Xenornis

Linda Wiles sent in some more bird highlights from the Miraflores Locks webcam.

Ben Lascelles sent in the highlights of his two-month stay in Panama: 10th June - A Colombian race American Kestrel in Parque Metropolitano. 16th June - At El Copé treated to some fine views of Black-crowned Antpitta, with one by the visitors centre being particularly approachable down to just a couple of metres, wished I'd had some meal worms! Also saw female Snowcap and Spotted Barbtail. 19th June - Spectacled Owl with a large chick at Old Gamboa Road, also 2 Capped Herons on Summit Ponds 28th-30th June - Around Birders' View, Cerro Azul. Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker, Black-eared Wood-quail and Violaceous Quail-Dove (both heard only.) The Blue-fronted Parrotlet nest fledged the days we were there, with 2 young seen to leave the nest and at least one more heard inside still. 4th July - Rainforest Discovery Centre, Pipeline Road. Great Black Hawk, and male Tiny Hawk. 12th and 13th July - Haven't seen a report from the Panama Audubon Society trip to Santa Fe, so here are a...

Ken Allaire sent in the highlights of his first month in Panama: On July 4th I found a Sapayoa on the upper reaches of the Río Blanco, below Peña Blanca in Omar Torrijos N.P.. I was with a local guide named Santana. The bird called in a very appropriate spot (a lushly-vegetated spot where a wash met the river.) I recognized the call and got a brief but good look at the bird before it flew off. I tried playback, and the Sapayoa responded but did not return. I know this is an unusual locale for the species but I am confident in the i.d.. On July 5th I found a Plumbeous Hawk along La Rana trail. The bird perched several times and was seen quite well. The next day, also on La Rana, I had a mixed flock that included a Lineated Foliage-Gleaner, Spotted Barbtail, and a probable Streak-breasted Treehunter (the last bird was seen briefly and I could not confirm my initial impression.) This is a low elevation for all three species. On July 14th I found a Grassland Yellow-Finch in the grassla...

While watching for Bat Falcons on the Miraflores Locks webcam, Cape Cod, MA resident Linda Wiles found this Pearl Kite, a rare sight in the immediate surroundings of the canal.

Guido Berguido sent in the following report of his July 19–20 trip to Cerro Chucantí, together with Olmedo Miró, Ovidio Jaramillo and Michael Castro, among others. Although it wasn't really a birding trip, we had binoculars along and did stop for birds. We recorded some nice species like Crimson-bellied Woodpecker, a pair of very vocal Black-crowned Antpittas, and even a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo at a large antswarm. We saw most of the target birds for the area like the Varied Solitaire, Violet-throated (Emerald) Toucanet, and Violet-capped Hummingbirds; but our greatest highlight was when Ovidio Jaramillo managed to get some shots of two very desired birds, the Tacarcuna Bush-Tanager, a regional endemic, and the national endemic Beautiful Treerunner.

Olmedo Miró forwarded these three photos of the South Polar Skua that has apparently taken residence at Isla Colón. These were taken by Pat Wade, perhaps today.

George Angehr forwarded Andrew Kratter's report of South Polar Skua seen June 2 on Isla Colón: South Polar Skua (Stercorarius mackormickii) 3 June 2008 Panama: prov. Bocas del Toro; Isla Colon; Bocas town & STRI dock Observer: Andrew Kratter Florida Museum of Natural History Box 117800 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611 kratter@flmnh.ufl.edu This bird was first seen flying low over the water at 0900 off the STRI facility in Bahia Almirante. I did not have binoculars at the time, and I blew it off as a dark juvenile Pomarine Jaeger (S. pomarinus), not really considering a skua (South Polar Skua or Great Skua, S. skua) see below for discussion of species). The bird was dark, very bulky, with a short tail and no tail projections. It flew toward us, then right overhead, but right into the sun. It had heavy and deep wing beats, slower than typical for pomarines (or other jaegers). At 1430h I was in Bocas town and my wife (Mary Hart) said she saw a jaeger, seeing t...