On March 7th, 2008, Carlos Bethancourt, senior guide at the Canopy Tower, sent word of the Spotted Rail pictured above, discovered by Tower guide José Perez and Chris Benesh and George Armistead, leaders of a Field Guides Inc. tour group, at Tocumen Marsh. For the record, José is the junior guide at the Tower, but has settled into his job amazingly well, and has developed both English-language skills and digiscoping ability at a rapid pace, the latter evidenced by his outstanding shot of this rare and elusive bird. According to José a fledgling bird was also observed, and Chris Benesh collected audio of the vocalizing rail.
Thanks to Carlos' quick e-mail, and I'm sure a flurry of phone calls within Panamá (I was, sadly,
on a plane from Panamá to New York at the time of the sighting), the small-but-dedicated
Panamanian birding community was quick to react. The first birders on site the next morning, Saturday, March 8th. were
Rosabel Miró (President of Audubon Panamá), her husband Karl Kaufmann, and Claudia and Bill Ahrens. All of the above,
I believe, live in Cerro Azúl, north and only slightly east of Tocumen Marsh. They were joined shortly by Samuel Britton,
a respected Panamanian guide, with two birders in his charge. Here's Rosabel's report:
My Spanish is not perfect, but Rosabel reported finding multiple adult Spotted Rails, several juvenilles, and one
fledgling, seen very well and even vocalizing in clear view. Large numbers of very active Soras were also observed,
and another great surprise was the sighting of a pair of Paint-billed Crakes, seen separately by most members of the group.
Below are Rosabel's excellent photos from her first day at Tocumen: at top is a great look at an adult Spotted Rail, at center a
fine juvenille bird (with a Wattled Jacana at right), and at bottom a dark but excellent look
at an adult accompanied by a chick, incontrovertible evidence
of the species' breeding status in Panamá.
De las aves 'especiales', en total observamos:
4 adultos Spotted Rails
3 juveniles Spotted Rails
1 bebé Spotted Rail
15 Soras
2 Paint-billed Crakes
Tocumen Marsh: Located about 30 minutes' drive east of Panamé City, very close to the international airport, Tocumen Marsh has long been a popular birding site for Panamanian residents and foreign visitors alike. The site historically contained large tracts of freshwater wetlands, but most of these were drained to create commercial rice fields. However, the rice fields themselves are flooded enough that Tocumen still provides habitat for good numbers of birds of aquatic habitats, and many species of scrub and open country are also found here. It should be noted that rice fields represent some of the favorite locations for spotting rails in the United States and elsewhere, as unaltered wetlands are increasingly disappearing throughout the world. For unknown reasons Tocumen experienced a burst of unusual rail activity in the early 1980's, but most of the rarest species have not been seen since, despite relatively thorough and consistent coverage of the area by birders. Over the years Tocumen has been host to a number of extraordinary rarities (probably due more to said birding coverage rather than the uniqueness of the site), including Long-winged Harrier, Dwarf Cuckoo, Lark Sparrow, and Jabiru. Panamanian birders find it convenient due to its proximity to both Panamá City and the gated community of Cerro Azul just to the north, home to a number of dedicated birders. The rice company has been gracious enough to permit access to Tocumen six days a week (excl. Sun.) starting at 7:00 a.m., with a small fee to be paid in the company office. While the large site is most easily birded by car, an independant traveller who doesn't mind a lot of walking can get to the village of Tocumen by bus, and might be fortunate enough to find a taxi to eliminate the long walk through a housing development (discussed below) to the front gate of the property. I recommend picking up a copy of A Bird-Finding Guide to Panama by George Angehr and Dodge & Lorna Engleman (avaiable via ABA Sales or Amazon.com), which provides excellent details regarding Tocumen and, of course, many other birding sites in Panamá.
Spotted Rail: The rail that started it all- this distinctive species had previously been seen in Panamá on only three occasions: in 1957 in San Blas Province, in 1978 at Tocumen Marsh, and in 1984 at Ft. Sherman in Colón Province. Interestingly, the previous Tocumen bird, found by Victor Emanuel et. al., had a chick in tow as well. Why this species was confirmed to be breeding and then disappeared from the site for 30 years, when it is again breeding locally, is one of the great mysteries surrounding this rediscovery.
Paint-billed Crake: This was one of the prize species of the 1982 Tocumen rail incursion, but they have not been found at the locale since. The only other records of Paint-billed Crake come from the marshes around Changuinola in Bocas del Toro Province, where the species was seen on multiple occasions between 1981 and 1988.
Colombian Crake: This species was present at Tocumen Marsh in decent numbers in the 1092 incursion, and stuck around and apparently bred until 1984, but has not been seen since. The only other record for Panamá is of a specimen collected at Achiote Road in Colón Province in 1965. This year's Paint-billed Crakes were intially identified as Colombian Crakes (they are quite similar in appearance), and birders are hoping that the intense investigation of Tocumen might yet yield the discovery of this third species of long-lost rail.
Gray-breasted Crake: This secretive species has been reported from a number of locales in Panamá, but very sporadically. The first records from Tocumen Marsh did not come until September of 2006, when Robert Ridgley and Carlos Bethancourt found one in the same general area as this year's discoveries. The species has been heard and seen a few times since; I was lucky enough to see it and collect audio shortly after the initial sight record. As Angehr and the Englemans point out, knowledge of its voice has led to more frequent reports in recent years; Gray-breasted Crake produces a rattle that is similar but somewhat shorter in duration than that of the widespread White-throated Crake. Gray-breasted also emits a soft beeping sound that can be hard to hear.
White-throated Crake: This is the only widespread species of small rail in Panamá, and can be seen (at least briefly) by most birders with a modicum of effort; it is fairly common at a number of easily-accessed sites, and seems to do quite well in small and somewhat disturbed patches of wetland, a trait seemingly not true of the other small rails, which certainly is part of the reason for their relative scarcity. White-throated Crake is the "default rail" at Tocumen Marsh or anywhere else in Panamá.
Yellow-breasted Crake: This tiny rail has been reported sporadically from many locations throughout Panamá, and certainly is a regular breeder, but it remains one of the hardest birds to find in the country. Many of the most skilled and tenacious birders in Panamá have yet to see one. I enjoyed a classic case of beginner's luck when in August of 2003, on my very first full day in Panamá, I found and filmed a pair of Yellow-breasted Crakes with as many as four downy young in tow at the Ammo Dump Ponds in Gamboa (Alexis Sanchez, Jesse Fagan et.al. were also present). The birds were not seen again and were not subsequently recorded from this location until José Perez spotted (and photographed) one in July of 2007.
Sora:
This species is a fairly common winter resident in Panamá, and in some years is apparently quite common
at Tocumen Marsh. Still, I believe the sheer numbers scurrying around the marsh in this year's rail explosion
are noteworthy, as even the most experienced Panamanian birders seemed surprised by the abundance of Soras.
For the record, George Angehr directs his final query at Robert Ridgley, esteemed ornithologist and
author of A Guide to the Birds of Panama, and Dodge Engleman, who, with his wife, Lorna, co-authored the recent
publication A Bird-Finding Guide to Panama, and who is a respected birder with years of experience in Panamá
and elsewhere in the neotropics. George Angehr comes with impeccible credentials; aside from his multiple publications regarding
the birds of Panamá, he serves as the chair of the country's Avian Records Committee, and is certainly a leading luminary
in the contemporary Panamanian birding scene.
George refers to the dead Paint-billed Crake dropped by a Great Egret; Darién Montañez states that the
egret was "coaxed" into relinguishing its prey, leading to believe that Dr. Angehr took a more direct role in collecting
this valuable specimen! It should be noted that George is an experienced ornithologist, and average birders should be discouraged
from trying to wrestle prey from the sharp and large bills of wading birds. Below are a couple of photos of the
moribund Paint-billed Crake.
Rosabel Miró, Carlos Bethancourt, and Jeremiah Trimble sent in a bunch of photos of various rails and crakes; they are presented below, and I have numbered them for easy reference.
The top four photos are all courtesy of Rosabel Miró; number one shows a Paint-billed Crake (at right) with a Sora, and number two is an even better look at the crake.
In number three a Paint-billed Crake keeps the company of four Soras- the idea of getting five rails in a single frame is just ludicrous! Number four is a fuzzy shot, but shows the Paint-billed Crake
(with Sora in foreground) flapping its wings, the diagnostic barred flanks in view. Number five is the best shot collected of a Paint-billed Crake by Boston birder Jeremiah Trimble; welcome to Panamá, Jeremiah!
The last three shots come from Carlos Bethancourt; number six is the best look we have at the barred flanks of the Paint-billed Crake.
Numbers seven and eight show the crake next to a Sora, and the dull bill and legs might indicate that the bird is a young adult, as suggested by Darién Montañez.
Notice that most of the photos do not give us a good look at the flanks and rump of the bird, the barring there being the best field mark that distinguishes Paint-billed Crake
from Colombian Crake, which has buffy-to-yellow flanks. It is no wonder the first birders to spot the crakes were at first uncertain
as to specific identity. A Guide to the Birds of Panama illustrates Colombian Crake as having a red iris and a dark forward tip of the bill, and Paint-billed Crake as having a dark iris
and yellow forward half of the bill, while the bird(s) in the images below clearly have a red eye and yellow tip of the bill.
More current field guides for the region (e.g. Restall et. al.'s Birds of Northern South America) show that both species
share the characteristics as photographed here; they also show Colombian Crake as being a paler gray color than Paint-billed, possibly
a good field mark. All of this underscores the difficulty of field identification, the importance of photographic documentation, and the unreliability
of even the best field guides. We are fortunate that such diligent and skilled observers are in the field studying these rails, and
the distinct possibility remains that Colombian Crake will be found and identified at Tocumen Marsh in the near future.
Lest we forget the Spotted Rails, the following photos were contributed by Karl Kaufmann, husband of Rosabel Miró, and a
bright light in the world of Panamanian birding, both in terms of his observations and the couples' generosity
in opening up their Cerro Azul home to scores of visiting birders. The numbers on the photos reference Karl's notes
in the paragraph below. Notice that, in Karl's photos, the Spotted Rail's bill is much thicker
than illustrated in the field guides (as he noted below)- I've scanned a few of the more accurate volumes on my bookshelf, and none of them
correctly depict the stout bill of this rail. Is it possible that the Panamanian birds belong to an as-yet undescribed subspecies of Spotted Rail?
The likelihood that every field guide for the region would depict the species inaccurately seems incredible. Food for thought.
The tight Panamanian birding community marshalled its forces, and on Sunday, March 9th a team gathered at Tocumen in an effort to
repeat the finds of the preceding days. The group included George Angehr, Carlos and Evelyn Bethancourt, Rosabel Miró
and Karl Kaufmann, Darién and Camilo Montañez, and two lucky friends of Carlos' from Boston, Jeremiah Trimble and
Steve Langer. It should be noted that Tocumen Marsh is not usually open to the public on Sundays, and that the group only gained access
because Carlos, who often brings large tour groups to Tocumen as part of their visits to the Canopy Tower, was able to make a special
arrangement with the site managers. The timing proved fortuitous for the group, as there was no work going on in the rice fields,
and therefore no trucks rumbling down the roads, offering ideal viewing conditions. The group met with tremendous success; here's
some commentary from a couple of the birders present:
You all probably know that I am feeling so great after the Crake Invasion that we had in Tocumen Marsh last Sunday.
I am sending you some of the pictures that I took on Sunday. I was not concentrating on the digi-scoping that much;
my priority was to see each one of these birds.
I could not believe it! I am still amazed by the number of Sora, Spotted Rail and the Paint-billed Crake that we all saw.
Thanks to each one of you that went in the morning to Tocumen, plus I must thank Maritza, manager of the Tocumen Marsh,
who gave me the special permission to enter into the marsh property on Sunday with all my friends,
including my two friends from Boston (Red Sox), Jeremiah Trimble and Steve Langer.
The marsh is not open on Sunday, which was perfect because of the lack of trucks on the road.
Dodge and Lorna, thanks a lot for your great help with all the valuable information about the old records, and
I am keeping my eye open for Columbian Crake in this area.
Talk to you guys later; take care, and hopefully we can repeat this experience again, again, and again!"
Carlos Bethancourt, senior guide, Canopy Tower and Lodge.
As a follow-up to Carlos message, I'd like to share the results of our visit to Tocumen this morning (9 March).
The place was Crake City. Our group included Carlos and his wife, Rosabel Miró and
Karl Kaufmann, Darién and Camilo Montañez, myself, and two other
birders who were accompanying Carlos. Most of the rail activity was on the road
that leads to the coast, between about 7:30 (when we arrived) and 9:30.
- Spotted Rail: Our party saw at least 10 individuals, and probably more. Quite a few appeared to be juveniles,
with dark or dull bills. There were at least one, and probably two, very small downy black chicks seen as well.
These are the first records of which I am aware since 1984. Several individuals were photographed.
- Paint-billed Crake: We saw at least 4 individuals (2 groups of 2) running repeatedly across a short
dike perpendicular to the road. We also saw a Great Egret on the road which had captured one. As we were
watching it, it dropped its prey, and I was able to recover it (quite dead). This I believe is the third
Panama specimen, and first from Tocumen. These I believe are the first reports from Tocumen since 1982,
and the first from anywhere in Panama since 1988. Several photographs.
- Sora: Incredibly abundant. At one point at least 10 or 11 were visible at the same time standing on
the same dike as the Paint-billed Crake. Many were also seen as they flushed out of the rice as we walked along the road.
- Gray-breasted Crake: At least one seen briefly as it alit for a few seconds on the dike, showing its rufous nape.
A total of three or more heard. Carlos has been reporting them from this general vicinity for the last year or so.
- Yellow-breasted Crake: One seen along a ditch by Darien and Camilo, and one of the other birders.
- White-throated Crake: calling in the rice fields.
From Bob and Dodge, I would be interested to learn more about the details of the Colombian Crakes seen at Tocumen in
the 1980s. There is an implication that they may not have been of the ssp ripleyi described from a specimen
from Achiote Road. Considering how heavily Tocumen has been birded for the past 24 years, it is really extraordinary
that these species should suddenly (apparently) turn up again in such numbers."
George Angehr, co-author A Bird-Finding Guide to Panama and other volumes
Karl Kaufmann was also kind enough to submit several photos that document the landscape surrounding the rails'
location, and the human pressures being placed on this habitat. To follow is the text of his note, accompanied by several
photos; the numbers on the images reflect the content of his note.
-
"Hi everyone,
For those of you that weren't actually there, here are a few photos of the site where we saw all of the crakes and rails. The first, -011, shows the rice fields and people looking across the ditch that paralleled the road. Most of the Spotted Rails were seen on the berm on the far side of the ditch when they came out of the rice field. Behind the line of trees and a bit to the right is the proposed site of the Costa del Sol development. I had thought that it would be on the site of the rice field we were at, but it will in fact occupy another rice field to the south. As far as I know, there are no current plans to develop the crake and rail site, but the building going on to the north looks ominous. The second photo -084, shows the berm and a ridge going into the rice field. Most of the soras and Paint-billed Crakes were seen as they crossed this ridge. Photo -064 shows the ditch looking north. Photo -076 shows an immature Spotted Rail on the berm. -093 (taken the day before) shows an adult Spotted Rail. Note that the bill is considerably thicker than that shown in The Birds of Equador, plate 21 and somewhat thicker than that in The Birds of Venezuela, plate 17, The Birds of Mexico, plate 17, and The Birds of Panama, plate 1. Photo -050 has 6 Soras and one Paint-billed Crake, almost out of sight just below the Sora on the left. Now for the depressing photos, the development around the old office of the Tocumen rice farm, 2 km to the north. Photo -179 shows what is left of the office. Photo -186 shows the houses being built to the north of the office and photo -177 is a view from the office looking south towards the rice fields. According to the caretaker, the office has been moved and new land has been purchased to the east to replace the land sold by the entrance, so perhaps the owners will continue to farm rice for a while."
Karl Kaufmann, respected Panamanian birder.
A few days later, Darién Montañez published photos of some of the rice fields after an untimely harvesting. Thankfully, some fields remained untouched, perhaps part of the secret as to how the rails persist in such a pressured environment. The top two photos below show the rice fields post-harvesting, including much of the habitat that sheltered the rails only a few days before. The bottom photo shows the untouched rice fields across the road, to which the rails seem to have escaped. The impact of development on Panamanian birding habitat continues to be documented by conscientious birders and scientists; in a country half the size of New York State, with a population barely exceeding 3 million, it seems absurd that this fertile land cannot supply the needs of its human population while maintaining untouched habitat for its unique flora and fauna. Yet the land continues to be altered, due in part to the demand for crops for export, and in part due to poor land-management policies. One can only hope that Tocumen Marsh, already altered as it is, will maintain its semi-feral state, and continue yielding avian gems for many years to come.
Reports trickled in for the next few days, as local birders had to squeeze birding time between work and other obligations.
On Tuesday, March 11th, Venecio Wilson and Jan Axel Cabilla, both respected birding guides, visited Tocumen, and first reported
on the deployment of rice harvesting equipment. The key rails were seen on this day. On March 12th another rock-star group assembled, including
Rosabel Miró, Delicia and Darién Montañez, Claudia and Bill Ahrens, and George Angehr. Spotted Rails and Paint-billed Crakes
were sighted (the former with young ones), and great looks were had at a Yellow-breasted Crake (Rosabel's photo at right), a lifer
for many of these seasoned birders. We hold out hope that enough good habitat remains that the rare crakes will stay in the area
for the immediate future.
Raúl Arias de Para, owner of the Canopy Tower and Canopy Lodge, and Carlos Bethancourt, his senior guide, have connected, via e-mail, an assemblage of Panamanian birders, ornithologists, tour leaders, and other parties with a specific interest in the birds of Panamá. News of good sightings spreads quickly among this group, and comments and observations are quickly disseminated; here's a few of the highlights regarding the Tocumen rails:
-
"That’s a great find. As you probably know, formerly Tocumen was a rail haven.
Almost all of the sightings were along a little drainage depression in the fields to the right of the ponds
down from the administration HQ. Nice to see you’ve discovered a new spot out there for them.
Lorna and I (and I’m sure others) have seen an adult Spotted Rail in the site I just mentioned.
Ours was March 24th, 1984. The Ft. Sherman immature was October 20, ’84.
Lorna and I had Colombian Crake on March 23d, '84 at Tocumen. It was seen quite well and had the black tip to the bill and the unbarred underparts.
I don't have vol 3 of HBW (which covers rails) and I can't find a description of the juvenile Paint-billed Crake to confirm that they are barred on the flanks and have a black-less tipped bill. Regardless, Wetmore has that specimen from the late 60's (after his volume one was published), so we do know that it occurs.
Let me know what your thoughts are.
Since you guys were seeing all those rails at a time most birders are out there (the rail spot of the early 80's was mostly active at dusk); my only thought on why so many now must be habitat/environment related."
Dodge Engleman, co-author A Bird-Finding Guide to Panama.
-
"Great news! (Wish I could have been there.) What was it, do you think,
that suddenly made the marsh more attractive to all these rails - or have
they been there all along? Would love to see a photo of the specimen.
I will have to check my records to see what substantiating details I have
on the Colombian Crake. May not be much, as I've moved multiple times since
then and things may have gotten misplaced or lost. But I'll try after I
get back from Bolivia (leave later today). I know I never saw it myself, nor
the Paint-billeds for that matter. My best to all."
Robert Ridgley, author A Guide to the Birds of Panama.
This is the big question hanging out there, alluded to in almost every note reprinted here; why so many rare rails, and why now, after apparent abscences of more than two decades? Here's a few possible explanations:
- 1: The birds might have been present for some time, but not seen; resident birders in Panamá are quick to point out that Tocumen Marsh is heavily-birded, but this is by Panamanian standards. The birding community in Panamá is energetic and disproportionately skilled, but they are few in number, and Tocumen Marsh is unvisited several days a week, in contrast to, say, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in my native New York City, which hosts multiple skilled observers almost every day of the year. Tocumen Marsh is a big place, and birds may move around due to agricultural activity. Certain, more rare, species may also avoid detection because birders tend to seek what is expected, and don't try techniques such as audio playback for birds that are not expected to be present in a certain locale. It is possible that Spotted Rails and Paint-billed Crakes have been present at Tocumen Marsh for many years, and have simply gone undetected.
- 2: Environmental pressures and habitat change may have forced species into rarely-visited locales; I remain a skeptic in this regard, as Tocumen Marsh, although under pressure from housing development and other factors, has essentially been a rice farm for several decades. I have seen no evidence that this human-altered habitat has significantly changed in the 25+ years since the last big rail bonanza.
- 3: La Niña: this climate phenomenon, essentially a rush of cold air from the southern Pacific Ocean, has a clear effect on Panamanian climate, and perhaps on avian species distribution. On my most recent visit, mere minutes before the Tocumen rails were found, I experienced unusual dry season rains, apparently a result of this year's La Niña. It is possible that some species of birds have been forced, by this weather pattern, into occupying rarely-visited locales.
-
4:
Modest dispersal: while much of Panamá is relatively accessible (for the region) quality wetlands are far and few between,
and the most carefully-studied sites can be listed by name: Tocumen Marsh, Changuinola, Las Macanas, Achiote Road
etc.- there are possibly many more good sites, but they are hard to reach and seldom-visited. The rarest rails in Panamá
may regularly occupy the remotest locations, and only occasionally venture into areas visited by birders.
Of course, it is likely that the explanation for the 2008 rail phenomenon is due to some combination of the issues noted above, and probably other factors I have not considered. We are fortunate that skilled birders and trained ornithologists are on hand to study the events as they occur, and perhaps further study will reveal a few more clues. As of this writing there has been no news regarding the rails for several days, and one can only hope that the harvesting activity at Tocumen marsh has not driven the birds deeper into the marsh. Keep your eyes on this page, as I will keep it updated as further reports arrive.
Over the last few weeks a smattering of reports have come in regarding the Tocumen rails; the numbers of birds and birders both
seem to have declined a bit following the partial rice harvest. First up is a nice report from Karl Kaufmann, accompanied by some
outstanding photographs.
- Here are some more photos taken March 15 at Tocumen. We had about 10 people this time.
We spoke with the person who is leasing the property to grow rice. He said that the field on the west side of the
road which had just been harvested was the dry variety of rice while that on the east side was wet rice.
He plans to harvest the wet rice in April, so we have a few weeks more to see the rails.
His lease runs out in 4 years, so apparently the fields will remain as rice fields at least until then.
He also said that this year was the first year that he, or apparently anyone, had planted rice in October
instead of December. Apparently the rice responds well to the extra sunlight available in the first part of the year.
Perhaps this is related to the reason for such an unusual concentration of crakes and rails. In two more months,
the young rails might be able to fly and the parents would disperse when the rice is harvested. Or maybe not.
Karl Kaufmann
The photo at left below shows an adult Sora behind an immature bird, illustrating the distinct difference in size. The photo at right shows a rather bedraggled White-throated Crake; this is the most common rail in Panamá, but one that is nonetheless hard to photograph.
At left below is a splendid shot of an adult Spotted Rail sheltering a downy chick. More proof-positive that the species is breeding this year in Panamá! At right is a great solo look at the immature Spotted Rail.
Karl enjoyed some excellent looks at the reclusive Yellow-breasted Crake, as evidenced by the fine shot reproduced below at left. At right is another fine image, of a Spotted Rail climbing stalks of rice to grab a billful of food. Good stuff from Karl; by the by, note the comments above regarding the unseasonal rice harvesting at Tocumen. It would seem that the unusual weather patterns and subsequent habitat change are at least in part responsible for this year's rail explosion at Tocumen.
George Angehr submitted the following comments, after viewing the photos below of a Paint-billed Crake, submitted by Jeremiah Trimble. George particularly references the image at right, which shows a crake with an unusually buffy rump.
-
"Curiouser and curiouser. The specmen I have, while very extensively barred below, has a very few buffy
feathers just below the tail. The top of the crown is definitely slaty, with the brown
feathers starting just at the rear end of the top of the head. Paint-billed is supposed to have the
center of crown brownish, according to the Rails book. As Dodge has already pointed out, the first photos
Rosabel got last week seem to show a Colombian. While th full underparts aren't visible, the area just below
the tail, the thighs, and lower flanks appear to be buffy without any clear barring, although there are a few
pale flecks. The crown appears to be entirely slaty. From the illustration in the Rails book, it seems to be
ssp olivescens rather than the darker ripleyi described from Achiote Road.
It's certainly possible that we have a hybrid population there."
George Angehr
On Monday, March 24 Rosabel Miró and Delicia, Camilo and Darién Montañez went looking for any suspicious Neocrex, but found none. There were plenty of Spotted Rails, two or three sightings of Yellow-breasted Crake and a single White-throated Crake, but there were very few Soras left. Then on Tuesday, March 25, Bill Adsett, Mark Letzer and Charlotte Elton visited, and also saw no Neocrex. They did see the Spotted Rails and a few Yellow-breasted Crakes, and even a Gray-breasted Crake.
On March 28th David Klauber, a respected birder from New York State, and one of North America's top listers, submitted the following report, accompanied by a fine photo by Bill Adsett.
-
"This morning (March 28) there were 5 of us who arrived separately, Bill Adsett and Mark Letzer (family used to own Tocumen)
and Bill and Claudia Ahrens and me, arriving around 6:45. A Field Guides group led by John Rowlett arrived shortly after,
but from talking with them they didn't see much different from what we saw. Rowlett commented on I think 6 Spotted Rails,
4 adults and 2 sub-adults. We probably had at least 4, including one or two adults and sub-adults, but no downy young,
other than black downy Purple Gallinule chicks. We all had great, long views of a Yellow-breasted Crake (lifer!) and Mark
may have seen one or two more. NOT seen or heard were Paint-billed or Gray-breasted Crakes. Several Soras were also seen.
In the first hour or so there were only one or two, but a bit later a few came out, including at least two that were doing
a strange wing shaking behavior in plain sight on the berm. White-throated Crake was heard by all and glimpsed by Bill.
Around noon as we were driving out I noticed a strange looking gray rail with a whitish throat. This was in the same spot
where the Spotted Rails had been bathing and was in plain sight wading in the water. Bill, Claudia and I went back to
look at it for a half minute before it walked from the water into the tall grass. My first thought was an immature Sora,
but it does not really match anything. It was all slate gray: upperparts, head, undertail coverts, underparts, no barring
whatsoever. The bill was a dull yellow that looked a bit more colorful at the base, possibly with a dull red tinge.
Again the undertail coverts and crissum were dark gray, no buff, no barring, and the general size was that of a Sora.
It was in good light so I saw it well. But this coloration is wrong for a juvenile (should have been buffier per Ridgely
and the Natinal Geographic guide) or an adult (should have had browner more patterned upperparts, barring and at least a
hint of a mask). Unfortunately I do not remember the leg color, but I'm sure it was not bright red.
Any ideas or suggestions?
Also nice was a male Mourning Warbler in the scrub further south.
"
David Klauber, noted North American birder.
