Xenornis

The PAS fieldtrip to The Road to Darién (i.e. the Bayano area) was a complete success (i.e. they found and photographed a bird I have never seen). The following images of a male Golden-green Woodpecker were taken by Olmedo Miró. Bonus female Black Antshrike , also by Olmedo Miró.

Alexis Guevara, Carlos Aguilar and Euclides Campos found (and photographed) an Oilbird at Vistamares Trail in Cerro Jefe, roosting in a tree about 4 meters off the ground. Also seen were Russet-crowned Quail-Dove , Striped Woodhaunter , a flock of Tacarcuna Bush-Tanagers , and a single Blue-and-gold Tanager .

This photo was taken by José Carlos García near the Río Mono bridge in Bayano, sometime in June. The bird was identified as a Mangrove Cuckoo , which, though rare during the boreal summer, has been reported in Central Panama in June. As fas as I know, there are no records of over-summering Yellow-billeds in Panama, and the yellow bill seems to rule out all those southern vagrants, but if you have any better guesses do chime in.

Seven years after our initial (and lucky) sighting of a pair of Lanceolated Monklets during the yearly PAS fieldtrip to Santa Fe, Veraguas, we did it again. On Saturday, July 14, at around 7:45am we found a pair at pretty much the same spot: the place where the "Primer Brazo del Río Mulabá" crosses the road beyond Alto de Piedra. They were both singing, and very active. One of them flew in and called back at our tapes. Attached is a photo. Along the recently-fixed road to Guabal we found many Inga trees in flower, attended by many Green Thorntails , both male and female.

I visited El Real, Darién from 15-18 June with a party including Robert Dean, Kevin Easley, Dev Joslin, Ron Hoff, and Holly Ann Myers. We found Large-billed Seed-Finch and Yellow-hooded Blackbird at the El Real airport, both evidently established and likely breeding. Photos of both species taken by Kevin Easley are attached. Large-billed Seed-Finch Oryzoborus crassirostris A male was seen on 15 June at about 4 PM at the airport (all party members except Easley). The bird was larger than a Lesser Seed-finch, almost entirely black, with a large whitish bill and a prominent small white speculum on the bend of the wing. It was seen perched from about 10 m away. The following morning the entire party returned to the airport and saw several additional males (at least three), some of them singing. One bird was noted to have white wing linings when it flew. I recorded the song and Easley obtained photographs. I saw a probable female on 17 June on the Pirre Road, but was not certain. A singing...