Simply click the cover image above to go to the online bookstore REVIEW of the book electronically for free! Best seen in Full Screen Mode but nice at any size.
“Tranquilo Bay” THE BOOK IS READY!
More Water Scenes from Bocas
You may remember my first post from this trip, Life on the Water – check it out again and then here are some more water scenes in addition to that post and the Bird Island & Soropta Canal photos! It is all about water at Bocas del Toro, Panama!
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| Our dock at Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| A Little Island within swimming distance of our dock This was the best area for snorkeling with colorful coral and fish! Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| 15 year old Scott, one of the owner’s sons and an excellent birding guide! Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Sunrises & Sunsets were mostly indirect for my times on the water Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| A common view when we went away from the island Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| I think this is a lodge or restaurant on one of the islands Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| And many people lived on the islands and thus on the water as here in Bocas Town Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
Isla Pájaros – Bird Island
We stopped by here on our way back from Soropta Canal. Interesting island!
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| We felt like we were approaching the Jurassic Park Island Bird Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Bird Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Bird Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Flocks of Magnificent Frigatebirds flew overhead with other birds Bird Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Magnificent Frigatebird Juvenile Bird Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Brown Booby Bird Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Brown Booby Bird Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Brown Booby Baby Many seabirds nest on this island. Bird Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Red-billed Tropicbird Bird Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
From Institute for Tropical Ecology & Conservation
Note a column for “Bird Island”
Also column for “Soropta Canal” we visited the same day.
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
Mainland Birding Near Bocas del Toro
Only a sample of the many birds we saw driving from the coast up the mountain in mainland Panama at closest point to Bocas del Toro Archipelago of islands. For all that I photographed on this trip see my TRIP GALLERY 2018 Tranquilo Bay, the Birds sub-gallery.
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| Green Ibis Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama |
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| Passerini’s Tanager Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama |
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| Dusky-capped Flycatcher Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama |
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| Pale-vented Pigeon Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama |
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| Cattle Egret Juvenile in Nest Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama |
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| Boat-billed Heron Juvenile near nest Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama |
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| Swallowtail Kite Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama |
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| Silver Throated Tanager Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama |
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
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ALSO OF POSSIBLE INTEREST TO YOU:
Check out BirdLife International for ways you can be a better conservationist.
Their People & Nature Program!
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And of course the serious birder must join eBird and the
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And for Costa Rica Birders I recommend the Facebook Group
Soropta Canal Birds
Just a sample of the many kinds of birds we saw and I photographed on the old Snyder Canal for Banana Boats now called Soropta Canal for the nearby beach it parallels near the little town of Changuinola, Panama. A rich diversity of plants and wildlife are there!
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| Yellow-headed Caracara Soropta Canal, Changuinola, Panama |
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| Groove-billed Anis Soropta Canal, Changuinola, Panama |
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| Purple Gallinule Soropta Canal, Changuinola, Panama |
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| Roadside Hawk Juvenile Soropta Canal, Changuinola, Panama |
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| Black-bellied Whistling Duck Soropta Canal, Changuinola, Panama |
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| Roseate Spoonbill Soropta Canal, Changuinola, Panama |
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| Snowy Egret (in the rain) Soropta Canal, Changuinola, Panama |
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
Other Wildlife from Panama
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| Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth Mother with Child Soropta Canal, Changuinola near Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Juvenile Green IguanaSoropta Canal, Changuinola near Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Unknown Insect On our mainland highland hike near Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Blue Crab or Mangrove Crab Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Common Basilisk or “Jesus Christ Lizard” Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
Stumbled on this wonderful researchers website on the Bocas del Toro Ecosystem which is a local station of the Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation.
There was other wildlife, but this is representative. We heard lots of Howler Monkeys but there are none on the lodge’s island. The family saw some at the chocolate farm visit. The only monkeys on Bastimentos Island are White-faced Capuchin, but we saw none.
For more Central American wildlife other than birds see my Other Wildlife photo gallery.
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
Isla Popa for the Snowy Cotinga
One afternoon we had a 2 hour boat ride around a smaller island called Popa.
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| This is the only island in the Boca del Toro Archipelago to have the Snowy Cotinga. We searched for over an hour before we finally found one of these semi-rare birds. Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
For the birders among my readers, this is only my second time to see and photograph a Snowy Cotinga. The other time was Christmas before last at Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí.
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| And everyone likes to see a toucan! This is now called the Yellow-throated Toucan Popa is close enough to the mainland for toucans to fly to them. Our island, Barsimanto, is not, thus no toucans! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Brown Pelican Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Brown Pelican Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Being in the Atlantic Ocean with lots of islands and mainland nearby is pretty! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| I love the trees! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| I love the trees! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| I love the trees! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| And the houses and tourist cabins are interesting too! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
I am now back home in Atenas, Costa Rica after a very long day getting back with rain and heavy traffic making it a slower drive and not back home until about 8:30 or 9:00 PM Wednesday night. Today, Thursday, was busy with laundry, grocery shopping, bank visit, and lots of text messages and emails to deal with. Friday I meet a young friend for lunch who wants to practice his English and I will practice my Spanish. And Saturday morning I will go to Alajuela to pick up another photo book that has arrived. I probably will be sharing more photos from Panama for another week. It was a good trip!
And in between all the other things I will be back onto building my new website and maybe transferring this blog to it.
Golden-collared Manakin
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| Golden-collared Manakin Tranquilo Bay Eco Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
I walk into the forest behind my cabin, across two small meadows sparkling with butterflies and wild tropical flowers, down a little hill to the beginning of a narrow trail into the dark forest where I hear a clicking or popping sound, kind of like popcorn popping. Into the thick forest I find these beautiful little birds, the male Golden-collared Manakin. I saw only one female, much more reclusive and she was a solid olive-drab green color like the male’s lower breast/tummy and back. I was unable to get a photo of a female. Even at 3 pm the forest is dark, thick, and thus not conducive for photographs, though it is the males who come into the openings and who are purposefully showing off to attract the females. Yet when the dance starts, they are too fast to capture activity – see last 2 photos.
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| Golden-collared Manakin Tranquilo Bay Eco Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| In the forest I found 3 of these little clearings, called Manakin Leks where the male has removed all leaves for his big dance show every afternoon. Tranquilo Bay Eco Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Golden-collared Manakin Tranquilo Bay Eco Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Golden-collared Manakin The male starts his dance by perching sideways on a vertical young tree. Tranquilo Bay Eco Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Faster than I can capture on my camera he pops like popcorn from stem to limb back and forth across and around the little clearing with the clicking or popping sounds that together with the color and fast movement are intended to attract a female Golden-collared Manakin. Incredible! |
In Corcovado National Park Costa Rica I saw the Red-capped Manakin male do his “Michael Jackson Dance” to likewise attract females, but this one was even more kinetic with several males in several clearings doing their dances at the same time and the forest reverberating with the popcorn sounds. Cool! And not 50 yards behind my cabin at Tranquilo Bay Eco Lodge. Then I later discovered I had photographed an Orange-collared Manakin at Carara National Park in Costa Rica which looks almost like the above fellow with the orange color added to his neck. Interesting!
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
Unfortunately tonight is the 7th and last night here! Tomorrow I start early on the combination boat and bus trips back home in Costa Rica – an all day trek! So no post tomorrow, then I will continue my reports on this fantastic nature place in nearby Northern Panama. AND in the next week I may be transferring my blog from Blogger to WordPress, so get ready for a slight change in the look and feel of the blog which will then be a part of my new web page at charliedoggett.net
Butterflies in Panama
For more, see my Butterflies & Moths photo gallery.
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
Natural Bird Bath in the Creek
Only Hummingbirds, like this Wood Nymph, bathe in this creek.
First he/she waits in a nearby tree (above) for his turn.
Tranquilo Bay Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama
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| Then it is a quick dip in the creek and . . . |
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| They shake the water off above before flying back to a tree.
Tranquilo Bay Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama
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Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
We were gone 12 hours to the mainland yesterday (Saturday) for some fantastic birding in both the lowlands and the mountain! Then around here today including a visit to the Manakin Lek with beautiful dancing male Orange Collared Manakins attracting their females, and tomorrow we go on a boat trip up an old banana boat canal for many more birds. Fantastic eco lodge! And it will take many days to catch up on my reports in the blog! 🙂 ¡Pura Vida!