Xenornis

The Bonaparte's Gull seen at Costa del Este last month is still around. Itzel Fong Gadea found it at Panamá Viejo on Saturday, December 28 , and got some great photos, including some of the upper wing that show the dark M-shaped pattern of a 1st winter bird. The gull was found again by Itzel on the morning of Sunday the 29th, who again took some great photos... ...and was seen later by Osvaldo Quintero, Rafael Luck and Jan Axel Cubilla, who also took some great photos. On related gull news, there's also a Lesser Black-backed Gull this season, also at Costa del Este/Panamá Viejo. It was first seen on December 22, the day of the Pacific Christmas Bird Count, by Rosabel Miró. And again by Itzel Fong Gadea on December 29. And there's lots of Franklin's Gulls, too.

The Boquete Melodious Blackbird is still around. Says Facebook that Jason Lara and Rafael Gutiérrez saw it at the same Garden Inn last week. And now, Deibys Fonseca confirms that the weird sounds she and Venicio Wilson heard at Finca Ceriana, Volcán, were indeed Melodious Blackbirds, too.

I would like to submit the following audio recording and description in support of my recent sighting of 1 Unspotted Saw-whet Owl on the Vulcan Baru summit road on 10 Dec 2013. I am under the impression that no confirmed record exists for this species in Panama since the 1965 banding and used all appropriate caution in making this identification. While camping at the designated camping area (3,260m according to park signage) approximately 1 km from the summit, 1 USWO was heard calling slowly at 2345 hrs by Lena Ware and myself. We had not played any owl recordings and the calling was completely unsolicited. After about 2 min and a quick review of various calls, I began playing a USWO recording. The bird responded with an accelerated call and moved closer. At this point I made the recording of the call (attached). After another bout of playback I saw an object move overhead and the owl called now from behind me. It continued calling for at least 5 min in this location and with a h...

On the morning of the 27th of September Ramon Fernandez and Natalia Decastro photographed this White-winged Dove near the limits of the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Playa La Barqueta. The bird was seen flying and landing in a small bush, in an open area, relatively close to the beach. The vegetation around the area where we saw the White-winged Dove was predominantly icacos (Chrysobalanus icaco). This is the first Chiriquí record of this species, usually found on the east coasts of the Azuero Peninsula. In addition to this very unusual encounter we had some really nice view of Wood Storks (3 on the 26th and 4 on the 27th), some Ruby-throated Hummingbird, an American Kestrel and a Laughing Falcon.

Boquete Birders: the Melodious Blackbirds have arrived. On November 27, 2013, Jeannette Caballero and Rafael Lau filmed one happily singing on the gardens of Boquete Garden Inn. This distinctive recent addition to the Panama list was  previously reported from far western Bocas del Toro  only.

Firstly, Rosabel Miró reports on a Warbling Vireo recorded during the Audubon Panamá field trip to Fortuna on November 30: Les escribo para reportarles un Warbling Vireo, primera vez que la veo en Panamá. Al principio noté que era una reinita pero no supe reconocer cual, pues si bien parecía como una Tennessee Warbler en tamaño y colores, el color del manto, de la garganta y los 'anteojos' eran algo que no me cuadraba con cualquier otra reinita vista antes. Le pedí ayuda a Beny, a Cedric y al resto de la gente de la gira para que ayudaran con la identificación.  El ave fue observada como por 2 minutos en los jardines del Café Isabel, al frente de Willi Mazú, Palo Seco, Bocas del Toro, el día sábado 30 de noviembre, alrededor de las 3 de la tarde. Entre los observadores estaban Beny Wilson, Cedric Kinschots y Celeste Paiva. El ave estaba comiendo activamente las frutitas en uno de los arbustos del jardín, con otras aves. Era muy gris uniforme por arriba, garganta promi...

Rosabel Miró, Celeste Paiva, Yénifer Díaz and Bill Adsett visited Finca Bayano on November 27 and found a Northern Shoveler and two American Wigeon mixed in with the Blue-winged Teal.

Rafael Lau photographed these Glossy Ibises on the fields by the oil tanks in Chiriquí Grande on November 25. This is the first Bocas record of this species.