Night Creatures

Its the start of the rainy season here in Gamboa.  Throughout the year, there is usually a chorus of frogs and other nocturnal animals every night.  When it rains during the day, most days during the wet season, the frog chorus can be at times, deafening.  Dozens of species sing from the flooded fields across from my house, in nearby residential pools of water, and from the extensive rain forest 300 metres in front of my house.  The rainy season feels even more full of life than the drier times of the year.  After a good rain, its always fun and rewarding to look for frogs after dark, and this is exactly what we did a few nights ago.   

Tree Frog (species unknown)

Tree Frog showing wide toe webbing

It was still fairly dry, despite a bit of rain, as the wet season needs time to saturate the soils after the dry season.  We decided to go up to the tower in Gamboa, as it is a good place to find snakes, frogs and other night life.  We didn't see a great abundance of frogs, but each frog we saw seemed to be a different species from the last.  Several different species of tree frogs including Dendrosophus ebraccatus, a small Hypsiboas species with large feet and toe webbing, Scinax sp., Leptodactylus savagei and more.  

Panama Red-rumped Tarantula

As we made our way up to the tower, we coaxed a rather aggressive Panama Red-rumped Tarantula, Sericopelma rubronitens, out of its burrow.  We got a quick glimpse of it as it waited at the entrance of its burrow, but as we approached it scurried inside and out of view.  By wiggling a stick at the entrance of its burrow, he came running out and attacked the twig, and was reluctant to let it go!

Turnip-tailed Gecko with no tail

Turnip-tailed Gecko

As we made our way up the tower, we spotted a Turnip-tailed Gecko (Thecadactylus rapicauda) along a railing.  This large gecko is brown or tan in colour, and has the ability to change colour depending on its environment.  They have rather complex toe pads, equipped with microscopic ridges and filaments to be able to scale just about any surface.  It has a large, wide tail, giving it its name, which stores fat.  On occasion, it can drop its tail to distract predators.  Of the two Turnip-tailed Geckos we saw on the tower this evening, one was missing its tail!  

Our highlight of the night was seen when we reached the top of the tower.  As we approached the top, we saw some motion in the canopy.  I mentioned the possibility of night monkeys, but there are plenty of other nocturnal mammals like Kinkajous and possums in these lowland forests.  We could not see what was making the motion, so we carried on.  As we got to the top, Beatriz took another look and immediately called out "monkeys!!".  Sure enough, a family of 5 Panamanian Night Monkeys (Aotus zonalis) moved through the open branches of the canopy, right in front of us, not even 3 meters from the edge of the tower.  One of them was carrying a baby on its back.  Unfortunately, no photos!  I knew my flash wouldn't make it, so I just enjoyed the sighting.  Panamanian Night Monkeys are a small to medium-sized monkey in the family Aotidae.  They are a brown to reddish colour, rather stout legs and a short prehensile tail.  They have a rather round face with white vertical lines, and large round eyes, no doubt with excellent night vision.  As we watched them move through the treetops, we couldn't help but enjoy this rare sighting.  They are likely not uncommon, but due to their nocturnal and arboreal nature, are not frequently seen.  

Thrilled with our finds at the tower, we made our way back home.  Along the way, I spotted some eyeshine up high up in a tree, which upon further investigation with a flashlight, we saw the outline of a mammal-shaped animal, likely a woolly opossum, staring back at us with large eyes.  Despite a lack of abundance of animals, what we did see was a good diversity and rewarding sightings.  Night walks are a very enjoyable experience, and open our eyes to a world of creatures active after the daylight fades.  Now that its the wet season, I look forward to doing some more evening exploring in Gamboa, who knows what will turn up!

~ Jenn   

More big beetles!

In April, I had come across a large male Harlequin Beetle, Acrocinus longimanus, a beautiful longhorn beetle with ornate markings, at the Canopy Bed & Breakfast in Gamboa.  A few days ago, again at the B&B, I found another large beetle lying on its back under the house.  This time, it was an Elephant Beetle!  This was early in the morning and it had been attracted to the lights of the B&B at some point overnight.  I helped the struggling beetle right itself, then, as I have learned not to go anywhere without my camera, placed it on a stick to take some photos.  

Elephant Beetle

The Elephant Beetle, Megasoma elephas, is a large, heavy-bodied beetle of Central and South America.  It is a member of the Scarabaeidae family, a large family of beetles that includes the impressive Hercules Beetles, stag beetles, june beetles, dung beetles and many more.  Both male and female Elephant Beetles are black with a thick layer of microscopic hairs that make it appear a yellow or tan colour.  Males are 2-3 times larger than females, and have two prominent horns extending forward from their head and one from their prothorax, which are used for defense in competition for food and mates.  Elephant beetles eat sap, fruit (and are particularly fond of pineapple) and bark.  Their larvae are particularly large and live in decaying logs, taking up to 3 years to develop into adults!  The larvae are very large, c-shape and white or yellowish in colour.  Once the larvae pupate into adults, adults live for only one to three months.   

Elephant Beetle

Always something interesting to find here!

~ Jenn     

Gamboa Garden

Yesterday we enjoyed a beautiful Sunday afternoon watching the hummingbirds and other wildlife just outside our doorstep.  A pair of Common Tody-Flycatchers (Todirostrum cinereum) have built a nest in the arbor outside the front door, and every day I've been watching these tiny birds tending to the nest.  Hoping for fledglings soon! 

Common Tody-Flycatcher, Todirostrum cinereum

Common Tody-Flycatcher nest

Two freshly-filled hummingbird feeders attracted dozens of hummingbirds, including White-necked Jacobins, Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Violet-bellied Hummingbirds, Blue-chested Hummingbirds and a beautiful male Violet-crowned Woodnymph.  

Violet-bellied Hummingbird, Damophila julie

Female White-necked Jacobin, Florisuga mellivora

Male White-necked Jacobin, Florisuga mellivora

A cluster of young Reduviid bugs

Costus Plant

Looking forward to spending more time in the garden!  
~ Jenn 

Cerro Gaital Ssssurprises

Last weekend I visited El Valle de Anton, a picturesque town situated in the crater of an extinct volcano, 2 hours west of Panama City.  El Valle is a popular tourist destination for many reasons; there is plenty there to do!  Birding, hiking, buy local products at the artisan markets, take a dip in the hot springs or visit the zoo & amphibian rescue centre, among many other things.  

Cerro Gaital Trail

Whenever I am in El Valle, I always enjoy the fresh air, the breeze and the birds, as it is one of Panama's top birding destinations.  Located in the western foothills of Panama at an elevation of approximately 650 meters, there are birds teeming from just about everywhere and plenty of birding hotspots in the area.  This past weekend, among some work and time to enjoy the surroundings, we ventured up to the top of Cerro Gaital.  We took a bus from the Canopy Lodge up the road leading to the top, past La Mesa and hopped off at the trail head.  From here, we hiked up the trail and entered into foothills cloud forest, with its typical abundance of lush mossy trees, bromeliads and plants.  Just 50 meters from the road, we could hear the distinct sound of a Green Hermit lek, where several males were displaying.  As we headed along the trail, we found some nice foothills and higher-elevation species, including Plain Antvireo, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Common Bush-Tanager and Gray-breasted Wood-Wren.  

Our highlight of the morning, however, was not a bird.  As we walked up the trail, I spotted a small snake coiled up on the handrail along a section of the path.  Immediately I knew it was a viper and within seconds I realized I was looking at a beautiful Eyelash Pit Viper!  I had been wanting to see this species for years, and finally there was one in front of me.  

Eyelash Pit Viper, Bothriechis schlegelii

Eyelash Pit Vipers are a small to medium-sized snake of the humid forests of the Neotropics.  They get their name from the enlarged scales above their eyes, which are thought to aid in camouflage, to break up the snake's profile among the vegetation.  Eyelash Pit Vipers are quite variable in their appearance and can have a variety of colours and patterns - brown, banana yellow, and mottled green and red.  They are arboreal and have a strong prehensile tail.  Eyelash Pit Vipers are typical ambush predators; they sit and wait quietly, well-camouflaged, for their prey to be in close range and strike, impaling prey with large, needle-like fangs.  They prey on small rodents, frogs, lizards and birds.  They often sit at eye level, in palm trees and heliconia flowers, to sit and wait for birds and other visiting animals.  They are even known to return to their favourite specific sites to sit and wait for migrating birds each spring.  

Eyelash Pit Viper showing its "eyelashes"

El Valle de Anton, from Cerro Gaital

After grabbing some photos of the viper, we carried on up to the top of Cerro Gaital, where we had great views of El Valle de Anton from above.  On our way back down, we continued to find nice birds including Blue-throated Toucanet, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis and my lifer Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch.  It was nice to do some exploring on Cerro Gaital again, it had been a few years since I had been there, and even though I enjoy every walk I take no matter what I see, this trip turned up some rewarding sightings!

~ Jenn 

Up-close with Kestrels - 2013 KestrelCam

Female American Kestrel "Katy", an education bird at Mountsberg Raptor Centre

The American Kestrel one of the smallest falcons in the Americas; an attractive, colourful little raptor.  When I was younger, kestrels were a common sight, frequently seen perched on high wires in open areas near home.  Sadly, American Kestrels have been declining in North America for some time now, and now a kestrel sighting in southern Ontario is an infrequent occasion for me. They are also one of my all-time favourite birds!

Last year, I spent a good deal of time watching the nesting process and development of a family of American Kestrels in a nest box in Boise, Idaho, at the World Center for Birds of Prey, the international headquarters for The Peregrine Fund.  The American Kestrel Partnership is a project launched by The Peregrine Fund in order to advance the conservation of this species.  This project uses professional and citizen scientists (you and me!) to study the breeding behaviours of this declining species.  This year, the KestrelCams are up and running again, with a high-quality infrared camera inside the nest box for 24-hour monitoring, and a Bosch AutoDome 800 Series Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera outside of the box to observe behaviour of food exchange, predator defense, and to watch the fledglings take their first flights.  Cornell Lab of Ornithology sponsors this program by providing ad-free live streaming.  

Male American Kestrel on top of monitored nest box, 2012 

Furthermore, there are many ways to be involved with this project.  You can easily submit your observations through the website, as events in and outside of the box are taking place!  You are also welcome to aide the project through means of donations, become a member, place a nest box on your property, and many other ways.  Please support American Kestrel research to further the conservation of this beautiful and important species!  View the nesting kestrels here!  

~ Jenn 

A Visit to the Canopy Camp Darien

In January, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Darien National Park and Cerro Pirre in far eastern Panama, near the Colombian border.  It is a magical place, where Harpy Eagles, Great Green Macaws, Great Curassows, critically endangered Colombian Spider Monkeys and several Panamanian endemic species can live in pristine lowland, foothill and highland forests. With its long winding rivers and small indigenous communities sprinkled throughout the province, it is reminiscent of the Amazon.  It is truly a special place.  

Safari-style Tent at the Canopy Camp Darien

This past week, I returned again to the Darien again with Carlos Bethancourt and Cesar Pinzon, to visit the Canopy Tower Family's new birding eco lodge, the Canopy Camp Darien.  The camp is situated along the border of a hydrological reserve, well into the Darien province beyond the town of Meteti.  The camp is currently in its construction phase, as safari-style tents are being put in place on platforms, each with their own private bathroom that offers a stunning view of the surrounding forest from the shower!  You can see more pictures of the construction of the Canopy Camp Darien on the Canopy Tower's Flickr page.    

Rufous-tailed Jacamar

The main purpose of the trip was to visit the Canopy Camp, as well as the nearby birding areas along the Pan-American highway to its very end in the town of Yaviza.  Of course we took advantage and did as much birding as we could!  The camp is surrounded by lowland tropical forests, with towering Cuipo trees in close range.  The Cuipos are in seed at this time of the year, with bright orange and magenta-colored winged seeds.  Around the camp, we frequently heard (and saw) Rufous-tailed Jacamars and White-headed Wrens as well as a Gray-cheeked Nunlet, nesting Black-capped Tody-Flycatcher, and a pair of Olivaceous Piculets.  Golden-collared Manakins and Golden-headed Manakins lek in the forest a mere 150 metres from camp, right along a trail.  Sapphire-throated Hummingbirds and Pale-bellied Hermits visit the Heliconia plants in the gardens to feed.  The bird list for the Canopy Camp is growing and growing, and on this visit we had great views of Royal Flycatcher.  At the adjacent birding sites, highlights included a gorgeous pair of Spot-breasted Woodpeckers, a Red-rumped Woodpecker, Plain-breasted Ground-Dove and many, many more.  We also saw over 1000 migrating Mississippi Kites passing overhead right at the camp!   

Cuipos towering over the forest canopy

Assassin Bug and its prey, a honeybee

On our last day, we stopped at Restaurant Arco Iris along the Pan-American Highway in the Darien for lunch - the best Corvina Frita in Panama!  Yum!

Corvina Frita (Fried Seabass)

It was a short yet productive trip to the Darien, I am already looking forward to going back!

~ Jenn 

Tropical Longhorn Beetles

This morning when I arrived at the Canopy Bed & Breakfast, Danilo pointed out a beautiful male Harlequin Beetle hiding underneath the doorway.  I was so pleased to finally see one of these beetles!  This species, Acrocinus longimanus, is among one of the largest in the Americas.  It has a body length of 8 centimetres, but in addition to that, males have elongated forelegs that can be much longer than the length of their body.  Both males and females have beautiful, ornately patterned elytra with red, olive and black scrolling lines.  They are a member of the longhorn beetle family Cerambycidae, and this species in particular has rather long antennae or "horns".  This diurnal species feeds on the sap of trees and females lay their eggs in chewed out grooves on the surface of dead or dying trees.  This species is found from Mexico south through Central America and throughout the Amazon region of South America.  

Harlequin Beetle, Acrocinus longimanus

Harlequin Beetle, Acrocinus longimanus

A couple years ago, when I was working in Ecuador, I came across another impressive Cerambycid one night while camping on the reserve with some volunteers.  This is Macrodontia cervicornis, "Macrodontia" meaning "long tooth" and "cervicornis" meaning "deer antler", for the shape of the mandibles.  At first it startled us with its rapid movements on the leaves of a small shrub at the camp.  I couldn't help but get closer to get a better look, and at one point had this beautiful, yet intimidating beetle in my hand.  This is the largest species longhorn beetles, and can reach lengths of over 17 centimetres.  In addition to this, they have impressive mandibles!  This species is also one of the most widespread, found throughout the Amazon rainforest of South America.  Macrodontia cervicornis is primarily nocturnal, and feeds on plant material including sap, bark and fruits.  Its larvae are particularly enormous, reaching lengths of 21 centimetres and can bore galleries in trees over a metre long.  Most of this species' lifespan is spent in the larval phase, which can last up to 10 years!

Unfortunately due to the extent of deforestation in its rainforest habitat and long larval phase (reducing time for reproduction), as well as demand for insect collections, this species is at risk and is listed as vulnerable by IUCN.  

Macrodontia cervicornis

Macrodontia cervicornis

These large longhorn beetles of tropical America are needless to say impressive, beautiful and can open our eyes to the world of insects, their world and importance to ours.  

~ Jenn