Friday, February 28, 2020

sendero los Quetzales hike 28th of February 2020

Hello everybody, so today I was up early. Hans was hiking the Quetzal trail from Boquete towards Cerro Punta today with  a nice french couple. Then I did drive to the other side of the trail (nearby Respingo ranger station) I did park the car and normally I will wait for them.Today I wanted to hike the trail by myself, it was a while ago that I did that  down hill . We don't do that, because when the weather gets bad... (rain) then the river  is getting high and it can be a problem to cross it. And then you should go back all the way. No car waiting for us there...so that is a hassle.
Normally I wait for Hans  and the hikers and mostly I enjoy myself with the birds and a lot of times "singing" indigenous men working on the fields. Except when it rains, then I sit in the car ...sometimes for 3 hours. Well that is part of the deal.
Today it was good weather and Hans did start around 8.45am  at the ranger station  in Boquete and I started at 7.55am on the other side . ( after 1.5 hours drive)
My hope was to see the silvery throated Jays (around the 2350 m and higher)... when I hike the trail with birders, mostly we are too late to see them or mostly we do the trail  for a day, but then the Boquete side. As a birder it is hard to go faster. I did see the Jays, lovely...not a good picture , because they were "angry birds", chasing each other...
It was nice to be on the trail on my own...I realized that we are visiting this trail already 22 years.
Still very beautiful and unspoilt. On the Cerro Punta side more intensive agriculture and sneaky some forest did disappear there..but the trail after Respingo ranger station is still the same.. nobody can touch that..only wind and  rain.
I did not have the whole day...maybe next time and it was nice to hike also a bit... was amazed that the three wattled Bellbirds were so deep in the forest.
Everywhere Quetzales, this is the time that they do their displays. Even I did see already a pair making a nest
...it will be a good year for the Quetzales and Bellbirds . A lot of Bambito fruit.
Fortunately Hans and the French hikers did see male Quetzales flying and took some pictures.
They were surprised to see me (they are guest in Tinamou cottage, so I met them already before ) and even more surprised that I had coffee for them and fresh baked Cookies ("speculaas" Dutch cookie).
I moved on ...some mixed flocks, but not a lot. Nice ruddy Treerunner eating a bug
And common Chlorospingus who was showing off for me...
I took some pictures on the trail..that I want to share:
                                                     My favorite spot....



Down below my list of this morning.... greetings from Terry
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PN Volcán Barú--Sendero los Quetzales, Chiriquí, PA
Feb 28, 2020 7:55 AM - 12:35 PM
Protocol: Traveling
9.0 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments:     from respingo(500 M down below ranger) to alto chiquero (ranger)... hike with goal the silvery throated Jay (succes), partly clouds
56 species

Highland Tinamou  X     HO all over the trail songs
Black Guan  5
Ruddy Pigeon  1     HO song
Vaux's Swift  X     big group, not count , I was in forest
Green Hermit  1
Lesser Violetear  2
Talamanca Hummingbird  1
Purple-throated Mountain-gem  1
White-throated Mountain-gem  1
White-tailed Emerald  1
Cattle Egret  2
Black Vulture  2
Turkey Vulture  1
Black Hawk-Eagle  1
Resplendent Quetzal  6     heard more..all over the trail...a lot of display calls and song..pair building nest
Prong-billed Barbet  2     very active , a lot of songs
Northern Emerald-Toucanet  2
Acorn Woodpecker  3
Hairy Woodpecker  2
Sulphur-winged Parakeet  X     HO
Silvery-fronted Tapaculo  2     1 heard 1 seen on trail
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper  2
Lineated Foliage-gleaner  1     HO song
Ruddy Treerunner  1
Three-wattled Bellbird  3     heard much more... more spread out into the trail even around the quebrada silencio
White-winged Becard  1     + song ..very high up... 2250 m
Eye-ringed Flatbill  1     HO song
Tufted Flycatcher  2
Yellowish Flycatcher  2
Yellow-winged Vireo  2     + song
Brown-capped Vireo  2
Silvery-throated Jay  3     heard more songs..chasing each other (not friendly)
Blue-and-white Swallow  4
Ochraceous Wren  2
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren  X     HO
Black-faced Solitaire  2     heard songs all over the trail
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush  1
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush  3
Mountain Thrush  2     heard songs too
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher  6
Golden-browed Chlorophonia  2
Elegant Euphonia  1
Yellow-bellied Siskin  X
Sooty-capped Chlorospingus  5
Common Chlorospingus  4
Rufous-collared Sparrow  3
Large-footed Finch  4
White-naped Brushfinch  2
Yellow-thighed Brushfinch  2
Wrenthrush  2     1 seen 1 heard only song
Black-cheeked Warbler  7
Wilson's Warbler  8
Collared Redstart  4
Silver-throated Tanager  2
Slaty Flowerpiercer  2     1 seen 1 HO song
Yellow-faced Grassquit  3
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