Hello all...
I received beginning of December 2022 an e-mail with a request...
"My sister and I would like to book a private, guided full-day birding tour with you on Saturday, January 7th, if possible. I live here in Panama and this will be my sister's first visit to Panama, so I would love for both of us to experience a well-guided birding tour in honor of our late Mother who passed away on January 7th of this year, who was a huge bird-nerd, and because we both LOVE birding, which we picked up from our dear mother! ☺
We are really hoping to see a Resplendent Quetzal, and I am aware that the best time starts in February, but we are hoping it may be possible in early January? We would be open to whichever tour you would recommend for that, and a variety of other birds and maybe other wildlife.
We hope you are available, and I look forward to your reply.
Kind Regards"
And so yesterday it was January 7, the sisters did have their binoculars and camera ready, the eldest sister even had her mother's jacket on. It really would be a day with many memories of their mother. Their mother died 1 year ago as a result of colon cancer. All stories about her indicated that she was an avid bird watcher with a great love for birds and a great mother. Had lots of birds in her yard, always busy with them, feeding boards, hummingbird feeders, even in the cold winter. I think I would have liked their mother very much :)
It was a clear blue sky and super warm for the cloud forest. But yes we started with a male Quetzal, flew over us, then a female was perching in a tree and later 2 females flew away and a male without a tail.. That was already a nice surprise! We saw some other birds, all good! And a group of Capuchin monkeys. And a very nice immature ornate Hawk Eagle. The birds were hiding so I decided to go into the dense forest after lunch. Birds don't like bright hot sun, they like the shade ..like humans. During lunch I heard a Quetzal in flight, so that was hopeful. The eldest sister already had a good picture of the female Quetzal, but one of a male was missing :)
We were standing in the forest and suddenly there was a flash of red above us... a male Quetzal landed above our heads on a branch, sat there and went to clean himself and every now and then he looked at us.
Okay...is there more between heaven and earth? Yes right? I had the feeling that their mother was watching and enjoying her 2 daughters and the Quetzal of course😊
What a special beautiful day this was!
Greetings from Terry
the male Quetzal above us
the sisters watching Capuchin Monkeys
The sisters did send me these pictures already
(these are photos from the image viewer of their camera)
Checklist Comments: sun,
even warmer then yesterday (white faced Capuchin , heard howlers)
47 species
Band-tailed Pigeon (White-necked) 2 flew by
Ruddy Pigeon 1
Squirrel Cuckoo 1
Green Hermit 1
Green-fronted Lancebill 1
Lesser Violetear 2
Talamanca Hummingbird 3 2 heard, 1 seen (Terry)
Scintillant Hummingbird 2
White-tailed Emerald 1 female
Black Vulture X
Ornate Hawk-Eagle 1
Broad-winged Hawk 2
Resplendent Quetzal 4 1 female, 1 male(without
tail) , 2 males
Northern Emerald-Toucanet (Blue-throated) 2 heard
more, seen in flight
Acorn Woodpecker X
Hairy Woodpecker (Costa Rican) 1
Yellow-headed Caracara 1
Sulphur-winged Parakeet X
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper 1
Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner 1
Eye-ringed Flatbill 1
Mountain Elaenia 2
Mistletoe Tyrannulet 1
Dark Pewee 2 heard 1 seen 1
Yellowish Flycatcher 1
Rufous-browed Peppershrike 1 + song
Brown-capped Vireo 1
Ochraceous Wren 1
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren X heard only songs
Black-faced Solitaire 1 heard
Mountain Thrush X
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher X
Elegant Euphonia 1 heard only
Golden-browed Chlorophonia 1
Common Chlorospingus 3
Rufous-collared Sparrow 1
Golden-winged Warbler 1 male
Flame-throated Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 1 female
Wilson's Warbler 2 males
Slate-throated Redstart 3
Collared Redstart 1
Flame-colored Tanager 4 2 males 2 females
White-winged Tanager 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 heard
Silver-throated Tanager 1 in flight fast
Yellow-faced Grassquit 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S125654144
