Xenornis

On Sunday, March 31 at Finca Batipa, Chiriquí, at around 10:00 am, Luis Ríos, Janice Jorgensen and Loyda Sánchez saw a male and two female Vermillion Flycatchers. The male was seen briefly and its red plumage contrasted with the green foliage of the bushes where the females were perched. The females had whitish chests with dusky vertical streaks, white throats and yellow undertail coverts. The females were seen first, and were observed for about five minutes from a distance of about 10 meters. The birds we saw match the illustration of a first year female in The Sibley Guide to Birds (p. 331). The male, which was only seen for about five seconds, had its characteristic red-and-black plumage and was unmistakable. The facial pattern of the females was similar to that of the male, but in white and gray. (report sent in by Loyda Sánchez)

On March 16 visiting bird tour guides John Coons and John Rowlett birded the Xenornis Trail with Dave Kluber and myself. We saw and/or heard many of the specialities - Brown-billed Scythebill, Black-headed Antthrush, Crimson-bellied Woodpecker, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Black-eared Wood-quail, Slaty-winged Foliage-Gleaner, Striped Woodhaunter, Plain Antvireo, a very tame Tawny-Throated Leaftosser etc., - but no Xenornis. However, there was a pair of Stripe-throated Wrens. As far as I know, the first record of this species in the area was two years ago on the north side of Cerro Vistamares, in rastrojo. Until then, the species had not been recorded west of Nusagandi. This new record is from the west side of Cerro Vistamares, in heavy forest. The birds were identified both by sight and by voice. There was again no sign of Black-headed Brush-finch. I have come to the reluctant conclusion that if nobody sees it soon in the Cerro Jefe-Cerro Vistamares area, we shall have to assume it has been

Bill Adsett sent in t In case you're wondering, the Reddish Egret that was discovered in December on the Gatún spillway is still there. Darién Montañez, Laval Roy and a group of birders from Quebec saw it every time they crossed the bridge, always on the spillway side. Bill Adsett and Michael Castro saw it in the same place on Saturday, March 9. And Carmen Martino is pretty sure she saw a Reddish Egret near Portobelo on November 3-4 while staying at the cabins past the "El Cañón" restaurant.

Darién Montañez, Laval Roy and a group of birders from Quebec saw a an adult female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at the base of Mono Tití Road at the Metropolitan Nature Park. The bird was high in a fruiting tree on the left side, across from the 'castillo'. and on the second week of February a VENT group led by David and Mimi Wolf had one from the parking lot of the visitor center.