Xenornis

Itzel Fong photographed this flock of eight Wood Storks this morning at Panamá Viejo. Here's hoping they stick around for the Pacific Christmas Bird Count, coming this Sunday, December 14.

Itzel Fong photographed this first-winter Ring-billed Gull taking a dip in one of the puddles by the new visitor center at Panama Viejo. The Southern Lapwings were also at Panama Viejo, but the Black-necked Stilts were at Costa del Este.

Gonzalo Horna photographed this juvenile Ornate Hawk-Eagle at noon on November 22 about 300m from the southern entrance to Old Gamboa Road. The bird flew in and flushed a Collared Forest-Falcon that had flown in in response to tape playback. Ornate Hawk-Eagle is very rare in the Canal area, especially this close to the continental divide, with just a handful reports from Pipeline and Achiote Roads.

On November 6, Rosabel & Karl Kaufmann and Delicia & Darién Montañez drove out to Yaviza and El Real, Darién, in search of all those potential lifers they had been missing out on. As we approached Yaviza at around noon, we stopped at some promising marshes, about 7.5 km before town. After a few scorching minutes Rosabel spotted a female and young Large-billed Seed-Finches in the brush while a male or two sung from exposed branches nearby. Also heard at the spot was a Little Cuckoo. At El Real, no additional seed-finches were seen at the airstrip, which was also devoid of Yellow-hooded Blackbirds. As dusk approached, and after the rain stopped, a Donacobius scolded us from the grass while a singing Willow Flycatcher made brief appearances. The first of many flocks of Spectacled Parrotlet and Black Oropendola . The next day and a half produced Pale-bellied Hermit, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher, Red-billed Scythebill, possible first Darién records of Sharp-shinned Hawk, Tropica

El pasado viernes 12 de septiembre del 2007, en la comunidad de El Rincón de Santa María, muy próxima al área protegida conocida como “Área de uso Múltiple Ciénaga Las Macanas” un Pato Enmascarado (Oxyura dominica), ave frecuente, pero local y errático, muy difícil de ver, se chocó con los cables del tendido eléctrico cayendo al suelo con un pequeño golpe en la base de su nariz. El guardaparque Ovidio Pinzón lo rescató y posteriormente el resto del personal del área le brindó los cuidados en la oficina administrativa. Por coincidencia, nos visitaron 2 investigadores del Instituto de Investigaciones Tropicales Smithzonian y le tomaron muestras de heces para estudio de la fiebre aviar. El sábado, fue llevado hasta la ciénaga Las Macanas donde, con mucho regocijo, el siguiente personal acompañó para su reinserción al humedal: Ovidio Pinzón, guardaparque del área; Rosmery Moreno, miembro del grupo GEMA; Marleny Ortega, corregidora de la comunidad; Judith de Gómez, Encargada del área; Jo

This Long-billed Curlew was photographed on October 5 by Itzel Fong at the usual spot in Panamá Viejo: on the mudflats between the new and old visitor centers.

This flock of Black Skimmers (part of a flock of 12) was photographed by Karl Kaufmann this afternoon, whilst shorebirding Costa del Este with Brian Watts and Bart Paxton from the College of William and Mary, George Angehr, and Rosabel Miró. Also seen in the area was Long-billed Curlew, which seems to be a yearly visitor to the upper bay of Panama.

I wanted to send in a report for Xenornis of some of the more significant sightings during my visit for the last half of October. On October 17th, Danilo Rodriguez and I heard (only) a pair of Stripe-cheeked Woodpeckers on the Caribbean slope of Las Minas Trail, near El Valle (good audio was captured). These birds have now been present in the area for at least 5 months, and we are on the alert for signs of breeding. Other good finds at Las Minas were a calling Black-headed Antthrush, large numbers of Black-and-yellow Tanagers, a Spot-crowned Barbet, a pair of amorous Ornate Hawk-Eagles, a point-blank Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, and a flock of at least 10 Yellow-eared Toucanets. A field trip to the western limits of Altos del Maria on 10/19 (also with Danilo) yielded Black-crowned Antpitta, Red-faced Spinetail, Spotted Barbtail, White-tailed Emerald, Snowcap, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, and Purplish-backed Quail-Dove. On 10/22 I took a trip with Danilo, Eliacer and Rodrick Rodriguez to