteristic
of this noisy species. I soon found not one but two Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoos, one of them an immature bird with a dark bill and plumage.
The mixed-flock in attendance at the ant swarm also included several species of woodcreepers and motmots, to be expected under such circumstances
in this region. I watched the ground-cuckoos, on and off, for almost an hour, and collected a bit of audio of their bill-snapping
alarm call, and about a minute of crappy video footage.
I most enjoyed the lunches at the Canopy Lodge; it has been suggested that I should have a t-shirt made that says, "Will find ground-cuckoos for food!". The camaraderie and conversation with Terry, Karen, Jeff, the Lodge staff, and the other birders was delightful; I always enjoy intelligent discourse regarding birds, and if anybody is listening I can talk about the birds of Panamá for hours. For some reason this group was listening (could the ground-cuckoos have anything to do with that?). A most entertaining moment came when I was telling Carlos and Raúl about my plans to stay in Panaaá City for a couple of days over the weekend before moving on to Gamboa. When I told Raúl that I was staying at the Executive Hotel, he responded, with his usual serious manner, "That is in downtown; you will not see any birds there." I proceeded to explain that, as much as I love my hosts, I live in a tiny house with three adults and a baby, and other family members constantly coming and going, a small kitchen that is usually in use, and a shower with two temperatures, Cold and Less Cold. So my plan for the weekend was to take many long hot showers, eat in fine restaurants, watch cable TV in English, and run around my hotel room naked. Carlos and Raúl were in stitches. Another amusing diversion came when we got back to Raúl's house after seeing the ground-cuckoos, and his nephew Tomás decided to add the sighting to his webpage. Tomás Arias is a physics professor at Cornell University, and a fine fellow with a great sense of humor. He decided that Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo would be the forst and only species on his Life List, and we proceeded to compose a very professional-sounding sighting report, which will soon be accompanied by photos. It was suggested that he should walk over to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (the premiere educational institution in the field) and show them the picture, saying, "I saw this one bird in Panamá; do you know what it is?". That's kind of like walking up to a geologist with a diamond the size of your fist and asking him what kind of rock it is.
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At about midday on the 21st I caught the bus for Panama City, where I would be staying at the Executive Hotel for a couple of nights.
This was a new venue for me, and I have to say I was really pleased with the experience. The Hotel Ejecutivo (I always seem to stumble on this Spanish
word) is located in the busy downtown district of El Cangrejo, which seems to have every service possible close at hand, including
the best bookstore i have found in the country, Exedra Books.
The hotel itself is 14 stories high, plus a garden terrace- there are actually 12 floors of guest rooms, but there is a mezzanine level with a ballroom and a business center, and the first floor
in Latin America is always called "piso bajo", the next level up being the first floor. I was put in a corner room on the tenth floor, with a beautiful view of Panamá City (pictured at right) from
my terrace (which all rooms have). The room itself comes with a refrigerator, which is stocked with bottled water at no charge. The cable TV has a full roster of channels in both English and Spanish.
There is a bar and restaurant downstairs, and a huge breakfast buffet is included in the cost of the room. Dinners at the restaurant are priced under ten dollars, with a good salad bar added for a few more, and the
entrees are fairly faithful to traditional Panamanian cuisine. I had corvina each night, with a different sauce each time, and the fish was perfectly cooked, with tender mixed vegetables and rice on the side.
Breakfast consisted of fresh fruits, cheeses, breads, eggs, breakfast meats, either pancakes or french toast, and either tortillas (fried corn cakes here) or carimañolas (fried meat-filled yucca), plus juice and coffee.
The room rate even comes with a welcome drink at the bar. The business center has several computers with fast internet. and wireless is available on the lower floors, again very fast by Panamanian standards.
I was also satisfied with the help I received from the pretty lady in the business center; I had a couple of packages to send to the States, one with gifts, one a bunch of stuff I no longer need for the summer, and a reliable (if not cheap)
courier was at the hotel within an hour to pick up my shipment. As I write this page I am sitting at the desk in my room at the Ejecutivo on a second stay, and I have to say that this will from now on be my Panamá City
lodging of choice.
After hustling to take care of business, I was headed for the Cinco de Mayo bus plaza, and onwards to Gamboa. I had a fairly unpleasant cab ride to the bus terminal; I am used to drivers trying to convince me to hire
them for the whole ride to Gamboa (at a cost of $20-30, as opposed to $3-4 for the cab and bus), but when I politely declined this driver got quite grouchy. At least I didn't have to talk much- I've told my story
to every curious cab driver in Panamá City, which is entertaining but at times draining. I caught an 11:00 bus to Gamboa, a quiet and clean residential town in the middle of the Canal, near the confluence of Lago Gatún and the Chagres River.
That's enough for the good p.r. for now; now let's talk about what I actually did during my stay in Gamboa. The b&b is walking distance (albeit about 2 kilometers) from the entrance to Pipeline Road, a world-famous birding site, but one that is sadly in a state of decline. Ivan and I took a short field trip to the Ammo Dump Ponds on our first afternoon, where we ran into José Soto leading two couples who were staying at the Canopy Tower. I had not seen José, an old friend, thus far this summer, so I was glad to chat, and to make arrangements for catching up later. I was wise to plan my biggest excursion for my first full day; I had the energy at this point to hike farther down Pipeline Road than I ever had before. I got about 10 kilometers in (more than halfway to its end) before turning back. Including the walk to the entrance, this means I hiked more than 24 kilometers in my ten-hour day. After about 5 km the road starts to cross the low foothills onto the Caribbean slope, and the gentle hills seemed like mountains on the walk back. My startegy of getting out early and going straight for the deep forest paid off, as I saw several species of birds for the first time (Moustached Antwren, Gray Elaenia, Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner), and others that are hard finds in the area (Rufous Piha, White-ringed Flycatcher, Sulphur-rumped Tanager). Perhaps the most exciting find was a bird I did not see (and therefore does not make my Life List), a deep booming that could only come from a Great Curassow. This ground-dwelling bird is extremely rare on Pipeline Road, having been hunted to the brink of extinction in Panamá; the only recent sighting of which I am aware is one by Carlos Bethancourt last September. I was in a bad spot to search out the vocalizing bird, and had to scramble up a slope to get a view of the forest floor in the direction from which the sound came, probably spooking the bird in the process. Still, it's nice to know that the bird is still hanging on in the area. The long hike wore me out for the second day, and I birded with José and his clients for only a few hours before I called it a day.
I did have a brief glimpse of a Pheasant Cuckoo, a highly sought-after species, and one which I wish I had been able to share with the visiting birders (they had headed
back before me). On day three I headed out well-before dawn in the company of the Canadien group, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rufous Nightjar at the start
of Pipeline Road. I was successful in this regard, and the Quebecois really enjoyed my narration of the dawn chorus of bird songs. I was a bit overwhelmed myself, and would like in the future to find more time
to spend on Pipeline in the pre-dawn hours. My next stop was to be the Canopy Tower, and Ivan was kind enough to give me a lift to the entrance on his way to pick up the kids from school.
I found out at lunch that two couples among the visiting birders had heard about my sightings of Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo the week before, and had altered their itineraries to go to El Valle for a few days. Talk about pressure! We were all heading back to El Valle on Friday, ad I promised to join them in searching for this bird. On Friday morning Ivan was kind enough to give me a lift to the bus station; I don't mind the local travel, but getting from Gamboa to El Valle means about 3.5 hours on two different buses, with a cab ride in between, so I was grateful to have the process streamlined a bit. It poured rain for most of the afternoon back in El Valle, so the search for the Ground-Cuckoo would have to wait until Saturday morning. |
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I joined the birders at the Canopy Lodge the next morning for coffee, and worked out the plans for the day. There was a v.i.p. present, Trevor Howard,
secretary of the British-based Neotropical Bird Club (of which I am a member). He was heading for La Zamia Trail with Danilo, while the two couples were going to La mesa
with Tino. The ant swarm and the ground-cuckoos had not been seen for several days, but the guides told me that they believed the swarm was moving downhill, closer to the Canopy Adventure. Tino dropped me at the highest
entrance to the trails, and I would look for the ground-cuckoos while the guests enjoyed their morning. It took me three hours, but I finally stepped into the ant swarm, and heard and briefly saw a ground-cuckoo.
I ran back to the Canopy Adventure to call Danilo, who was fortunately in cell phone range, and left word for Tino, who would have to drive past within the hour. Danilo and Trevor joined me within 20 minutes, and much to my chagrin the ground-cuckoos were
not showing themselves. It did not help that the ant swarm was located in a dense and hilly part of the terrain, limiting our view of the forest floor. Fortunately, Trevor was very patient, and we watched and worked for about an hour. We were just starting to see some activity from
other species when Tino and the others showed up. I gave him a shrug to say that we didn't have the ground-cuckoos, but Tino looked to his right and said, "It's right there!". Talk about magic.... everybody got great looks, and I saw at least two birds, leading me to believe that we were still looking at the same family as the week
before. The guest were thrilled, and I found out later that trevor was departing that afternoon, making this the last new bird of his trip! When I talked to Raúl he was thrilled that I'd
helped his special guest find the ground-cuckoo, and of course, I had lunch at the Lodge that day, not to mention a few glasses of wine on the guests later that day.
Not only was I thrilled to relocate the birds, I was also particularly happy because these guests were really fine folks, the sort you want to help. By the by, I could not find the birds again the next two days, as the
ant swarm moved uphill to less-accessible terrain. But what a magic week it was....
I spent August 1st-5th in Costa Rica, and enjoyed some good bird sightings, although the trip was not without its setbacks. I will only say this for now; Selva Verde Lodge is not for birders!. I'll elaborate when I have more time; right now I'm rushing to finish this page, as I am dropping my computer back in El Valle within the hour. I'm heading for the mountains of Chiriquí Province tomorrow (August 8th), and I'm travelling with only a backpack, as I intend to hike the Sendero Los Quetzales, which crosses the northern end of the Volcan Barú. I will have e-mail for much of the trip, but will not be posting to this page again until about the 17th or 18th. Hopefully by that time I will have caught up a little bit, and have written journals that I can quickly transcribe. |
| I've fallen a lot farther behind than expected, only because I've been experiencing major computer problems for the balance of the trip and beyond. The problems forced me to use the computer for essential comunication only, so the journals for the remainder of this amazing trip are in handwritten form only. I expect to be fully operational and caught up on work by the end of September, so please come back for another look. I still half the second half of the Ecuador trip report to complete, plus tales of a short trip to Costa Rica, a couple of weeks backpacking in Chiriquí Province, and a few more remarkable bird sightings back in El Valle. I hope to post this material as soon as possible, while all the details are still in my head! Thanks for bearing with me.... |
I contacted my friend Carlos last night, and he offered to pick me up in the morning and give me a ride to the Canopy Tower. He showed up at about 5:30, and we enjoyed catching up on our short ride to the Tower.
There were no guests at the Tower at this time, but José Perez, one of the newer guides, was working, waiting for a couple that was coming for a breakfast and morning tour. The couple was from the New York area, and they were nice folks,
and I regaled them with tales of Panamanian history and general info regarding the neotropical ecosystem. All of my reading paid off today! José and I enjoyed a good birding moment from the observation deck atop the Tower, as we saw a trio of
passing birds that appeared to be Black Swifts, and very hard-to-identify species whose presence in Panamá was considered hypothetical only about a decade ago.
The staff was kind enough to include me in breakfast (how they spoil me!), and in return I offered a bit of editorial advice for a new checklist of birds for the Tower that Carlos has designed.
I took a ride after breakfast with José and the couple to Old Gamboa Road, where they were delighted to see the resident Spectacled Owl (the bamboo stand favored by this species is pictured at right.
My best treat of the morning came when I detoured down a small side path that leads to a little swamp, and flushed a handsome Rufescent
Tiger-Heron. It landed on a nearby branch, and as I moved to try to get a clear shot (with my camera!) I flushed a Capped Heron, a considerably less-common species!
The bird landed on another nearby branch for a few seconds- a still from video is presented at left. This lovely heron is mostly white and cream-colored, with blue facial skin and a black cap.
It is one of the most delicately-beautiful birds I have ever seen; thsi was my third sighting of the species, but by far the best.
were feeding on the cecropia tree near the Tower, and one of them had a very small baby hanging onto her belly (pictured at right). I was impressed
by how acrobatic the momma monkey was with child in tow, in this photo reaching far out to grab a catkin (the fruit of the cecropia). Note that the baby's long tail is wrapped around the base of his nother's.
The infant went to her breast at least once as I filmed, but he also reached out to grab a bit of fruit on his own, so he is clearly in the process of being weaned.
The birding was slow on my walk downhill, although, on Plantation Trail, I did collect video of a Spotted Antbird, and audio of the tiny
Golden-crowned Spadebill. I shared a bus back to Panamá City with José Perez, and then connected to the local bus that brought me back to my hotel. I am constantly in awe of the random
chaos that is the state of Panamanian traffic; at times it seems like a prolonged game of "Chicken" ("Gallo", I suppose). Miraculously, accidents are rare.
I was not certain at first where exactly I was going to go upon arriving in El Valle; a couple of possible summer rentals have popped
up, but I didn't want to commit to one of them sight-unseen. So I decided to book a few days at Park Eden, a well-regarded
bed-and-breakfast in a pleasant, residential part of El Valle (
including the lovely female Black-throated Trogon pictured below and at right.
I feel like I'm crowding them a bit, as the two adults are now sharing a room with a bunk bed, but I suppose that for them the extra income is worth the inconvenience. Hopefully they will find
me an unobtrusive guest, and I'll be on the road many nights in any case. My room is sparse but perfectly comfortable, and Eliseo was kind enough to clear out a little space for me to hang up some clothes.
There's a small gas stove, and there's plenty of room in the small fridge for me ( I suppose the tradition of cluttering up a fridge with miscellaneous condiments is kind of an American thing!).
I'll learn the family's rhythms and try to cook when they are not doing so- I'll be keeping it simple anyway.
I could only pick up a few things today, as for some reason all of the larger grocery stores in El Valle were closed- maybe I caught them all on siesta!
I may have to travel to Panamá City one day to pick what I consider staples- there are no American-style mega-stores in this town. Eliseo
showed me the family's antique washing machine, and expressed that his daughter would be happy to wash my clothes; I will have to get a bilingual friend
to tell him that I will either wash them myself or pay her for the service. My custom is a bit different....
this time intending to continue on to Cerro Gaital. It was a damp morning, and I waited out a couple
of heavy bursts of rain underneath some thick vegetation. I had the place to myself, and enjoyed looks at most of the avian specialties
of the area: Orange-bellied Trogon, Blue-throated Toucanet, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch, Tawny-capped Euphonia, Spotted Woodcreeper, and even a heard-only Blue
Seedeater. I timed my return just right, as it started raining at about noon and stopped only occasionally for the rest of the afternoon. More about the evening, to be spent at the Canopy Lodge, at another time!
On the 7th I hiked up the Cara Iguana road, more of a trail, really, as even a four-wheel drive vehicle has a hard time
with parts of this steep path. It took me about two hours (Speed of Birding time) to reach the top (the view back towards El Valle is at right), and I was rewarded
at this point with a look at a Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, a very local and uncommon species in Panamá, one which I had
seen before the first and only time I visited this spot. I've stopped at the markets in town enough that I
can put together a few meals, although it will take time for me to learn how to shop for and cook with Panamanian produce.
Danilo told me that his brother Eliseo was concerned that I was not eating enough, which explains why he and Rebeca keep
trying to feed me! I always graciously accept, but I feel awkward accepting their food; so far I've enjoyed a beef and yucca
soup, a papaya batido (a kind of fruit shake), and a rice and milk concoction that I think they call chiche. When I stopped
by the Canopy Adventure one day Moyo also handed me a delicious tamale, wrapped in a plaintain leaf. Those I have to figure out where
to buy!
in the rain. They were likely to be stuck at the base all morning, as the trail to the mirador is particularly treacherous in the rain.
I stayed in the general area, and I scored the highlight of the morning when I walked a bit ahead of the group. I spotted a stunning Black Guan perched in a tree
at the forest edge; this is an easy bird in other countries, but rare and shy in this part of Panamá. I quickly ducked out of sight and scrambled to gather the group;
a few folks came running, but the bird had left when we reached the spot again. The rest of the group caught up, and we enjoyed a few other birds until, all of sudden, two
Black Guans flew across an open area and into a fruiting tree 100 meters or so away. Everybody got great looks, some in the scope, and the guides were thrilled
because it was the first time any of them had seen more than one bird at this site. This bird earned me a ride back down the hill in the bus the Lodge had rented to handle the big group.
including the Plain Antvireo pictured at left. This species responds quite readily to playback of its song, and in this case even to a terrible
imitation on my part. Near the base of Cerro Gaital I ran into an American couple, and struck up a conversation. They were Petra and Ladd Hockey from Texas, a pair of experienced
and skilled birders, and fine company. We found ourselves hiking to the mirador together, and I was pleased to share a couple of birds that they were looking for. Most interesting
was a Green-crowned Brilliant (a hummingbird) that perched at length between feeding forays to a favored large red flower; the Brilliant is actually a nectar thief, meaning it punctures the corolla
of the flower and takes nectar without pollinating the plant. We observed this bird for some time, commenting that the illustrations in both the Panama and Costa Rica field
guides did not accurately portray the bird, and I even collected excellent audio of its call note. Petra and I also had a great look at a Blue Seedeater, another regionally-rare
bird that was unknown at Cerro Gaital until a couple of years ago. Alas, the rains came again, and we scrambled down the hill, where the Hockeys were gracious enough to give me a ride
back to El Valle. They were fine folks, and it was really nice to talk birds with knowledgeable people for a while. I hung out with the boys at the Canopy Adventure
for an hour or so, hoping the rain would break, but it wound up raining for almost 6 hours with no respite.
It took me two hours to reach the site, so I only had about 2 or 3 hours before the midday heat would make this lowland area inhospitable.
I did see a few good birds, and collected some good information with which I can now draw a map of the area. Back in El Valle, Eliseo's wife, Juana Morena, came up from Penonomé for a visit. Sra.
Rodríguez is a handsome and slender woman, with a very dignified air about her. The next day, Father's Day in Panamá as well as in the U.S., the eldest daughter (Erisnela), her husband (Hector), and their 11 month-old
son (Josué) came for a visit as well. Needless to say I have not had much quiet time in the last two days, but the bonus was that I got to sit down for dinner with the family. They served a delicious rice, veggie, and chicken
dish that Juana steamed in a huge pot over an open fire for much of the afternoon.
I enjoyed a lengthy look at a rare Blue Seedeater, and numerous Black-faced Grosbeaks were also present. At the base of the Cerro on my way out I watched a soaring and calling
Barred Hawk, and captured a few seconds of good video of the handsome male White-ruffed Manakin pictured at right. You'll notice that he is calling in the image; I think
I'll be able to glean some decent audio from this footage, enabling me to add this species to the bird song database on the xeno-canto website. An evening walk produced a quick look
at a Tropical Screech-Owl, meaning the day ended with four new species on my trip list.
At 3:30 in the morning a 4WD truck pulled up to take me to Omar Torrijos National Park in western Coclé' Province, accompanied by Armodio (Moyo), Danilo, and Eliáser Rodríguez (the latter two brothers, the first not related), all employees at the Canopy Lodge/Adventure. The park is generally known as "El Copé", for the town at the southern edge that serves as its gateway.
The park is named after the former president of Panamá, General Omar Torrijos, who died in a plane crash in this area in, I believe, 1980. Although not democratically elected to office, Torrijos was a popular
leader, and he negotiated the Carter-Torrijos treaty, which laid out the plan by which Panamá would regain control over the Canal. When the Reagan Administration took power they wanted to renegotiate, and it's widely believed that
the CIA had a hand in Torrijos' death. In any case, El Copé contains one of the finest mature rainforests in Panamá, and is difficult enough to reach
that there is still much to be discovered about its avian life. I visited the area a couple of years ago, but I stayed in a low-elevation village in the northern part of the park, and my hosts did not know enough to take me to the
pristine forests at the higher elevations, such El Copé was still very much terra incognita for me. We timed our arrival pretty well, and pulled up to the trailhead just before dawn. El Copé has
an inexplicably-lovely visitor's center here (probably a pork-barrel project), as well as a cabin that guests can rent for a reasonable cost- bears looking into for future visits.
In the middle of all this Danilo excitedly pointed out an all-black bird with a bright patch of skin around the eye, an Immaculate Antbird, a first for both of us. A female
of the species, which we found later in the day, is pictured at left. At this point I looked down and saw army ants at my feet- I quickly tucked my pants into my socks and stepped back a little (I still took a couple of bites- ouch!).
A Black-crowned Antpiita hopped a few feet from me, but there was so much else to look at that we scarcely noticed, whereas on any other day this species would be the highlight.
We retreated to a higher point on the path, one with a good view of the area,
and somebody spotted a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo approaching the trail from the left. I had my camera out and focused on the right spot when it came into the clear, and I captured
a couple of seconds of footage of this spectacular bird as it paused before running across the path. The blurry image presented at right is actually a typical view of the species. I'm
just grateful that I've had the good fortune to see the ground-cuckoo twice within one week; I joked with the boys that this bird is not so uncommon after all! This, of course, is not true, but
any birder will tell you that it does become easier to find a species after you've seen it for the first time. We hung around for some time at the ant swarm, enjoying several more looks at the ground-cuckoo, before
deciding to move on. We'd barely reached the crossroads of another path when the rains came; it rains almost every day on a year-round basis in El Copé. We hustled back to the vistor's center and ate lunch
and rested while the rain continued, managing even to spot a few good birds from our shelter. When the rain died down a bit we took
a walk farther along the main road to a lovely mirador, a point from which, on a rare clear day, one can see both the Caribbean and the Pacific.
En route I managed to capture the decent image below and at right of a handsome Yellow-eared Toucanet, a species which I had only seen once before this trip.
The walk back down brought one more excellent surprise, a perched Ornate Hawk-Eagle by the side of the road. My Spanish failed me this time, as it took a few precious seconds for Danilo to point out the bird,
except for which it was close enough to collect video before it flew. I ran back to the visitor's center to see if I could find
the eagle's new perch, instead finding the Tawny-capped Euphonia pictured at right, and most delightfully, the lovely Blue-throated Toucanet below and at center. I've tried
to film this species before, but I've always seemed to be directly under its perch and looking into the sun, so I was glad for the solid opportunity. We left about 4:00, continued
to add species to our day list en route, and arrived back in El Valle at about 6:00. We were tired but exhilarated, and vowed to go back to El Copé again.
Mind you, bus-related shenanigans are not unheard-of here; at right is a shot of a tourist bus blocking the road at the Canopy Adventure. After depositing a load of city Panamanians
at the Chorro Macho, this driver bravely tried to make the turn in the tiny lot at the entrance; he somehow managed to do so in about five minutes' time, with minimal
damage to the trees on either side of the road.
I engaged in only light birding this week, with only a couple of exceptions. On Wednesday Carlos showed up with a day-tripping group from the Canopy Tower. He invited me to join them on
a field trip to Cerro Gaital, and this wound up giving me breakfast and lunch at the Canopy Lodge, a pretty square deal if ever there was one. The group was from Florida, a bunch of friends
who occasionally took foreign tours together. They were a generally congenial bunch... Most folks who visit the Canopy Tower are intrigued
by my story, but the big test happens when we get out into the field. I'm happy to say that things worked out quite well in that regard. Carlos and I are used to working together,
and we found several top-notch birds for the group, with a fairly even contribution between the two of us (although I'd bet that Carlos would have
found everything on his own). I was delighted to enjoy bopth breakfast and lunch at the Lodge, two more meals I didn't have to think about.
Raúl was there for lunch, and he joked with the group, "I see you've met our local guide... from New York!". It was a great opportunity to test my guide skills, and
I feel more and more confident that I am capable of leading groups in Panamá on my own
didn't seem particularly interested in having another hand around. We did enjoy a great look at a male Blue Seedeater, and Danilo and I finally managed to record this species' song. I also
picked up some good footage of the Tawny-crested Tanager pictured at right; this species is very common in El Valle, but fast-moving and hard tp film.
Danilo saw a Slaty Antwren at the trailhead when I was not in the vicinity; I have yet to see this regionally-rare species. A solo trip later
in the week was even more productive. It had rained much of the night before, so I was betting that the birds would be very active. I was correct, and despite an early morning shower I spotted
quite a few of the red-letter birds of the area, including White-tipped Sicklebill, Ochraceous Wren, Orange-bellied Trogon, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch, Sepa-capped and Olive-striped
Flycatchers, and another Black Guan. The latter was particularly welcome; I've seen this rare (locaslly) and shy bird about five times
this summer, a very good number of sightings. The key is that I usually hike alone, allowing me to get close to the guans before they see or hear me, at which point they invariably fly away.
You may have noticed that I've taken to scattering a few random images of non-avian wildlife throughout this journal. In part this helps break the montony of my endless text, and in part
I like to make it clear that I don't spend every moment staring into the trees looking for birds! There are a lot of beautiful butterflies and other insects around here, and every now and then I find one
sitting in a good spot for filming purposes. There's also some intriguing plant life; the orchid-like flower at left was photographed at Cerro Gaital. It must have a fairly short blooming period, as when I
passed the spot a few days later the blooms were closed. I'm slowly-but-surely learning a bit more about the plants of this region, and perhaps some day
I'll be able to put a name to this beautiful flower!
It was an absolutely exhilirating experience. But I amazingly managed to top the cuckoos by finding a pair of Spot-crowned Barbets
in the same area (a male is pictured at right)- I would have gotten better footage, but my camera was fogged by the humidity.
The barbet was not known from this region until a few months ago, and my mediocre footage probably represents the first concrete
evidence of its presence on the Pacific slope of Coclé Province.
Once again everybody saw the birds,
and this time we absolutely confirmed the presence of three birds. Carlos and Jeff did some bushwhacking and obtained some amazing digiscoped images.
To top things off, when I wandered away from the group for a minute I found a trio of Spot-crowned Barbets, and with the help of Tino Sanchez everybody
saw these rare birds as well. Once again I joined the group for lunch, and enjoyed Jeff Bouton's comic reenactment of the behavior
of the ground-cuckoos when Carlos was photographing them. It's hard for a non-birder to understand the magnitude
of this achievement, but let's just say that it took me almost 100 days of birding in Panamá to find my first ground-cuckoo.
Just finding them is hard enough, but to actually go out looking for them and succeeding is almost unheard-of.
I've been walking with my head held high lately, and no knowledgeable birder would deny me that indulgence. The joke around the Canopy Lodge
is that my new nickname should be "Señor Cuckoo", but the problem is that in Spanish the word "cuckoo" describes a sort of
dark, mythical creature of the forest, without the implied whimsy of the word in English.
Once again I had a nice week with the Rodríguez family; pictured at left is baby Magdiél, 10 months old, dolled up for
a birthday party. One evening we sat around and learned how to properly spell each others' names, forcing me to go back through this
journal and make corrections. My Panamanian friends' names have lots of silent consonants, accents, and wrinkles on their American counterparts (those
that have such counterparts). I've sampled a few more Panamanian dishes, including something called guisado de yucca, a kind of sticky paste
made with yucca, and apparently a traditional dish, in rural areas, to be served on Good Friday. I liked it just fine, but I was really happy when Juana Morena
made her famous tamales! One evening, when the whole family was gathered, Yari was holding Magdiél, who kept reaching out
to me. Yari finally handed over the baby, at which point Magdiél promptly put her head on my shoulder and went to sleep, much to everybody's
amusement. Still, as much as I love this family, I'm looking forward to the privacy of a hotel for a few days, and I have already
decided that I will spend most of August on the road. This urban American is unaccustomed to the constant presence of so many people in this close-knit
Panamanian family!
My destination was Ivan's Bed and Breakfast (pictured at right), just about the only place to stay in town except for the pricey and cheesy Gamboa Rainforest Resort.
At this point I'd like to break from the timeline a bit to talk about my experience at Ivan's place. The B&B is in the home of Ivan and Gladys Ortiz; he is Panamanian, she is of
Italian-Venezuelan origin. Their union has resulted in two gorgeous children, a handsome young man of 17, Ivan Jr., and a beautiful daughter of 14, Natasha. Both kids are bright and friendly, and
articulate in English, the result of being educated in a bilingual school in nearby Paraiso. The whole family pitched in with the care of the guests; no maid was doing all the work here.
I had found this place at the recommendation of a couple of casual acquaintances, and Ivan was pleasantly aggressive in making sure I came for a visit during my long stay in Panamá.
Ivan Ortiz himself is a gregarious fellow, one who lived in Miami for a time, and enjoyed a long career in marketing for car dealerships (still a part of his life). I liked him immediately.
He embarked on this enterprise after having taken courses in guiding birders, and having been certified as a tour guide, but is also smart enough to know that he is a relative novice in this field; he hires experts
to guide more experienced birders. Ivan chatted with me at every opportunity, not only to be hospitable, but I think
to pick up ideas from an experienced eco-tourist. This inquisitive nature is the mark of a smart businessman. Gamboa is a town founded originally to house
workers from the dredging division of the Canal, and since the U.S. officially departed has been reclaimed by Panamanians, not to mention
a large number of visiting researchers from the resident Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. There are few services in town, although I've found a post office and a mini-super.
The homes in Gamboa are huge, having been built to last by the U.S., and also built to house multiple families. You can see in the photo above that Ivan's home has three large floors, and his place is, if anything,
small by Gamboa standards. The Ortiz family occupies the top two floors, and the three guest rooms (one a double) take up most of the piso bajo. My room was fairly small but comfortable, really only containing a queen-sized bed, two dressers, and a good closet with shelves.
My bathroom was spacious, and here's the best thing about this B&B; the hot water shower is the best in Panamá! Ivan has installed rainshower heads, and the water pressure is great, and I felt clean for the first time on my stay in this country.
Hearty breakfasts were, of course, included in the daily rate of $35 per person, and Gladys even tossed in local delicacies
like empanadas and carimañolas. They set a timed pot of coffee to be available before my early-morning walks.
I took care of my own lunches, but purchased dinner, which I think was about $9 a pop (I didn't check my bill too carefully- thanks to Ivan for writing to provide me with updated and accurate prices).
Gladys is a great cook, and besides the regular Panamanian fare she mixed in a bit on excellent pasta, which I've missed greatly in my stay here.
My favorite dessert was a treat called ñáfiti, which consists of a slice of guava paste and one of queso blanco, topped with sugar syrup (miel de caña- Ivan and Gladys were kind enough to give me a portion to bring home).
It was a perfect mix of tartness and sweetness. Ivan seems to get a lot of last-minute vistors; on my second night it was an odd fellow
from Spain named Jesús, and the last two nights a group of three from Quebec. The group consisted of a young woman named Sarah, her boyfriend Nicolas, and her sister
Delphine. Sarah had been living for some time in Panamá, doing agricultural research as part of an internship. They planned to hike on Pipeline Road early on their first morning; having heard that near-record
Christmas Bird Counts had been recorded here, they intended to go out to see some birds. The truth is, of course, that these counts are compiled by experts, and many of the species are heard-only. I offered to guide them for a couple of hours,
and I was pleased to show them a couple of the flashier birds, and to point out the songs of many others. I admit that I am a pushover for pretty French-speaking young women, but I must say that their company at dinner that night was outstanding, and, along with Ivan,
we had had a fascinating discussion regarding politics and environmental issues that incorporated the perspectives of the residents of three disparate nations. This was typical of my stay; Ivan is articulate and knowledgeable regarding a wide range of subjects, and I found
our conversations invigorating.
To top things off, the Ortiz family had a nicely vegetated backyard (surrounding a funky, tiki-bar style dining and bar area), and every day I watched a Central American Agouti taking care of her rambunctious pair of young ones (pictured at left).
Ivan also has a boat that one can hire for excursions on the Canal, although I must admit that this is one subject on which we disagree; Ivan takes the boat to a place called Monkey Island, where tourists hand bananas to well-trained, but still wild, monkeys.
I strongly disapprove of this kind of contact between wild animals and humans, but Ivan is far from the only person doing this,
and I know he means well. Unless everybody stops doing this, I suppose that one more group doing it won't hurt.
In short, Ivan's B&B is a great value in a great location, and is worth a visit when touring the Canal area, especially in combination with a stay at the nearby Canopy Tower.
I saw the Canopy Tower truck parked at the start of Plantation Trail, so I headed out to find José and his group. Very shortly after I started out I ran across
a pair of White-lipped Peccaries (at right) crossing the trail, the first time I had seen this species. I noticed a musty odor in the forest around the wild pigs, and José later confirmed that this scent was produced by the peccaries.
I also lucked into a clear sighting of a Great Tinamou, a gray, chicken-like bird that skulks quietly on the forest floor. It's fairly common and heard singing every day, but
can be very hard to see, and is much sought-after by visiting birders. I caught up with the group later, and had to do the worst thing possible to touring birders; tell them I saw something they hadn't! But José and I both
knew that tinamous are fairly sedentary, and that they had a good shot at seeing it on the walk back. We found some good birds together on the walk, and I enjoyed the company
of the birders.
As we later approached the spot where I had seen the tinamou, I pointed this out to José, who promptly looked to his left a saw the bird, not ten feet away.
The group was thrilled, and enjoyed long looks at this strange creature (pictured at left); back at the Tower, one fellow handed me a cold beer with thanks.
The main reason I had made sure to be at the Tower on this day was to bid farewell to a good friend. Ana Stevens, the manager
of the Canopy Tower for about two-and-a-half years, was moving on to a new job, and this was her last day. Ana has brought the management of the Tower to a highly-professional
level, and has done so with class and good humor. I have always enjoyed her company, and appreciated her patience in working out my odd itineraries. I was very glad to be able to surprise her
on her last day of work, and also to meet the new manager, a bright young woman named Lorena. I can see already that her personality will be quite different than that of Ana, which will keep me on my toes (although
Ana never failed to do so). Good luck in all of your future endeavors, Ana!
I didn't push myself too hard on my last few days, although I got to La Mesa twice, and walked the Lodge trails once again. I enjoyed a very close look at the White-bellied Antbird pictured at left, a skulking
bird that is easy to hear but usually much harder to see. This was the first time I have gotten even a second of video footage of this species. At La Mesa I didn't have the energy to do the hike up Cerro Gaital, but at
the base managed to find some of the true avian gems of the area. At the top
of this list was the tiny White-throated Spadebill pictured at right, seen quite well both days at the base of Cerro Gaital. This bird is about 3 inches long, and quite quixotic,
so you can excuse the blurry nature of the still presented here.
This gorgeous creature was unknown from the El Valle area until
a few years ago, so I was thrilled to photographically document its presence in the region (although I have collected audio in the past).
I spent most of my last few days preparing to move on; I will be spending most of August on the move, and will not be renting the room from the Rodríguez family.
They are pictured at left. Top row, from left to right: Rebeca, Magdiél, Juana, Eliseo, Yarisél, Rodrick. Front row: Yari's brother (forgot his name), Daniél.
These wonderful, generous people were one of the highlights of my summer, but it was time to give them their room back. I have many things yet to do in Panamá during the last month of
my adventure, and need to force myself onto the road to make it happen. I also admit that I crave the return of my privacy, and would like to relieve myself
of the burdens of keeping a home here. I need to refocus on pure birding, which means putting myself in the care of hotels and restaurants.
I have also been feeling a bit lethargic the last couple of weeks; I think that I'm getting homesick, not necessarily for the chaos of NYC, but for the creature
comforts of my apartment, and the conveniences of life in the States. It does not help that I am having major computer problems, which has slowed my work on this page and other projects;
I am aching to get home to get this darned thing fixed! The Canopy Lodge has been kind enough to stow my extra gear for a time,
slow I'll be travelling light for the next month, carrying only what I truly need, and saving my energy for tracking down a few new birds.