Tocumen Rail Update

This is what Tocumen Marsh's former rail haven looked like this morning, post harvesting and burning.


The berm of plenty is now surrounded by scorched earth. Compare with the picture taken on Sunday.


Luckily, the other side of the road is still lush and raily.



Spotted Rails were still pretty common. Today we saw many more adults than on Sunday, but there were plenty of juveniles and chicks of all sizes present. Soras remained dirt common and we saw a few White-throated Crakes. No Gray-breasteds, though. Also we had great views of two Paint-billed Crakes sunning on the berm at the edge of the rice. These were more like the typical fieldguide illustration of an adult Paint-billed: bright salmon legs, bicolored bill, prominent black-and-white barring on the flanks and undertail. We even got to see the red eye and brown nape and crown. Also seen a couple of times (even photographed by Rosabel) was Yellow-breasted Crake, a lifer for most of the audience (which included Rosabel Miró, George Angehr, Claudia and Bill Ahrens, and Delicia and Darién Montañez.)


Then on the non-rallid front we saw one (or maybe two) Yellow-rumped Warblers. But, really, nobody cared much.