Saturday, August 12th, 2006
Panama Arrival
LONG travel day. But we finally got to Canopy Tower after a typical latino drive through Panama City and out to Soberania National Park (60,000 acres).
Quick unpack and up to the top of the Tower. BOOM! A flock of Keel-billed Toucans eating, displaying, and making us happy.
LOTS of hummingbirds around. All of them WERE hummingbirds. These were followed by a pair of Palm Tanagers, gorging on Cecropia flowers, followed by a duet serenade.
Dinner with Raul Arias (the owner of Canopy Tower) included salad, chicken curry, chayote and beets, coconut rice, and glazed carrots. YUM! Unfortunately, Balboa beer doesn't approach the quality of Belikin.
Now -- exhaustion!
Sunday, August 13th, 2006
Part One - Plantation Road
Damn, it's tough to bird in the neotropics!!! Leaves, trees, vines and occasional movement. Luckily, we have a great guide from the Tower (Jose Alberto Perez) and, for a few days, Gavin Bieber -- a Wings guide checking out Canopy Lodge and Canopy Tower for future tours he'll be leading.
We overslept a bit (alarm didn't go off) and rolled out of bed at 6 am. Quick cleanup (we're showering at night) and up to the top. Highlight -- an electric Blue Cotinga in the distance. Also Chestnut-mandibled and Keel-billed Toucans. A Green Shrike-Vireo was another attractive visitor. To round it out: a beautiful Violaceous Trogon.
Breakfast -- a few moments for DEET, sunscreen and sulfur powder (on the socks as an anti-chigger treatment), and we were off to Plantation Road. I wore my light boots, but wish I had worn my heaver ones, since the path had many small rocks and more stability would have made me happier.
The hike itself was not difficult. Very slight grade. Lots of birds calling -- but seeing them was another story. We probably saw fewer than 2/3 of the birds we heard or were seen by others. But we were kept busy by other things: Helicopter Damselflies, Heliconia Butterflies, Blue Morpho Butterflies, a Central American Agouti, a Whip-tailed Lizard, and the ever present sloths.
Back to Canopy Tower for lunch and siesta.
Lunch presented us with a Three-toed Sloth eating Cecropia leaves, and a lovely Iguana on the same tree.
By the way, Anna, Lynn and I were bitten on our legs. We didn't notice until we got back to the Tower for lunch. Using our powers of deduction, we figured it must have happened up on top of the Tower last night. Note to self: pants, socks and sleeves!!
The birds (not in taxonomic order, but in order seen):
Violet-bellied Hummingbird
Black-throated Trogon
Western Slaty-tailed Antshrike
Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher
Plain Xenops
Checker-throated Antwren
Flat-billed Flycatcher
Rufous Motmot
White-breasted Wood Wren
Great Potoo
Purple-throated Fruit Crow
Dot-winged Antbird
Gray-headed Tanager
Scarlet-rumped Cacique
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Bicolored Antbird
White-flanked Antwren
Plain Brown Woodcreeper
Crimson-crested Woodpecker
Broad-billed Motmot
Part Two - Summit Ponds
After a rain shower of some duration, we took off to Summit Ponds during the final drizzle. While going down the road, something snapped (we later found out it was off the chain link fence) before a near simultaneous clap of thunder. Quite dramatic!
Summit Ponds area was much more generous in its ease of birding. We were greeted right off by a small flock of Collard Aracaris.
Almost immediately after that I felt something hit my eye followed by a sharp, agonizing bite or sting. Incredible pain followed by a reactive draining down my nose. Happily, in spite of a prolonged period of sporadic, throbbing discomfort, there was no swelling. I'm assuming it was an ant bite, rather than a sting. No reaction to any venom.
The most striking bird of the afternoon was a Crimson-backed Tanager. The loudest was one we dipped on visually: a White-bellied Antbird (actually, two calling back and forth).
The full list in order seen (new birds only):
Thick-billed Euphonia
Plain Tanager
Collared Aracari
Ruddy Ground Dove
White-tipped Dove
Golden-hooded Tanager
Gray-headed Chachalaca
Variable Seedeater
Blue-black Grosbeak
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet
Fasciated Antshrike
Buff-throated Saltator
Red-crowned Woodpecker
Golden-fronted Greenlet
Lesser Greenlet
Southern House Wren
Thick-billed Seedfinch
Crimson-backed Tanager
Barred Antshrike
Orange-chinned Parakeet
Black-striped Sparrow
Blue-gray Tanager
Brown-hooded Parrot
Clay-colored Robin
Greater Ani
Smooth-billed Ani
Amazon Kingfisher
Lesser Kiskadee
Blue Dacnis
White-collared Swift
Short-tailed Swift
Band-rumped Swift
Social Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Monday, August 14th, 2006
Part One - Semaphore Hill
Got to the top of the Tower bright and early this morning -- though I awoke a bit too early and went back to bed for another sleepless hour.
It was very fresh at 6 am -- seemed to have much lower humidity, which didn't last long.
The Howler Monkeys were the most vocal, followed by the croaking Keel-billed Toucans. We saw all three varieties of toucan this morning, along with the usual Red-lored Amazons.
Extremely pleasant surprises with our up-top coffee service: White-necked Jacobin, two Green Honeycreepers (male and female), and a White-vented Plumeleteer when we descended to the downstairs feeder area.
This morning we birded Semaphore Hill from the Tower almost to the bottom. The downhill walk was, at times, steep and hard on the feet -- particularly my toes, which kept hitting the fronts of my boots. At times the paved road was slippery with algae. But the birding was good.
Right out the gate, literally, we had a mixed flock, similar to the one we saw from the top of the Tower yesterday morning. A new addition was an Ochre-bellied Flycatcher. There was also a White-whiskered Puffbird that was slowly wagging its tail from side-to-side, though it never puffed out and called.
The forest was busy with Agoutis and we saw a couple of Bullet Ants. Any printed description of these huge ants doesn't do them justice. They are HUGE and have equally impressive mandibles -- not something one would enjoy a close encounter with.
Our last bird of the walk was a Collared Forest Falcon that Jose worked very hard on, trying to call it in so we could see it. He lured it with its call. However, I can proudly say it was Avi who spotted it deep in the forest, so Jose and Gavin could get their scopes on it. We all had excellent looks at it calling and resting on one foot. It was cooperative enough that many of us were able to take digiscoped photos of it before it flew across the road. A great final bird of the morning!
The birds of note from the morning (both Tower top and walk):
Canopy Tower:
Keel-billed Toucan
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
Collared Aracari
Red-lored Amazon
White-necked Jacobin
Blue-chested Hummingbird
Scaled Pigeon
Green Honeycreeper
Blue Dacnis
White-vented Plumeleteer
Semaphore Hill:
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Plain Xenops
White-shouldered Tanager
Lesser Greenlet
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Squirrel Cuckoo
Blue Crowned Manakin
Tropical Gnatcatcher
Cocoa Woodcreeper
Double-toothed Kite
Pale-vented Pigeon
Dot-winged Antwren
Long-billed Gnatwren
Lineated Woodpecker
Checker-throated Antwren
Plumbeous Kite (migrating)
Rufous Motmot
Black-faced Antthrush
White-whiskered Puffbird
Dusky Antbird
Blue-black Grosbeak
Olivaceous Flatbill
Collared Forest Falcon
Part Two - Ammo Dump Ponds
Lunch followed by a real siesta. then down for a drive to bird at the Ammo Dump Ponds. The drive took us over and along part of the the Canal -- very industrial. The site was also very birdy, with varied habitats offering great diversity.
Before boarding the "bus", we had great views of the Blue-chested and Snowy-bellied Hummingbirds in the light.
On the way down Semaphore Hill we got great views of a Tamandua on a tree branch. It's a rather small anteater -- but its shape was unmistakeable with an apparently prehensile tail.
Unlike this morning, the walk was easy. But the humidity was high. Jose got pretty well eaten by mosquitos. Thank goodness for permethrin and DEET!
Mammal-wise, we also saw a coatamundi. (Another was seen at Canopy Tower on the "stage" resting in the shade. We also found some tracks and oval shaped scat -- apparently from a capybara (two-toed prints giving the impression of a cloven-hoofed animal).
Jose tried to call in a White-throated Crake to no avail. The bird came close, but never came out into the open. Yet another elusive, calling bird!
The birds (of note):
Blue-chinned Hummingbird (Canopy Tower)
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird (Canopy Tower)
Ruddy round Dove
Variable Seedeater
Tropical Kingbird
Crimson-backed Tanager
Brown Pelican
Smooth-billed Ani
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Gray-breasted Martin
Magnificent Frigatebird
Common Tody Flycatcher
Red-crowned Woodpecker
Great-tailed Grackle
Streaked Flycatcher
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Wattled Jacana
Rusty-margined Flycatcher
Lesser Kiskadee
Clay-colored Robin
Social Flycatcher
Rufescent Tiger Heron
Black Striped Sparrow
Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Cattle Egret
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Osprey
Blue-black Grassquit
Ruddy-breasted Seedeater
Little Blue Heron
Barn Swallow
Purple-crowned Fairy
Thick-billed Seed Finch
Yellow-bellied Seedeater
Mangrove Swallow
Lesser Nighthawk
Avi's addendum: We also encountered a large Agriope-like spider with long slender body within an industrial sized web with husband precariously hanging close to the Mrs's spinneret. She was happily munching lunch and we thought he might be hanging around for scraps.
We also encountered an Iguana along the railroad tracks.
Tuesday, August 15th, 2006
Full Day: The first part of Pipeline Road, Summit Gardens, and a Night Drive
We did the first part of the famous Pipeline Road. Easy walking, slow birding. Again, quality outstripped quantity.
We were fortunate enough to see Army Ants, though it wasn't a hunting swarm -- so there was no "antbird action", as it were.
Many of the birds from the underbrush came out enough to give some good looks. But Jose had to work about 30 minutes to give Avi and Lynn quick looks at a Streak-chested Antpitta. Everyone else dipped on it, though we all heard it call just behind the grases.
Afternoon was spent at Summit Gardens, where we visited the Harpy Eagle exhibit and their mismatched pair of Harpy Eagles (the national bird of Panama). The female's original mate's skeleton was in a glass case at the exhibit and, I was told, once they lose their lifetime mate, they will not accept another.
While at Summit Gardens, we were able to get several new birds before a shower cut our birding a bit short -- but not by much.
At night we had our night tour with a huge spotlight, looking for red eye reflections. We got several, along with some great animals (included in the list below). The highlight for Gavin (who got virtually no snakes) was a yellow snake hanging on a palm bole (trunk). He looked it up and discovered it was an Annulated Tree Boa.
The day's birds (and other animals) of note:
Pipeline Road:
Purple-crowned Fairy
Brown-capped Tyrannulet
Dusky Antbird
Song Wren
Black-chested Jay
Purple-throated Fruitcrow
Crimson-crested Woodpecker
Masked Tityra
Spotted Antbird
Western Slaty Antshrike
White-flanked Antwren
Scarlet-rumped Cacique
Yellow-margined Flycatcher
Gray-chested Dove
King Vulture
Streak-chested Antpitta
Blue-black Grosbeak
Cinnamon Woodpecker
Golden-hooded Tanager
Chestnut-headed Oropendula
Ammo Dump area:
Yellow-headed Caracara
Striated Heron (split from Green)
Semaphore Hill on the way back to lunch:
Crane Hawk
Summit Gardens:
Variable Seedeater
Band-rumped Swift
Clay-colored Robin
Blue Dacnis
Ruddy Ground Dove
Yellow-rumped Cacique
Common Tody Flycatcher (nesting)
Forest Elaenia
Yellow-backed Oriole
Blue-crowned Parrot
Streaked Flycatcher
Night drive (ALL animals included):
Common Potoo
Common Pauraque
Great Potoo
Forest Rabbit
Greater Fishing Bat
Forest Rabbit
Annulated Tree Boa
Two-toed Sloth
Wednesday, August 16th, 2006
Part One: Old Gamboa Road
At this second we're involved in a tropical downpour. Translated: torrential. Just prior, we had come up to three Howler Monkeys on the Cecropia tree just outside the 4th floor window munching on the tree's fruit. Got a few photos before the rain forced them to take cover.
The morning trip was to Old Gamboa Road. Road would be a misnomer, if it weren't for the "old". With the exception of two small, muddy, slippery slopes, it's a fairly easy walk through different habitats -- probably the most varied walk to date.
We finally came upon a small Army Ant swarm, although it still provided far less drama than I had anticipated. Jose is hoping for a larger one when we do our full day on Pipeline Road.
The bird of the day has no competition. I got my target bird: Spectacled Owl. In fact, there were TWO! They were over a swampy area. We even managed to digiscope a few photos of them.
Interesting, there's a steep learning curve for tropical birding and we're finally catching our stride. Avi and I are now both finding AND identifying birds!
Birds of interest seen:
Orange-billed Sparrow
Olivaceous Flatbill
Black-tailed Flycatcher
Gray-headed Tanager
Fasciated Antshrike
Red-throated Ant Tanager
Dusky Antbird
Plain Wren
Short-tailed Hawk
Spectacled Owl
Jet Antbird
Blue-crowned Motmot
Crimson-crested Woodpecker
Part Two: Easy Birding
Afternoon was fairly easy. We started out at a Tanager feeder in the town of Gamboa. This consisted of bananas on some triangular netting. The response to the bananas was immediate and dramatic, with Blue-gray, Crimson-backed, and Palm Tanagers; Blue Dacnis, and Red-legged and Green Honeycreepers all coming to feast.
We also had fun watching an Agouti on the lawn sit and eat. We decided it was like a big-nosed squirrel head on a rabbit's body minus the fluffy tail.
We ended the afternoon with some time on the road leading up to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort as well as its marina. Beautiful stands of Bamboo along with some "animal crossing" signs -- specifically, Agoutis and Iguanas. Again, Jose tried to call in a White-throated Crake with equally unsuccessful results.
Avi saw an excited group of birds in the distance and put his binoculars up to find a Gray Hawk trying to dry itself on a snag, much to the consternation of various and sundry species trying to protect their nests or their territories.
It was also a Howler Monkey day. In addition to the Howlers at the Cecropia tree (see Part One), on our drive back we got a mother with an infant and another young Howler on Semaphore Hill.
Since we were late getting out, due to the rain, we also had a shortened afternoon of birding.
Birds of note:
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Purple Gallinule
Panama Flycatcher
Gray-Hawk
Golden-hooded Tanager
Common Moorhen
Bat Falcon
Thursday, August 17th, 2006
A Full Day at Pipeline Road
We were up at 5 am (UGH!), breakfast at 5:30 and off to a full day on Pipeline Road at 6:15.
It was hot, humid and muddy. Birding was slow -- but, once again, the birds we got were good ones. We even got superior looks at a few we'd seen before, but only in the deep shadows.
We had four-wheel drive vehicles accompanying us along the road, getting us through the areas that would have been impassable on foot. In spite of that, we had to turn back around km. 12, just as we were entering the Caribbean Slope, because the road beyond that was totally impassable in any form. We DID manage to get at least one Caribbean Slope specialty: A Pied Puffbird.
Got back to Canopy Tower early. We all spent some time spraying the large amounts of mud off our boots. Then Avi and I spent some time just watching the hummingbird feeders, getting a good look at the Long-tailed Hermit. Not jewel-like -- but quite unique, with its long center tail feather and it's decurved bill. Apparently, this bird is not a territorial feeder, defending a small area for feeding. It's a trapliner -- a bird that goes long distances, grabbing meals where it can along the way.
My thought for the day: at least in our experience, nothing is dramatic in the rainforest. Subtlety reigns.
Birds of Note:
Sunbittern (on nest)
Blue-crowned Manakin
Long-tailed Hermit
Great Jacamar
Streak-chested Antpitta
Black-throated Trogon
Double-toothed Kite
White-flanked Antwren
Pied Puffbird
White-tailed Trogon
Dot-winged Antbird
At a stop at Gamboa:
Anhinga
Snail Kite
Upon returning to our room, we were amused by a flock of Collared Aracaris dining in the Cecropia tree outside our window.
Friday, August 18th, 2006
Part One: Boat Trip on the Chagres River, Panama Canal
We decided to relax today and take a boat ride on the Chagres River with a short time spent on the Canal. It was a nice change and we still got in some quality birding.
The boat left out of Gamboa and we spent a lot of time exploring backchannels. We also had a pleasant snack break under a palapa on a river island, where we heard history, legends, and general chit chat ensued.
the best part of the morning -- after the fact that we didn't spend the majority of our time sweating -- was a good long look at an American Pygmy Kingfisher, a gorgeous little jewel of a bird that sat on a liana close enough that we could almost touch it. A close second was finally getting a decent look at the elusive White-throated Crake, a tiny bird we wholly expected to only hear.
One of the islands is called Monkey Island. In addition to Howlers, we got up close and personal with a few White-faced Capuchins. One seemed to be plagued with pararsites, spending its time scratching and rubbing at its body. A second was plucking dead pieces off a frond, finding and eating arthropods (spiders and such).
Alexis was our tour guide for the day. Jose took the other group to Old Gamboa Road. He knew where Long-nosed Bats had their daytime roost. When we got there, I was looking for large hanging mammals in the branches. Alexis finally got me to look at the bark of the tree, where these little star-shaped mammals spent their days.
There were Oropendula nests squeezed closely together, hanging from a tree at the river's edge. True to what I had read, they were in a tree with hornet nests as well as Aztec Ant and Termite Nests.
It seems (according to Alexis) Oropendulas nest in tight colonies, Yellow-rumped Caciques in loose, smaller colonies, and Scarlet-rumped Caciques in singles or with two nests in proximity.
Birds of note:
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Masked Tityra
White-throated Crake
Solitary Sandpiper
American Pygmy Kingfisher
Limpken
Ringed Kingfisher
Part Two: Panama Canal's Miraflores Locks
We spent the afternoon at the Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal. We saw a Panamax ship (the largest size that can pass through the Canal) go through. The crew was mostly Asian (Shanghai), and we saw bathospheres on both the ships in the double laned locks. The smaller ship was also equipped with a helicopter landing pad.
As for the history and information on the Canal, it's pretty interesting and you can Google it on your own.
We went up to the observation deck on the top floor to watch the process and it was mobbed. We were lucky to squeeze into a small space that, unfortunately, put me next to (behind) a man who used no deodorant and way too much cologne.
Because of all the time we spent watching the process in the lock, we had to rush through the museum. But it was interesting to learn how over 16,000 French-controlled Canal construction workers died of Yellow Fever. Then a Cuban physician theorized that mosquitoes were the vector for the disease and Walter Reed proved it. The U.S. stepped in, used aggressive mosquito control methods (such as draining swamps and oiling wells and cisterns so larva couldn't survive, and lost almost none of its workers to this disease.
The last fact I'll share before I leave you to your own research is that 30-40 cents of every dollar in Panama is related to the Canal. WOW!
We also spent some time birding, seeing a pair of Bat Falcons perched on a radio tower by the Locks. We also spent the time after getting back to the Tower watching hummingbirds at their perches in the rain.
The sunset tonight was spectacular. Clouds, mountains, trees and a brilliant set of pink streaks. Now that's a genuine "hoo ha!"
Birds of note:
Bat Falcon
Laughing Gull
Rock Pigeon
Brown Pelican
Saturday, August 19th, 2006
Part One: Farewell to Canopy Tower
Last morning at Canopy Tower and we spent much of it up top. Nothing new -- but better looks at Scaled Pigeon and farewell looks at Blue-headed Parrot, Green Honeycreeper, and a lovely mixed flock.
The farewell birds:
Scaled Pigeon
Blue-headed Parrot
Green Honeycreeper
Lesser Greenlet
White-shouldered Tanager
Red-lored Amazon
Palm Tanager
Part Two: Panama City
On to our day (and night) in Panama City. We stayed at Country Inn and Suites. The room was large, had a king bed and a sleeper sofa, and, as reserved, the balcony looked out on the Bridge of the Americas and the Pacific entrance/exit to the Canal.
Avi and I went out on the balcony and started birding. We quickly got a new life bird on the chain link fence -- a pair of Saffron Finches.
My intention for the day was to visit Panama Viejo (Old Panama), which is the ruins of the original Panama City built in the 16th century and burned down by the infamous Capt. Morgan in the 1600's. We snagged a "SET" (more expensive) hotel-based cab. Our driver, Luciano, showed us the sights all along the drive and waited for us at the museum and, later, the ruins and the on grounds craft market.
I'm embarrassed to say, we spent way more time in the market and we didn't even get to the shops on the second floor.
About $160 later, we asked Luciano to drop us at a restaurant that was good, inexpensive, and accepted Mastercard. Along the way, we stopped at an ATM to replenish our empty pockets.
The restaurant he chose was Mi Ranchito on the Amador Causeway. It was an excellent choice. We had appetizers (Mixed Panama Plate and Octopus Ceviche), excellent seafood (sea bass, shrimp, and giant prawns), guanabana milkshakes, one dessert, and two coffees. The bill for the four of us was $60 with the tip included. Mi Ranchito met and surpassed our requirements.
We all hiked the causeway back to the hotel. It was a much longer walk than we anticipated. We got in a few shorebirds during the day, though we couldn't figure out what a couple of them were. Also, Avi and I dipped on the Southern Lapwing, which would have been a life bird, which Anna saw while we were in the museum.
While walking the causeway we studied the Gray-breasted Martins. We also saw some beautiful spotted crabs and trilobite-like animals Lynn said were called Chitons.
A field near the end of our walk was filled with Fork-tailed Flycatchers and Mangrove and Barn Swallows.
The biggest surprise was a Barred Antshrike along the causeway. First it was out in the open and then it flew across the road into a much more familiar posture: skulking around in the underbrush.
We had farewell drinks and a BIG slice of cheesecake at the hotel's restaurant (unfortunately, TGI Friday's -- UGH!) before bidding each other farewell.
We're already planning a return trip to Canopy LODGE in the Valle de Anton next year!
Birds of note:
Tropical Mockingbird
Great Egret
Saffron Finch
Greater Yellowlegs
Snowy Egret
Long-billed Curlew
Spotted Sandpiper
White Ibis
Yellow-bellied Seedeater
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Barred Ant-shrike
Gray-breasted Martin
Mangrove Swallow
Barn Swallow
Ruddy Ground-dove
Sunday, August 20th, 2006
Farewell to Panama
So sad. We return home today. But I spent a while on the balcony watching some now-familiar birds before Luciano picked us up for our trip to Tocumen International Airport and then back to the States.
The birds:
Crimson-backed Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Tropical Kingbird
Palm Tanager
Common Tody Flycatcher
Oranged-chinned Parakeet
Brown Pelican
Neotropical Cormorant
and our farewell bird:
Black Vulture
For those who are interested, what follows are the logistics of our trip:
The following has to do with the basics of our trip to Panama. Answers to questions we had that were, for the most part, unanswered.
1. How are the mosquitoes?
We had much less of a problem with mosquitoes than anticipated. Yes, they were there, but not in the swarms we had imagined. However, we DID wear long pants, long sleeves, hats, and boots and socks at all times out in the field. Our clothes had been treated with Permethrin and we applied Sulfur (supplied at Canopy Lodge) to our socks before going out.
This is not to say we came home bite-free - though I’m not absolutely sure what it was that bit us. I DO know that I was up top Canopy Tower our first afternoon and received bites of some kind on my ankles. Lynn and Anna also received the same bites behind their knees (they were wearing shorts at the time). So, there ARE biting insects, including flies, chiggers and ants. (In fact we nicknamed the Chagres River the “Chiggers River” - since we were always warned to use the Sulfur when we were going to that area.)
The times we encountered mosquitoes, we were around wet, swampy areas, such as Summit Ponds and Ammo Dump Ponds. There was also a swampy area on Old Gamboa Road (which was where we saw the Spectacled Owls).
2. Cotton or Nylon?
We brought both. Avi and I had safari pants (from Cabela’s and Academy Sports). These are the kind that are like cargo pants with zip off bottoms. They were wonderful. We were able to go back to Canopy Tower, zip off the bottoms, relax, and put the bottoms back on before going back out into the field in the afternoon.
The difference between cotton and nylon came to light with our shirts. I had gone to Goodwill to find light, long-sleeved cotton shirts for the field. During my forays, I found myself a light Magellan Nylon, vented shirt. I then went to Academy sports and bought a similar one for Avi.
In comparing the two, the nylon shirts came out on top. They were cooler, dried faster, and were easier to wear in many ways. The cotton shirts absorbed our sweat, rather than wicking it away, making for sticky walks and long drying times in the room.
3. Best purchases for the trip?
Other than the nylon pants and shirts? By far, the Ex-officio travel underwear! What a difference! When we went to Belize many years ago, we went with our regular cotton undies. It absorbed the sweat, making us uncomfortable. Truthfully, the Ex-officio underwear made it feel like we were wearing nothing. It sounds odd, but it was a very comfortable feeling. Additionally, I was able to wash them out at night, put them on the drying racks in our rooms, and they were ready by morning.
We each brought three pair. I would bring three pair again, even though two probably would have done it.
A close second was the dozen cotton bandannas I purchased. We each brought one out into the field each day and they served us well. We used them to wipe our fogged glasses, optics (gently), and our sweat.
4. Least useful purchases for the trip?
Interestingly, the sunscreen. I searched high and low for our favorite sunscreen (Beaver43) and then we rarely used it. Between the shade of the rainforest, and the protection our hats and long-sleeves provided, it was almost unnecessary.
The only time we probably should have used it was during our day in Panama City, when we were much more exposed to the sun at Panama Viejo and walking along the Causeway.
5. Umbrellas or ponchos?
Up to you. We were told to take umbrellas, which were fine in the field, but difficult to use in the Canopy Tower vehicles. Others used ponchos.. But, if you’re there during “Green Season” (translation: Rainy Season), you’ll need something, unless you don’t mind getting soaked through to the skin.
We also brought along Ziploc bags to put our optics and our cameras in during downpours. They take up almost no room and keep things pretty dry during the heavier rains.
6. Trail conditions?
Let me begin by recommending two pair of boots. Heavier boots are useful on less-paved roads, offering more stability over small rocks and in the mud. Lighter hikers are great for paved roads and more urban birding (and there are several opportunities for this).
All the roads are wide, with ample access and fairly easy grades (with the exception of walking down Semaphore Hill).
I’m going to take it trip by trip (according to the Canopy Tower tours we took).
PLANTATION ROAD: This is at the base of Canopy Tower’s hill. I wore my light hikers here and would have preferred my heavier ones because of the small stones in the road. The walk is easy with little grade.
SEMAPHORE HILL: You walk DOWN This fully and well-paved road, with a vehicle picking you up at the end of the walk and driving you back up to the Tower. Light hikers are fine. However, the grade is steep and the road can be a bit slippery from algae at the edges and in some center areas.
SUMMIT PONDS: I think light hikers would be fine here. It’s mostly paved road and grassy areas (chigger alert!). The walk is easy, on a level grade.
AMMO DUMP PONDS: Pretty much the same as Summit Ponds. Easy walking on pavement and grassy areas. Light hikers are fine. Again, chiggers and mosquitoes. In fact, we saw a truck spraying for mosquitoes during our time there.
FIRST PART OF PIPELINE ROAD: Not as muddy as the second part - but heavier boots would certainly offer more stability on this road. Some of it is broken pavement, other parts of it are dirt. Fairly easy walking with even grades.
SECOND PART OF PIPELINE ROAD: An entirely different experience from the first part. During the “Green Season” (translation: Rainy Season), there’s plenty of muddy areas. Definitely wear your heavier boots and be prepared to get dirty. The road, when it’s good, is very good. But muddy spots either require sinking deeply into the mud, walking right alongside the rainforest with difficult footing in some areas (and be careful what you grab for balance - always look first), or a four-wheel drive vehicle. There were even certain times when our vehicle got a bit stuck in the mud. Luckily, the drivers are excellent. Who needs Disney World when you can have a real white-knuckle mudsliding experience in the Panama rainforest???
Canopy Tower information regarding the full day at Pipeline Road: Even though it’s a taxing day, we stopped for a midmorning snack of small sandwiches, juice, and fruit, in addition to our lunch stop. The drivers pulled out a small folding table and we birded while snacking (and lunching). The vehicles are generally available if you have a need to take a break and sit down for a while.
SUMMIT GARDENS: Light hikers are more than adequate. This is a zoo/park/botanical gardens, with easy walking.
OLD GAMBOA ROAD: Again, I would recommend heavier boots for this one. The road is a fairly easy walk on broken pavement and dirt. No mud, but one small hill over rocky terrain. This was probably one of my favorite areas because of the diversity in habitat (and the Spectacled Owls!).
TANAGER FEEDERS/ROAD TO GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT/MARINA: Light hikers. Very easy walk through different habitats. All well-paved.
7. What’s the story on Canopy Tower?
We stayed in one of the double rooms on the third floor. I would describe the entire experience as Rustic Luxury.
First of all, there ARE a lot of steps - five floors of them, if you count going up to the top.
No air conditioning. But there are ceiling fans in the rooms, and wall fans in the dining/gathering area on the fourth floor. We were quite comfortable whenever we were in the Tower.
The doubles are small, but well-appointed, with warming racks that help to dry out wet towels, clothes, etc. There’s a place to hang clothes, complete with hangers, and a couple of open shelves over that for folded items. We put our dinner clothes and travel clothes on the hangers and shelves, and left our field clothing in the suitcase (since it didn’t matter if it wrinkled or not).
The bathroom had a soap dispenser in the shower, though we brought our own shampoo, soap, and detergent (to wash the underwear) - all biodegradable. Towels are good ones and each person gets a bath towel, hand towel, and washcloth. We usually left the towels in the bathroom and returned to find the staff had put them on the drying racks when they came to make up our room.The bathroom also had a hair dryer.
The showers have their own individual water heaters. You’re requested to save water by wetting yourself, turning off the water, soaping up, turning on the water and rinsing off. Temperature control was persnickety. Shorter bursts of water helped this as well. I preferred cooler water anyway.
The sinks had the push-down type of water faucet, limiting the amount of water running at any given time. We used the glasses supplied to aid in toothbrushing and shaving.
There were no real hardships with either form of water conservation.
The beds are a mixed bag (varied reports). Ours were singles with mosquito netting. They were quite firm. I like firm beds, Avi does not. But, no matter -- Avi and I always bring sleeping pills with us on vacations, so we slept well.
The room also comes supplied with a battery operated alarm clock and a flashlight.
We brought water bottles. This was unnecessary. Canopy Tower provides water, Gatorade, and a choice of juices for the trips.
Internet access is available (there was no charge during our time there), though they request, reasonably so, that you not take too much time so others can access it. We used it to stay in touch with our kids and Avi liked to check the headlines each day.
The food is simple, but excellent! There are three FULL meals each day and the evening meal is served with Chilean wine. During our stay we had things like curried chicken, sea bass, meatloaf - all of the highest quality! Juice always awaits when the group returns from the field. In the late afternoons, there are two types of hors d’oeuvres on the coffee table. There’s a “cash barâ€, as it were, during hors d’oeuvres time with beer, vodka, whiskey, gin, etc. - all high quality products.
As for purchases in the Tower, these are done on an honor basis. There’s a ledger in the dining area where you write if you’ve had any beer, alcohol (there’s gin, vodka, whiskey, etc.), purchased any items from the gift shop downstairs, etc. At the end of your stay, they tally this up and you settle the accounts.
Additional tours are available for additional fees. We paid extra for a boat tour on the Chagres River and a small piece of the Canal. It cost $95 per person, which seemed a bit expensive. But we were given one of the birding guides, a snack for the trip, and we were out several hours. In the end, we enjoyed it and felt it was money well-spent.
8. Does it pay to take the trip to the Miraflores Locks, or should I just do more birding?
This is a personal decision. Avi and I decided to go to the Locks because, after all, we were in Panama and the Canal pretty much defines a large part of what that country is and where it’s going. In fact, it’s because of the Canal, and the need to protect Lake Gatun’s watershed, that so much rainforest still exists! And, there ARE birds everywhere. In fact, the best look Avi and I had at Bat Falcons was at the Miraflores Locks!
Admission to the Locks without the museum is $6, with the museum it’s $8. We were fortunate enough to have a PANAMAX ship (the largest size able to pass through) going through the lock while we were there, so a great deal of our time was taken watching that process. As a result, we felt a bit rushed moving through the 4-floor museum.
I believe the groups that didn’t take the boat ride, or the trip to the Locks, went back to Old Gamboa Road in the morning and Pipeline Road in the afternoon.
9. Packing list?
Sure. We had a much longer list. I’ve honed it down and have only posted the things we truly found useful during our week’s stay, both in the field and during our day in Panama City. These were for our trip in mid-August. Conditions might differ at different times of the year.
Clothing:
o Casual clothing for city traveling. People DID wear shorts in Panama City. But we preferred light pants (Avi wore seersucker and I wore very light cotton capris) and short-sleeved shirts.
o Shirts - Nylon, vented, long-sleeved (3)
o Trousers - light synthetic safari pants, the type with the zip off bottoms (3)
o Footwear: light weight hiking boots, heavy-duty hiking boots. Sandals for the city and upstairs in the Tower. No matter what, make sure you have two pair of shoes for the field in case one gets wet in the rain or the mud.
o Socks - 1 pair for each day. We brought Acrylic, since cotton would get soggy.
o Hat with visor for rain and sun protection
o Extra prescription glasses and medication. We didn’t bring extra glasses. But both our friends had their glasses break out in the field.
o Small day pack or fanny pack for hikes
o Sweater or Jacket - On our last day at Canopy Tower I wore my light sweater. It had rained all day and I felt a bit cool. Other than that, I didn’t need it at all.
o Underwear - we LOVED our Ex-officio travel underwear. (3 pair each)
o Swimwear - for Panama City, if you’re staying somewhere that has a pool. Of no use at the Tower.
Toiletries/Medicines:
o Biodegradable shampoo, soap and detergent (for washing underwear or other garments)
o Sunscreen and insect repellent (30% DEET pump spray, cream or lotion) - I wish we had brought a pump spray rather than our lotion.
o Tiger Balm or Camphophenique (prevents botflies) - put it on any bites you get. In theory, it kills their eggs.
o A&D Ointment - we didn’t use this. But one of our friends did, for chafing
o 1% Hydrocortisone Cream
o Tylenol, Advil, or some other type of analgesic
o Personal Hygiene Supplies
o Emergency roll of toilet paper or a package of tissues (Useful anywhere)
o Bandage called Blistex which can be placed on budding blisters before they get too bad
o Tweezers
o Nail clippers
o Gold Bond Powder for many different purposes
o Band-aids
Other:
o Camera and film - LOTS of memory or LOTS of film.
o Ziplock plastic bags for spillable toiletries
o Ziplock plastic bags for rainproofing
o Plastic garbage bags for wet items or muddy boots
o Collapsible luggage to store extra items in Panama. Extra space is always helpful if you intend to buy any souvenirs.
o Field Journal
o Extra Batteries: We brought rechargeable and replaced them in the digital camera each day.
o Folding umbrellas or rain ponchos
10. What about money?
If you’re only staying at Canopy Tower, bring enough for tips. They suggest $6 per day per person for the staff, as well as leaving a tip for the guides to your discretion. We also tipped our driver to and from the airport. Some people tipped the Pipeline Road drivers, though we felt this was included in the general tips amount.
HOWEVER, if you’re going to be doing any shopping away from Canopy Tower, bring more cash than you think you’ll need. We went to the market at Panama Viejo (I wanted to buy carved Tagua Nuts and a few Molas). In general, things were more expensive than I had expected. High quality carvings were $25 and up, though we got them for half price because we bought several at a single stall and paid cash. There would have been no discount for using a charge card. We ate up $160 in no time! Next time we’ll bring more cash. You’ll also need cash for any cab fares in Panama City or elsewhere, once you’ve left Canopy Tower.
The restaurants we ate at in Panama City accepted charge cards. However, call your charge card company and tell them you’ll be in Panama before traveling. Some will cancel the use of your card if charges from another country appear on their records (this happened to my mother in Mexico). We did this and had no problems during our time in Panama.
There ARE ATM’s all over Panama City and our cab driver was happy to stop at one for us when we ran out of cash.
The Final List in Taxonomic Order
Great Tinamou (heard)
Little Tinamou (heard)
Brown Pelican
Neotropic Cormorant
Anhinga
Magnificent Frigatebird
Striated Heron
Rufescent Tiger-Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Boat-billed Heron
White Ibis
Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
King Vulture
Osprey
Snail Kite
Double-toothed Kite
Plumbeous Kite
Crane Hawk
Great Black-Hawk
Gray Hawk
Roadside Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk
Yellow-headed Caracara
Collared Forest-Falcon
Bat Falcon
Gray-headed Chachalaca
White-throated Crake
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
Sunbittern
Limpkin
Wattled Jacana
Greater Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Long-billed Curlew
Laughing Gull
Rock Pigeon
Pale-vented Pigeon
Scaled Pigeon
Ruddy Ground-Dove
White-tipped Dove
Gray-chested Dove
Orange-chinned Parakeet
Brown-hooded Parrot
Blue-headed Parrot
Red-lored Amazon
Squirrel Cuckoo
Greater Ani
Smooth-billed Ani
Spectacled Owl
Lesser Nighthawk
Common Pauraque
Great Potoo
Common Potoo
White-collared Swift
Short-tailed Swift
Band-rumped Swift
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Long-tailed Hermit
White-necked Jacobin
Violet-bellied Hummingbird
Blue-chested Hummingbird
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
White-vented Plumeleteer
Purple-crowned Fairy
White-tailed Trogon
Violaceous Trogon
Black-tailed Trogon
Slaty-tailed Trogon
Blue-crowned Motmot
Rufous Motmot
Broad-billed Motmot
Ringed Kingfisher
Amazon Kingfisher
American Pygmy Kingfisher
Pied Puffbird
White-whiskered Puffbird
Great Jacamar
Collared Aracari
Keel-billed Toucan
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Red-crowned Woodpecker
Cinnamon Woodpecker
Lineated Woodpecker
Crimson-crested Woodpecker
Plain Xenops
Plain-brown Woodcreeper
Cocoa Woodcreeper
Fasciated Antshrike
Barred Antshrike
Western Slaty Antshrike
Checker-throated Antwren
White-flanked Antwren
Dot-winged Antwren
Dusky Antbird
Jet Antbird
Spotted Antbird
Bicolored Antbird
Black-faced Antthrush
Streak-chested Antpitta
Brown-capped Tyrannulet
Northern Scrub-Flycatcher
Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet
Forest Elaenia
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Common Tody-Flycatcher
Olivaceous Flatbill
Yellow-margined Flycatcher
Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher
Black-tailed Flycatcher
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Panama Flycatcher
Lesser Kiskadee
Great Kiskadee
Rusty-margined Flycatcher
Social Flycatcher
Sreaked Flycatcher
Piratic Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Masked Tityra
Blue Cotinga
Purple-throated Fruitcrow
Blue-crowned Manakin
Gray-breasted Martin
Mangrove Swallow
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-chested Jay
Plain Wren
Southern House Wren
White-breasted Wood-Wren
Song Wren
Long-billed Gnatwren
Tropical Gnatcatcher
Clay-colored Robin
Tropical Mockingbird
Golden-fronted Greenlet
Lesser Greenlet
Green Shrike-Vireo
Plain-colored Tanager
Golden-hooded Tanager
Blue Dacnis
Green Honeycreeper
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Thick-billed Euphonia
Blue-gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
Gray-headed Tanager
White-shouldered Tanager
Red-throated Ant-Tanager
Crimson-backed Tanager
Buff-throated Saltator
Blue-black Grosbeak
Orange-billed Sparrow
Black-striped Sparrow
Blue-black Grassquit
Variable Seedeater
Yellow-bellied Seedeater
Ruddy-breasted Seedeater
Thick-billed Seed-Finch
Great-tailed Grackle
Yellow-backed Oriole
Scarlet-rumped Cacique
Yellow-rumped Cacique
Chestnut-headed Oropendula