Saturday, March 22, 2025

 

      Smooth-billed Ani at Gamboa wetlands

Birding Central Panama 

– Gamboa, Pipeline Road, Metropolitan Park, and Kuna Yala

8-16 March 2025

    large ship passes through the Culebra Cut, Panama Canal, Gamboa

As some readers may recall, at my retirement I made a pledge to confine my naturizing to the US and Canada (Alaska included, of course). David Wilcove, however, talked me into making a quick trip to the tropics during his school mid-term break. We settled on Panama. Great choice!

    White-nosed Coatis were common at the forest-edge.

It turns out Panama offers accessible and species-rich old growth rainforest a mere 5-hour flight from DC. Also a grand rainforest hotel right at the verge of the 55,000-acre Soberanía National Park, just a 45-minute Uber from the airport! The hotel, Gamboa Rainforest Reserve, has great birding on the campus and offers an abundance of walks into the forest and down along the Chagres River. A short drive got us to the famous Pipeline Road (where I had camped with John Terborgh’s tropical ecology course in 1978).

        Alberto and I gaze up at a giant Ceiba pentandra along the Pipeline Road. This looks like a botanical garden but is
         a wild rainforest...

Wilcove’s big birding desire on this trip was to get a look at the Sapayoa (Sapayoa aenigma)—the evolutionarily mysterious sub-oscine that has befuddled systematists since it was described by Ernst Hartert in 1903. This unprepossessing songbird has variously been placed in the Manakins, or situated near the Old World Broadbills and Pittas, or even as incertae sedis [of uncertain placement]. It is today placed in its own bird family, the Sapayoidae, and seated at the very base of the passerines and of ancient Gondwanan roots. OK! So we had to go see a Sapayoa so that David could close out the last of the Neotropical bird families for his life list.

    A Keel-billed Toucan pair. We would see this species in the Hotel parking lot trees in the early morning... 

Hunting for the Sapayoa took us on a day trip to the San Blas hills east of the Canal. We visited Kuna Yala with our guide Alberto, who with his local compatriot Maxxie, took us into the wet hilltop forest to an upland stream valley that hosted a single pair of the birds. As the mid-day rains started, we located a single bird high in the canopy. Our two guides also pointed out last year’s nest for the species. Mission accomplished!

    You say you want to see a photo of a Sapayoa? OK, here you go! 

Other rambles of our weeklong visit took us to Metropolitan Park (superior rainforest birding right in town), Old Gamboa Road, the Gamboa wetlands, and back to reliable Pipeline Road. Our Panamanian sojourn produced one pleasant surprise after another.

    White-faced Capuchin monkey female. We encountered wild primates on an hourly basis. 

We bumped into Doug Robinson, a professor at Oregon State University and expert on Panama’s  birds. With two students in tow, Robinson was repeating yet again his annual survey of the birds of Barro Colorado Island, documenting the slow decline of the avifauna of that intensively-researched island managed by STRI—the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. It was fun to catch up at the end of the day with Robinson and his team… (Wilcove, Robinson, and Beehler had all participated in the International Ornithological Congress in Durban, South Africa, so we had lot to chat about).

    Rufescent Tiger-Heron in the Gamboa wetlands.

Take-home point: A trip to Gamboa and Soberanía National Park is a winner for anyone who wants to have an easy but immersive rainforest experience with an abundance of birds, mammals, and rainforest plantlife, with a minimum of muss and fuss. I thank Byron Swift for recommending the Gamboa Rainforest Reserve. And what follows is a photographic appreciation of our trip to Panama!

    Agoutis were everywhere! 

    Yes, USAID supported important environmental projects on the Pipeline Road of Soberania National Park.

    Two casts of army ants. We hunted for ant swarms in order to see the many species of ant-following birds.

    Spotted Antbird female. 

    Bicolored Antbird--an obligate ant-swarm follower....

    Female Black Howler monkey. The largest primate in the forest and a leaf-eater.

                       Male Black Howler. The tremendous growls of the males broadcast through the forest...

    Black-breasted Puffbird. 

    Black-cheeked Woodpecker.

    Black-crowned Antshrike. 

                Black-throated Trogon

    Kettle of Broad-winged Hakws accompanied by Swainson's Hawks and Black Vultures. One would look up mid-day to see         hundreds of migrating raptors! A remarkable scene!! Spring migration in Panama!!!

 

    Collared Aracari--like a small version of a toucan! 

                       Collared Forest-Falcon.

     Common Tody-Flycatcher caught nest-building.

    Crimson-crested Woodpecker female--one of the tropical ivorybills. 

    Geoffroy's Tamarin. One of four primates we encountered on our trip. 

    Yellow Geomark (Mesene silaris) [photo: David Wilcove]

    Great Tinamou, a shy forest-dweller.

    A heliconiine butterfly.

    Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth.

               Northern Barred Woodcreeper. Another of the antswarm followers.

    Olivaceous Flatbill (flycatcher). 

    An epiphytic rainforest orchid in bloom.

                                     Chestnut-headed Oropendola attending its pendant nest.

    A family of Owl Monkeys (Aotus zonensis) peering from its nest-hole. 

           Rainforest of the Pipeline Road.

    flower of the vine Passiflora coccinea [identified by Marianne Mooney]

    Red-tailed Squirrel in a fruiting palm.

    Red-throated Ant-Tanager male.

                           Rufous Motmot.

    Tree trunk adorned with spines [this is a Hura crepitans, ID'd by Jim Weigand]

         Squirrel Cuckoo. 

    Hoffman's Two-toed Sloth.




    White-necked Jacobin (hummingbird) male. 

    White-necked Crake lurking in the Gamboa wetlands.

                  White-wkiskereed Puffbird.

     Lovely yellow tree flower (unidentified).

    Yellow-throated Toucan at its nest hole.

    old male White-faced Capuchin monkey. 

     
     I encourage you to visit Panama! 




 







































Wednesday, February 26, 2025

 

   Male Spruce Grouse at roadside on Route 2 near Greenwood Lake

Winter Owl Search in Northern Minnesota

19-24 February 2025

I read that this winter was producing an irruption of northern owls southward from Canada into northern Minnesota. The last big irruption was in 2005. Over lunch, my colleague Christian Caryl expressed an interest in experiencing the owl flight, and that inspired me to make a trip with him to Duluth, to see what we could see.

    Black-capped Chickadee

Seamless flights from DC to Chicago to Duluth got us to northern MN before noon on the 28th. We rented an AWD Chevy Equinox from Avis and packed the car and headed northwestward to Sax-Zim Bog, the birding epicenter for the irruption this year (mainly because of the concentration of birders and birding facilities rather than the concentration of owls). We pulled onto the highway in blowing snow, the temperature 2 F. 

We had almost six days to hunt for owls and other boreal birds and mammals and we devoted our search to St. Louis, Aitkin, and Lake Counties, which offered the very best birding in the state.

Sax-Zim Bog, a spruce boglands about 45 minutes’ drive from Duluth, offers the best birding in Minnesota either at the height of warbler song in late June or for the owls in February. In winter, the real advantage of Sax-Zim is the ability to share knowledge of the locations of rare birds through various means: email, phone, apps, and through the analog method of searching the gravel roads for stopped cars disgorging birders weighed down with long lenses and binoculars.

Given the blowing wind and snow and cold, we decided to stop for lunch in Cotton, MN, right on the eastern verge of the bog. There we feasted on comfort food at Wilbert Café (founded in 1922!), an establishment we frequented twice-daily for lunch and breakfast. They provided the kind of food that kept us warm when out birding in the brutal Minnesota cold.

Sax-Zim Bog has its own “Friends” group that promotes birding and nature conservation in the bog. They manage an array of roadside feeders through the bog as well as a well-staffed Welcome Center on Owl Avenue. There is also an array of bog boardwalks good for birding and for enjoying the gorgeous boreal conifer forests in the snow.

After the fortifying lunch, we jumped in the car and at that moment the Sax-Zim birding chat app on Telegram alerted us that a Boreal Owl had been located moments earlier. We drove the snow-covered gravels roads for 20 minutes (Sax-Zim is big!) and turning a corner, we came upon a line of 20+ cars and some 30 people with cameras, tripods, and binoculars, all looking towards a sleeping Boreal Owl sheltered low in a roadside White Spruce. The owl was frosted with the snow that was rapidly falling.  

    sleeping Boreal Owl in snow, Sax-Zim Bog

This was a life bird for Christian and myself, so high fives were exchanged and we then started photographing the little bird, perhaps 75 feet distant. After 5 minutes I retreated to the car to warm up. We carried out this routine several times, as the conditions were brutal.

The Sax-Zim chat app then announced the presence of a Great Gray Owl at the Admiral Road Feeders, which required another 20 minute drive in the snow. The gravel roads took us through extensive Black Spruce boglands and White Spruce uplands, everything snow-covered. We were experiencing real winter conditions here. Wind chill was well below zero.

              Great Gray Owl hunting at the Admiral Rd Feeders, Sax-Zim Bog

The roads through the boglands are straight. From a distance, we could see cars parked on the side of the road ahead, and we knew that was our destination. Here was a smaller collection of cars (we were quick on the mark). A few people were at the roadside, admiring a Great Gray Owl perch on a stump right beside the feeder setup. The owl was not interested in what was being offered in the feeders, but was presumably attracted to the small rodents that were drawn in to the waste grain shed by the feeders. Clever owl!


A half-dozen of us stood by the road in the snow, watching and photographing the owl. We were no more than 25 feet from the big bird. One might think that the owl would be frightened by our presence, but no. The owl was focused on foraging for voles and our presence was of no import.

We returned to the original Boreal Owl to see if we could see the bird with its bright yellow eyes opened (it was sleeping when we first visited). Success! Then home to Duluth to thaw out…

    Boreal Owl #2 in sunshine with eyes opened, warming up in cold..

We started Day 2 at the Wilbert Café with a scrumptious breakfast and then hit the road, stopping at the Russell Bog on Arkola Road to walk the bog boardwalk through the snow-covered spruces and spend time at the nice feeder set by the parking lot. A small flock of Pine Grosbeaks and large flocks of Redpolls and Pine Siskins entertained us.

    Male Pine Grosbeak at Russell Bog feeders.

We heard of a second Boreal Owl farther down Arkola Road and were among the very first to see it. It was another roadside bird, perched at the edge of the spruces to catch some of the morning sun.

                         Boreal Owl #3 on trail behind Sax-Zim Welcome Center

We next visited the Sax-Zim Welcome Center which was crowded with exuberant birders excited by Sax-Zim. A large plate-glass window gave us a perfect view of the feeders in the back, which featured a pair of Canada Jays and several birds feeding on a big hunk of deer carcass (including Hairy Woodpecker and Black-capped Chickadee). The (roadkilled?) carcass is put out for birds as well as visiting mammals such as American Martin and Ermine. 

    Canada Jay on deer carcass at Welcome Center Sax-Zim (photo courtesy of Christian Caryl)

    Purple Finches and siskins at Mary Lou's Feeders 

Word went out that a third Boreal Owl was roosting on the main walking trail behind the Welcome Center. We hiked out the snowy trail and there was another one of these adorable little owls—one of the most elusive birds in all North America. I had been hoping for this bird for 50 years (I missed the one in Central Park) and now had three in 24 hours…

    Photographers appreciating Boreal Owl #1, Sax-Zim Bog

Things slowed down in the PM, so after a sweet lunch at the Wilbert Café we decided to take a major detour to Aitkin County in search of the ever-elusive Northern Hawk Owl. We were able to get coordinates for a “stakeout” for this species from a fellow birder who had seen it the preceding day. Apparently there was only a single reported American Hawk Owl in northern Minnesota at this time…

    Minnesota north country in February

Driving westward, we encountered our second Great Gray Owl on a tall transmission pole by the roadside, and we also glimpsed a sleeping Porcupine up in an aspen.

                 Great Gray Owl in Aitkin County

The drive took us to the Mississippi River which we crossed and then followed for a dozen miles. This was through open agricultural country, not the closed-in boreal spruce forest of Sax-Zim. As the sun was setting, we arrived at a lonely gravel tertiary road next to the Willowsippi Wildlife Management Area. No sign of any birds but some passing crows.

A beautiful sunset was beginning—we were running out of time. I then recalled I had spoken with Butch Ukara, an Aitkin County super-birder a few days before. I rung him up and he instructed us to drive southward through a patch of woods to another clearing. There atop of telephone line perched the owl. The sun was just dropping below the horizon as we photographed the bird in the pinky light.

           Northern Hawk Owl in Aitkin County, MN

Day 3, of course, started at Wilbert Café. Then Sax-Zim, which was singularly unproductive, in spite of visits to Admiral Road Feeders, Arkola Feeders, and the Welcome Center. No Black-backed Woodpecker or Boreal Chickadee, which topped our want list...

    Evening Grosbeaks at Mary Lou's Feeders

A long drive to Mary Lou’s feeders, in the northwest corner of Sax-Zim, was paydirt, though: Evening Grosbeaks, Purple Finches, Redpolls, siskins, Turkeys, and more. The feeders were buzzing! We headed back to Duluth to hunt for a Snowy Owl that was being reported near our motel in Hermantown (no luck) and waterbirds along the Superior shore (Park Point, the Duluth Canal). Highlight was a big flock of American Goldeneyes in the Canal and the experience of crossing the Aerial Lift Bridge.

    American Goldeneye drakes in Duluth Canal

On Day Four we departed the Econolodge in Duluth and headed north to Two Harbors, 25 minutes’ drive up the North Shore of Lake Superior. This base would give us access to the deep Northeast of Minnesota, wild northwoods country. We discovered Judy’s Café—another comfort food emporium and there we had a nice lunch (I enjoyed the Walleye sandwich).

   A female Red-breastd Nuthatch at the  feeders at Greenwook Creek.

We would spend the remainder of our time in MN traipsing up and down Route 2 and Route 1 between Two Harbors and Ely, gateway to the Boundary Waters.

    Dozing Porcupine, Aitkin County

The epicenter of our birding interest was Greenwood Lake, where in late June 2001 I had experienced one of the best birding days of my life with David Wilcove, John Lamoreux, and John Morrison that featured Great Gray, Northern Hawk Owl, and Spruce Grouse.

    Pine Siskins gorging on Nyjer Seed

Christian and I were hoping to work some of that same magic, though the season was a different one.

    A bright male Redpoll

We walked snowmobile trails that cut though the thick spruce and fir woods. We stopped along Route 2 and did playback to the silent conifer woodlands. We worked hard with little return… For three days we plied back and forth through the boreal wilderness, where the snow stood 15” deep.

    A close-up Hairy Woodpecker

We were joined by other birders in search of the same elusive birds—Mary Clausen from Omaha, and two Coloradans—Dick Filby, a high-octane British birder, and Al Levantin. Mary pointed out to us that Al was the super-birder played by Steve Martin in the movie “The Big Year.” We chatted with Al about the making of the movie, which he had found amusing.

    A male Black-backed Woodpecker near Greenwood Lake, Lake County, MN

Hard work produced a pair of Black-backed Woodpeckers, but the American Three-toed Woodpecker resisted our charms. And where was the Spruce Grouse?

    Boreal Chickadee

Finally we called in a flock of 6 Boreal Chickadees. Adorable creatures!

                       Christian Caryl walking the snowmobile trail famous for its boreal woodpeckers

On Day Five we started the morning at Judy’s Café in Two Harbors and then drove back up Route 2 in search of grouse and woodpeckers. Lots of hard work produced several Black-backed Woodpeckers, more Boreal Chickadees, and, finally, at the end of the day, a single female American Three-toed Woodpecker.

          A female American Three-toed Woodpecker found up the snowmobile trail featured in last photo

We actually had both woodpecker species along the snowmobile trail just north of the feeders at Greenwood Creek (where we had previously searched unsuccesfully). We walked up to a lovely male Black-backed working on a tilted spruce that hung over the snowy trail. The bird was producing lots of dark bark chips that marked the snow and caused us to look up and detect the bird. We madly waved to call up the several birders down at the feeders and they shared the woodpecker, which they needed for their life lists—fun! Then Christian and I hiked another 200 meters up the trail and heard the drumming of an American Three-toed. A chubby female was there for us to admire.

           Male Black-Baked Woodpecker working a spruce for edible arthropods....

At the end of the day, in Two Harboers, we went down to commune with a Great Gray Owl that had established a winter territory in an urban park near the water. Perhaps forty cars were parked nearby and clots of people (most with long lenses) were surrounding the owl, which was perched on someone’s tripod. We watched the owl capture a vole from this perch, and we were told by a German photographer that he has seen the owl take five voles in two hours. This bird was clearly working the system in spite of the crowds of gawkers.

    Vole-eating Great Gray Owl in downtown Two Harbors, MN, perched on somebody's tripod.

Day Six began with a 5:20AM departure for Ely, in search of some Bohemian Waxwings that had been reported in the town by one of our birding friends (Dick Filby). We drove 90 minutes to Ely and arrived at the neighborhood post-dawn and saw some exotic fruiting trees that we guessed were the target of the waxwings. After a ten-minute wait, in came the flock, and we watched them hang out in a tall tree, the low sun making the handsome birds glow. Life bird!

    Flock of Bohemian Waxwings in Ely, MN

We still had hopes for a Spruce Grouse. These birds in early morning come to gather gravel at rural roadsides, and both Route 1 and Route 2 were well-known sites to see this bird. The species had been seen the day before on Route 1, so we held out hope… Nope… nothing on Route 1 that day for us… Heading south on Route 2, our hope dwindled… until a dark bird showed itself on the right side of the road—male Spruce Grouse! We then saw a second male about ten miles south of Greenwood Lake, making our day and ending our birding adventure. We were back on the East Coast that night, with some treasured memories of winter in northern MN.

    Male Spruce Grouse at roadside, Route 2 north of Greenwood Lake, MN   


And Bonus Images Follow: