Bird watching in Panama - December 2024

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

December 2024

Day 3

Wednesday 17 ^th of December 2024 and we leave my hotel at 6 o'clock. We stop to look for refreshments and as they do not have any DIET drinks that I like I bought some fruit drinks.

06:49 and I start my eBird app. There was one Yellow-headed Caracara sitting on a satellite dish. We walk down to the boat and we discover one Yellow-headed Caracara sitting in a lap post that we had just passed.

Going back to see if I could get a few pictures. The bird was not scared, there were four tourists waiting for their fishing boat on a bench next to the bird, so I washopeful to get a picture or two.

Yellow-headed Caracara

Early morning in the marina

Yellow-headed Caracara

Yellow-headed Caracara

We are going bird watching at Gatun Lake and I thought it was the lake in front of the marina. We started around the marina and we were soon spotting one Wattled Jacana. Too dark for any good pictures.

But I gave the Rufescent Tiger-Heron that was sitting on a rail a try.

We explore the area around the marina

We explore the area around the marina

Rufescent Tiger-Heron

Rufescent Tiger-Heron

We get back on the lake, and after having checked the map when I am back in my room turn out to be the mouth of Chagres River going out in the Panama Canal.

I was a wee bit surprised when we got out on the Panama Canal, yes, the lake at the marina was not very exciting. I asked the driver to go slow and I took (tried) to take bird pictures.

Now I understood that we were on our way to Gatun Lake. As soon as I understood this, I asked the driver to go full ahead and my Guide looked relieved.

On the Panama Canal heading for Gatun Lake

Ships coming from the Pacific Ocean bound for the Caribbean Sea

We flush one Cocoi Heron

We flush one Cocoi Heron

Young Yellow-headed Caracara

Young Yellow-headed Caracara

Red-lored Amazon

American Black Vulture

American Black Vulture

Now it is full speed towards Gatu Lake

eBird Report

Panama Canal -Gamboa Marina to Gatun Lake, Colón, PA
Dec 18, 2024 06:49 - 07:20
Protocol: Traveling
6.87 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: Bird watching with Whitehawk
12 species

Pale-vented Pigeon 2
White-tipped Dove 1
Wattled Jacana 1
Rufescent Tiger-Heron 1
Snowy Egret 1
Cocoi Heron 1
American Black Vulture 15
Keel-billed Toucan 2
Yellow-headed Caracara 4
Red-lored Amazon 3
Tropical Kingbird 2
Mangrove Swallow 2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S20580332 1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track on the Panama Canal

I turn off the eBird app and I restar the app and now I change location from the Panama Canal to Gatun Lake. The Gatun Lake was beautiful and I was really happy thta I had gone for the boat option. We spotted many Snail Kites and they were not scared so we could get very close for pictures.

It is another story with the Limkin, a new bird for me. This bird was very scared and I never got any pictures. We approached and the bird took off long before I was even thinking about trying to take any pictures.

Same with the Keel-billed Toucan, they take off as soon as they see us in the horizon.

Reaching Gatun Lake

Looking for birds on Gatun Lake

Collared Aracari

Collared Aracari

Mangrove Swallow

Mangrove Swallow

Juvenile Snail Kite

Juvenile Snail Kite

Listen to the Snail Kite

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Snail kite sitting on a branch just next to the boat.

Adult Snail Kite

Adult Snail Kite

Grey-headed Kite

Looking for birds on Gatun Lake

Looking for birds on Gatun Lake

Keel-billed Toucan

Snail Kite

Snail Kite

Looking for birds on Gatun Lake

Looking for birds on Gatun Lake

Great Crested Flycatcher

Baby Wattled Jacana

Baby Wattled Jacana

Greater Ani

Greater Ani

Greater Ani

Greater Ani

Greater Ani

Greater Ani

Listen to the Greater Ani

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

A group of 7 next to us in the boat. Making a sound I never heard before. And it just went on for several minutes, sounding like a machine, low sound. And every now and then their crackle.

Wattled Jacana

American Moorhen

American Moorhen

Anhinga

Juvenile Snail Kite

Yellow-rumped Cacique

Yellow-rumped Cacique

Listen to the Yellow-rumped Cacique

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Sitting in a tree above us

eBird Report

Gatun Lake, Colón, PA
Dec 18, 2024 07:21 - 08:32
Protocol: Traveling
3.94 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: Bird watching with Whitehawk
18 species

Greater Ani 7
American Moorhen 3 1 adult + 2 babies
Purple Gallinule 14
Limpkin 2
Wattled Jacana 12
Anhinga 2
Little Blue Heron 3
Green Heron 2
Grey-headed Kite 2
Snail Kite 9
Collared Aracari 3
Keel-billed Toucan 2
Yellow-headed Caracara 1
Red-lored Amazon 3
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Tropical Kingbird 2
Mangrove Swallow 6
Yellow-rumped Cacique 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S205808404

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track on Gatun Lake behind

Leaving Gatun Lake behind

Leaving Gatun Lake behind

I turn off my eBird app and we go back towards the marina. I was very happy to have seen the Collared Aracari, now one more toucan to go and I have seen all three available in the area.

Full speed back to the marina and we will go up Chagres River to see if there is any bird. We have some time to kill and we will explore the river.

I turn on my eBird app when we enter the Chagres River and the first bird, I can report is one Osprey sitting in a tree. There is one Great White Egret and a beautiful Little Blue Heron under the Osprey.

Osprey

Little Blue Heron

The have problem with some water vegetation spreading so they have covered the mouth of the Chagres River with a floating barrier. All the boats going up the river cross over the floating barrier. And no problem.

So did we, but we got stuck and our Captain had to call for help. We were searching the boat for paddle and we had yet again an example on the importance to be “SHIP SHAPE” before leaving for the sea.

And of course, you should know what equipment you have on board, and needless today, where they are located on the boat.

We searched every box and storage for a paddle, nothing to be found. But we were soon assisted by Captains brother that came with a heavy boat.

We are stuck

We are stuck

Help is arriving

Help is arriving

We can continue up the Charges River

The heavy boar was placed on top of the floating barrier and we could continue up the Chagres River to look for birds.

We do not see many birds on the river, but it was interesting to see the Little Blue Heron baby. They are white the first months and they are slowly changing colour to blue (grey)

We turn around after 20 minutes or so, good, I feel a little bit bad, an oncoming cold and we will stop at a drug store going back to Panama City.

Baby Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron

Coming back to the marina in Gamboa was nice. I want to go back to my room to have a rest to see if my cold is getting better. We will go to our Guide friend's house in the afternoon.

There are Keel-billed Toucan coming to his house in the afternoon and it would be nice with some “good” pictures. People would think that you are an idiot if you come back from bird watching in Panama without any good pictures of the Keel-billed Toucan.

OK, I am quite happy with the picture from yesterday.

Going back to the car and we spot two Slaty-tailed Trogon in the tree above the car, yet another “LIFER” for me.

Slaty-tailed Trogon

Slaty-tailed Trogon

Slaty-tailed Trogon

Slaty-tailed Trogon

Slaty-tailed Trogon

The Slaty-tailed Trogon is a beautiful bird and I was happy that we had seen the bird. We will go to look for the Little Scaup at the Metropark before going back to my hotel.

We found a drug store and I buy some medicine for my cold before we continue to the Metropark. Passing a group of Woodstorks but nowhere to stop to take pictures so I do not report the bird to eBird.

No luck with the Little Scaup, but we see one Savanna Hawk and I get out to try to get close to the bird.

I stop my eBird app and I restart the app when we leave the car to go look in the river. I discover that the hotspot had the same name as the previous hotspot. Strange, 2 hotspots with the same name.

Savanna Hawk

Cocoi Heron

Black-necked Stilt

Saffron Finch

Saffron Finch

Saffron Finch

eBird Report
Metropark, Panamá, PA
Dec 18, 2024 10:49 - 10:53
Protocol: Traveling
1.04 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: Bird watching with Whitehawk
7 species

Southern Lapwing 8
Wattled Jacana 2
Neotropic Cormorant 1
Western Cattle-Egret 14
Turkey Vulture 8
Savanna Hawk 1
Great-tailed Grackle 7

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S205823818

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Metropark, Panamá, PA
Dec 18, 2024 11:06 - 11:17
Protocol: Traveling
0.24 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: Bird watching with Whitehawk
9 species

White-tipped Dove 1
Black-necked Stilt 3
Southern Lapwing 1
Neotropic Cormorant 1
Green Heron 1
Cocoi Heron 1
Ringed Kingfisher 1
Tropical Kingbird 1
Saffron Finch 9

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S205825918

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

I spend the afternoon in my room, my Guide will be back to pick me up at 14 thirty. I bought a new JBL Quantum Stream Wireless USB Wearable Wireless Streaming Microphone yesterday but it is not working. I discover that I need to keep it in the box to turn on the mic taking it out from the box.

I have a 30 minutes power nap and I cup of te before going down to the reception to meet my Guide.

We were full of expectations when we left for my Guide's friend's house. Will we see the Keel-billed Toucan?

We reach the house and we meet the guy and he showed us around. He had a nice set up and the bird come to the top of the tree. I can sit on top of the stairs to the second floor to be at an eye level with the birds.

2 and a half hours in the blazing sun and we give up, no Keel-billed Toucan. Of course, a disappointment, but I might get pictures in Costa Rica.

Red-crowned Woodpecker

Ruddy Ground Dove

Ruddy Ground Dove

Blue-grey Tanager

Blue-grey Tanager

Blue-grey Tanager

Clay-coloured Thrush

Blue-grey Tanager

Crimson-backed Tanager

Plain-coloured Tanager

Southern House Wren

eBird Report

1534 Calle Calabash, Panamá, PA
Dec 18, 2024 15:06 - 17:30
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments: Bird watching with Whitehawk
10 species

Pale-vented Pigeon 1
Ruddy Ground Dove 1
Red-crowned Woodpecker 2
Southern House Wren 1
Clay-coloured Thrush 1
Great-tailed Grackle 23
Crimson-backed Tanager 1
Blue-grey Tanager 3
Palm Tanager 2
Plain-coloured Tanager 2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S205855886

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Turning off my eBird app and we say good bye and thank you. Now it is time to get back to my room and a cup of tea.

Yet another good day bird watching in Panama with 9 “LIFERS”
• Plain-coloured Tanager
• Saffron Finch
• Savanna Hawk
• Slaty-tailed Trogon
• Yellow-rumped Cacique
• Collared Aracari
• Snail Kite
• Limpkin
• Mangrove Swallow

Tomorrow will be my last day of birding in Panama and we will go to visit the Chagres National Park. Click HERE to find out if I see any birds.

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