Panama...boats and birds.

We were half way through our trip and into our last day or two at Canopy Camp. This morning we were on a quest to see a very scarce bird in Panama - and, unsurprisingly, it involved another boat trip. After a 45-minute drive we reached our departure point - a UNICEF camp by the Chucunaque River! I couldn't quite believe we were driving through a refugee camp, surrounded by people who had made the dangerous journey from Colombia, through the Darien to Panama. All were living in either white tents or ramshackle wooden huts. Getting out in the middle of this makeshift 'town' with tens-of-thousands of pounds worth of equipment seemed wrong. These poor people had nothing!

After a short time to reflect, we had to leave and meet our boat driver down by the river.

Nigel and Mike find 'our' dugout for the journey ahead.

Now, to get out from between the other boat...

We're away at last...

And it's another 45 minutes along the murky waters of the Chucunaque.

The river (apart from being muddy) was remarkably clean. No litter, no bottles - heartwarming to see after our visit in May when it was strewn with plastic bottles. It was also rich in birds -  Southern Lapwing, Amazon, Green and Ringed Kingfishers, Cocoi, Striated, Great Blue, Little Blue and Green Herons as well as Snowy Egrets. It was alive with birds!

As we reached our stop on the river bank, it soon became obvious it was going to be a VERY muddy walk up the river bank and into the banana plantation for the bird we'd come to see. But it didn't take long to find, the incredible little Dusky-backed Jacamar. A pair in fact.

What a bill!

They stayed in the treetops but the Nikon P1000
still managed to get a shot.

Super little birds

Carlos also found us another nice bird, a Spectacled Parrolet. At just 12 cm long it'smaller than a Budgie!

Spectacled Parrolet.

Spectacled Parrolet

Satisfied we'd seen our target bird we headed back to the boat and back to the Canopy Camp.

This cool lizard was scampering around the Camp, a Rainbow Ameiva, Holcosus undulatus.

Rainbow Ameiva

Chestnut_headed Oropendola

Spot-crowned Barbet, female

Spot-crowned Barbet, male

That evening after dinner I was just heading into the accommodation when I noticed some eyes glinting in the head torch. A closer look revealed this enormous wandering spider. Not sure which species but I was sure I didn't want to take a bite from those fangs.

Wandering Spider Sp.

Wandering Spider Sp.

Lots of little Common Rain Frogs (Craugastor fitzingeri) around the cabin too. These dinky little frogs could be heard calling in the dark long before you found them.

Common Rain Frog, Craugastor fitzingeri

Common Rain Frog, Craugastor fitzingeri

Our time at the camp was over, the next morning we would be heading west, back to Panama City and the Canopy Tower just beyond.