Mix Bag from December

December had brought some interesting birds:

Dec. 26 While birding with Osvaldo Quintero, Rafael Luck and Jan Axel
Cubilla we found a White-throated Thrush was seen atending a army ant
swarm beyond Syristes Bridge, about 11 km into Pipeline road. At the
same Antswarm where also present Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner, Russet
Antshrike and the ussual suspects of army ant swarms: Ocellated,
Bicolored and Spotted Antbirds, Plain Brown and Northern-barred
Woodcreepers and others. Jan Axel spotted a Chuckwillwidow, a lifebird for me!!

Later in the Day I joined Rosabel and Karl Kauffman, Randy and Grant to
a revision of Limbo area, we got a very cooperative Great Jacamar!
Dec. 29 Got and invitation to visit Mr Richard Bennett farm in Sierra
Llorona, Colon province and it is at 400 meters above sea level. While
walking around the garden of the house caretaker I saw a Ficus tree full
of red berries. I had seen this tree before and I remember how good at
atracting birds this fig was. First bird I got was a new specie for this
year: Rufous-winged Tanager. While I was making pictures of the
Rufous-winged Tanager I saw this "fat looking Plain-colored Tanger".

3 minutes later the bird was still there and started singing and hoped
to another branch. I found the bird again perching under the canopy and
made a picture. When I saw the picture the bird does look like a Plain
Colored Tanager but much larger. I think I missed the real bird! After
checking behaviour, calls and distribuiton I began thinking the bird was
a Gray-and-Gold Tanager which I have seen in Cerro Jefe!
Bay-headed Tanagers, Emerald Tanagers, Scarlet-thighed, Blue Cotinga,
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan and Collared Aracari.

Driving back to the main road we got a Red-and-green Macaw flying over the jungle of Sierra Llorona.
Saludos

Male Rufous-crested Coquette at Panama Rainforest Discovery Center

A male Rufous-crested Coquette visited the Panama Rainforest Discovery
Center. The bird was spoted by Marcial Caisamo who remember seen the
bird every Dicember since the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center was
open to the Public in 2008!
The bird tried to feed at the hummingbird feeders but its tiny bill was
not long enough to reach the sugar water!
Here are some pictures of this tiny jewel of tropical rainforests!

Quick Visit to Achiote-San Lorenzo area

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

• 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 (after 10 years)

Gatun Dam Spillways had 3 gates open and hundreds of gulls and terns at the spillway and at the river mouth.

We had at both places a large, dark mantled gull which I believe was a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

From fort San Lorenzo we watched for about 5 minutes a tern that seemed to me like a Bridled Tern: dark gray mantled, whitish narrow collard around neck, dark crown, white forehead, black bill!

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

Pictures here http://picasaweb.google.com/veniciowilson/125CANON#