PANAMA May 2008: Summit Ponds.

Silk Moth, Canopy Tower May 2008.

Keel-billed Toucan, Old Gamboa Road, Panama May 2008.

Amazon Kingfisher.

Boat-billed Heron, Summit Ponds, Panama May 2008.

Blue-crowned Motmot, Summit Ponds, Panama May 2008.

The Summit Ponds at the end of the Old Gamboa Road lie within the Soberania NP and are another great place to bird. Common Neotropical species are just that here, with plenty of Blue-crowned Motmots around but there's also a few bits 'n' pieces to search for. It's a good site for Jet Antbird, Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant, Golden-collared Manakins, Lance-tailed Manakins and Yellow-billed Cacique too.

PANAMA May 2008: Canopy Tower Area.

A final look at some of the birds from the Canopy Tower area. Broad-billed Motmots (above) are very common on Semaphore Hill and it's not impossible to see them alongside Rufous Motmot here. With the steep banks the hill is suited for breeding by hole nesters so there's no shortage of White-whiskered Puffbirds either.

Western Slaty Antshrike is perhaps the most frequently encountered 'ant-thing' in the forests around the Canopy Tower. The Plantation Trail (where this picture was taken) is also a favoured spot for Checker-throated Antwren that feeds in and around the dead leaves. We also had a cracking male Blue-crowned Manakin and Sunbittern on the nest along this trail.

Song Wren, Panama May 2008.

Great Potoo roosting at the bottom of Semaphore Hill, Panama May 2008.

PANAMA May 2008: Canal Zone Revisited.

Another visit to the Canal Zone today with some unusual vessels making their way through the isthmus!

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Gamboa Resort, Panama May 2008.

Striated Heron.

American Purple Gallinule (above) and Wattled Jacana, Gamboa Resort May 2008.

Plenty to photograph near the Canal with water birds a plenty and a few passerines nesting nearby like Yellow-bellied Elaenias and Common Tody-Flycatchers (below).

PANAMA May 2008: Pipeline trogons.

Male Slaty-tailed Trogon, Pipeline Road May 2008.

Male Black-tailed Trogon, Pipeline Road May 2008.

Female Black-tailed Trogon, Pipeline Road May 2008.

Some good opportunities to study birds on the Pipeline Road this morning including a nice selection of trogons. Slaty-tailed and Black-tailed Trogons could be compared as they 'sang' from the same tree. The orange bill of the Slaty-tailed Trogons could be clearly seen compared to the pale yellow of that of the Black-tailed Trogons. The males were particularly attractive with the white chest line a good feature of the Black-tailed.

PANAMA May 2008: The Pipeline Road.

Pipeline Road, Panama May 2008.

Violaceous Trogon, Pipeline Road May 2008.

Grey-chested Dove, Pipeline Road May 2008.

One of my favourite birding sites in Panama is undoubtedly the famous Pipeline Road. As usual we had a lively day's birding in the rainforest with some classy species seen such as this fine Grey-chested Dove that posed for sometime near the road.

We always get a good selection of woodpeckers during a tour to Panama and this year was no exception. Black-cheeked (above) with its bank-robber's mask, is one of my favourite Neotropical 'peckers, bringing back fond memories of my first ever trip to South America (Ecuador 1990). The snazzy Cinnamon Woodpecker was seen along the Pipeline Road again today too as was Crimson-crested (below).

We were able to spend a bit of time with antbirds this morning too. The views were that good that I was able to attempt a few shots with the 'scope. Spotted Antbird (male, below), performed well perching up nicely repeatedly to tape playback.

A pair of Chestnut-backed Antbirds were quite cooperative too, this male hopping around in the company of a female at the forest edge. Another very productive morning on the Pipeline Road - Pheasant Cuckoo was singing too but after the success on our first morning there was no need to trouble it!

PANAMA May 2008: Birding the Canal Zone.

Away from the tower there are still plenty of sites to hunt for birds. The open marshy areas make a pleasant change from the forest birding, although admittedly birds are more widespread and common species.

It's a good place to study a wide range of flycatchers and compare the Rusty-margined Flycatcher (above) with the similar Social Flycatcher. The Rusty-margined has rufous fringes to the flight feathers and a 'blacker' mask and lacks the olive tones to the upperparts and pale fringes to some wing coverts (forming wing bars) of the Social Fly'. The latter's mask is more sooty as well.

Panama Flycatcher, Panama May 2008.

Red-crowned Woodpecker.

Orange-chinned Parakeet.

Thick-billed Euphonia.

Pale-vented Pigeon.

PANAMA May 2008: Tropical Mothing.

So no idea what any of these are but a lamp left on outside the tower next to a white sheet attracted these impressive beasts.

PANAMA May 2008: Semaphore Hill.

So a typical morning at the Canopy Tower will start with a watch from the upper deck overlooking the canopy and then a post breakfast walk down the road on Semaphore Hill. White-vented Plumeleteers (above) can be seen on the feeders outside the tower along with Blue-chested Hummers and White-necked Jacobins.

Semaphore Hill has a nice selection of Neotropical birds including a wealth of motmots and trogons. Violaceous (above) and Black-throated (below) trogons are quite common.

Plenty of White-whiskered Puffbirds in the ravines and gulleys too (where they use the banks to make their nest holes) - see last year's Panama entry. One or two Three-toed Sloths (below) can be seen in the tall trees and the odd Two-toed as well.

From time to time we came across some ant swarms with the attendant Bicolored and Spotted antbirds and Grey-headed Tanagers. However it was a few days into the trip before one of the most notable birds was found by some visiting birders when a cracking Ocellated Antbird was found at a swarm not far from the tower. We jumped out of the bus as Alan Brown & co. (from Edinburgh) flagged us down and it wasn't too long before we got on to one of the most ornate antbirds in the Neotropics. A much wanted bird by yours truely, especially after last year's near-miss. Cheers Alan!

White-tailed Trogon, Semaphore Hill, Panama May 2008.