Birding around the Canal Area
Darién Montañez spent five days with Brian Beers and Jim Cone looking for Canal Area Specialties. Highlights are as follows: 1st: Stripe-headed (Black-headed) Brush-Finch about 600 meters down Vistamares Trail in Altos de Cerro Azul. 2nd: A single White-eyed Vireo was in a mixed flock of warblers and euphonias on the trees beside the French Canal, all the way to the end of the Gatun Drop Zone. At dusk we had reasonably good looks at two Gray-breasted Crakes, in tall, thick grass 100 meters beyond the ditch/creek. We had not heard many calling as we drove in, but these two birds at least showed some interest in our tape. 3rd: Crummy looks at a single Yellow-Green Tyrannulet high up a tree above Plantation Road, over a mixed flock of antwrens. 5th: Much better looks at Yellow-Green Tyrannulet on Mono Titi Road, Metropolitan Nature Park.