A day off...checking out Peg billed Finches and slaty Finches and much more....

This morning I was next to my bed at 5am...I had a day off..why do I do that to myself... well I wanted to be alone in the cloud forest and see birds... and only be responsible for only... myself...

A beautiful start...

But I had to hike more and faster then I am use too...yes I know ...bird watching is not hiking...but I did go faster, because my goal was to see Peg billed Finches and slaty Finches...the Bamboo is seeding and I did want to see them and observe them.. so from the ranger station in Alto Chiquero(1800 meters) to the Bamboo area (2250+ Meters).

I did start at 6.30am with black Guans and flying Quetzales  and around 8.30 am I did see my first slaty Finches, male and female

, they were very noisy and energetic..the hormones are in the air..( for a lot of birds).

I enjoyed my coffee and watched these Finches...I love their songs.

But for the seeding Bamboo I needed to climb up a little bit more, and after 10 minutes I did see the first peg billed Finch:

  

I counted 3 Females and 7 males

Singing...eating...flying around.

After taking also some movies and eating a part watermelon, I did return and took more time to see other nice birds and did keep an eye on the clouds, they came in already at 10.15am... nice mixed flocks and a very big mixed group of large footed Finches and chestnut capped brush Finches

And kind of early in the season I did hear already young blue throated Toucanets "screaming" out of a nest..I did find the parent sitting there...high up in the canopy.:

My list of today...

highland Tinamou (did see one , heard a lot)

black Guan (Start and at the end of my hike..then he was walking? across the trail)

spotted Wood Quail

black Vulture

swallow tailed Kites

broad winged Hawk

short tailed Hawk

black Hawk Eagle

band tailed Pigeon

Chiriqui Quail Dove

sulphur winged Parakeets

white collared Swifts

Vaux's Swifts

purple throated Mountain Gem male

orange bellied Trogon

resplendent Quetzales (4 males)

blue throated Toucanet

hairy Woodpecker

Acorn Woodpecker

red faced Spinetails

ruddy Treerunner

streak breasted Treehunter

lineated foliage Gleaner

silvery fronted Tapaculo

Mountain Elaenia

paltry Tyrannulet

dark Pewee

yellowish Flycatcher

black Phoebe

bright rumped Attila

barred Becard male making a nest

three wattled Bellbird

yellow winged Vireo

brown capped Vireo

rufous browed Peppershrike

silvery throated Jays

gray breasted Wood Wren

ruddy capped nightingale Thrush

black faced Solitair

clay colored Thrush

Mountain Thrush

tropical Mockingbird

long tailed silky Flycatcher

flame throated Warbler

slate throated Redstart

collared Redstart

Wilson's Warber(only migrant today...?)

black cheeked Warbler

common bush Tanager

sooty capped bush Tanager

spangle cheeked Tanager

yellow faced Grassquit

slaty Finch

peg billed Finch

slaty Flowerpiercer

yellow thighed Finch

large footed Finch

chestnut capped brush Finch

rufous collared Sparrow

eastern Meadowlark

Elegant Euphonia

Beautiful day!!

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23th of February 2015..again a rose throated Becard and a nice orange collared Manakin...

Bad weather in the mountains...up to the sun today..with succes and good birds!
It was getting very hot , very soon , so we had to move ourselves a little bit more often, but that was fun...
Bird list 23th of February 2015 Caldera Panama
snowy Egret
black Vulture
yellow headed Caracara
white tipped Dove
ruddy ground Dove
brown throated Parakeets in flight
blue headed Parrots in flight
orange chinned Parakeets in flight
Squirrel Cuckoo
smooth billed Ani
Vaux's Swift
scaly breasted Hummingbird female

rufous tailed Hummingbird
snowy bellied Hummingbird
long billed Starthroat
ringed Kingfisher
red crowned Woodpecker
lineated Woodpecker
streak headed Woodcreeper
southern Beardless Tyrannulet
yellow bellied Elaenia
slaty capped Flycatcher
yellow bellied Flycatcher

Panama Flycatcher
social Flycatcher
boat billed Flycatcher
streaked Flycatcher
tropical Kingbird
piratic Flycatcher
black Phoebe
fork tailed Flycatcher
rose throated Becard female

orange collared Manakin

yellow throated Vireo
yellow green Vireo
black chested Jay
gray breasted Martins
House Wren
clay colored Thrush
tropical Mockingbird
yellow Warbler
rufous capped Warbler
crimson backed Tanager
blue gray Tanager
red legged Honeycreeper
buff throated Saltator in flight
blue black Grassquit
black striped Sparrow
Summer Tanager
great tailed Grackle
crested Oropendola
yellow throated Euphonia
thick billed Euphonia
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18,19, 20, 21th of February 2015..birding around Volcan Baru, different Altitudes, microclimates + update 13th of March 2015

3 Mornings and 1 day I did spend time with two English Birders.. birds in different areas around the Volcano Baru.. sendero los Quetzales the whole day..was fun.
The first two days in the cloud forest we had great weather and when the weather was changing higher in the mountains, we were already planning to go to lower parts on the south and west of the Volcano..you get what you deserve...
On the Quetzal trail we did start with a Quetzal foraging on the ground... great start..
Small movie: https://www.facebook.com/tinamoucottage?ref=ts&fref=ts   19th of February 2015

On the whole trail it was coming and going of mixed flocks, great. Always when February almost ends it get's really interesting on this trail..then also the name is totally correct , we did see quite a bit of Quetzales.
Also in another area the day before we did see Quetzales.
Great was a buffy Tuftedcheek making a nest:

 and in one of the mixed flocks I did see a brown billed Scythebill..unfortunately I was the only one that see this bird.
Group of 5 Swallow tailed Kites, that was a while ago...
Group of large footed Finches always fun to watch.
In Caldera we did see again the Sapphire throated Hummingbird
Here some more pictures... a nice bud of a Quetzal:

a female orange bellied Trogon:

a male orange bellied Trogon:

a magnificent Hummingbird:

Volcano Hummingbird:

streaked Flycatcher in nice light:

lineated Woodpecker fits in with the color of the bark:

social Flycatcher nice with the yellow flowers:

nice flowers.... south of the Volcano (600m)

update 13th of March 2015..I got a nice mail from them..I am always so happy with these mails..thank you!

Dear Hans and Terry,

Having returned to London a week ago (to a single figure temperature), we have had time to look back on our time in Panama.  This is a short message to thank you both for looking after us so well during our time in Boquete.  We learned so much about bird-watching from you, Terry, that I will now invest in a good camera so as not to miss those opportunities again.  After we returned to Panama City we were lucky to find an afternoon slot at the Canopy Tower and had some good sightings of sloths, keel-billed toucans and other birds.  And your guide of the Kotowa coffee farm, Hans, was so good that I will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.  In fact I am already turning my nose up at the regular fare provided here.

I hope we might see you again some time.

All the best,

Robin and Kim

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huge amount of Quetzales at Respingo and a nice fiery throated Hummingbird 12 Febr. 2015

12 February 2015

I was waiting  for Hans and guest hikers at the trail head of the Quetzal trail...I always can enjoy myself and did see nice birds like the Volcano Hummingbird...

And very sneaky a nice fiery throated Hummingbird in the brushes

I did walk 3 minutes into the trail and heard the very soft "cat" like soft smooth sound of Quetzales with  hormone"problems".

And the first one was sitting in front of me and then I did got the "show" of flying male Quetzales, 5 of them.. I thought... maybe nice to make a movie... I took my camera and EMPTY BATTERY...

But anyway , I did enjoy the show..will be not my last one to watch...

I took a small movie of the fiery throated Hummingbird before the Quetzal show...

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=336687183192939

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11th of February..cloudforest 1750 m..the three wattled Bellbirds are back and sound of a ornate Hawk Eagle immature

It was a nice blue sky day, it was nice to see the Three wattled Bellbirds again and to hear them.
We had to work a little bit to find them.
They did stay late last year..until beginning of October and 3 weeks ago I did hear them nearby our farm already and on a 1700 m level...but now that are totally back...so early!

The long tailed silky Flycatchers are busy to make nests and also we did see a couple of streak headed Woodcreepers making a nest,

(on our farm ..the long billed Starthroat is sitting on her nest..second nest of this season, she is using her old nest ...like usual)

I never did see such a HUGE group of yellow bellied Siskins together in top of the trees, singing...I took a picture, but could only take 4 of them , but I think there were at least 20...25 together...

Then I did hear a sound of a bird , that I did hear last year same time... could not find it. I did ask my colleage Cesar of Finca Lerida.. and he thought it was the call of a ornate Hawk Eagle..I did cheked it and yes that was through.. long live Facebook and youtube...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOPkXoOtmpA

For my movie of the sound... https://www.facebook.com/tinamoucottage?fref=ts 0n the timeline..12th of February 2015

I will try to find him Friday...

It was a nice day!

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Bird list 11th of February 2015

Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
white tailed Kite
short tailed Hawk
Bat Falcon
yellow headed Caracara
band tailed Pigeon
ruddy ground Dove
sulphur winged Parakeet
barred Parakeets
violet Sabrewing
green violet Ear
white tailed Emerald
white throated Mountain Gem
Magnificent Hummingbird
scintillant Hummingbird
blue throated Toucanet
red crowned Woodpecker
Acorn Woodpecker
red faced Spinetail
buffy Tuftercheek
streak headed Woodcreeper
Mountain Elaenia
lesser Elaenia
dark Pewee
yellowish Flycatcher
black Phoebe
boat billed Flycatcher
social Flycatcher
tropical Kingbird
barred Becard
three wattled Bellbird
brown capped Vireo
Tennessee Warbler
House Wren
Ochraceous Wren
gray breasted Wood Wren
Mountain Thrush
white throated Thush
clay colored Thrush
tropical Mockingbird
long tailed silky Flycatcher
Tennessee Warbler
black throated green Warbler
slate throated Redstart
Wilson's Warbler
common Bush Tanager
blue gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
silver throated Tanager

white winged Tanager
red legged Honeycreeper
Yellow faced Grassquit
slaty Flowerpiercer
white naped brush Finch
rufous collared Sparrow
flame colored Tanager
great tailed Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
elegant Euphonia
yellow bellied Siskin
lesser Goldfinch

this morning a few hours on my own ...new spot

Free morning...so I discovered a nice new spot around Caldera, I had 2 hours fun on my own...

Anyway it is a nice day ..because we have since before Christmas a good rain shower on our farm and I did discover in front of our face from our Balcony a nest from the snowy bellied Hummingbird...in the pine tree...so that will be fun the next few weeks:

On my way towards Caldera area... the weather was great..clouds no wind...great for a Boquete girl like me...

Not bad for 2 hours...

gray headed Chachalaca, cattle Egrets,black and Turkey Vulture, crested Caracara, yellow headed Caracara, groove billed Ani's, road side Hawk,gray necked Wood Rail, white tipped Dove, ruddy ground Dove,crimson fronted Parakeets, a lot of blue hooded Parrots, brown throated Parakeets, orange chinned Parakeets, striped Cuckoo, white collared Swifts, long billed Starthroat, snowy bellied Hummingbird, rufous tailed Hummingbird, violet Sabrewing, red crowned Woodpecker, lineated Woodpecker,southern beardless Tyrannulet,yellow Tyrannulet,yellow bellied Elaenia,ochre bellied Flycatcher, slaty capped Flycatcher, pale eyed Pygmy Tyrant(picture down below),common Tody Flycatcher,yellow bellied Flycatcher,tropical Kingbird,masked Tityra,yellow throated Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, gray breasted  Martin,House Wren,clay colored Thrush,tropical Mockingbird,Tennessee Warbler,yellow Warbler,rufous capped Warbler,crimson backed Tanager,blue gray Tanager,red legged Honeycreeper,buff throated Saltator,Summer Tanager,crested Oropendola,thick billed Euphonia

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8 February 2015 fun morning

Today it was fun... a happy Dutch man with a camera ..huge lens and his wife with a pair of good eyes ..but did not want  binoculars when I did ask her...No I cannot see through the binoculars... I have good eyes. Yes ...(I still tried)... but... through Binoculars you will see the details...no no I do it without she said...

O.K. So we did start on the spot ..great for picture taking people...it was cloudy , so we did need all the light we could get.

On a certain point we did see a nice green Heron flying in a tree... o.k. she said.. can I check it out through your binocs...of course(I thought...she will surrender!)Oh wauw , what a yellow eyes and soooo much colors...

O.K. I said , I give you some nice Binoculars...try it learn it...

The first half hour a learning process..but after that ...she was good...even the "sneaky" birds in the cloudforest later , right away in the binoculars...

O.K. binoculars sales people...you have another client!!!

And yes world ...there is a new bird watcher born!

green Heron

yellow headed Caracara
black Hawk Eagle
white tipped Dove
ruddy ground Dove
white collared Swift
violet Sabrewing
green violet Ear
snowy bellied Hummingbird
rufous tailed Hummingbird
stripe tailed Hummingbird
white tailed Emerald
white throated Mountain Gem
red crowned Woodpecker
yellow bellied Elaenia
Mountain Elaenia
common tody Flycatcher
dark Pewee
yellowish Flycatcher
black Phoebe

great Kiskadee
social Flycatcher
gray capped Flycatcher
tropical Kingbird
brown capped Vireo
House Wren
plain Wren
black faced Solitair
clay colored Thrush
white throated Thrush
Mountain Thrush
Tennessee Warbler
black and white Warbler
slate throated Redstart
Mourning Warbler
three striped Warbler
common bush Tanager
rosy thrush Tanager
Cherrie's Tanager
blue gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
silver throated Tanager
red legged Honeycreeper
buff throated Saltator
blue black Grassquit
variable Seedeater
yellow bellied Seedeater
yellow thighed Finch
white naped brush Finch
chestnut capped brush Finch
flame colored Tanager
rose breasted Grosbeak female
great tailed Grackle
yellow crowned Euphonia
thick billed Euphonia
Elegant Euphonia
lesser Goldfinch
yellow bellied Siskin

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Oh yes I did yesterday a short cloud forest hike with my dog and yes I did see Quetzales (male female..picture) and a highland Tinamou and a big mixed flock(Ant swarm) great!

birding 600 m 6th of February 2015...my bird of the day...indigo Bunting

It was nice weather , little bit sun , sometimes a bit wind and with two new bird watchers ... we did see some very nice crimson fronted Parakeets fighting over a nest spot , fun to watch...what a colors and what a loud birds they are!

I think the left couple won...

My bird of the day was the Indigo Bunting in beautiful light, great view them.

But those Parakeets they were stealing the show and also the fork tailed Flycatchers ..great show in the sky!

Bird list 6th of February 2015
black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
crested Caracara
yellow headed Caracara
white tipped Dove
blue ground Dove female
brown throated Parakeet
crimson fronted Parakeet
orange chinned Parakeet
blue headed Parrot in flight
green breasted Mango
rufous tailed Hummingbird
long billed Starthroat
blue crowned Motmot
red crowned Woodpecker
yellow bellied Elaenia
lesser Elaenia
Mountain Elaenia
paltry Tyrannulet
pale eyed pygmy Tyrant
common tody Flycatcher
northern Scrub Flycatcher
yellow bellied Flycatcher
Panama Flycatcher
great Kiskadee
social Flycatcher
streaked Flycatcher
tropical Kingbird
fork tailed Flycatcher
yellow throated Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
yellow green Vireo
gray breasted Martin
House Wren
clay colored Thrush
tropical Mockingbird
Tennessee Warbler
black and white Warbler
northern Waterthrush
crimson backed Tanager
blue gray Tanager
red legged Honeycreeper
buff throated Saltator
blue black Grassquit
yellow bellied Seedeater
yellow faced Grassquit
black striped Sparrow
Summer Tanager
Indigo Bunting
eastern Meadowlark
crested Oropendola
yellow crowned Euphonia
thick billed Euphonia

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2 trips(1th and 2th of February) finally a picture of a scaly crested pygmy Tyrant! and a nest of a green breasted Mango

Every time I am amazed how areas can have so much birds in a few hours and other days you wait and wait....
But we did see during these one and a half day interesting birds...always nice to check out other areas then cloud forest.

1th of February the highlight was to discover a nest of the green breasted Mango in Caldera (600 m)
The list:
black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
white tailed Kite.
short tailed Hawk
crested Caracara
yellow headed Caracara
southern Lapwing in flight
white tipped Dove
brown throated Parakeets
blue headed Parrot in flight
Squirrel Cuckoo
smooth billed Ani
scaly breasted Hummingbird
green breasted Mango:

snowy bellied Hummingbird
rufous tailed Hummingbird
long billed Starthroat
blue crowned Motmot
red crowned Woodpecker
Cocoa Woodcreeper
streak headed Woodcreeper
yellow Tyrannulet
yellow bellied Elaenia
Mountain Elaenia
northern scrub Flycatcher
Panama Flycatcher
great Kiskadee
boat billed Flycatcher
social Flycatcher
streaked Flycatcher
tropical Kingbird
fork tailed Flycatcher

yellow green Vireo
gray breasted Martin
House Wren
tropical Gnatcatcher
clay colored Thrush
tropical Mockingbird
Tennessee Warbler
northern Waterthrush.
crimson backed Tanager
blue gray Tanager
 Palm Tanager
red legged Honeycreeper
streaked Saltator
blue black Grassquit
black striped Sparrow
great tailed Grackle
Baltimore Oriole.
crested Oropendola
yellow crowned Euphonia
lesser Goldfinch    

And we did start our day trip good... in first light a group of fiery billed Aracari's.(nearby Gualaca 400 m)

 We did leave early and did arrive on the continental Divide around 7.30am
On the divide we did see the scaly crested pygmy Tyrant, was great and I pointed it out to 4 Biologist who were also birding there, they were happy , I guess their pics were better than mine...with the big lenses,  but I am happy with my pictures...

We did see quite a big of mixed flocks, so that was nice.
On the Divide we did see a big group of Pygmy Squirrels or Dwarf Squirrels..I did not find out yet, great to see them jumping around , for me new.We stopped after the divide on different spots around the road towards Almirante.
Was a long day , because I needed to drive back for 3 hours to Boquete...on the way back I did see a large group of Keel billed Toucans flying over the road...I had to hit the breaks...what a life!

list 2th of February 2015 Fortuna and surroundings
magnificent Frigate bird
Swallow-tailed kite
great Egret
Cattle Egret
Turkey Vulture
black Vulture
broad winged Hawk
white Hawk
crested Caracara
yellow headed Caracara
white collared Swift
Vaux's Swift
green Hermit
garden Emerald
stripe throated Hermit
fiery billed Aracari
chestnut mandibled Toucan
keel billed Toucan
black cheeked Woodpecker
red faced Spinetail
spotted Barbtail
scale crested Pygmy Tyrant

tufted Flycatcher
tropical Kingbird
blue and white Swallow
bay Wren
House Wren
clay colored Thrush
golden winged Warbler
chestnut sided Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
tropical Parula
Wilson's Warbler
black and white Warbler
black burnian Warbler
slate throated Redstart
three striped Warbler
common bush Tanager
crimson collared Tanager
Passerini's Tanager
blue gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
Emerald Tanager
black and yellow Tanager
silver throated Tanager
Bananaquit
blue black Grassquit
thick billed Seed Finch
black striped Sparrow
rufous collared Sparrow
black thighed Grosbeak
Montezuma oropendola
black cowled Oriole:

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