Looking Back-Gamboa

I find that reviewing my photography is an important thing.  Today I begin the 4 part series that started my birding adventures with a camera.   Last year I traveled to Panama with an okay camera.  It would also be the first time I started to watermark my work as I had several pics stolen and used on other sites as their own.  It was also the first time that I seriously examined my work with a critical eye.  Sometimes my eye was too critical and I left pictures out of the writing.  If you followed Las Aventuras last year, these pictures will not be repeats at all.  Part of my job with this 4 day series was to re-examine my work from last year and figure out why I didn't post them.  If you are newer to the blog, all of these pics will be new.  If you are interested in Panama, check out the post suggestions below.  This is how I came across Eileen from Viewing Nature With Eileen.

Every year I take a major trip somewhere.  I haven't taken one this year....yet.  The house came first this summer. But we are currently planning a big event for next year that may include penguins and lots of snow.  Before travel to another country, we research months in advance on places that are barely known about or are important to explore for cultural reasons.  We are Spanish language specialists(my day job) and love getting a closer look at the cultures surrounding the language.  Like any language, Spanish is different from one country to the next.  In any case, there is a lot to see/cram into these visits.  Today we visit Gamboa. And then we'll move onto Coiba Island, Bocas Del Toro, and Boquete.

Oropendola Nest

Gamboa would prove to change directions for me in my pursuit of wildlife.  Last year at this time, I didn't really understand birding and kind of laughed at it.  But a friendly man by the name of Ivan helped me take a closer look at our winged friends.  This place is not only beautiful but it changed me.  If I had money, I'd buy one of those old homes there and live!  It was really beautiful.  Birders if you haven't been to the famed Pipeline Road in Gamboa, it's really worth your time.  You won't regret the trip at all. 

Crimson-crested Woodpecker

But onto the photography.  I didn't post a lot of these shots because they were blurred or at the time, I thought rather boring.   But with blogging, it's okay to post the not so perfect shots as well.   I went back on several of my albums and pulled these beauties out.  I hadn't been planning on doing these posts as I was studying the Ivory Bill Woodpecker which led to several other Woodpeckers in Mexico etc.  It was devastating to find out that several of the largest woodpeckers were wiped out and now labeled extinct.  But I remembered a shot from the rainforest of this colorful number above and I went back into my files(thank you to a fellow birder who told me never to delete pics).  Good advice because I was able to ID this particular Woodpecker.

And this Toucan flew right into view.  While I didn't get the shot of the head like I had hoped, I did capture proof that I saw one on the wild.  No zoo. No captive wildlife program.  And I realized for the first time in my life that the camera I was using wasn't good enough for me.  I'm going to be honest here.  I loved my camera, but I discovered that my hands would be tied for most of the shoots around Panama.  I didn't have control of the focus or shutter speed.  If I had the camera I have now(the Canon Rebel), I would have gotten that shot.  But I also learned much from the experience.

While we were in Gamboa, I was inspired by this bamboo corridor.   Today I have created this idea with Buddha Belly's Bamboo in the fern garden.  It looks great!  You can see me climbing one of the poles on the left side because I'm a bamboo freak:)

Oh and this story.  Here we are catching a break from the downpour.  I was filming a heron and my camera cap rolled into the water.  I thought it was gone but when I looked down I could see it in the water but they were full of caiman and crocs...so a boat person came along and fished it out for me.  I was extremely thankful for his help. 

Black Vultures

The hikes were long and difficult.  Bring plenty of water with you as we dehydrated quickly. It was one of the sweatiest experiences of my life, but the wildlife was a treat to observe.  I made a video last year capturing the beauty of this area.  More tomorrow.....

This is pretty scary.  Harbinger of Death?

The Lighthouse

We're getting close to Halloween and I thought it would be fun to look at a scary moment that we had in an abandoned lighthouse in Panama. From the road near the Canal, we saw this really cool looking lighthouse.  On our last day there, we hiked up this old structure.  As I walked up the spiral staircase, I heard lots of squeaking and it was disturbing.  I was already halfway up when I noticed A LOT of black furry critters flying all around me.  The pic above looks like my black kitty featured below and made me smile.  Note. I didn't use flash, but our friend Desiree did!!!  Boy did she hear it from us:)

Here's the lighthouse.  Thankfully my friend Desiree snapped the pic.  I was more concerned about getting pictures of the bats. 

While the bats held our attention, it was this alien looking nest on top that scared us the most.  It looks like a termite nest, but really, I don't know what it was.  We were just careful not to touch it.  Nasty. We had to pass it to get onto the lookout.

There was a window with a large nest hanging over it.   We walked first to this place, but Desiree had crashed on the bed at our b & b in Gamboa so we didn't want to wake her.  Sleep is precious in foreign countries.  However, she did wake and realized that we were gone and figured we had headed to "her lighthouse", but by the time she got there, we were already gone.  So she climbed the steep stairwell alone discovering all these cool things on the way up.  I wish I could have seen her face!  She came back all freaked out and we laughed. To be honest, I don't know if I could have climbed that thing alone. 

This is my black cat that looks like the bat above.  Her name is Cassie! and she has vampire teeth.  More ghoulish fun on the way:)

There and Back Again

So we've come to the end of our journey in Panama.  I hope you enjoyed the series of posts on the various themes over this past month. It was enjoyable for me to write on all these amazing things that I was able to witness in person.  As a teacher and my own student, I learn best by experiential learning.  No classroom can prepare you for the sights and sounds of a moment.  Of course, there is a lot more to write about in the garden and we'll take a break for a bit from the series and look into some helpful gardening ideas for your own home.  Plus I also have to do some record keeping from El Presidio for myself and also keep the homeowners up-to-date on what's going on around the property.  This last post was written in Gamboa where we began and ended our journey in Panama.  It's dated July 5th, 2011 on a Saturday night which was warm and tropical.  Night sounds abound from frogs, insects, and other nocturnal critters. I am in my bed reflecting on my personal journey and connecting with the people who are no longer with me. In the beginning, I had written about how personal Gamboa was for me.....well, here's the letter that I wrote.  Finally, I put one last video together for this series and I think it's my best one yet which highlights all the things we did in Panama.

"Dear Grandma and Grandpa Rohrer,

     My final days have arrived here in Panama.  This trip has been quite simply wonderful, but now it's time to end this journey.  As you know, we began our trek in Gamboa at a place called Ivans.  I didn't know why I wanted to end our trip here at first, but I think I've only now figured out why it was important for me to return. Everything about this place reminds me of you both and it makes me happy.  I'm a child again spending the weekends at your house.  The home even smells like your place and makes me wrap myself up even tighter into my blankets.  Walking around this ghost town was like playing in your magic garden in the far backyard near the creek The one that no longer exists.  The totem pole and grapevine covered trellis that invited us all into your garden is now gone....replaced with a concrete road.  When I go back to visit your home, it seems that almost all of my childhood and your green art have been erased from existance.  The apple tree.  The pear tree. The garden.  Only a stubborn patch of rhubarb still pops up to remind me where you both spent your days.

     The bing cherry ice cream is fresh here and melts just like it used to on our road trips to the Penguin during our many little adventures in that green car. Cones cost 50 cents here! You remember those trips, right? The ones where the waitress would rollerskate up to our car window and take our order. Do you remember Grandpa when I asked you what flavor I should try because there were too many to choose from?  What the heck was blue moon anyway? But you told me that I should try the bing cherry and it became one of my favorites.  I had bing cherry ice cream again in Panama and I remembered.

     Even this house has your touch wth the bird feeder, the home cooked meals, the wooden slated closets, and photos of plants and birds.  I walked the neighborhood tonight along the rain forest paths seeing the old old homes that were falling apart....remembering our walks together Grandma. Many of those homes in Manitowoc still look the same and need some fixing up.  I walked along the canal full of ships just like we did on Lake Michigan, but instead of seagulls, there were parakeets and toucans. It doesn't seem like a long time ago, but time has definitely passed.....and so have you both. Sometimes I wish I could rewind time for just a day to have one more conversation....one more walk.....one more scolding about fighting with my sister......one more lunch listening to WOMT radio at noon. As we eat lunch,  both of you are watching the bird feeder and getting angry at that damned squirrel.  Grandpa, you run outside and chase it off so you can see more finches. "Get out of here!!!  Get out of here!!!" I'd start laughing because you both looked so funny screaming at Mr. Squirrel.  Of course, when you weren't looking, he'd be back again.:)

     In fact, everything about Gamboa has reminded me of the simpler times.....the happy times......the best times. It's during this stay that I'm reminded how much I miss your presence in my life.  When I see potted geraniums, I think of your basement in winter where you protected your babies from the freezing temps. In summer, you would take a seemingly dead plant and bring it back to life. When I see cargo ships on the canal, I think of your work Grandpa at the Burger shipyards.  When I see the old Catholic church crumbling at the corner, I'm reminded of our Sunday mornings together......and the breakfasts afterward! Does your church even exist anymore like the one here on the corner? I walk through the bamboo groves along the Chagres river and it's like walking with you Grandma through those reeds by the little creek. That is gone as well. This city is trapped in the past.  Being here makes me think about what it was like growing up in the early 1900's for you both.  The canal was getting ready to open while you both grew up on gravel roads before cars became popular. Horses were still the main means of transportation. Malaria and yellow fever claimed many lives in Panama.  Back home it was Scarlet fever. How old were you Grandma when you lost both of your parents?  13? 14?  I can't imagine any of it.  But they were different times.  So much has changed in a century.

     As I watched the capybara playing in the fields today, I sipped my cool and sweaty glass of mojito.  I try to absorb as much as I can before I leave Panama and this magical town of Gamboa.  How many years has it been since my last stayover? 20? 30?  How is it that here in Gamboa I stumbled upon your presence?  Tonight my thoughts turn to you both as I get ready for some sleep. 

Love you much,

Your grandson"

End of paper journal.  Check out the video from our Panama Adventures.  Until tomorrow friends....

Ivan's Bed and Breakfast

When I look at this pic, I appear a giant.

Today, I thought I'd share with you a great place to stay near Pipeline Road in the lovely town of Gamboa.  There's this guy.  His name is Ivan and he's one of THE best hosts we had on our trip to Panama.  We loved him so much that we had to change our itinerary to go back one last time before we returned to the United States.  Both he and his wife Gladys run a wonderful bed and breakfast in an old canal home.  The best part is that the whole family lives there so it feels like a home away from home.  Ivan is knowledgeable about birds and helped me identify a lot of my pics.  There is a lot to mention about his place and I consider it one of the hidden gems of Gamboa.  Most of you who read my blog are gardeners, birders, or nature enthusiasts, but some of you are also anonymous readers perhaps planning your vacation in Panama.  For my readers, you'll definitely love this place. For the anonymous reader, I wouldn't recommend this place for college kids who like to drink and party or for families with little kids.  This place is definitely for birders, nature lovers, and people looking to relax.  It draws a larger older crowd who are looking for some creature comforts away from home after their day's excursion into the rain forest.  If you have a family with older kids, this is a great place to explore together.   I loved it here and didn't want to leave.  It was like going back in time to the early 1900's.   

Breakfast, evening meals, and relaxation are found in this general area. 

Top ten reasons to stay at Ivan's Bed and Breakfast.

1.  Ivan.  He's a great guy.  Genuine, fun, and knowedgeable about birds and the Gamboa area.  He cares about his family, home, and guests.  Ivan's a great host who will make sure your stay is fun and memorable.  If you need recommendations for things to do, he's got them.

2.  Gladys.  For a little bit more money, you can add on the dinner option.  We were glad we did because Gladys makes a delicious meal. After a busy day, the last thing you want to think about is how you're going to fix up dinner.   Candlelight dinners are usually served at 7 PM. Many times we would chat with Ivan or guests about our day. 

3.  You are physically minutes away from the famous Pipeline Road and Soberania National Park.  Birders, this is an absolute must see!!  Ivan's is perfect for the bird enthusiast.  He knows his birds.  The place has books with information on birds.  And of course, it's near one of the world's premiere birding places.

4.  It's an old historical canal home with a lots of personality. It's quite large and spacious with 3 floors.

5.  If you arrange it ahead of time with Ivan, you can have transportation arranged to and from the airport. Make sure you talk about the price.  No need to get stuck in Panama City.

6.  Speaking of avoiding Panama City, you can grab a cheap bus from Gamboa and head over to the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal.  You can catch the bus one block away from his house.

7. You can organize trips, like Monkey Island, with Ivan ahead of time. Or several blocks away, the expensive yet beautiful Gamboa resort offers kayaking or canopy tours.

8.  A/C and hot water!!  Panama's weather is oppressively hot and sticky.  Each of the rooms offers an a/c unit with fans.  While my body eventually adapted to the humidity, I found the a/c a great way to sleep and relax a bit from the onslaught of nasty temps.

9.  Breakfast and coffee included. Ivan is flexible and will organize a time with you the night before as to when you'd like to have breakfast.

10.  Wildlife is all around you.  Just steps away from the house, you'll see the real residents of Gamboa....the agouti.  You don't have to go far to see bats, birds, reptiles, insects, or mammals.  Without even stepping into the national park or Pipeline road, we saw a green iguana, a toucan, bats, agouti, fireflies, tanagers, parrokeets, tons of butterflies, turtles, frogs and capybara.....all within a several minute walk from Ivan's place.

Outside my bedroom window

We had a great stay at Ivan's Bed and Breakfast.  It was difficult to say good-bye.  One of the most enjoyable things that we did on our last day at Ivan's was absolutely nothing.  The town is virtually empty and oh so quiet.  We took a walk to the lighthouse and Los Lagartos along the bamboo forest next to the Chagres river for one last mojito.  Traveler tip.  Sometimes the best plans are not to have any at all.   Until tomorrow.....

http://www.gamboaecotours.com/

"I Feel Like....."

Before I begin this random post on my feelings from a paper write in Panama, I have to tell you how much of a visual person I am.  Do you ever find yourself needing to download your pics first before writing your posts?  I do.  Except for the pieces that were written by hand previously.......This next post was written on a notepad under a mosquito net. June 27th, 2011.

Me on Coibitas Island, Panama

"On our trip, all of us used the phrase, "I feel like" so much that it became a running joke.  Here are some reflections about Panama using our popular start to a sentence, "I feel like.......".

At the museum of the Panama Canal, Miraflores Locks

I feel like we ran into a larger variety of tourists on this trip.  On each of our excursions, there were the older and much more quiet yet sophisticated birders.  There were the dirty and younger backpackers.  We also ran into the surfing community on a lean budget. There were also the general tourists(or as I'd like to call them...the "Vegas crowd") who stayed in the air conditioned hotels within the confines of Panama City.  Finally, there were also the sports fishermen and their girlfriends.

Taken in Gamboa, Panama at the Gamboa Rain Forest Resort

I feel like most of Panama is a haven for birders.....which it is.  Almost everyone, professionals and your everyday Jose, knew a lot about birds.  If you aren't a birder, you'll become one quickly after this trip.

One of the old train cars in Boquete

I feel like too many people speak English in this country.  So while it's frustrating for a Spanish teacher to hear English, it's comforting for many tourists who don't speak the language.  Plus it's a bonus that the American dollar is used for their currency....although they'll use the word balboa instead of dollar on occassion.  No currency exchange here!

Jail time on Coibas Island

Finally I feel like if you plan well, your trip will succeed beyond your dreams here. If you don't plan, this country will just be "meh".  I suppose that this is true about a lot of places but more so with Panama. After seeing primary forest for the first time, I wished people hadn't messed around with Mother Nature so much in the earlier days of our human development.  The good news is that people are catching on and "fixing" our ancestors mistakes...for the most part. Preservation is now on the forefront of Panama's developing future.  The country is in the process of restoring many things.  It's also growing fast with a lot of international development.  Donald Trump is building his skyscraper in downtown Panama City.  The Panama Canal is adding on more locks which will be completed in 2014, but the park systems are also growing and getting stronger as tourism is picking up in this country.  And this is how I feel."  More tomorrow....

Wildlife Refuge outside of Boquete

The Closeted Birder

Yesterday's post was a huevo buster so I'm hoping today's isn't bad. Do you ever get caught up with identification issues? I'm OCD about this stuff and if you find an error or disagree with an identification, please email me and let me know. In my field notes and birding book from Panama, I found some challenges. I had even shown my pics to a couple birders who had a difficult time telling the difference between some of my bird and butterfly pics!!! Well, as you can imagine from the title, today's post is about a bird's-eye view on both our feathered friends and their eagle eyed followers from around the world. We'll explore birding in Panama as far as the crow flies on this cool and often expensive hobby. So as the saying goes, "Birds of a feather flock together!"  Join me for this special Las Aventuras photo shoot.

Kiskadee

 It started earlier this year when a young student teacher walked in through my friend's doors.  As a former Amazon guide, he could speak with birds and identify them! I remember him as very literal, intelligent, and a kind hearted person who was passionate about birds.  His eyes lit up everytime a bird crossed his path. My grandparents were into birds, but this guy was an addict! Anyone could see that birds were his true love. And to top it off, he married a fellow birder as well!  We had fun discussions because I love plants and he loved birds which always revolved around nature. In fact, he had told me about this place known as Gamboa.  While working at the butterfly garden, I also came across many birders(who also love butterflies) and they spoke of this holy place known as the Pipeline Road!!  If you believe in Jesus, you go to Israel to visit the sites of his life.  If you believe in Santa, you head to the North Pole(although I think he's hanging out in Germany for a bit:). Global warming.  And if you believe in birds, you head to Panama:) 

The Brown Pelican

The fact at hand is that I have slowly been entering the world of birding.  When you plant something, birds come to nest or visit your gardens.  When I head up to Mt. Lemmon, my friends open up their birdfeeders at the cabin.  I go to Madera Canyon and see even more birds!  Even more curious, I'll be identifying some plant or taking a shot of something and a bird will enter the pic. Once I've snapped the pic, I'll feel suddenly strange like someone is creeping on me.  Turns out the silent stalker wasn't creeping on me but on the bird who flew into my shot.   The birding society is an interesting one.  Sometimes I think they wish they were birds. Secret. Quiet. Whisperers. These odd birds are always somewhere nearby watching everything like a hawk.

Blue Chested Hummingbird

Wise as an owl. I've come to respect the birder because s/he brings a quiet intelligence to Mother Nature. Always with a keen eye, they have their binoculars and expensive cameras ready to snap amazing shots of birds in their natural environment.  There isn't any noise pollution from them nor is there any trash left behind.  In fact, when a birder disappears, very little evidence remains that they were actually there.  So on this trip to Panama, I discovered how open people were about being birders.  Birders don't actually talk about birding freely here in Tucson because the general public doesn't really give a hoot about our amazing Sonoran desert which I think has the potential to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. In fact, it's a feather in our cap for Southern Arizona because people from all over the world come to see our diverse bird populations and they bring lots of money.  Back in Panama, people freely talked about the beautiful birds flying around their cities and parks.  It seemed like everyone knew something about birds.  If you didn't bring it up, they would!

Wattled Jacana

In Panama, there are so many birds EVERYWHERE!  You can't help but notice the amazing colors of feathers, the sounds, and flight patterns of these beautiful creatures.  I thought my birding friend, at first, was a bit cuckoo, when he would make bird sounds. He'd ask me, "Does it sound like this?" And I was floored.  It was like he was speaking Klingon to me....which I can't understand by the way.  I may be a sci fi nerd, but I'm not that extreme.  Just saying:)  Not many people have the ability to speak bird.  However once I arrived in Panama, I discovered that many people were bird whisperers.  Each person had their own call and with their "tweet, pop, or click" of some kind, a bird would come our way.  I was in shock.  They don't teach this stuff at school.  Where and when did they learn how to become songbirds?

Snail Kite

So I did what the birders did.  I looked up, around, below, on the shore, in the water and I brought my camera.  Last night while identifying pictures, a wonderful accident happened.  I was getting madder than a wet hen with the identification of a longwing butterfly.  The spots were all wrong and it was driving me crazy.  Finally I typed in the latin name for this butterfly and  discovered a man by the name of Bill Hubick who had been to Gamboa and the Pipeline road.  So instead of writing my blog, I lost myself in his incredible work as a photographer and bird specialist.  He also has pics of other animals and insects which are all in my  opinion, amazing shots.  Anyhow, his labels on birds, mammals, insects, reptiles and amphibians were detailed and accurate.  I wonder how much time it took him to label his endless photo galleries?  Here's his website.  It's pretty incredible stuff.....   http://www.billhubick.com/index.php

Crimson Backed Tanager

Birds are everywhere.  Sometimes they'll pose like a sitting duck while at other times, they'll move so fast that my camera just catches a blur. Beep Beep!  That was the challenge of this trip, but it was also part of the fun.  One of the trickiest things for me was keeping my hand steady with the camera.  My hands tend to shake which I believe lends itself to the style of my filming technique.  Video is at the end of this post.

Purple Gallinule

While I haven't stepped fully out of the closet as a birder, I do have a greater appreciation for the society of people who worship the feather. What do they look like? Most are sophisticated types who stay at expensive hotels or bed and breakfast places.  They'll spend thousands of dollars for those precious early morning hours and canopy tours. There are a lot of skinny bird(er)s(because they walk a lot or just eat like birds?), but I've seen a couple fuller ones here and there(my kind of people).  A lot of them look like they watch Harry Potter movies.  I find many of them to be middle aged or older(like retired), but I saw several little hatchlings being trained on Pipeline which I thought was really cool. A lot of this stuff I just described about birders also applies to me in some ways...except the eat like a bird bit.  Some speak bird while others are imposters.  Apparently, a little bird told me that there is this birding "checklist".  Some will enjoy the full experience of the bird "checklist" by visiting the country and do more than just bird. Some are even clever enough to go on family vacations and plan activities in high birding areas...any free time that's available is spent birding.  I think that is a cool compromise.   But some mockingbirds imitate the real birders by pretending to care about the "checklist". They'll go to the places just to say they went and mark it off on their "checklist".  Apparently the "checklist" is like cock fighting and I'm pretty sure that's illegal.  I thought that was an interesting tidbit. Birders who foul their own nests.  Why go some place just to say you've been there?  That doesn't make sense! So as far as I'm concerned, you people get the biggest insult of all.....you get the bird!

Birders will sometimes deny that they are birders because they don't want people to think of them differently.  I met a man who said he liked birds "alright"....and yet he had bird guides and knew most of the birds in my pics! Suspicious. Why doesn't he come out already and just admit it? What a lame duck!  It's easy......"My name is John and I'm.....a birder." What a silly goose! I've discovered that from this trip, my camera shots focused on the wildlife instead of the places and people.  Why?  Look at the pic above and notice the grace and beauty that Mother Nature provides . She makes you stop often and marvel at her creations.

Black Vulture at Coiba Island

My personal favorites on this trip were the Kiskadees and Black Vultures.  The vultures were clumsy landers and they made me laugh. There always seemed to be concentrations of them on something interesting, but when I would go to look for a carcass or dead tourist, I wouldn't find anything. But whatever it was, it sure was dead as a duck before they got to it.

The Magnificent Frigatebird over the Pacific Ocean

My neck would cramp from looking up so much.  My hand would hurt from trying to keep the camera steady.  My eyes would ache from staring into the muted greens of the rain forest. My batteries would die right when I had needed them most....thankfully I had a bunch of fresh ones ready to use.  Traveller tip.  I already have written that it's important to buy a lot of batteries before arriving in the country of your destination.  Make sure you put them in a ziploc bag to prevent moisture from corroding them and you'll be as happy as a lark that you did!

American Oystercatcher on Isla Granitos de Oro

Sand flies bit me left and right as I sat on the beach staring at birds. But some shoots were comfortable.  We sat at a bar and drank mojitos near a river and saw lots of birds from our table. Drinking mojitos is like ducks to water for me. Photographer note.  Never hesitate to make that shot.  You never know if you'll be back in that same spot again or if you'll see your subject again.  When in doubt, make the shot.

Inmature Lance Tailed Manakin

My most precious and satisfying moment was from this pic above.  We were in drippy moist rain forest on Coiba island when our guide Javier spoke his bird magic.  They came to him.  It was a Snow White and the 7 Manakins moment. It helps to have the voice of a nightingale.

A baby Caracara on Coibita Island

I also found that birds were difficult to identify because there were 3 categories for some of the them.  There were the colorful males that contrasted, sometimes vastly, with their female counterparts.  And then there was a 3rd category....Inmature Males.  We knew they were out there, but in the bird community there is an actual category for them!!  Why don't we do this with people?:)  You can see that difference between my two lucky shots of the Lance Tailed Manakin.  The "mature" one is blue while the inmature is green. Both have a red cap however.

Inmature Bare Throated Tiger Heron

Another favorite shot for me.  This bird was my friend while we were on Coiba island.  He hopped for me in circles and it was quite comical.  I was thinking I should make a movie, "Dances With Herons."  A birder is probably reading this post right now thinking me a complete bird brain.  Well it's probably too late for that:)  I think this inmature Bare Throated Tiger Heron was trying to get its lunch to come out.  Warning! Some birders are known to be very literal and don't have a sense of humor.  Most of my jokes are lost on them and if they aren't, they sure don't know how to laugh at them. Of course this post is in fine feather, and I certainly don't mean to ruffle anyone's feathers:)

Yeah, Coiba was awesome.  I have a post coming up on this island.  I'm having difficulty with it right now because there are so many pics from this place. I'll have to get all my ducks in a row for this one.  Otherwise, I'll be facing an issue that we bloggers have and that is putting too many pics on one post which gives our readers a picture overload.  Not me.  I just put 5000 bird pics up on this post today.  Call me a hypocrite:)  Seriously,  I have so many DIFFERENT shots that require special writing.....and specifically for the garden and plant portion of my blog.  Coiba was a feast for the mind and body. Most of these bird pics come from either our Coiba or Gamboa visits.

Lance tailed Manakin on Coiba

If you've ever been in a rain forest, you've probably heard strange "space" like sounds.  These come from the bird known as the Oropendula.  It's also a strange looking bird....but I wouldn't call this bird an odd duck.

Montezuma Oropendula

Well since birders love having their birding "checklist" nearby, I'll mention several that I saw which I snapped pics of but didn't post because I thought  that those shots were "for the birds"....The Ringed Kingfisher, the Amazon Kingfisher, a Lineated Woodpecker, a Scarlet Macaw(can mostly be found on Coiba Island and in the Darien Gap), and a Common Blackhawk.

Snowy-bellied Hummingbird

So many birds and not enough time. It's absolutely incredible how many different kinds of birds are out there!

Keel Billed Toucan

This above pic is what I call cheating.  We were at a refuge center in Boquete and I snapped this pic.  Did I see one in the wild?  Yes.  I even snapped a pretty decent pic of the big guy near the Chagres River near Gamboa, but I like this above pic better.  The one I took in the wild can be seen on my video below.

Fiery Billed Aracari

I'd like to thank all the birders who took me under their wings and helped me put this post together.  A special thanks to Ivan and Javier from Panama for not only their insights but their incredible knowledge of birds.  You couldn't find a better guide than Javier for Coibas Island and better birding place to stay than Ivan's Bed and Breakfast in Gamboa.  Ivan has a lot of useful tips that will get you around the Gamboa, Pipeline Road and surrounding areas.  For you birders, a new edition has been published for birding in Panama.  The older one has better descriptions while this newer edition, The Birds of Panama, has a quicker and faster page turn while you're out in the field.  The pics are A LOT better than the old guide plus you have a map next to the pictures showing you where the birds are located.

The Yellow Headed Caracara in Gamboa

It's time for this bird to fly the coop!