Xenornis

A calling Golden-green Woodpecker was heard on February 4th at Boca de Cupe trail, off the Cana airstrip. It responded to playback, and a male was seen by me and Daniel Gruneberg from England. And this male Viridian Dacnis male was photographed close to the Cana camp on February 2th.

Euclides Campos, leading a group of Canadians, found this dark-phase adult Red-footed Booby at Swan Key on January 29th. Even behind its branch, the red feet are visible, as is the blue-gray bill tip and white tail. We arrived at the island around 9 a.m. where the usual suspects were present, Brown Boobies and Red-billed Tropicbirds, but while scanning the rocky formation I spotted the bird. Photos of the Red-footed Booby are courtesy of the tour leader Rand Rudland. Red-footed Boobies are apparently regular off the Caribbean coast of Panama, with a few sightings from the mainland (see November 2007 report from Donoso) but this is the first report I'm aware of from Swan Key, definitely a heavily-birded site by Panama standards.

Frank Gray and Glen Sibbald sent in this report for a Crimson-bellied Woodpecker seen at Cerro Azul's Río Mono trail. Date of observations: January 2, 2009 Observers: Frank Gray and Glen Sibbald Time of Observation: About 2:55 pm Panama time Location of Observations: GPS coordinates N 0922527, W 07943027, Rio Mono Trail, Altos de Cerro Azul, Panama. I don't know the elevation at that location, unfortunately, but I am sure that it can be determined. Weather Conditions: Partly cloudy, no rain or drizzle, no wind Identifying Characteristics: Was a large woodpecker, about the size of the Pileated Woodpecker of North America or slightly smaller. It had a red crest and a white strip on the side of the head. The belly was a rusty red color just like in the "Birds of Panama" book. Miscellaneous aspects of Observation: The bird was first seen by Glen as both of us were walking back towards the entrance of the Rio Mono Trail. He observed the bird for about 1 min...

Jan Axel Cubilla visited Costa del Este at high tide on February 8 with Osvaldo Quintero, who photographed the group of Black Skimmers that has been haunting the area. On the 12th, Jan Axel returned and found at least four Herring Gulls, a Ring-billed Gull and a Franklin's Gull as well as the skimmers among the hundreds of gulls, and some Red Knots among the hundreds of shorebirds present. Then on February 17 Itzel Fong visited Costa del Este, where she photographed the skimmers and a handful of Marbled Godwits.

Itzel fong photographed this nesting Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant in Pipeline Road. The spot, on an uphill beyond Quebrada Juan Grande, is marked with three stones tied with pink flagging tape.

After reading about the Coiba Mangrove Cuckoo, Olmedo Miró reports having seen one last week near Dolega, Chiriquí, at about 200m elevation. Mangrove Cuckoo, which may breed in Panama but is recorded more often during the boreal winter, seems to be all over the place this year.

Rafael Luck sent in these photos taken during the Panama Audubon Society fieldtrip to Coiba National Park of January 23–25, including possibly the first Mangrove Cuckoo reported from the island, as well as the ubiquitous Scarlet Macaws and a flock of Sanderlings.

During the first weeks of January, I spent a few days birding in the Chiriquí highlands and foothills of Bocas del Toro with some friends, looking for some of the Talamanca range endemics. On January 5th a male Masked Duck and a Masked Yellowthroat were seen at Volcán Lakes. The next day we had a White-fronted (Rough-legged) Tyrannulet on the way to the ANAM headquaters at Respingo, where we saw a Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl close to the main building. On January 7th a single White-throated Flycatcher (juvenile) and two Bran-colored Flycatchers at Volcán Lakes. The following day we moved to Rancho Ecológico Willy Mazu. The birding was superb around the area yielding White-crowned Manakin on 8th; Lanceolated Monklet, Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager, Dull-mantled Antbird, plenty of Yellow-throated Bush-Tanagers, a Black-headed Antthrush (heard only) and a good bonanza for the day: a male Bare-necked Umbrellabird on the 9th. On 10th at the Verrugosa trail, Ochre-breasted Antpitta almost...