I'm writing most of this at the tail end of these magical 8 days at the Canopy Tower (I've been taking hand-written notes as I go). The experience has been so overwhelming, it's hard to know where to begin. So I've divided things up into the chapters below; there's no particular chronological order to these stories.

Travel and the Canopy Tower

My long day of travel from Seattle to Houston to Panama City went pretty well; both flights were crowded, but I was lucky to have an empty seat next to me on the second leg. It was in all about 8 hours in the air, but I got some sleep in, especially on the second flight, as the in-flight "entertainment was a 12 year-old TV movie starring Charlton Heston as Sherlock Holmes (!). The view as we approach Panama City is spectacular, dozens of huge cargo ships surrounding the entry to the Canal.  Customs is pretty simple, although I am disappointed to see a woman of east Indian ancestry plucked out of the line for a search (I overhear she is from Kenya)- the U.S. doesn't have a monopoly on profiling. My driver, Julio, is waiting in the crowd at the exit (I've found that, in Latin America, whole families show up to greet arrivals at the airport). It's dark as we drive away, but I can get some impression of the city anyway; the main road we follow is a typical commercial strip, but strikes me as much less impoverished than similar areas I've seen in the Caribbean and Guatemala. In general, from this and other trips over the next week, it seems that Panama is in much better economic health than other nations in the region. There's the occasional lawn junkyard and roadside tin shack "restaurant" to remind you you're in Latin America, but in general, the homes are well-kept, and some neighborhoods are positively gorgeous. I also don't see the legions of unemployed people standing about that I've seen elsewhere, although I understand that one can see more evidence of poverty among the indigenous peoples; in Panama, as in other Latin American nations, power and wealth are largely divided along ethnic lines.  The Canopy Tower is located in Soberania National Park, atop Semaphore Hill, near the Canal. This unusual edifice was constructed by the U.S. military, and has been used as a radar defense site, by the DEA for tracking drug-trafficking planes, and by the Canal Commission as a communications site. It was abandoned in 1995 as part of the phase-out of the U.S. presence in Panama (officially completed in 1999), and was being looted for materials until, in 1996, Raúl Arias de Para, recognizing its potential as an eco-lodge, won the concession from the Canal Authority to develop the Tower as such. The Tower is 5 stories high; the ground floor has some displays on the history of the area and local wildlife; the second and third are guest rooms (mine is a one-person "guide room" with a shared bathroom), the 4th is the dining area, with a nice library, hammocks, and a sitting area, and a small, steep stair leads to the upper level, a veranda encircling the geotangent dome. This level sits comfortably at the top of the rainforest canopy, and provides  a stunning view of the canal and the surrounding forest, and remarkable wildlife viewing (more on this later). The accomodations are pleasant and well-appointed, but, by design, not luxuriant; in the interest of water conservation, we are encouraged to take short showers, and there is no a/c, although with a fan running the nightitme temperature is quite comfortable. The meals are simple and generally quite tasty, the fruit and juice fresh and delicious, and there's wine offered with dinner. In the early morning coffee is brought up to the veranda, and there's a happy hour before dinner. There are several vehicles used for touring, a couple with open bench seating in the back. The Birdmobile is smaller, and 4-wheel drive, good for the deep rainforest treks, and the RainfoMobile seats 8 in the back comfortably, and is used for trips on better roads. A running joke has us coming up with new names for the vehicles, like the "Slo-mo-mobile", "what-fo'-mobile", and a few unprintables. The atmosphere at the Tower is casual and friendly, and one is made to feel like a long-lost friend more than a paying customer.

The Field Trips, and a Scary Experience

In general there are at least two field trips each day, in the company of a local guide and a driver. The guides have a wealth of knowledge about the local birds and critters, and with varying degrees of skill, can imitate bird calls and draw some species in for close views. My very first morning brought an experience that changed the guide situation for the rest of my stay. We birded Pipeline Road, an old access road created by the U.S. military, and a world-famous birding site, with a guide, Carlos, and a driver, Alexis. Carlos is a gregarious young man, articulate in English, and a highly skilled birder, able to recognize species by their calls and behavior at great distances. The ride down the road itself is an adventure, as it is very rough and muddy, and the jungle presses in on all sides, forcing us to duck and cover repeatedly. We also joke about taking a biological inventory of the bugs that land on our clothing during the ride- it is a testimony to the true nature-loving quality of my companions that the critters are not squashed, but often admired at length before being gently flicked away. We were almost 12 miles into the forest when the frightening incident occurred. We had stopped for a light lunch, and were studying a large flock of tanagers in the Canopy, looking for less common species. Carlos was trying to get a beautiful Bay-headed Tanager in his spotting scope, and stepped back onto the edge of the road. Unfortunately, he also stepped onto a young fer-de-lance, which promptly lashed out and bit him on the left leg. We had all walked right past the snake- I had probably stepped within two feet of it. It is extremely rare to even see a snake in the neotropics, let alone be bit by one- they usually take off at the first sound of human activity. Carlos had spent his life in the rainforest without being bitten, and this was the first snakebite incident in the 6 years of Tower operation. Some of our party saw the snake and identified it, and we were fortunate that the truck was close at hand. The fer-de-lance is a pitviper, and the biggest danger for a healthy young person is having to walk for help, thus pumping the venom through the body faster. A light tourniquet was applied, slowing but not stopping the blood flow, and we made our way out of the forest as quickly as possible. It took over half-an-hour about halfway out, Alexis' cell phone worked, and when we neared the exit, a police truck was waiting for us (the phone service and the quick response a testament to the quality infrastructure of Panama). Carlos was whisked off to the hospital, and we were left to fend for ourselves. Carlos was okay- he had more problems with shoddy care at a public hospital than with the venom itself, but recovered well when Raúl moved him to a private hospital. An amusing aside: when we shared the details of the incident with Raúl, we told him that it was a Bay-headed Tanager we were chasing. His response to this reflected some of our own thoughts; he said, "At least it was a good bird"! It seemed of little consequence compared to Carlos' health and well-being, but Carlos was the best guide available; another nice fellow, Jose, was just returning from a conference in England, and was seriously jet-lagged by the time we met him. Alexis led us on a couple of trips, and he was clearly a skilled birder, but his English was halting, which made communication difficult (although often quite fun!). We visited the Ammo Dump Ponds, a great freshwater marsh near an old military site, and went back to different parts of Pipeline a couple of times. With Jose, we visited the Summit Ponds and a nearby road. At this site was an old water tower, which became the source of some amusement. The joke was that, if they could turn an old radar tower into a world-class eco-lodge, we could surely transform this water tower into a down-and-dirty, trailer-trash birding site.  The joke devolved quickly, with us creating hypothetical water tower species, lowbrow guest testimonials, and an assortment of imagined creature comforts at the site. Beyond the joke, the location was full of birds, especially in a large dead tree near the tower. One day, we took a field trip to El Valle de Antón, 2 hours west of Semaphore Hill. Raúl owns some property there, and has developed a network of trails in the area. We have been offered the trip at a discount, because Raúl is interested in having serious birders check out the site and offer their opinions. The drive is arduous, and it rains frequently throughout the day, and our general opinion is that it is a nice location, but not well-suited to day trips. We stop at a beautiful waterfall, the Chorro Macho, also the site of the "Canopy Adventure"; this consists of a ride on a low-slung string of aircraft cable below the falls. It appears less invigorating than my average day at work, and the Canopy Tower is higher, so we all pass. In later days, I visit Metropolitan Park, a beautiful urban rainforest in Panama City, and spend some time walking the road below the Tower. I also am treated to a boat ride up the Canal with Raúl and some friends of his; he has found a nice peninsula towards the north end of the Canal that he is considering developing as another eco-lodge. He is interested in the opinions of his guests as to their interest in the idea, The friend, also his cousin (accompanied by his son), is well-connected politically, critical if this enterprise is to get off the ground. The Canal Authority must approve any activities on the public lands surrounding the canal, to ascertain that they are compatible with the purpose of the canal (besides being the most important shipping corridor in the world, the reservoir of Gatún Lake surrounding it is the source of most of Panama's fresh water). Mind you, enough money thrown at bureaucrats can stretch the definition of "compatible" to include logging operations, but a genuine, well-intentioned entrepreneur like Raúl faces many obstacles. The site is beautiful, and it is fascinating to see the canal at work; more on the wildlife there later. The wide variety of locations I visited accounts for the sheer volume of species sighted, as described below.

Good Company

One of the joys of birding is the generally high quality of people one meets in the field, and this trip was a perfect example. My first companions were comprised of three travelling pairs: Jesse and Doug, from Texas; Joe and Bill, from Ohio (all of the above around my age); and Edna and Brian, a cultured, well-travelled older couple from California. Edna had, unfortunately, hurt her toe prior to my arrival, but to her credit, did not let it slow the group down- she simply stayed behind at the Birdmobile when she needed a rest. The guys all had neotropical rainforest experience, some extensive, and so were well ahead of the curve in finding and identifying birds, by either sight or sound. Jesse had recording equipment, and was particularly skilled with calls; Joe teaches zoology, and has a great deal of knowledge about both birds and all the other critters we sighted, and the rest of us contributed some sharp eyes. It is a credit to the talents of the group that there was little slack in the bird sightings when we were thrust out on our own after Carlos' injury. Rainforest birding is intense; the density of vegetation requires sharp eyes to pick out movement or an unusual shadow, and sound is of utmost importance. It is not enough to simply sight a birdx; you have to be able to describe its location to your cohorts, which means a frantic description of the tiny window of vision allowing a look, a description of the tree or branch, and a position on an imaginary clockface. A guide's ability to find the bird and get it "in the scope" was often the only respite. The words "I'm on it", meaning one had a clear view of the bird, are the sweetest sounds in the world. The best thing about this group was that, after the intense birding, we would joke at length about sheer nonsense, down some beers at happy hour, and then sit for an hour or more after dinner to run through the list of birds sighted that day, and then to goof around for a while more. I would not have identified half of the birds I did without them, and I could not have asked for better company. I hope we all get to bird again together soon!

There were other good folks around; Matt & Marilyn, and their son Aaron, were from New York- he was particularly knowledgeable about frogs, and they generally enjoyed learning about anything they could. The breath of New York air was also fun. After my serious birding companions departed, a family from southern California showed up: an 8 year-old boy named Eamon, his mother, Allyn, and her parents, Bill and Pam. It was so delightful to see three generations of nature lovers travelling together, and they were just the loveliest people. Eamon and I, predictably, took a shine to each other, and I delighted in sharing my pictures and knowledge with this bright and sweet young person. His Mom said he was very sad when I was leaving. The birding became more low-key when they were around, which was a welcome breather, but I still saw some new stuff, and enjoyed some more general study of the plants and non-avian wildlife in the area. Since they'd run out of healthy or waking guides, they hired a local pro, Jaco, to join us for a day, and he found several lifers for me. I did feel like the BMOC for a while, as I was able to find some flashy and beautiful birds for the group before the guides. Another guide was a lovely woman named Carmen Martinez, a bit older than me, and not a high-octane birder, but very knowledgable about every natural feature of the region. She was a perfect companion for the mixed-interest groups of the later days. And I must not forget Raúl himself; he is a well-spoken, cultured, and intelligent man, and makes every visitor feel like a member of the family. He would pop by for dinner or just to say hello as often as possible. His wife, Denise, also came for dinner one night; she is a charming, lovely, and soft-spoken woman, and a delight to spend time with. They are the kind of people one wants to see often, and get to know well. A testimony Raúl's class is this; a few days ago, he set up an espresso machine in the dining area, and delighted in serving us from it, making the Tower probably the only eco-lodge with a fancy espresso machine in the world.  In Raúl's honor, we've decided that the White-faced Capuchin, a local monkey (pictured here), should be renamed "White-faced Espresso". A more fitting tribute I could not imagine.

BIRDS, BIRDS, BIRDS

It is hard to even begin to describe the sheer volume and variety of the birdlife here.  From the viewing platform on the Tower itself, one could easily see a number of toucans, honeycreepers, and various birds of prey, mostly vultures, but including various kites and hawks. A real thrill was, for me, Bill, and Jesse, when we heard a Black Hawk-Eagle calling in the distnace one afternoon. We gave up on spotting it, and watched a troupe of Geoffrey's Tamarins in a nearby tree. All of a sudden, the eagle swooped in behind them (the bird is large, and the monkey small enough to be potential prey), and, as if propelled by jets, soared right past us, and banked left down into the valley (the Tamarins scattered). An easy bird to see here is the stunning Blue Cotinga (I was able to find it for Allyn on my last morning), a striking, fluorescentbird, an odd, dove-like member of a neotropical family. Another Tower favorite is the Collared Aracari, a member of the toucan family, which comes in to feed in a cecropia tree behind the tower every day.  Watching any toucan feed is a treat- they grab a fruit or nut off a tree, and shift the food about in their long bill to set it longways, so it can rear back and toss it down their throat- sometimes they drop it, and have to repeat the process. There are also all sorts of smaller birds present, such as the tiny Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Bright-rumped Attila, Paltry Tyrannulet, and six species of hummingbirds regular at the feeders downstairs. The birding outside the Tower is even more spectacular- my 900th life bird is a Great Jacamar, a striking, huge, and very cooperative bird that perches at length along Pipeline Road. In all, I see 236 species of birds on the trip; only one is on the "heard only" list: a Streak-chested Antpitta, a very secretive bird, one that is invisible to us at less than 20 feet away (birders have their own personal ethics about listing heard birds- mine is that I have to i.d. it on my own, and it has to be a species that is traditionally hard to see, like an owl or antpitta). A personal highlight came from the Ammo Dump Ponds; after Carlos' snakebite, we checked out the marsh, and I spotted a bird that behaved like a crake. Crakes and Rails are a family of birds that are generally small and secretive, feeding in the depths of marshes, more often heard than seen, and notorious for their difficulty. Jesse was the only one I could get on the bird, and he and I disagreed as to its identity, due to the brief nature of the views. The next morning, I found the bird again, and everybody viewed it well; it was a Yellow-breasted Crake, my first guess, two adults and three downy black chicks. It was the bird of the trip for me. Later, Alexis found another crake, White-throated, in the area, and a large and stunning gray-necked Wood-Rail, for a clean sweep or the rails of the area. Near the Summit Ponds Jose found a perched Spectacled Owl, new to most of us. This owl is almost two feet high, with massive white talons, and a boldly patterned face. This is unusual for owls, as they are generally plumaged to provide good camouflage during daylight hours. This was certainly the most spectacular owl we will ever see! Some more common and typical birds of the region were good numbers of trogons and motmots, both large, handsome families of birds that play well to the tourists. I've become something of an expert Motmot spotter, and find these birds for myself and a lot of visitors. The trip up the canal provided some specialities, the most obvious being hundreds of Snail Kites, which is endangered in the United States, but quite common here. The boat captain also detours to show me a juveille Bare-throated Tiger-Heron , which roosts in the same spot habitually. Some of the most remarkable birds of the trip are the most plain- within a 24 hour period, we see Buffy Foliage-Gleaner, Thrush-like Shiffornis, and Rufous Mourner, 3 very plain, brown birds that are best distinguished by habits and song- birds only a birder could love. A good number of the birds we see are new to the region's lists- this is clearly tabula rasa to an extent, and it's nice to be contributing to the knowledge of the region. Click here for a list of birds sighted on this trip. (An "F" before the species name indicates that this was the first time I'd seen this bird.)

Critters Galore

The mammal life in the area was spectacular- besides the White-faced Capuchins pictured above, there were three other species of monkeys present.  On the boat ride up the canal, we fed bananas to Spider Monkeys and White-faced Capuchins- they were clearly acclimated to people, and would come in with babies on their backs. But the big highlight was the Howler Monkeys- they roared every morning, the unearthly sound making one feel as though there were lions present in the forest.  I had a number of close encounters with troupes of Howlers, and they were quite cooperative for filming purposes. The fourth primate was Geoffrey's Tamarin, an adorable, small monkey, which moved through the trees too quickly for me to videotape, but it passed right by the Tower platform a couple of times. Also easy to see were two kinds of sloths, Two-toed (seen occasionally) and Three-toed (seen every day). The Three-toed Sloth was often seen very close to the Tower, and was, of course, easy to film.  It was fascinating to watch them slowly feeding on leaves, and almost constantly scratching themselves when they picked up ants from the treetops. We also saw lots of Agoutis, Coatis, Red-tailed Squirrels, and one Tamandua (an anteater) foraging high in a tree along Pipeline Road. A Manatee surfaced briefly in front of the boat on Gatún Lake, and a couple of enormous Capybaras (the largest rodent in the world, the size of baby hippos) were sighted across the Ammo Dump ponds. Non-mammal critters were abundant, only a handful of which I was able to identify, mostly thanks to Joe's knowledge and skills.  Lizards, anoles, grasshoppers, spiders, walking-sticks, beetles, and dragonflies provided constant diversions. Particularly fascinating were the huge number of butterflies, in every color and shape imaginable. Bright, huge, fluorescent blue morphos were everywhere- when they landed, the underside of their wings often showed a pattern that looked like an owl's face and eye, a mimic adaptation meant to discourage predators. Other mimics looked for all the world like dead leaves when closed up. Another "wow" critter is a damselfly we refer to as a "helicopter"; it has four badminton-racquet-shaped wings, which, in flight, do make it look for all the world like a helicopter in action. I'll have a page online soon with more photos of an assortment of odd creatures- can anybody help me put a name to some of them?

Hasta Luego, Panama!

The morning before my departure provided one last thrill- at the first light of dawn, I stood in the parking lot and listened to the lingering sounds of night. All of a sudden, a bird of prey shot out of the forest and swooped over ny head, and then, remarkably, came back for another pass. Even in the dim light, it's unique size and shape identified it as a Collared Forest-Falcon, a very secretive species of the eep forest, which we had heard but not seen in the area before. A final gift of the Tower! After breakfast, I settled up my bill, and thankfully, Carmen was present for translation, as Alexis and I reached the limits of our language skills at a point. At the airport, my flight is full, and I have to squawk a bit to even get a seat, although another night in Panama wouldn't have been the end of the world. The plane is jammed with some large Panamanian families, some of whom have never been on a plane before. It is a chore to get them in their seats so we can depart- what part of "Sienta te!" don't you understand?!? But the kids in the group are delightful, and the load round of applause upon our successful landing in Newark was a kick. There are many places in the world left for me to visit (and bird), but I know I will be back to the Canopy Tower soon. Raúl and Denise have a daughter beginning school in NYC this year, and we hope to get together when they visit. I have also decided to work on creating an audio guide to the birds of central Panama; the only commercial products available only extend as close as Costa Rica, and a more complete local resource would be of considerable use to Tower guests. The literature on the wildlife of the region is quite limited, so there is much work than can be done. Joe is updating the bird species list for the region, and we suggested to Aaron, the frog-loving young man from New York, that he should get cracking on a guide to reptiles and amphibians of Panama. This country is really just blossoming as a tourist (and birder's) destination, and part of the enchantment of the visit is the feeling that something new could be discovered at any moment. I highly recommend a visit to the Canopy Tower; the off-season package is an excellent bargain, and the sheer volume and beauty of the local wildlife, and the ease with which it is sighted, makes it a perfect location for anybody who likes nature in the slightest way, and unforgettable for the hard-core birder like myself.

-- Ken Allaire