The 2012 Trip to Panama's Canopy Tower and Lodge Combined an Impressive Diversity of Birds

WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide: Panama: Fall at the Canopy Tower with Canopy Lodge ExtensionNov 17 – Nov 28 with leader Gavin Bieber

IN BRIEF

The 2012 trip to Panama's Canopy Tower and Lodge combined an impressive diversity of birds (380 species) and nearly 20 species of mammals all in a lush tropical setting, with great company and excellent local cuisine. Our highlight species were many, with some of the standouts including a foraging Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo attending a large swarm of army ants near the scenic Macho Falls, close views of a stunning male Blue Cotinga, a White-tipped Sicklebill feeding at a patch of eye-level Heliconia flowers, six species of trogons, about twenty minutes shared with a pair of the rare and simply stunning Yellow-eared Toucanets, and a fiesta of gaudy tanagers including Bay-headed, Emerald, Speckled, Black-and-yellow, Silver-throated, Golden-hooded, Crimson-backed and Flame-rumped. Also of note this year was an unusual assortment of generally scarce to rare North American birds, such as Wilson’s Snipe, Painted Bunting, Worm-eating Warbler, and Black-billed Cuckoo.

This tour continues to impress me, as the diversity and richness of the region, paired with ease of access and the comforts of the lodgings makes for a truly wonderful experience.

IN FULL

As all of this years participants arrived a day early we elected to meet at the hotel in the morning and then went on a walk around the Amador Causeway before breakfast. This proved an excellent choice, as we discovered a wealth of avian diversity just within a short distance from the hotel. Common birds such as Red-crowned Woodpecker, Pale-vented Pigeon, Social Flycatcher and Blue-gray Tanager were all present in force, but with some determination we also turned up a foraging male Garden Emerald, several shiny Black-throated Mangos, a few gorgeous little Yellow-crowned Euphonias and even a pair of the dazzling Barred Antshrikes – all before breakfast! In the late morning we transferred to our base for the first week, the Canopy Tower Lodge, nestled atop Semaphore Hill in Soberania National Park. Later that day we visited the array of hummingbird feeders around the base of the tower, wherewe spent some time learning how to identify White-necked Jacobin, White-vented Plumeleteer and Long-billed Hermit and Blue-chested and Violet-bellied Hummingbirds. After we were sated with the hummingbirds we strolled down the road below the tower looking at our first mixed species forest flock which contained Western Slaty-Antshrikes, Dot-winged Antwrens and Dusky Antbirds. Nearby we located a sleeping Three-toed Sloth and a foraging Geoffrey’s Tamarin, and also had excellent views of an inquisitive pair of Black-breasted Puffbirds.

We spent much of the next three days in and around the Canopy Tower’s immediate environs. The tower’s top deck afforded spectacular vistas of the forest around the tower, and of the canal itself. Seeing canopy species such as Green Shrike-Vireo, and Brown-capped Tyrannulet at eye level is alwayssatisfying, and to be so close to swifts coursing through the air, or to a tiny Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher sallying around in the canopy is a real treat. Perhaps our best sightings from the tower itself though were of Blue Cotingas. On our first morning atop the tower, and just as the smell of bacon became to strong to resist a beautiful dappled female Blue Cotinga alit upon a nearby Cecropia tree, almost within arms reach! Not content with a single sighting though, we spotted an almost impossibly blue male Blue Cotinga perched atop a distant tree during our second stint at the canopy tower at dawn. The fun was not limited to birds, though with views of both Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth and Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth, Mantled Howler Monkeys and a multitude of dazzlingly bright canopy butterfliesall put on a show for us as well. All this without even walking more than a few dozen feet!

The forests and small wetlands close to the tower occupied two full days of our tour, where we found over a hundred and fifty species within just a mile of the tower. The road below the tower down Semaphore Hill passes through some forest with light understory, providing an excellent opportunity for encountering flocks with Dot-winged, Checker-throated and White-flanked Antwrens, Western Slaty-Antshrike, the gaudy Purple-throated Fruitcrowand Rufous and Broad-billed Motmots. On one afternoon we visited a nearby house where regularly stocked fruit feeders attract a riot of colorful birds. We watched, entranced by the parade of color as Crimson-backed, Blue-gray and Flame-rumped Tanagers competed with Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Orange-chinned Parakeets and Gray-headed Chachalacasfor best in show while Central American Agoutis looked on from below hoping for dropped bits of banana. In a nearby bushy tree we were thrilled to find an adult and a juvenile Spectacled Owl quietly napping just over a sidewalk, and seemingly oblivious to our presence.

Another afternoon found us wandering along the margins of a marsh making careful studies of the similar Social and Rusty-margined Flycatchers and Greater and Lesser Kiskadees, and enjoying close views of an array of species more often found in open areas. Scrub Greenlet cooperated very well, as did the somewhat brooding Greater Anis and several Purple Gallinules. The cane grass supported large numbers of Variable Seedeaters, as well as a couple of Mourning Warblers and a few Crimson-backed Tanagers (here known as Sangre del Toro, or “Blood of the Bull”). Around the margins of the lake we found several Rufescent Tiger Herons, and heard a veritable chorus of White-throated Crakes as they lurked in the dense grasses. A morning outing to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort was, as usual, highly productive. The grounds of the resort are largely open, with small patches of forest and a few little ponds adding to the habitat diversity. The resort also overlooks the scenic Chagres River, and by scanning the vegetated banks we located about a dozen Lesser Scaup (very rare in Panama), a few Common Gallinules and a nice assortment of herons. We also managed to coax a couple of White-throated Crakes into the open, and were thrilled to find a cooperative American Pygmy-Kingfisher perched over the rivers edge. A walk around the grounds produced our first Yellow Tyrannulets, an amazingly exposed Jet Antbird, dozens of Keel-billed and Chestnut-mandibled Toucans, many gorgeous Flame-rumped Tanagers and a large flock of birds including our first Golden-winged Warblers and Golden-fronted Greenlets. We also visited the Summit Gardens and Old Gamboa Road on a beautiful sunny afternoon, where we were thrilled to find a lot of bird activity. Near the entrance to the ponds we located a pair of responsive Yellow-billed Caciques, and a beautiful Yellow-backed Oriole. Around the ponds we were treated to a unique marching chant of the local police training squad, as well as several dour-faced Boat-billed Herons and both Amazon and Green Kingfishers. Further down the trail we located our first White-bellied Antbirds skulking in deep grasses, a cooperative Black-striped Sparrow that we simply could not get rid of, both Black-bellied and Rufous-breasted Wrens, and a host of migrant warblers.

We also spent a full day on the world-famous Pipeline Road. This cross-country dirt road passes through an extensive swath of Soberiana National Park and provides unparalleled access to high quality forest and over 400 species of birds. The day alternated between sunny and warm and overcast with brief bouts of rain. Although we found bird activity to be slightly depressed there were a host of excellent sightings and some true surprises as well. Among the really unusual sightings from the day were a perched Collared Forest-Falcon which was attempting to dry out after a hard rainy spell, a perched Tiny Hawk atop a large bare tree that remained for close study, a pair of Great Jacamars that fairly glowed in the bright sunlight, a Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner in a large mixed flock a few kilometers into the forest, and, of course, the female Great Curassow which likely due to an injured wing allowed us to approach within just 10 feet or so before it ran off into the woods. Other great finds were a small antswarm with its attendant Bicolored and Spotted Antbirds, Northern Barred Woodcreeper and Gray-headed Tanagers. Although furtive this year we also enjoyed a sighting of the incomparable “King” of the Central American Antbirds, the gaudy and unforgettable OcellatedAntbird. As usual, a host of flycatchers presented themselves for scrutiny, and we had fun separating Yellow-margined Flycatcher, Forest Elaenia, Southern Bentbill, OlivaceousFlatbill and Paltry Tyrannulets as they foraged in the trees around us. Although usually scarce along the road, this year we found several colorful (for a Woodcreeper) Black-striped Woodcreepers foraging along the road, and our lengthy study of a cooperative (for this species) MoustachedAntwren was superlative. It seems like it does not matter how many days a naturalist spends on this incredible road there are always new discoveries to be had!

During our week at the Canopy Tower we made two full day trips afield in order to sample some of central Panamas other available habitats. Our trip to the north coast of the Canal Zone never fails to entertain, and this year was no exception, although we were hampered by an unusually wet day that depressed bird activity. For much of the morning we were able to comfortably bird in between showers, and we managed to quickly connect with our two main targets along Achiote Road. A pair of Spot-crowned Barbets showed well almost as soon as we left the car, and (with a little effort) we located a pair of perched White-headed Wren drying off on an open branch. Trogons were much in evidence, with White-tailed, Gartered, Black-throated and Slaty-tailed all putting in appearances. Along a small side road we enjoyed views of a pair of Pied Puffbirds trying to dry out during a short sunny spell, a handsome male Long-tailed Tyrant busily catching prey from its perch on an electrical wire, a pair of Thick-billed Seed-Finches foraging in an open field and our first Smooth-billed Anis. In the town of Achiote we located a soccer field that had turned into a marsh, and that was playing host to a Killdeer (scarce in Panama), and an incredible 17 Wilson’s Snipe, as well as a trio of Blue-winged Teal and a Great Blue Heron that had taken to stalking Whistling-Duck ducklings for lunch. In the afternoon we drove out to the picturesque Fort San Lorenzo, perched on a bluff at the mouth of the Chagres River, where we located some impressive rain, and a somewhat soggy looking Indigo Bunting. At some nearby mangroves the rain unfortunately continued, but we did manage to locate a bonafied Muscovy Duck, and on the dam that created Lake Gatun we found a small flock of likely grounded migrant passerines including Blue and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and a beautiful pair of Yellow-backed Orioles. We capped off our day on the Caribbean coast with a drive through the giant locks at the Atlantic end of the canal and a brief stop to enjoy a large American Crocodile and a surprise Belted Kingfisher, before boarding a train bound for Panama City. The transcontinental train ride affords a unique look into the flooded valleys and small islets created by the canal project and also provided views of several Snail Kites feeding along the tracks on the largely introduced Apple Snails that have colonized the canal's lakes and two Limkins that were flushed as the train passed by.

The day trip to Cerro Azul and Cerro Jeffe provided us with our first taste of the highland/foothill forests of central Panama. A private house, once owned by the president of Panama, gave us access to an extensively planted garden laden with flowers and fruiting trees. At this house, which also hosted a wonderful cooked picnic lunch and also at the house of some ex-pat Americans who live full time on Cerro Azul we enjoyed an amazing assortment ofhummingbirds. The sky remained overcast all day, and the temperatures cool, which may have contributed to the very large number of birds electing to come into the array of feeders. In all we tallied 16 species of hummers, including a rare Scaly-breasted, a pair of the diminutive but flashy Green Thorntails, the localized Violet-capped and the impressive Green Hermit. While watching a fruiting Ingatree we tried to sort out the differences between Violet-bellied, Violet-headed, and Violet-capped and Violet-crowned Woodnymph, a surfeit of violet to be sure! Vying for our attentions here were several exquisite tanagers that were visiting a fruiting tree, including Emerald, Speckled and Bay-headed. The foothill forests held several small mixed flocks, with many migrant warblers and tanagers from the north joining birds such as the endemic Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker, White-ruffed Manakin, Thick-billed and Fulvous-vented Euphonias, and Shining Honeycreeper. As we left the mountains we stopped to admire one last flock of birds and were happy to finally properly connect with a foraging Stripe-throated Hermit, as well as our first Olive-striped Flycatcher.

On the way home we stopped along the coast at Panama City and marveled at the huge numbers of migrant and wintering shorebirds that were feeding along the mudflats. Among the thousands of foraging waders we picked out two, (rare for Panama) Long-billed Curlew, flocks of flying White Ibis, two Cocoi Herons, a few Franklin's and Herring Gulls. Also present were impressive numbers of Willet, Yellowlegs, Black-bellied Plover and Black-necked Stilts, as well as hordes of Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers. We arrived back at the tower in time to enjoy a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner (including Turkey, stuffing and even pumpkin pie) and then a few hardy souls ventured out for a short night drive down Semaphore Hill. In just an hours work we found Common and Great Potoo, a roosting Great Tinamou, two perched Common Pauraques and two Bushy-tailed Olingos!

For our last morning in the lowlands we again greeted the dawn atop Canopy Tower, where we were happy to locate a singing Slate-colored Grosbeak in the canopy, a few Brown-hooded Parrots, and no less than three Blue Cotingas, including two perched males. We then wandered down the road on Semphore Hill. Alhough the forest understory seemed a bit quiet a large flock near the bottom of the hill allowed us to study OlivaceousFlatbill and Yellow-margined Flycatchers, as well as to enjoy nice views of a Green Shrike-Vireo beating a large caterpillar senseless. Nearby this flock we located a White-breasted Wood-Wren (often frustratingly difficult to observe) constructing a nest just a few feet off the road. All to soon we were picked up by our transfer van and then headed west to the Canopy Lodge to begin the tour extension.

Extension:

Nestled in a forested valley just uphill from the picturesque town of Anton, in the eastern edge of the Talamanca range that stretches westward into Costa Rica, the lodge offers a wealth of birds not accessible around the tower. The daily show at the fruit feeders, just outside the dining hall is a treasure for the eyes, with dozens of colorful tanagers, including some normally restricted to the dense forest understory (like Dusky-faced and Red-crowned Ant-tanager), competing with Red-tailed Squirrels, honeycreepers and even RufousMotmots and Collared Aracaris for the best pieces of banana. The cool air and light breeze of EL Valle provided a welcome respite from the heat and humidity of the tower but our arrival also heralded an unwelcome visit from a rare Caribbean stormfront that brought 42 hours of rain and some significant coastal flooding in much of central Panama. It quickly became apparent that a reshuffling of our itinerary was in order to avoid much of the rain, so on our first full day we headed down to the overcast but generally dry savannahs along the Pacific Coast. The rice fields, agricultural areas, hedgerows and coastline here offered a wealth of species that we did not see anywhere else on the tour. As is typical on this day the dry savannah-like patches along the coast proved excellent for raptors, with Savannah, Roadside and Short-tailed Hawks, a handsome Aplomado Falcon, a closely perched White-tailed Kite and several Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures. Some other birds featured highly as well, such as our view of the endemic Veranguan Mango, a well-fought-for Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl that glared at us from the comfort of a mango tree and the perky and cooperative Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant lurking in a vine-tangled patch of forest. We even encountered some very scarce North American migrants, in the form of a perched Black-billed Cuckoo and a male Painted Bunting! On the sandy coast we enjoyed a picnic lunch at a beachside villa, while hundreds of Brown Pelicans and Magnificent Frigatebirds wheeled overhead, Willets and Sanderling plied the shoreline and a few distant Blue-footed Boobies passed by.