PANAMA TRIP - MARCH 2017
PANAMA – RESULTS – 2017.DOC (03/26/17)
TRIP REPORT
Dear Folks,
Thank you for participating on our great Panama adventure – Canopy Tower and Canopy Lodge. We saw a total of 263 species of birds and 14 species of mammals.
Thank you for always being on time, watching out for each other, and sharing your enthusiasm and knowledge. You all contributed to making our trip a great success.
In this trip report, I have including: the Top Ten Birds, Trip Highlights, and Location Summaries. In a separate EXCEL document, I have provided the Bird and Mammal Checklists.
A. Top “Ten” Birds:
Participants voted for the following bird species.
1. Sunbittern
2. Rufous Nightjar
3. Blue Dacnis
4. Crimson-crested Woodpecker
5. Spectacled Owl
6. Southern Lapwing
7. Collared Aracari
8. Keel-billed Toucan
9. Squirrel Cuckoo
10. Swallow-tailed Kite
B. Trip Highlights:
Participants provided the following trip highlights. I hope that these highlights bring back happy memories of our trip.
1. Visiting the Miraflores Locks;
2. “enjoying” the wild ride along Pipeline Road;
3. being on top of Canopy Tower watching the tropical dawn – hearing and then seeing so many birds;
4. seeing the Eyelash Viper with its distended body on the tree limb (Cerro Gaital area);
5. going to sleep at Canopy Lodge with all of the animal sounds;
6. being with a very friendly group;
7. watching the Geoffroy’s Tamarins feeding on the banana (Canopy Tower);
8. seeing the Rufous Nightjar so well camouflaged in the leaf litter (Summit Ponds area);
9. having the Sunbittern fly up the stream near me – seeing its beautiful wings;
10. taking the night ride from Canopy Tower – seeing the Rothschild’s Porcupine and Common Pauraque;
11. enjoying so much delicious food – the pineapple;
12. walking the beautiful grounds at Canopy Lodge;
13. having such a well-organized itinerary;
PANAMA TRIP - 2017
TRIP REPORT
B. Trip Highlights (Continued):
14. seeing large kettles of migrating hawks and vultures from the roof of Canopy Tower;
15. being surprised by my 50th birthday party at Canopy Tower (Michele);
16. watching and hearing all of the activity around the Chestnut-headed Oropendola nest trees;
17. finding a large green lizard during our last afternoon’s walk;
18. seeing the Northern Tamandua along the Canopy Tower road;
19. finding both the Great Potoo and Common Potoo (Pipeline Road);
20. sleeping in the “summer” breezes at Canopy Tower;
21. watching the Swallow-tailed Kites circling overhead in the Las Minas area above Canopy Lodge;
22. being so close to the Southern Lapwings – seeing the iridescence on the wings;
23. hearing Jennifer’s discussion of the Owl Butterfly at Canopy Tower;
24. watching all of the birds bathing in the stream at Canopy Lodge – Clay-colored Thrushes, Lesser Goldfinches, Tennessee Warblers, and a Gray-cowled Wood-Rail;
25. enjoying the five minute stop in the Miraflores parking lot – seeing American Crocodiles, White Ibises, Ringed Kingfisher, and Whimbrel;
26. seeing an amazing variety of butterflies and moths;
27. enjoying the facilities at both Canopy Tower and Canopy Lodge;
28. having three extraordinary naturalist guides – Michael at the tower and Tino and Daniello at the lodge;
29. having so many hummingbirds flying around me at the Canopy Tower feeders;
30. seeing the Green Shrike-Vireo – finally – “Can’t see me”;
31. having Palm Tanagers within five feet;
32. watching the leaf-cutter ants;
33. seeing the bats roosting in the abandoned termite nest (Cara Iguana Trail);
34. hearing the Mantled Howler Monkeys – especially at night;
35. watching the pair of Thick-billed Euphonias building a nest (La Mesa);
36. sitting on the veranda of Canopy Lodge and having the birds come to us – how great is that;
37. watching the Squirrel Cuckoo run through the branches – a well named bird;
38. watching the Rufous Motmot swing its tail back and forth;
39. seeing so many species of tanagers – every one so beautiful; and
40. seeing the family of Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloths in the tree during our night ride.
Thank you again for your participation.
Best Wishes, Bill Gette
PANAMA TRIP - MARCH 2017
TRIP REPORT
C. LOCATION SUMMARIES:
3/16
This date reference includes all species seen from the top of Canopy Tower on the afternoon we arrived.
3/17
This date reference includes all species seen at Canopy Tower, during our morning walk down the Canopy Tower road (8:15 a.m. to noon), and during our afternoon visit to the Ammo Dump Ponds (3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.).
3/18
This date reference includes all species seen at Canopy Tower, during our morning visit to the Summit Ponds area (8:00 a.m. to noon), in the Gamboa/Chagres River area (3:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.), and during our night ride down the Canopy Tower road (8:15 p.m. to 10 p.m.).
3.19
This date reference includes all species seen at Canopy Tower and during our all-day trip along Pipeline Road (7:20 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
3/20
This date reference includes all species seen at Canopy Tower, during our morning hike along the Plantation Trail (8:00 a.m. to noon), during our afternoon visit to Miraflores Locks (one group), and at the beginning of Pipeline Road (second group).
3/21A
This date reference includes all species seen at Canopy Tower prior to our 10:00 a.m. departure for Canopy Lodge and during our drive along the Pan American Highway to the turnoff for El Valle (dawn to 12:30 p.m.).
3/21B
This date reference includes all species seen in the vicinity of Canopy Lodge (1:30 p.m. to dark).
3/22
This date reference includes all species seen at Canopy Lodge, in the La Mesa/Las Minas area (7:30 a.m. to noon), and during our afternoon walk along the Cara Iguana Trail (3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.).
3/23
This date reference includes all species seen at Canopy Lodge, in the Cerro Gaital area
(7:30 a.m. to noon), at the farmer’s market, and during our visit to Valle Chiquito (2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.).