Quick Visit to Achiote & San Lorenzo, a report by Venicio Wilson

Michael and Christian Gernez from Sendero Panama and Venicio Wilson visited the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal to scout some birding spots. Here are the most remarkable sightings:

• a very tame Yellow-throated Vireo in the garden at the mechanic who fixed our flat tire in Escobal
• a very shy family of White-headed Wrens in El Trogon Trail, Achiote Road

• a Black Hawk-eagle at Gatun Dam spillway

• a Crested Guan in the road to Fort San Lorenzo
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• female Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding in the flowers at the fort

• a pair of Indigo Buntings
• The Gatun Dam spillway had 3 gates open and hundreds of gulls and terns at the spillway and at the river mouth. At both places we had a large, dark-mantled gull which I believe was a Lesser Black-backed Gull.
• From fort San Lorenzo we watched a tern that seemed to me like a Bridled Tern: dark gray mantle, whitish narrow collar around neck, dark crown, white forehead, black bill.

Anyone going that way keep an eye in that area since they still release water that is attracting all these sea rarities!