Today was about birds in and around the rainforest. We set out with a fun group which included a lovely retired couple from Canada who were spending the winter in Panama, and two guys from the UK who each managed nature sanctuaries back home (they were both really top-notch birders). Danilo Jr. was our trusty guide for the day.
We piled into the open back of the Canopy Tower truck for a bumpy ride up a short section of the Pipeline Road to the turn off for the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center.
The Panama Rainforest Discovery Center is operated by the Fundación Avifauna Eugene Eisenmann, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of bird species. The Center takes pride in its use of sustainable architecture principles, implementing solar panels, rainwater collection for its toilets, and recycled materials used in construction of the visitor center.
Colorful Heliconia plant near the visitor’s center
A Red-tailed Squirrel forages near the parking area
We began our visit with a short hike to the park’s 100ft tall observation tower, which juts up above the surrounding forest canopy. The top of the tower is reached via a spiral staircase with 174 steps. One of our UK companions is an avid runner and went skipping up the stairs like it was nothing. My ascent was not quite so effortless! The climb was completely worth the effort once we reached the top. The rainforest spread out in all directions as far as the eye could see.
We were fortunate to have three spotting scopes for our little party of 7 people. Aside from Danilo’s scope, the UK guys had each brought their own and were very kind to share with the rest of us. Those extra scopes came in handy when a small group of “non-birder” visitors to the observation tower took an interest in what we were looking at and starting asking us questions about the birds we were seeing. We invited them to look through our scopes and eventually found ourselves waiting in line behind them whenever a new bird was spotted. It was slightly annoying to not have full access to the scopes that belonged to our group, but the other people were not being intentionally rude; they seemed to be genuinely fascinated with the birds we found. Who knows? Maybe the wonderful world of birding gained a few new converts that morning.
I have no photos from the tower, unfortunately. Most of what we saw required the spotting scopes and my camera lens simply does not have that kind of range. Some of the highlights included Semiplumbeous Hawk, Bat Falcon, Orange-chinned Parakeets, Blue Dacnis, Red-legged Honeycreeper, and the ultimate star of the show, a gorgeous male Blue Cotinga (a particular target bird in that part of Panama).
After descending the tower, we hiked the trail to the lake in the park, stopping for bird sightings along the way. Most of the lake’s denizens were birds very familiar to me (Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Great Blue Heron, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Gallinules, and even an unexpected Prothonotary Warbler that popped out of the bushes right next to us and then quickly disappeared before anyone could get their camera lenses focused).
We did also get a few species that you can’t find in Florida: A Rufescent Tiger-Heron stalked through the reeds on the far shore of the lake, and a vibrantly colored Yellow-tailed Oriole treated us to a fly-by. Once again, no usable photos. Aaaarrgghh!!
Our last stop of the morning was at the hummingbird feeders which are set up around a nice wooden deck at the visitor center. Finally a chance to use my camera! There must have been at least 30 tiny birds darting around the feeders, looking for their opening to lap up some nectar. It was completely delightful!
A bevy of hummingbirds
There were easily 20-25 White-necked Jabobins flitting about. They were by far the most numerous species. Included in the mix were a few Violet-bellied Hummingbirds, at least one Crowned Woodnymph, and a single Long-billed Hermit. There were also a few antbirds, puffbirds, woodcreepers, and tanagers spotted near the hummingbird feeders so the morning ended on a very nice, birdy note.
Bicolored Antbird
Then it was back to the Canopy Tower for lunch and some relaxation. While we lounged in our room, a large iguana lounged in the trees outside our window.
Handsome Green Iguana
Our afternoon adventure found us at the Gamboa Rainforest Lodge (with the same fun group from the morning activity). The lodge is located in the small town of Gamboa and overlooks the Chagres River close to where it joins Gatún Lake (part of the Panama Canal). It’s one of the best known places to stay in the area and attracts visitors with a wide range of interests (birders among them…). Its location alongside the river, offers the chance at some different bird and animal species than you would typically see at the Canopy Tower.
Along the drive into the resort grounds we scoured the river banks, looking for capybara. I was hoping to add those guys to my mammal life list, but no such luck. We did get some great looks at a Fork-tailed Flycatcher along that stretch of road, which was very cool.
The closest encounter I managed with a capybara
We birded among the bungalow buildings on the property and picked up some birds that were new for the trip: Black-striped Sparrow, Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Plain-colored Tanager, Flame-rumped Tanager, and Rufous-capped Warbler to name a few. We never made it to the large main building, but the grounds and smaller buildings were nice. Worth considering for a trip to that part of Panama…
Rufous-capped Warbler
A trio of tanagers:
Later that evening we jumped at an opportunity to do a nighttime excursion with the Canopy guides. The Tower offers this periodically when the weather is amenable. A bunch of us climbed into the open-bed truck for a slow drive down Semaphore Hill Road. The goal was any nocturnal critters we could find. The guides tried to call in some owls with no success, but the mammals didn’t disappoint.
We watched a Central American wooly opossum and a Panamanian night monkey navigate around each other on the same tree branch. Then we discovered a Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth mom with baby moving through the tree tops far above our heads. We also caught a glimpse of an Allen’s olingo moving through the high tree canopy. We used a spot light to help detect the animals in the dark.
It was an awesome finale to a day spent communing with nature in the rainforest.