Day 5 – Altos del Maria 13th Sept

Set in the mountains on the continental divide east of El Valle, the Altos del Maria provide a spectacular location for this full day trip. Departing early in the morning from El Valle in comfortable vehicles, we will drive along the Pan-American Highway and up into the mountains. As the sun rises over the highlands ahead of us, spectacular mountains, vast valleys, and towering cliffs will be revealed. Ascending an excellent paved road, we will climb a ridge to our destination, an expansive area of cloud forest at 1100 meters above sea level. We’ll bird the wide, gravel roads and around mid-morning, we will stop at a nature centre for a rest, bathrooms, and a check of the hummingbird feeders. Afterwards, we will search some trails through the woods for additional forest birds. This area harbours an exciting variety of highland forest birds including White Hawk, Barred Forest-Falcon, Yellow-eared Toucanet, Orange-bellied Trogon, Spotted Woodcreeper, Brown-billed Scythebill, Black-crowned Antpitta, Red-faced Spinetail, Spotted Barbtail, Russet and Great Antshrikes, Tufted Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, White-ruffed Manakin, Ochraceous Wren, Grey-breasted Wood-Wren, Pale-vented Thrush, Black-and yellow Tanager, Dusky-faced Tanager, Tawny-crested Tanager, Yellow-billed Cacique, Black-headed Saltator and Slate-coloured Grosbeak. Amongst the dazzling hummingbirds we will look for the exquisite Snowcap, as well as Band-tailed Barbthroat, Garden and White-tailed Emeralds, Purple-throated Mountain-Gem, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer and the remarkable White-tipped Sicklebill. Later in the afternoon we will head back into El Valle for a little relaxation or some time to check the gardens, or look at the myriads of dragonflies on the pond, prior to our dinner.

Night Canopy Lodge. B, L, D

Day 6 – Las Minas – Mata Ahogado – 14th Sept

After breakfast (during which we watch for Orange-billed Sparrow and Bay Wren calling just around the dining area), we head to Las Minas, an excellent trail for Panamanian bird watching. The road follows the ridge line, with sweeping vistas of forested mountains, speckled with grasslands and small fincas. The views from here are fantastic, as on a clear day near the summit both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans can be seen! Specialties of the region include Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, Black-and-yellow, Bay-headed & Emerald Tanagers, Tawny-capped Euphonia, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Spot-crowned Antvireo, Gray-headed Kite, Barred Hawk, Bat Falcon, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Swallow-tailed Kite, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, White-tipped Sicklebill, Green Thorntail, Orange-bellied (Collared) & Black-throated Trogons, Tawny-faced Gnatwren, Plain Antvireo, the endemic Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker, Spotted Woodcreeper, Red-capped & White-ruffed Manakins, Band-rumped Swift, and Black Guan. A forested slope here is also our best chance for Black-crowned Antpitta and Black-headed Antthrush! After this birding excursion, we get back in time for lunch and then packed our bags and set off back towards Panama City and our next destination the Canopy Lodge, where we will spend the next 5 nights.

Located in the heart of the rainforest in the 50,000-acre Soberanía National Park, the Tower used to be a Military Radar Station until it was converted into a unique and wonderful accommodation that is perfect for birdwatchers and nature lovers. With panoramic views from bedroom windows, the dining room and especially the roof-top, the Tower offers the ideal base from which to explore the forests of central Panama. It is no wonder that National Geographic named the Canopy Tower as one of 50 top eco-lodges in the world, and it is listed as one of the 50 places to bird before you die.

Night at Canopy Tower. B, L, D

Day 7 – Semaphore Hill and Ammo Dump 15th Sept

Today will be spent birding Canopy Tower and Semaphore Hill and its likely to begin right from your bedroom window with Tanagers, Toucans, and Tityras all possible. Nothing can compare with birding from the Observation Deck on the roof of the tower and that’s where we will be at dawn. Coffee is served right up top while we scan the tree tops for Keel-billed Toucans, Mealy, Red-lored, Brown-hooded and Blue-headed Parrots, Green and Red legged Honeycreepers, Collared Aracari, Scaled Pigeon, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, and with luck a few specialties such as Green-shrike Vireo, Blue Cotinga or Black-breasted Puffbird. It not unusual to get close views of Three-toed Sloth, Mantled Howler Monkeys and even Red-crested (Geoffroy’s) Tamarins from this delightful vantage point. A look at the hummingbird feeders may produce Blue-chested and Violet-bellied Hummingbirds, plus Green Hermit and maybe White-vented Plumeleteer. At mid morning we’ll take a walk from the Tower down Semaphore Hill Road. This paved road is a little more than a mile long and passes through excellent forest where we get a good chance to see many birds and several mammals. The list of species of Semaphore Hill Road is extensive, and includes birds from the forest interior as well as the edge. We will look for Olivaceous Flatbill, White-whiskered Puffbird, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Slate-colored Grosbeak, Bay-headed Tanager, and with luck Great Jacamar. Amongst the leaf litter we could find Great Tinamou or Marbled Wood-Quail, though both are much easier heard than seen. We also have good opportunities for raptors including White, Tiny and Bicolored Hawks, and if there are any ants around we may get to grips with the beautiful Ocellated and Spotted Antbirds. In the afternoon, we will visit the famous Ammo Dump Pond located just north of Gamboa, and close to the famous Pipeline Road. It is one of the best places to see the elusive White-throated Crake, as well as a host of other water birds. Least Grebes, Common Moorhens and Purple Gallinules are common, and Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Snail Kite, Limpkin, Least Bittern and American Pygmy-Kingfishers can sometimes be found but are not as quite as easy.

Night at Canopy Tower. B, L, D

Day 8 – Pipeline Road 16th Sept

Today we spend the day at the world famous Pipeline Road, the best place in Central Panama to find many unusual and sought after forest birds, and there are plenty of them. The road stretches for 17 kilometres through prime forest where there are plenty of side trails plus eleven creeks and rivers. We will first search the entrance area where targeted species will include Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Golden-collared Manakin, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Black-tailed and Black-throated Trogon, Plain-brown and Cocoa Woodcreeper, Fasciated and Black-crowned Antshike, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Black-chested Jay, Blue Dacnis and Slate-coloured Grosbeak. We will then walk sections of the Pipeline Road and dependent on recent information or news on ant swarms we will search particular areas or trails. There are many possibilities along this famous birding road and we can hope to connect with a few of the forests prized birds. The Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo occurs here but we absolutely need to find the ants if we have any chance of this “mega”. Both Red-capped and Blue-crowned Manakins can be found, alongside such sought after species as Black-breasted Puffbird, Great Jacamar, Speckled Mourner, Streak-chested Antpitta, the very skulking Pheasant Cuckoo, White-tailed Trogon, Rufous Motmot, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Scaly-throated Leaftosser, Black-striped Woodcreeper, Moustached Antwren, Forest and Gray Elaenia, Checker-throated Antwren, Bicoloured, Spotted and Ocellated Antbirds, Brownish Twistwing, Thrush-like Schiffornis, Song Wren, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Tiny and Plumbeous Hawks, Black Hawk-Eagle, Crane Hawk and all three Forest-Falcons can readily be heard although seeing them is always tricky. This area also offers us our best chance to see the elusive Panamanian Night Monkey, hopefully during daylight. Let’s just hope that the Pipeline Road will be a birding day to be remembered!

Night at Canopy Tower. B, L, D