PANAMA: Epilogue

The Canopy Family of ecolodges has provided us with a very memorable trip.  The staff was excellent, especially our knowledgeable, tireless, and good-natured guides.

Many of the guests at the Canopy will leave with a bird list of more than 300 new birds sighted.  A "sighting" may only be a second long in poor light, through heavy vegetation, or far in the distance.  On the other hand, obtaining quality images of the wildlife requires a much different approach by the photographer.  One might spend hours to obtain a single image with satisfactory lighting and free of significant obstructive limbs, leaves, etc.  In the rain forest, this is particularly challenging especially with smaller creatures rapidly jumping from limb to limb in the dense undergrowth.   Thus, after 8 days of birding, our list numbered "only" about 140 species with more than 50 very good images -- still quite a respectable yield considering the adverse weather.    Adding the great encounters with sloths, porcupine, and tamarins to this collection of birds,  we would recommend a visit to friendly Panama for the wildlife enthusiast.

Photographic Equipment used for this trip: 

Bodies:  Canon EOS 7D

Lenses:   ** Canon 800 mm f/4,  300 mm f/2.8,  1.4x Extender, 28 - 135 mm f/3.5 - 5.6

Flash:  Canon Speedlight 580EX II

We will resume this blog after our trip to Costa Rica's Monteverde region in the spring.
Happy Holidays!

PANAMA: El Valle de Anton (Day 10)

Sadly, our visit to Panama has come to an end.  As we drove from the Lodge, we are treated to a final bird sighting for our generous list -- a Crested Owl perched over the road.

PANAMA: El Valle de Anton (Day 9)

On our final day, we requested that the guide take us to 3 locations each with its own target species.  High in the cloud forest, Altos del Maria was our first stop -- home of the Orange-bellied Trogon.

The low-hanging clouds made visibility poor, but eventually we found a pair of these beautiful birds and commenced the process of acclimation so we could approach close enough to photograph through the vexing fog.  Due to all of the rain, the ground had the consistency of chocolate pudding and our feet immediately sank in above the ankles impeding our mobility.  Finally, the male perched with his orange chest towards us and the image below was captured.

As there appeared to be a break in the weather, we quickly drove to La Mesa in search of the Blue-necked Toucanette.  On our arrival,  the sun fought its way through the clouds for a 30 minute reprieve making for ideal photographic conditions in the canopy.  Our guide commenced calling the Toucanette and soon the curious bird came to the edge of the rain forest.

The last excursion took us further from the Lodge to a banana plantation in Caimito, the location of a new colony of Montezuma's Oropendola.  These large, ornate birds migrate from the Caribbean slopes to the cloud forest to nest 3 months a year.  The females weave elaborate sock-like nests intertwined in palm leaves,  while the alpha male announces his dominance in a striking, bubbling call during which he flips upside-down on his perching branch.

PANAMA: El Valle de Anton (Day 8)

Our excursion today brought us to the lowlands along the Pacific coast of Panama -- warmer, drier and overall more enjoyable.  While exploring a large rice plantation, we saw innumerable heron, ibis and stork in addition to a variety of raptors.  Although multiple species were sighted,  Barred Antshrikes, Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures, and Brown-throated Parakeets provided the best images.

We visited the nearby Lance-tailed Manakin lek as a final stop of the lowland tour.  As most such leks, it was mosquito-infested and filled with a complex tangle of vines (making autofocus essentially useless); however, the challenges of the endeavor were rewarded with a new addition to our Manakin image collection.

PANAMA: El Valle de Anton (Day 7)

Rain, rain, and more rain !  Despite this, we pressed ahead with our four-wheeling adventure along poorly-maintained mountain trails to La Mesa.  Spot-crowned Barbets, Tawny-capped Euphonia, and Chestnut-headed Oropendola are known to frequent this region and we were not disappointed.

Having seen all but one of Panama's Mot-mots, we were eager to find the elusive Tody variety.  Near Rio de Jesus, Moyo commenced his calls for this small member of the Momotidae family.  Eventually,  after several hours and more than 200 shots, we were rewarded with a much-saught-after image of the Tody Mot-mot. 

As the day drew to a close, we rushed to La Mesa waterfall where the amazing White-tipped Sicklebill (hummingbird) is sometimes encountered at sunset.  These tiny creatures have supremely-adapted bills to feed on Heliconia flowers.  

Pouring rain, limited light and a challenging locale necessitated teamwork to achieve the shot.  In the image below, Moyo and I are standing on a narrow, slippery suspension bridge -- he held an umbrella to protect the elaborate camera setup with one hand, while helping to steady the tripod with the other  -- I am hunched over trying to focus in the unbelievably low light while hoping not to fall in the raging river below.  Now, that's fun!

( From a historical standpoint, it was interesting to be in Panama today as the notorious Noriega was extradited back to a dingy prison quite near the Canopy Tower after more than 20 years in US and French jails.  As the Tower is the highest point in the region, TV crews had been installing booster dishes on the observation deck for the extensive media coverage of the tyrant's return. )

PANAMA: El Valle de Anton (Day 6)

After a night of monsoon-like rain accompanied by the calls of howler monkeys, we set off for 2 hour drive to the Canopy Lodge in El Valle de Anton.  Built on the slopes of an ancient volcanic crater, this quaint lodge is nestled in the cloud forest and is more luxurious than the Tower.  Beautiful gardens surround the property and a stream meanders in front of the well-appointed rooms.  At the higher elevation and bathed in the mountain mists, it is much cooler here.

The precipitation continued throughout the day, but thankfully with less vigor.  We met our new guide, Moyo, who would also prove to be invaluable in obtaining many of the enclosed images.  We spent a relaxing afternoon birding on the property -- many species were sighted including the Thick-billed Euphonia, Crimson-backed Tanager, & Rufous-capped Warbler.

A very muddy trek would eventually yield good views of a Mottled Owl deep in the rain forest canopy.   Hopefully, the next few days will provide some better weather....

PANAMA: Soberania National Park (Day 5)

Our final day at the Tower provided the best weather thus far.  We finally found a small, very mobile group of Geoffery's Tamarin (also called Panamanian or Rufous-naped Tamarin).  They are the smallest Central American monkeys (9" long) and tout ears of Shrek and a face of a Gremlin.

The afternoon was terrific for birding near the entrance to Pipeline Road.  The highlights were a beautiful female Fasciated Antshrike (see image below) and Song Wren (glorious calls, but shy and incredibly difficult to photograph).

PANAMA: Soberania National Park (Day 4)

After awakening to overcast skies and dense fog again,  we were treated to fantastic sighting of an endemic Rothschild's porcupine lounging in a tree near Plantation Road.  It is the smallest porcupine in the world.  The Canopy staff was excitedly called in from all around the park as this cute creature is only encountered once or twice a year.

Rain continued to drench the region intermittently during the day and plagued the already difficult situation with limited lighting within the rainforest.

We spent the day traveling the Pipeline Road; however, perhaps due to unrealistic expectations built up by its infamous reputation amongst birders, we were a bit disappointed with the experience from a photography standpoint. The best image was of a tolerant Great Jacamar resting between his meals on butterflies.

PANAMA: Soberania National Park (Day 3)

Today, we hiked Semaphore Hill Road and were fortunate to have multiple excellent sightings of sloth.  In retrospect, this would turn out to be the best day of the trip.

First, we found a lazy, Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth sunning himself more than 100 foot up in the canopy region.  Sloths sleep 15 to 20 hrs a day and wake at night to feed. Similar to reptiles, these unusual creatures warm up in the sun.  The two-toed sloth has the lowest (and most variable) body temperature of any mammal -- at night, their temperature may drop to 75 degrees F.

We rounded up the morning with a Brown-necked Three-toed Sloth couple climbing through trees at the entrance to Plantation Road.  They have 3 toes on the front and 5 toes on the hind feet.  The male sports a striped back with a central orange spot. Unlike the two-toed, the three-toed feeds almost exclusively on the leaves of the Cecropia, a tropical relative of the mulberry.

Interestingly,  the front legs of the three-toed are twice the length of their hind legs, while those of the two-toed are about the same length.  In the images above, one can easily see the distinguishing two- vs. three-toed sickle claws.

As the weather deteriorated further, we took a break from nature hikes to visit the nearby Miraflora locks of the Panama Canal.  The system of locks permits the elevation change to Lake Gatin which allows transit across the isthmus of central Panama.  While at the Tower, we intermittently heard the explosions from the ongoing construction of the new wider waterway to open on the Canal's centennial celebration in 2014.

PANAMA: Soberania National Park (Day 2)

At sunrise, we awoke to a chorus of singing birds and the smell of fresh brewed Panamanian coffee on the observation deck of the Tower.  On one side of the platform, we observed an elegant pair of Keel-billed Toucans, while on the other, the first ships of the day making their way thru the Canal.  We met our excellent guide, Nando, who we would soon find to be an expert at bird calls and spotting.  His efforts (in addition to the team of guides at the Canopy Lodge) would be critical for the very successful wildlife observation and photography on our trip.   

Upon leaving the tower for our first tour, we encountered an enormous swarm of army ants blanketing the ground and surrounding trees.  With this bounty of food, the underbrush was alive with a feeding frenzy of birds.  It was one of the more remarkable wildlife events I have experienced.  Three different Antbirds were identified -- the highlight sighting was the elusive Ocellated variety!

Later in the morning, we visited a nearby feeding station which yielded some great images of both the red-legged and green honeycreepers.

We then made several unsuccessful attempts to keep up with a lesser anteater (Tamandua) quickly climbing through the canopy.  

The rest of the day was essentially washed out with heavy rains; unfortunately, La Nina has resulted in an extended rainy season this year.

PANAMA: Soberania National Park (Day1)

A narrow land bridge separating the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Panama, connects Costa Rica and Colombia.  With a bird list of more than 900, it has rightly earned its place amongst the premier birding locations.

Our first stop was the Canopy Tower in Soberania National Park, a 300,000 acre lowland rainforest.   After years as a radar tower for the US Air Force followed by service in the war on drugs, the Tower was remodeled as an eco-destination in 1995.  It is endearingly called the "recycled tin can" and is located on the tallest peak of the region overlooking the watershed of the Panama Canal.

We found it amazing that within a 45 minute drive from the impressive skyscrapers of Panama City one could find such a healthy rainforest teeming with diverse life.  The image below is of sunrise from the observation deck of the Tower with the City in the distance.

Mala Mala, South Africa

( Moon seen in daylight )