jbowman a tamarin tour trip report a tamarin tour...
TRANSCRIPT
A Tamarin Tour Trip Report
June 2014
By John Bowman
The Canopy Tower is easily among my favorite places to find wildlife, and I have traveled extensively in search of wildlife – especially birds. June is the month we visited, a month many will warn is part of the rainy season. However, bird and mammal behavior at this time is especially exciting, there is little interference from the rain, and the rain forest is fresh and resplendent. A true wildlife lover could do no better than to come in June. I am not alone in this, as we found other travelers there that were June returners to the tower.
The Canopy Lodge was new to me. I was instantly enchanted by this place. While there were different birds, mammals and herps, there was the same type of excellent staff hospitality. Although we were only there for two nights, we had a good flavor for the place leaving us wanting more time.
The best part of visiting the tower and the lodge is that the quality of the wildlife encounter is unparalleled. The animals come close and there are many different species that do so. I am already planning to return in June sometime in the not too distant future.
Day 1: We arrived at the Canopy Tower just in time for lunch. However, we found lunch, delicious as it was, to be a difficult activity to engage in as just outside the window there were Keel-‐billed Toucans and a mother Hoffman’s 2-‐toed Sloth with a baby tucked away in her protective mid-‐section. We would soon discover that sloths around the tower were quite common and this toucan species would be viewed every day of our tour.
When we finally ascended to the observation deck, atop the canopy of the forest, we saw many wonderful bird species including the glowing Golden-‐hooded Tanager, the brilliant Blue Dacnis, 3 glitzy honeycreeper species, 2 fine euphonia species, a Squirrel Cuckoo and many more. Even though our tour had not officially started, the eager staff of the Canopy Tower
Helped us with identification and answered all of our many questions with superb expertise.
Day 2: We started atop the tower with coffee for me, tea for my wife, and hot chocolate for our daughter. The view from the observation deck was outstanding, with mist mysteriously sifting in and out of the lush vegetation. Scarlet-‐rumped Caciques were the first birds to greet us and before retreating for breakfast at 7:30, we had 29 species of birds under our belts thanks to the super spotting skills of Michael, our guide.
After eating a hearty breakfast we slowly walked down Semaphore Hill as far as the bridge, under which we found Lesser White-‐lined Bats roosting. Along the walk we encountered such exceptional birds as Red-‐capped and Blue-‐crowned Manakins, Black-‐breasted Puffbird, Rufous Mot Mot, Collared Aricari, as well as Gartered and Black-‐throated Trogons. Michael not only
found these blatantly clad birds, but made sure all three of us got on the difficult species including 2 species of antshrike, 2 species of antwren, and 3 wren species. We even saw a soaring Zone-‐tailed Hawk. We were mercifully transported back to the tower by vehicle.
During lunch, the Geoffrey’s Tamarins came by the tower to feed on the cecropia fruits on the trees just outside. There was a mother with 2 young on her back in a troop of more than 10 adorable individuals. What a fantastic photo opportunity. Who needs a big lens when the animals are so close?
After lunch I counted 11 fine butterfly species from the open windows of the dining area, including Blue Morphos, Malachites, Tiger Longwings, Preponas, Sisters, and the brilliant Regal Greatstreak. Many thanks to Jenn for help with identification. Then, after a siesta, we went to the Ammo Dump Ponds where we found many different birds than those at the tower. Among them were Lesser Nighthawk, Yellow-‐tailed Oriole, Black-‐bellied Whistling Duck, Rufescent Tiger-‐Heron, and several Southern Lapwings. Overall, for the day, we had 82 bird species.
Day 3: We started out early this morning for Achiote Road and eventually the San Lorenzo National Park. We found the Long-‐billed Hermit at the top of Semaphore Hill and a Whooping Mot Mot at the bottom. Prior to arriving at our stop at Achiote Road, we enjoyed 2 sightings of Mantled Howler Monkeys, they would not be our last of the day, and marveled at hearing the drive-‐by cracking sounds of Golden-‐collared Manakins at a roadside lek.
When we stopped we found Swallow-‐tailed Kites overhead, a Black-‐throated Trogon in the forest, and a distant Brown-‐throated 3-‐toed Sloth. As we walked to a small stream, a young Common Basilisk Lizard skittered atop the water away from us, clearly showing why it is sometimes referred to as the Jesus Christ Lizard. Before this tour would end, we would see 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, including 2 poison dart frog species and 4 snake species. However, the basilisk was not the highlight of our time here. A Double-‐toothed Kite landed on
a tree right next to us, having scored a lizard for lunch. What a terrific up-‐close experience.
En route to and heading into San Lorenzo National Park we found the Black-‐mandibled Toucan, Bat Falcon, Grey-‐lined Hawk, Savannah Hawk, Limpkin, and best of all the cute and difficult Slate-‐headed Tody Flycatcher. We also saw the attractive Swallowtail Moth, Thaos Swallowtail, Banded Peacock, and the Sky Blue Greatstreak.
While my daughter spotted Central American Agoutis crossing the road all over San Lorenzo, Michael found for us the Slaty-‐tailed Trogon, the Common Black Hawk, and the Yellow-‐headed Caracara.
We returned to the tower, dodging the many crabs skittering across the road along the way, to find a troop of Mantled Howler Monkeys in the same cecropia tree as the tamarins were in the day prior. They were so close I took several portraits of these noisy primates. Then, we
Discovered the power was out. Somehow the kitchen staff managed a hot, delicious evening meal by candle light. It was an experience always to be remembered. A night drive followed with the highlights being a Wooly Opossum and a Paca. By daybreak there was power back at the tower.
Day 4: On the observation deck, we found a Crane Hawk and a Short-‐tailed Hawk, among many other great birds. After breakfast, we went down Semaphore Hill by vehicle to hike the exciting Plantation Road. We had some real treats on this trail along a creek that is packed with gigantic
trees. We saw a Band-‐tailed Barbthroat on a nest, a cooperative and responsive Ruddy Quail Dove – I swear Michael speaks bird language – and a delightful Golden-‐crowned Spadebill. However, the best finds for me were not birds. There were 2 species of helicopter damselfly – the outrageous Ornate species with golden wingtips in flight, and the Bromeliad species perched and in the mating wheel. There were several Common Blue Morphos up and down the trail, in and out of sun gaps. There was a Striped Poison Dart Frog with tadpoles riding piggyback. Also, there was a delicate, translucent Pink-‐tipped Satyr butterfly that posed nicely for pictures. Finally, there was a handsome Tantilla snake that just sat there, curled up while
We took turns getting pictures.
After another delicious lunch – how can I enjoy these meals so much yet feel so much healthier – we took another siesta. Then, Michael left on break, but we were fortunate enough to have the services of Domi who took us to the Chagres River. There, he discovered for us a Common Tody Flycatcher building a nest, an elegant Purple-‐crowned Fairy feeding high in a tree and several cartoonish Collared Aricari, as well as a gang of other new birds. The highlight of the night drive was a Rothchild’s Porcupine.
Day 5: Today we partook of a day trip to Barro Colorado Island (BCI). Agoutis were everywhere and even seemed to pose for pictures. Most exciting to me was to find a Green-‐and-‐Black Poison Dart Frog with a tadpole on his back, climbing a tree on his way to a bromeliad water tank. We saw these colorful frogs 2 more times on BCI. A close second was getting a great view of a male Red-‐capped Manakin on a lek right by the trail. The high pitched rattles and chips were extremely entertaining to hear. Startling even our guide, we came upon an Ameiva lizard being swallowed by a Panama Racer Snake. How exciting was that! And, we all appreciated the
in-‐depth information provided by our guide about the inter-‐relatedness of all the flora and fauna of the island.
At dinner it is worth noting that a huge False Vampire Bat came in the open window and flew around a bit before exiting the way it had come. The bat did this 3 times. In the words of my daughter – “Cool.”
Day 6: From the tower the next morning a Brown-‐throated 3-‐toed Sloth was lounging at eye level in the same cecropia trees the tamarins and howlers had visited. Truly this tree is a mammal magnet. The sloth was so ugly as to be cute, drenched from the overnight rain. With barely perceptible movements, he slowly laid back and dried out.
It was our day to do a boat tour of Gatun Lake with Jenn. We knew not what to expect and definitely received the unexpected. First, we came upon a waterlogged, recently fledged Tropical Kingbird trapped on a stump mid-‐lake. Jenn rescued this forlorn looking bird, allowing the wings to dry before flying off nearer to land. Then, we came to several very secluded and peaceful areas. Snail Kites were everywhere. How could there be enough snails to support the large number of kites present?
We had several monkey spottings. There was a small island that seemed to be guarded by a White-‐faced Capuchin, who perched on a tree overhanging the water with the grumpiest countenance I have ever seen on a monkey, or person for that matter. Even after our boat guide threw a few fruits to the capuchin, who caught them mid-‐air, the sour look did not change. Our next stop was to see a small troop of tamarins who came right on board the boat to get fruit. Several way-‐too-‐cute youngsters watched from a distance and were generously brought fruit by the adults.
After passing a lurking crocodile, we came upon a log hanging out over the water. Jenn challenged us to find the animals on the log. It was a bare log. What was she talking about? Then, she said “mammal” and “think small.” Bats! A dozen or 2 tiny Proboscis Bats were hanging under the log.
The boat tour of Gatun Lake exceeded expectations. Apart from the great wildlife encounters, we saw many huge cargo ships, tug boats expelling water as they tested water pumps, and Titan, one of the strongest cranes in the world with a very interesting history.
At the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center later that afternoon, the animals were quiet. Still, we had a stunning Violet-‐crowned Wood Nymph with his gorget a-‐glow and a Blue Cotinga. Meanwhile, back at the Canopy Tower, I had a brief glimpse of the elusive Green Shrike Vireo who obnoxiously sings, “Can’t See Me.” Can I count the movement of a green bird behind green leaves?
Day 7: Finally, the day I had been waiting for. Pipeline Road! World famous birding road/trail! We opted to skip Metro Park so as to visit Pipeline Road in the morning and the afternoon. The staff willingly accommodated us.
Some among us saw the soaring Ornate Hawk Eagle. I was preoccupied with dragonflies at
The time and missed this awesome bird. But, I did see 50 species this day with the highlight being a Golden-‐collared Manakin on a lek, snapping away like a mad thing. It was also wonderful to find the Speckled Mourner. Best for me was a resplendent Blue-‐winged Helicopter Damselfly.
Our afternoon visit to Pipeline Road was delayed due to rain. This was to be our only rain delay of the trip. Still, the hummingbird feeders were active and so we watched the antics of the White-‐necked Jacobin, the Long-‐billed Hermit, the White-‐vented Plumeleteer, the Blue-‐chested Hummingbird, the Rufous-‐tailed Hummingbird, and the Violet-‐bellied Hummingbird.
During our final night drive, we found a sleepy Great Tinamou and a 9-‐banded Armadillo.
Day 8: Prior to leaving for the Canopy Lodge, and unsuccessfully convincing the staff of the tower to come with us, we discovered a Red-‐tailed Boa lingering near the hummingbird feeders
evidently hoping for an avian snack. What a stunning snake! The great thing about this rainforest is that you never know what you may see.
At the Canopy Lodge we found luxury in the rainforest. While the tower is wonderfully retrofitted to be a wildlife accommodation, the lodge is designed specifically to be a luxurious mountain-‐rainforest accommodation. There is a great outside common area with library, hammocks, tables for dining, and seats before a set of bird feeders. We encountered many new birds, putting us over the 200 species mark for the trip. At the feeders alone, we picked up such incredible birds as the regal Grey-‐necked Wood Rail, the flashy Flame-‐rumped Tanager,
and the excellent Snowy-‐bellied Hummingbird.
Later that afternoon we walked uphill from the lodge and continued to add to our list of birds. We also found 2 3-‐toed sloths and 2 2-‐toed sloths.
Day 9: How could we top the incredible finds we’ve already made? Hiking up Bajo del Cariguana managed to surpass expectations again. We found more wonderful things from the tiny in the form of 3 different species of tortoise beetle, a colorful jumping spider having caught a moth, and the brilliantly red-‐eyed Coppery Dancer damselfly in the mating wheel, to the large in the form of a pair of Spectacled Owls with a delightful downy youngster. The owls were not
Very high up and so, needless to say, we took many pictures. The Lance-‐tailed Manakins that we missed by skipping Metro Park were to be found here near the owls. Finally, we happened upon a Tody Mot Mot that our guide expertly called in close.
After lunch we rested in our spacious and very comfortable room before embarking to yet another birding location higher up. The light mist coated everything gloriously as we trekked uphill in search of the Blue-‐throated Toucanet. We found a pair as well as several new tanagers, including the stunning Silver-‐throated. We also revisited several Mot Mot species for photographs, having seen well every mot mot to occur on this tour.
We requested and were granted a night walk where we found several frog species by the pond, including a golden-‐eyed and fairly large Hyla. We also saw 2 new species of opossum. Perhaps best of all were the Orange Nectar Bats that came to the hummingbird feeders by the dining area.
Thus ended our Tamarin Tour at the Canopy Lodge and Tower. It is an easy tour in that the excellent staff does everything for you from airport pick-‐up to drop-‐off. Plus, you cannot miss the many wild marvels in between. While we found 215 bird species including 17 birds-‐of-‐prey, it is not the number that impressed us so much as the quality of the encounter. Whether bird, mammal or herp, the animals manage to get close, leaving the viewer astounded. We enjoyed the staff, other birders, and of course the wildlife, leaving us wishing for a day or two more. We are quite eager to return someday, having already checked out the Canopy Family website for future options.
Photographs by John Bowman: A) Geoffrey’s Tamarin. B) Thick-‐billed Euphonia. C) Black-‐throated Trogon. D) Double-‐toothed Kite. E) Mantled Howler Monkey. F) Tantilla sp. Snake. G) Panama Racer. H) Brown-‐throated 3-‐toed Sloth. I) Silver-‐sided Skimmer. J) Rufous-‐tailed Hummingbird. K) Grey-‐necked Wood Rail. L) Spectacled Owl. M) Green-‐and-‐Black Poison Dart Frog.