Number 100 !!!

No, not blog 100, but on 5 April we registered bird species number 100 on our plot. A hundred species is not bad for a plot of 8 hectares. Compared to Holland, where birders have registered about 450 species during the last century in the whole country (admittedly not a very large country) it is quite a lot.

Number 100 was the streaked tyrant flycatcher. Actually, there were two, possibly a pair migrating north to breed. Streaked tyrant flycatchers can be found from Northern Mexico to Northern Argentina. The birds breeding in the extreme northern and southern parts of this range, winter in the area from Costa Rica to Bolivia. Streaked tyrant flycatchers eat large insects (wasps, cicadas), small lizards, berries and arillate seeds.

During the first three months of this year, I have already seen more species on our land than during the whole previous year. And not just more species, but different species. There is a slight shift noticeable to species associated with bushy vegetation and open woods, while species associated with pastures and grass lands, such as the Eastern meadow lark, are disappearing. (Mostly to the farm of the neighbours).

Currently we have three species of wrens, a pair of black-headed sparrows, a pair of banded ant shrikes, orange-chinned parakeets, brown-headed parakeets, pale-breasted spinetails, garden emeralds and slate-headed tody flycatchers residing on our plot. And we get visits from keel-billed toucans, crested oropendola’s, yellow-tailed orioles and longbilled star-throats (a hummingbird). Overhead, we regularly see black and turkey vultures, the great black hawk, the road-side hawk, yellow-fronted and red-lored amazons, and bat falcons. Sometimes we see Magnificent Frigate birds, American wood-storks and once an American fork-tailed Kite.

There are also many more other animals around. Lizards are common as muck, especially the green iguana’s and the `jezus basilisks’ (these lizards can run over water). Snakes are either not present or very shy. The only one we (rarely) see, is the cat-eyed snake. That is a back-fanged snake about 50 cm long and no thicker than your little finger that hunts frogs. Not quite in the same league as the anaconda or the black mamba. We are also quite certain we still have armadillo’s on our land, but since they are very nocturnal and shy we never see them. The only mammals we see are the odd squirrel and the dog from the neighbours who comes to dig around in the pile of sand we have reserved for construction.

Our Forest

We have not written about our trees for a while. But do not worry, they are doing fine. They cannot grow fast enough as far as we are concerned, but there is definitely progress, although our land probably looks still like an abandoned pasture to the untutored eye. However, we, as specialists, biologists and owners (admittedly, perhaps not totally objective) see a, very young, tropical forest.

The rains have just started and we can see that more than 90% of the trees we planted have survived the dry season. There are a few obvious patterns. The trees that were sold to us as ´Zapote Colombiana` are not suited to our plot; eight out of ten have died (one of the survivors is still in the nursery). Furthermore, trees planted in September and October had more difficulties during the dry season than those planted earlier. The reason for this was probably the lack of light in September and October. The weather was constantly overcast, so the trees just did not get enough light to make a strong root system. This year we will try to concentrate the planting activities in the period from May to August.

The trees that were planted early last year, are doing very well. Our star is still a mahogany tree we planted in the ‘Heliconia Valley’, that tree is now 3.5 m. high. Most panama trees and Amarillos are also doing fine. Most ‘amarillo’s’ are 1.5 to 2m. high. The ‘monkey comb trees are also growing well, even though we planted them fairly late in the season. The heliconias, not trees but rather showy flowers, are also doing fine. The parrot heliconias have flowered continuously from May to February. And they are growing like weeds.

Furthermore, there are lots of trees emerging that we did not plant at all. Not much variety, most are Wild Cashew, Guava, Nance and Roble. One of our ‘hills’ looks more like a guava orchard than a forest. But we do not mind, these trees provide food to birds and the neighbour’s children, as well as shade and protection against high winds to the soil and to the trees germinating (or planted) below them. We plan to plant shade-loving trees like the cocoa underneath the guavas, since we still have some meter high specimens waiting in our nursery....

Guests

Yes, slowly but certainly the first guests are coming to visit our part of Panama. The two rancho’s are ready, and so is the bath room (apart from a door, but who cares?). Three weeks ago we had three English travelers visiting us and last week Norm, our American friend who lives in Chiriqui came by with a friend. And during the Easter weekend we were actually full. First a night with an unexpected couple who stranded in the region looking for a place to stay. Then, booked in advance, a Panamanian, a Canadian and an American guest. The last one came separately to go bird watching in Cerro Hoya and Santa Fe.

The three English travelers were easy going guests. They wanted breakfast around ten o’clock in the morning, so plenty of time for ourselves to sleep in for a bit. When they left they were especially pleased with the open air shower. Looking at the Milky Way while soaping in your body seems to have a certain attraction.

The shower gets quite some acclaim anyway. Lately we have had quite some people who only want to see what we are actually doing on our land. Mostly other foreigners who are developing something or other in the area. We do not mind at all, none of them are thinking of building a hotel or providing tented accommodation, so we are not worried about people stealing our ideas. And anyway, you ‘ll need some talent and information to be able to paint whales and dolphins on your shower walls.

A lot of this interest is due to Rob van der Merwe, a Dutch student Marketing and Tourism who is doing a practical period of six months with us. During February he traveled western Panama to analyse our target group and he took that opportunity to try and persuade them to come to our place. And that is having some success.

Unfortunately I did not manage to show our bird watcher the Painted Parakeet , the brown-backed dove or the great green macaw. But the next day we did find a Sun Grebe near Ponuga and a Snowcap (a small and rare hummingbird) near Santa Fe. So he was pleased when he left and says he is coming back! And so are the Canadian and Panamian ladies…