Nige Lound,Neil Pike ,Kev Wilson and myself spent 16.5 days birding from west to east in Panama
we booked with Birding Panama and had an amazing guide ( Moyo) his skills of hearing seeing and calling in birds were
almost Superhuman
Our tour began after a night in airport hotel and an early morning flight to David , based in Volcan in the Chiquiri highlands, 4200 ft to 10300 ft visiting Volcán Baru extinct volcano , La Amistad national park and various local bird rich locations . 4 nights , 4.5 days birding great hotel c 600 m from town with large grounds
We then moved c 300 km to Valle de Anton , a lovely town in a vale at 1200 ft surrounded by mountains forests and streams up to 3500 ft for
2 nights 2.5 days birding, another lodge surrounded by woodlands
From here we located near the canal for 4 nights in the swish eco Summit hotel with large golf course and 150 acres of natural forest and trails
and birdied in the famous pipeline track forest and the ammo pond , and a long morning in Chagres forest.
Our final 5 nights 6 days birding were in the west mostly in Darien visiting various forests, ranch lands , rivers and marsh and driving to the end of the pan American highway at Yavitsa.
The weather for the first 6 days was chilly at 9000 ft + and comfortable in Anton at c 2500 ft
the remaining trip was hot at 33 to 35 oc by mid to late morning and c 28 oc at dawn ( 0620)
the total trip list seen was 440 with 7 heard
several mammals were seen well and most surprising a giant anteater ( seen only briefly by myself and Neil) in a Darién forest which was a lifer for all including Moyo
who has been leading bird tours for 19 years and seen 1005 bird species in Panama.
a few of the new birds seen for all 4 of us were Harpy Eagle (well grown chick,), sunbittern, snow cap, rufescient tiger heron
starthroat hummingbird, ornate hawk eagle, plumbeous kite , grey lined hawk, blue and yellow macaw, also 5 species of trogon, 5 species of Mannikins
various wrens, antpittas parrots and mot mots .
we exceed the previous total of bird species seen in a 14 day tour with Birding Panama by c 40 ,and c 60 as we added 2 extra days
we were out at sunrise ( or soon after depending on drive from hotel ) almost every morning for c 5 hours and c 3.5 hours mid afternoon to dusk ( 1820 hrs), other than if travelling
usually during early afternoon in air con 4x4
regards John
