Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Bocas Del Toro Region

Bananaquit

I must admit this. I am a birder embarrassment. Some of you were born into birding and have done it since you were in diapers.  For me, I had only just begun discovering birds while on my trip to Panama.  And the pictures will reflect this as I was a developing birder and photographer.  



The Bocas Del Toro region is rich in wildlife and habitat.  It's a chain of islands that all have different "feels" to them.  We spent most of our time on Bastimentos Island (or Isla Bastimentos) at Bastimentos National Park, but we also explored other areas like the Soropta Canal.  I'll cover these very different areas in this post from the Bocas Del Toro region.

Montezuma Oropendula seen from my open air bedroom.  It doesn't get much better than this:)

For me, at the time, I was just learning how to use what I would now call a "primitive camera".  It became clear to me that I needed a stronger zoom lens that I could control.  I also knew that I would look back on this trip as a trek with birder regrets.  Before meeting other birders, I was learning everything on my own and didn't have someone there to clue me in on how to organize my time. But I am a quick study and within these past two years, I've learned so much.  However, as we all know with birding, there is always so much more to understand.  There were a lot of birds in this region.  I saw my first Northern Jacana here. There was a bird that looked like a Kiskadee but had a decurved bill "licking" bananas.  Turns out I discovered my first Bananaquit. So after this trip I had regrets about my treks around the world.  How many places had I been?  And how many times had I not paid attention to the birds around me? 


I also learned about strategy here.  A birder brought his family to a local Bed and Breakfast on Isla Bastimentos.  He secretly admitted to me that while they were occupied by chocolate and frogs, he was finding life birds.  The kids would go swimming.  Mom would hang out on the beach.  And Dad?  He searched for shorebirds.  Smart planning. Me? Well I was chasing the red frogs famous on this island, studying the plants(I'm a huge plant geek), eating the chocolate grown on the island and observing the local Ngöbe-Buglé tribe. 


Isla Bastimentos is a great place to observe so many things.  In this region, there are mangrove swamps that are home to all kinds of reptiles, aquatic life like crabs, amphibians, birds and mammals.  I will not write about the chiggers also found there. Isla Bastimentos is a strange place in that it caters to the tourist crowd on the left side of the island, but on the right, it's all wild and left undisturbed.  Traveler tip:  Do not take pics with the kids holding the endemic red frogs found on the island.  They will ask you for money and obviously that's not good for the frogs or ecotourism.  Plus they are easily found in the "cups" of the bromeliads:)


Now, moving on around this interesting and very birdy archipelago, we head to the Soropta Canal.  Pelicans, Terns, and Gulls later, we arrive to this overgrown and forgotten canal.  There were times I thought we would never get out of this overgrown mess.  It was a rare and often missed opportunity to bird.  You see, we were there to save turtles.  But we spent much of our time on this canal!  It was hard to navigate and many times we would get stuck in the water hyacinths.  At the time, I thought it was a frustration.  Now I see it as a missed opportunity to view all of the incredible birds hanging out in the Canal.


Along the way we walked on rotting piers.  Of course, I fell through this rickety old thing.  I laughed while getting eaten alive by chiggers.  I cried later on from the hundreds of bites that covered my body.  Yes I was prepared.  Yes I had all the right gear.  But chiggers are chiggers.  They get into everything.  Vinegar helped relieve my pain.  The Bocas Del Toro region caters to everyone.  Each island representing something different. And if you dare, the Soropta Canal is your birding challenge!  There were a lot of birds here.  But be warned.  It's an overgrown canal full of dead trees and other things.  My greatest fear was having to get out of the boat and move it along.  There were also reptiles in this water:)


I began to learn that birding was pretty awesome because the locales alone were stunning.


This is the Soropta Canal at its best.  As we went further into the canal, the open water disappeared.


The islands in the humid and tropical Bocas Del Toro are home to birds found around rivers, oceans, mangrove swamps, and forest.  It's quite the diverse habitat and a must see for a person visiting Panama.  For the family, there is much to do.  For the birder, it's a true vacation.


If you're thinking about birding in Panama, check out these other posts from my Panama trek on Panama CityGamboa and the Pipeline Road, and Coiba Island. It truly is a birder paradise.  There are too many areas to explore, but when I go back again, I'll be stopping at the places I missed on my first trip. I must find that Harpy Eagle!  Boquete will be our next stop.  Until next time, happy birding!


32 comments:

  1. Great post, Chris! Birding Panama sounds like an awesome time! The scenery, people and the critters are all part of the fun! Wonderful photos. Happy Birding!

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    1. Thanks Eileen!! Birding in Panama is wonderful. The humidity not so much:) Guatemala and Costa Rica are much nicer:) BUT Panama has a lot to offer.

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  2. Sounds like a great place to learn lots. Just what are chiggers though?

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    1. Chiggers are nasty little tiny bugs that crawl up into your pants, along the waistline of your pants, up your sleeves and bury into you skin. They itch. And if you itch the area, it becomes worse. Nasty little critters.

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  3. Not birding the first visit certainly gives you an excuse to return plus the opportunity to learn about the environment, including the chiggers. What do the locals do?

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    1. I don't know. I don't think they have the same issues as we did. They love tourists. I know not wearing scented things helped a tad but even then we still had problems. My friend had to leave after three days because they were so bad. The proper response is to wear clothing that seals up around the ankles and arms etc.....and yet, there was no escaping them:)

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  4. Except for the chiggers - it sounds like a great place to visit. I guess I am not a true birder because I think that if you enjoy the whole thing that's the important bit!

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    1. I've heard birders say that:) They've mentioned that if the conditions aren't right, they won't do it at all. I may get to that point one day:) All kinds of birders out there not one being less a birder than the other. I need to learn sometimes how to really enjoy the entire experience and not let the birds take the center stage all the time:)

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  5. Nie wiem czy bym się nie bała gadów w wodzie, pewno tak :(.Może by to trochę mnie przestraszyło, aby iść i oglądać ptaki. Podziwiam Twoją chęć zobaczenia ich za wszelką cenę.Zdjęcia z tej części świata oczywiście wspaniałe. Pozdrawiam.
    I do not know if I was not afraid of reptiles in the water, surely this: (. Might be a little frightened me to go and watch the birds. Admire your desire to see them at all costs. Photos from this part of the world, of course, great. Yours.

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    1. There are definitely challenges but it is so worth it Giga:) Nothing beats that feeling of finding a lifebird. Truly exciting!

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  6. I really enjoyed your post, Chris. Reckon I still call myself a "bird watcher" instead of "birder" because I love all aspects of a trip outdoors. Yes, I emphasize birds, but I sure enjoy all that other stuff out there!
    As a native Floridian, I found a preventative for chiggers about 45 years ago. I married a woman that bugs like a whole lot better than me and always take her with me! :)

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    1. I love it as well, and I need to keep my eyes open to more than just the birds. They are on my mind all the time. I can't shut it off:) As for the bugs, I am laughing at your comment. It sure helps having a decoy:) I felt terrible. My friend Jen took most of the bites on our trip.

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  7. Looks like quite an adventure! The sloth is awesome!

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    1. That was taken from our boat in the mangrove swamp. Very fun find! Thanks for stopping by!

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  8. I need to put this place on my list. Looks really great. I love that sloth shot!

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    1. It's a GREAT place!!! May I suggest January or February to visit? Cooler with lots of wintering birds:)

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  9. Super post Chris! Your photos show so many different aspects of life in the Bocas del Toro region of Panama. Don't think I would chance a trip down the river with crocs in the water though, and those chiggers would be a pain, but seeing birds like the OM outside my window and sloths in the trees would be fantastic. Loved the vídeo clip!:)

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    1. The birds and critters make it all worth it. Several months later the bites eventually disappear:)

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  10. Great post Chris of a wonderful area - the sloth photo is superb :) Chiggers sound exceedingly nasty though :(

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    1. They're a pain. But the food, the trip, friends, Spanish......well, it makes it all worth it:)

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  11. A superb post Chris and a very worthwhile diversion from visiting your own blog. I'm not sure that, at my age, I'd be able to put up with the discomforts in order to experience these fabulous sights and creatures.

    With regard to what constitutes a 'birder', I sense that you and I are very similar in our diverse interests. However, I don't manage to have the depth and passion that you exhibit - I'm too lazy!! I guess I'm more of a 'part-time birder'!!

    Keep up the good work!! - Richard

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    1. Hi Richard:) I think I may be an addict. But if there was one to addiction to have, this is probably a good one. I wish I could shut it off sometimes. Thanks for stopping by.....my greatest concern on these trips is finding owls!!! They are elusive! We both live in our areas and know the hotspots where they all hang out. When I travel, I hold hope that I may stumble on one of those beauties in the trees.

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  12. What a wonderful post! I don't consider myself a birder. I just take photos of everything I see on my walks weather it's scenery, birds, flowers, animals or something else.

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    1. I try to do the same, but it isn't always easy because the birds keep my eyes and ears distracted:) I've almost stepped on several snakes because I was looking up instead of down:)

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  13. Chris, gorgeous scenery and a fun story-minus the chiggers of course! You are braver than I am and will see many more birds in your life time than I ever will! The short video at the end is hilarious. How did you find that song? LOL!

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    1. Well Ms. Brown, it was by luck:) Youtube had it in their selection of fun tunes to add to my video. And it was a perfect fit:)

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  14. Terrific post, Chris! I can relate to your words. Before I became a "birder" and photographer, I was fortunate to visit Africa (on safari) a few times and also travel to Antarctica. I sometimes look back and wish I would have paid more attention to all the glorious birds I observed and been able to photograph them all. That said, I had truly spectacular experiences that I will never forget. Traveling to those otherworldly destinations certainly changed my life for the better. The Bocas Del Toro region looks like a marvelous place to visit ... except for those pesky chiggers. I think I will have to add this to my travel wish list.

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    1. So many incredible places Julie and I hadn't even developed my 6th sense with wildlife yet!!! Imagine the possibilities if we went back in time with our knowledge......what we could find!!:)

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