JALC’s Tenth Central American Adventure
The Birds and Natural History of Panama
January 3 - 10, 2010
Land Package Tour Price, $2,195.00 (not including airfare) includes: Airport Transfers at Panama City – Guided Ground Transportation – Meals and Accommodations – Accompanied by an Expert English Speaking Panamanian Naturalist Guide – Taxes, Service Charges, Gratuities (except for Naturalist Guide and the Driver on the Entire Tour which is left to your discretion.)
*Tour price is based on double-occupancy and a minimum of ten paying participants. Prices are subject to change without notice.
For information and current air fare, contact:
Nelda W. Hinckley, - Professor of Biology Life Science FacultyJohn A. Logan College
700 Logan College Road
Carterville, IL 62918, USA
(618) 549-5588
neldahinkley@jalc.edu
Students register for Biology 240, 3 hours credit.
Send $100 deposit check, payable to Caligo Ventures, Inc., to Nelda Hinckley, John A. Logan College, 700 Logan College Road, Carterville, IL 62918.
Panama, a country of tremendous biodiversity is a naturalist’s dream. Nestled between North and South America, it has many avian and mammalian species unique to each continent. Although it is smaller than the state of South Carolina, it has 883 bird species which is more than that found in the United States and Canada combined.
This tour will take us through diverse habitats including cloud forest, lush tropical rainforest and dry Pacific forest. Trails along mountain streams will lead us past waterfalls. We will have terrific views above the Soberania National Park from the Canopy Tower Ecolodge and Nature Observatory which is Panama’s leading eco–resort. We will spend four nights at this facility and three nights at Canopy Lodge, which is located in an area of unspoiled nature. An authentic Panamanian village is nearby. Both lodges have gracious accommodations and delicious food.
Itinerary
January 3 – Arrival After arriving in Panama City, a scenic drive to Canopy Tower offers glimpses of iridescent Blue Morpho butterflies floating through the forest and the roar of Howler Monkeys overhead. The evening’s activities include dinner and an orientation to the Lodge.
January 4 – Canopy Tower, Semaphore Hill and Plantation Road The Canopy Tower allows for viewing birds and wildlife of the forest canopy at eye level. Tanagers, toucans, tityras, Blue Cotinga, and Green Shrike Vireos can be seen from ones bedroom window. The dining room and roof of the tower yields views of Howler Monkeys, Tamarins, and additional special birds.
A mid-morning walk down Semaphore Hill Road offers opportunity to see White–whiskered Puffbird, Slate Colored Grosbeak, Great Tinamou, and Great Jacamar to name a few of the numerous bird species. The afternoon activity includes birding Plantation Road which follows a small creek, Rio Chico Masambi. Sunbitterns and Caiman are often seen in the Creek. Golden Crowned Spadebill and White-breasted Wood–Wren are easy to find. Dinner and night at Canopy Tower follows.
January 5 – Metropolitan Park, Summit Pond, Old Gamboa Road Today we will explore the nature trails of Metropolitan Park, the only protected rainforest found in the city limits of a major metropolitan area. The 200 bird list species found in this 500 acre park includes Lance-tailed Manakin, Southern Bent Bill, and Yellow-backed Oriole. A monkey, the Red-naped Tamarin, can be seen here. After lunch, we will go to Old Gamboa Road. Summit Ponds are located at the beginning of this bird-rich area. The ponds are the nesting site of Boat-billed Herons. Capped Herons, Green and Striated Heron are often seen here. We will continue on Old Gamboa South passing through a variety of habitats. A few of the specialties to be seen are Golden-collared Manakins, Rosy-Thrush Tanager and Jet Antbird. North of the pond, Boat-billed and Fork-tailed Flycatchers can be seen. The night activity around the roads of the Tower may include seeing some of the eight species of owls found there and mammals including Two Toed Sloth, Kinkajou, and Rothschild's Porcupine, and maybe a Jaguarundi or an Ocelot.
January 6 – Pipeline Road The day will be spent on this road, the best place in central Panama to see forest species. The 400 bird species seen at this site includes eight wren species, five trogans, four puffbirds, and three mot-mots. Other species likely to be seen are Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo, Great Curassow, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Rufous-crested Coquette, and Royal Flycatcher. The road is a great place to see raptors. A Harpy Eagle has been seen at the roadside. Sloth, peccaries, howler monkeys, and lesser anteaters are mammals likely to be encountered. Meals except for a picnic lunch will be served at Canopy Tower.
CANOPY LODGE
January 7 – El Valle de Anton (Western Foothills) After a leisurely breakfast and last look at the observation deck birds, a 2-hour drive will take us to EI Valle de Anton. We will spend three nights in a lovely village nestled in the crater of a long extinct Volcano. The valley is surrounded by jagged peaks and filled with flowers, streams and verdant forests. Our charming small hotel, next to a beautiful mountain stream, is adjacent to the protected area of Cerro Gaital Natural Monument Exploring the lodge's gardens will give sighting of Violet-capped Hummingbirds, Crimson-backed Tanagers, and many other birds. After lunch we will start foothill birding in the Pacific forest of the Cariguana Trail, a rich avian region.
January 8 – El Valle de Anton, Gerro Gaital Trail and Canopy Adventure Trail We will explore the mountain trails where it is possible to see the Rufous–Vented Cuckoo, Gray–headed Kite and Tawny–Capped Euphonia. These mountain trails surround the crater. After lunch we will take the Canopy Adventure Trail watching the Heliconia flowers for White–tipped Sicklebill. During this field trip, we are likely to see Red–crowned Ant–Tanager, Blue–throated Toucanet, Keel–Billed Toucan, and much more.
January 9 – Chorro Macho Trails, and bird feeders Today we will go to the northern rim of the crater to the trails of of the Chorro Macho private reserve. We may see special birds such as White Hawk, Tody Mot–mot, and Brown–hooded and Blue–headed Parrots to name a few. The afternoon will give opportunity to photograph birds which are normally seen high in the trees as we visit the private gardens of a local birder who maintains well attended feeders which attract certain specialties. We will see a huge colony of Chestnut–headed Orpendolas located in a group of Eucalyptus. Dinner and night at Canopy Lodge.
January 10 – Departure After a good night’s sleep dreaming about all the exquisite birds, incredible plant diversity, and other exciting wildlife seen, fortified with a marvelous breakfast, and a last minute walk through the lodge’s gardens, we will return to the Panama City Tocumen International Airport for our afternoon flight home.
