Panama beach and birding. Part 2.2; Birding Bocas.

On May 11th we went to bird the forested area between Bocas town and bocas del drago, more specifically starting at La gruta intersection. We had Toto drive us there and later we caught a bus back, on our 2.5 hrs we saw:

29 species total

Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Plumbeous Kite
Roadside Hawk
White-throated Crake HEARD ONLY
Purple Gallinule
Northern Jacana
Groove-billed Ani
Long-billed Hermit
Crowned Woodnymph
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Black-crowned Antshrike
Chestnut-backed Antbird
Great Kiskadee
Tropical Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Red-capped Manakin
Golden-collared Manakin
Masked Tityra
Red-eyed Vireo the white superciliary bordered by black was noticed, much less yellow than similar yellow green vireo. 1 individual seen.
Clay-colored Thrush
Passerini’s Tanager
Variable Seedeater
White-collared Seedeater
Bananaquit
Buff-throated Saltator
Great-tailed Grackle
Montezuma Oropendola

It was very worth it since we found a plumbeous kite which is a common breeding migrant for Panama, and it was only seen here during our time in Panama, first look of female golden collared manakin.

Plumbeous kite, notice the red primaries.

 

 

Not all we saw were birds. Here a three toed sloth

Road side hawk

After that we checked out from the hotel and waited by since we were taking the water taxi to almiranted at 4:30 pm, our bus was a direct one from Almirante to Panama city for a nearly 10h20min. Thus savig us a day as well as a hotel night, buses are big and comfortable with bathrooms in it. It does 2 stops, one by 9:20 pm and the other at 1:30am to eat, use the toilet, strech the legs etc.
We arrived at Panama city at 5:30 am.

Notes:
Direct buses from Almirante to Panama city depart at 8:00am and 7:00 pm from Almirante, they ask you to be there 45 minutes before bus departure, and really take their advaice, ours left at 6:30pm!! Even dough it was supoused to be 7:00pm! I guess thats bocatorian style.
The bus fee is us$28 per person, buses are big and cimfortable, full A/C make sure to bring a jacket, it was freezing.
Very important, you have to buy bus tickets in advance, this is at taxi 25 office, passport is required.
Other way is take a regular bus from Almirante to David and then take a bus to Panama city, we found using the 7:00pm bus very convenient despite de little sacrifice.

Panama beach and birding. Part 2.1; Bocas del Toro

May 9th. On our third day in Panama (2nd in Bocas) we just went to Playa estrellas again since it was SO beautiful and expent the day there. There are a few bars and restaurants as well as chairs for rent.
Not much birding was intended but we still managed to see this:

Tricolored Heron
Wilson’s Plover
Royal Tern
Green Kingfisher
Tropical Pewee
Masked Tityra
Mangrove Swallow

Royal tern

 

Wilson’s plover.

Gray breasted martin

Tropical pewee

 

On May 10th we went on a boat tour with coopeguitour to Zapatillas island, doplhin bay, crawl cay AKA coral cay. The tour was us$25 per person, we 1st were taken to see the dolphins which we saw, then to isla zapatilla, simply amazing!! The best beach I have ever seen, let this pictures speack for me

Zapatillas island

Of course I brought my binoculars and explored the interior of this island and saw:
14 species (+1 other taxa) total

Green Heron
Common Black-Hawk
Spotted Sandpiper
Pale-vented Pigeon
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
pewee sp.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
1 individual seen. No other Panama empix sp has such a yellow throat witg short primary projection compared to acadian FC. Secondary growth with some shrubs. After a few blue gray tanagers, some warblers sppp passing through the are this individual flew by, perched on a branch and continued its way (following same direction as other birds).

Panama Flycatcher
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
All resident mangrove sp
Canada Warbler
A female foraging in shrub habitat. Foraging relatively close to residen raze yellow Warbler. White under-tail. Black streaks forming a somewhat breast band is diagnostic.

Blue-gray Tanager
Bananaquit
Great-tailed
That was nice, particularly since it yielded me a lifer; Canada warbler and also because it was the only place I saw any warbler while in Panama. Due to its distance I do not think many birders come here, or at least the ones who do birding and beach like me 🙂
After this we went to crawl bay for snorkeling but I found Bocas a very disappointing for snorkeling, it is far far better at Costa Rica’s caribbean coast, such as Cahuita and Manzanillo areas, very disappointed of bocas as I was told it was great.

 

See part 1 and part 2.0