Exploring Pipeline Road (September 25) and Old Gamboa Road (September 26)

September 25, 2021

One more check of the moth sheets was in order on the morning of September 25, our last at the Canopy Tower. Identifying Neotropical moths is a time-consuming task, and I have hardly begun. It may be quite some time before I finally get to it. These first three moths were all quite large (over 80mm), yet even they can be quite difficult to figure out. They are all types of geometer moths, possibly in the genus Oxydia. 

This is a planthopper in the subfamily Flatinae, the same subfamily that includes a few familiar North American species like the Citrus Flatid Planthopper and Northern Flatid Planthopper. 

Several leaf katydids were in attendance as well. 

Phylophyllia ingens - Canopy Tower, Panama

Arota panamae - Canopy Tower, Panama

Laura and I enjoyed an hour on the top of the building as the sun rose, seeing (and hearing) some of the same species that we had noted earlier. New for our trip was a handsome Collared Aracari which was enjoyed at eye level. Laura made a great spot with a Hoffman's Two-toed Sloth. It was practically speeding up the tree, covering a distance of several metres in less than a minute!

Hoffman's Two-toed Sloth - Canopy Tower, Panama

We said our goodbyes to Carlos (for now), and headed to Pipeline Road to spend the morning. When Laura and I had planned our time in Gamboa we had decided to refrain from renting a car, thinking we could arrange rides/taxis through the duration of our stay. Besides, Pipeline Road isn't really too far of a walk from town. Carlos generously allowed us to use his truck, the Hawk Eagle, for our remaining few days in the area. This was a boon since, in hindsight, it would be difficult to properly explore this area without access to a vehicle. Taxis are non-existent in town and one would be reliant on trying to arrange rides from locals in town with vehicles, or to be ok with walking everywhere. 

The Hawk-Eagle Truck

We enjoyed a stellar walk along the road with around 70 species of birds. The vocalizations were slowly coming back to me, meaning that fewer sounds in the forest went unidentified. A nice understory mixed flock included a confiding Tawny Gnatwren along with the usual assortment of ant-things. 

Tawny-faced Gnatwren - Pipeline Road, Panama

Because keep track of the bird species in the world that I have photographed, I had a concise hit-list for the area. Song Wren was one of these species. That target fell when Laura and I pished up a pair of them from a dense tangle near a stream. 

Song Wren - Pipeline Road, Panama

A rustle in the undergrowth brought our attention to this beautiful lizard, the Bridled Anole. 

Bridled Anole (Anolis frenatus) - Pipeline Road, Panama

No butterfly is more synonymous with the Neotropics than the morphos. Typically, they perch with their wings closed, covering the electric blue upperside, but this one had landed with its wings spread flat in a patch of sunlight. 

Morpho helenor - Pipeline Road, Panama

Below are some additional highlights from a very productive, if quite humid, stroll along the first few kilometres of Pipeline Road. 

Spotted Antbird - Pipeline Road, Panama

Anapolisia sp. - Pipeline Road, Panama

This waterthrush gave me fits since it showed heavier chest streaking than I am used to seeing with Louisiana. I believe it is that species though, due to the white supercilium that widens after the eye, the pink legs and the clean throat (no streaking). A tricky one!

Louisiana Waterthrush - Pipeline Road, Panama

Camissecla sp. - Pipeline Road, Panama

Fasciated Antshrike (female) - Pipeline Road, Panama

Cycloglypha sp. - Pipeline Road, Panama

Anolis sp. - Pipeline Road, Panama

Black-throated Trogon - Pipeline Road, Panama

Stripe-throated Hermit - Pipeline Road, Panama

Following our hike at Pipeline, Laura and I returned to Gamboa and checked into our accommodations. For those of you planning a trip to the area, we highly recommend Gamboa Apartment Toucan y Studio Ñeque, which Laura had found on booking.com. We had an entire ground floor apartment to ourselves which was new, spacious, clean, and came with a kitchen stocked with a few basics. Even better, the floor to ceiling windows opened up to a beautiful terrace which was surrounded by gardens and fruiting trees. The price was right as well - about half the price as some of the bed and breakfasts/apartments that birders often stay at in Gamboa. We noted close to 60 species of birds just in the backyard during our three-night stay, and most of these were enjoyed with a beer in hand while we relaxed on the comfortable reclining deck chairs during the afternoons. The host was extremely accommodating and friendly, and we honestly had no complaints at all. 

I made an effort to photograph the pair of Isthmian Wrens - another species I had never photographed before - with moderate success.

We took it easy that evening and had an early bedtime, since the next morning would see us up bright and early. 

September 26, 2021

In 2014 I embarked on a birding blitz of central and eastern Panama with David Bell and Steve Pike. On March 4 we tallied around 160 species of birds (our best single day count for the trip), and that morning was spent birding a place called Old Gamboa Road South. One could probably surmise by its title that this used to be the road into Gamboa prior to construction of the current paved road. The track passes through dry forest and secondary growth close to the canal. It begins at the Summit Ponds (home to Greater Anis, kingfishers, Boat-billed Herons, and more) and continues south for a ways.

Fast forward to our current trip and Laura and I had high hopes of exploring the same area. However, we had heard that in recent years birders have sometimes had difficulty accessing this area. SENAFRONT (the Panamanian border police) has a strong presence in this area, while ACP, the Panama Canal Authority, owns the land that Old Gamboa Road South passes through. 

Yellow-headed Caracara - Summit Ponds, Panama

Laura and I woke early on September 26 and made the 15-minute drive to the area, parking in a lot opposite from Parque Municipal Summit around sunrise. We walked down to the SENAFRONT checkpoint and chatted with the guys. They gave us permission to bird the paved road towards the Summit Ponds, though explaining that we couldn't leave the roadside. No problem, we were happy to avoid the grass that was surely loaded with chiggers! 

Gartered Trogon - road to Summit Ponds

But when we arrived at the start of the track beside Summit Ponds, an additional officer chatted with us for a few minutes and informed us that we were not allowed to explore down the track. First, he said that it was dangerous due to the presence of snakes. We explained that we are biologists and are familiar with the venomous snakes of the area. His next tactic was to explain that we needed a guide to visit that area. I stated that I am a birding guide from Canada. But apparently we needed a guide from the ACP, or a permit from them. In the end, he allowed us to walk for 150 m down the track, stating that we needed to be in his sight and could not go around the bend. I guess he did not want to get in trouble from his superiors if the ACP "caught" us on their property and word got back that he gave us permission. 

Banded Peacock (Anartia fatima) - Summit Ponds, Panama

Needless to say we were a little disappointed that we were unable to explore that area. But we still had an enjoyable few hours by the Summit Ponds, down the first 150 m of the track, and elsewhere along the paved road. We tallied almost 80 species of birds including American Pygmy Kingfisher, Boat-billed Heron, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Acadian Flycatcher, Prothonotary Warbler, Black-tailed Trogon and White-necked Puffbird. 

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher - Summit Ponds, Panama

White-bellied Antbirds were calling everywhere but they remained unseen, despite a few individuals being tantalizingly close. The Golden-collared Manakins were a little more cooperative. And the butterfly diversity was quite good as well. 

Mesosemia sp. - Summit Ponds, Panama

Since the day was still young, Laura and I decided to visit nearby Plantation Road for a late morning hike. As it was a Sunday, the weekend mountain biking crowd was present in full force but we still managed to find a decent variety of birds in the fairly mature forest. 

Laura noticed this sharp Crimson-crested Woodpecker peeking out of its nest hole. We also noticed our first Tawny-crowned Greenlet and Blue Dacnis of the trip, watched a pair of Slaty-tailed Trogons feeding on a fruiting tree, and enjoyed a close Olivaceous Flatbill. 

Crimson-crested Woodpecker - Plantation Road, Panama

Olivaceous Flatbill - Plantation Road, Panama

Just as we were leaving, a Black Hawk-Eagle was spotted beside the road. It unfortunately disappeared before we could get a really good look or attempt photos. 

Craugastor fitzingeri - Plantation Road, Panama

The afternoon was spent at our accommodations in Gamboa. A rest was definitely in order after a morning of birding in the hot, humid environments of the lowlands. Us Canadians certainly don't fare as well in these conditions as the locals!

Yellow-rumped Cacique - Gamboa, Panama

We were ready to get back at it by late afternoon. A quick stop before dusk at the Ammo Ponds yielded a nice variety of species, though the vocal White-throated Crakes remained frustratingly out of sight. This Purple Gallinule and her chicks were settling in for the night as dusk fell. 

Purple Gallinules - Ammo Ponds, Gamboa, Panama

Laura and I drove the remaining few kilometres to Pipeline Road for a bit of mothing and night-hiking. Of course, the threatening skies all afternoon had produced not a drop of rain, but it began to fall as soon as we initiated our night-hike. At least we found a sheltered spot to set up the moth light and kill some time until the rain stopped...

This poor moth had become a victim to a type of fungi (Akanthomyces sp., I think?).

An impressive sphinx moth, Manduca florestan, which we had previously observed in Ecuador. 

Manduca florestan - Pipeline Road, Panama

The rain eventually let up enough and Laura and I headed out, putting our umbrellas to good use. 

Blue-winged Helicopter (Megaloprepus caerulatus) - Pipeline Road, Panama

Perhaps we had been spoiled in our first two night-hikes at the Canopy Tower in which we averaged about two snakes per hour. But despite a solid effort, we came up short on this night (though we did not stay out too late either). That is how she goes sometimes! At least the Tungara Frogs were out in full force. 

Tungara Frog (Engystomops pustulosus) - Pipeline Road, Panama

This harvestman's patterning was quite intricate. I have to say, the Neotropics have some pretty neat ones.

Eupoeciliaema panamaense - Pipeline Road, Panama

Caligo oedipus - Pipeline Road, Panama

We checked the sheet one more time but fatigue was getting the best of us after the early start to the day. It is tough to balance early morning birding with evening mothing/hiking!