Panama...the end of the road

After a good night's rest, we spend the morning filming around the Canopy Camp. This oasis in the jungle is one of the best birding spots in Panama and we have plenty to keep us busy. I found this stunning male Golden-headed Manakin, it had me lost for words. There's something about birds that are basically black with a splash of colour that I really like, whether its yellow-headed blackbird, purple-throated fruitcrow or this little ball of joy...

Golden-headed Manakin, male

Golden-headed Manakin

Golden-headed Manakin

Golden-headed Manakin

This Black Hawk Eagle stayed around camp for most of the time we were there. It was most often picked up by it's call but I managed to get a back-lit shot of it.

Black Hawk Eagle

The starling-sized Ruddy Ground-dove is very common around the camp.

Ruddy Ground Dove

 As are the much larger White-tailed Doves.

White-tipped Dove

Hummingbirds became the main focus as we wanted to try and film some of the many species that visit the garden. Some come to the hummingbird feeders while others are strictly flower visitors. Verbena is the flower of choice, they just love it. Waiting in front of a patch of this purple flowered shrub is always productive.

White-vented Plumleteer - very difficult to photograph!

White-vented Plumleteer

Blue-chested Hummingbird - only visited verbena

Blue-chested Hummingbird

A Long-billed Starthroat brightened a rainy start

Another Blue-chested Hummingbird

Blue-chested Hummingbird

Filming over for the morning, by 1 pm we'd had lunch, packed the equipment and were heading back to an indigenous village further into the Darien Gap that we'd visited in May 2019, Pijibasal.

To reach Pijibasal you have to drive to Yaviza, the last town on the Pan-American Highway. Yaviza really is the end of the road. To go further into the Darien you have to take a boat along the Chucunaque river. It's a 45 minute boat journey to meet a 4x4 and another 40 minutes along a very rough dirt track before we reach the village. The Embera people who live here are very welcoming and it's great to see them again. The children flock around, especially when the drone goes up and they get to see their home from a never-before seen perspective.

Cocoi Heron

I have to rely on VLOS to fly the drone
as I can no longer see the monitor!

The 4x4 attracts one or two followers too...

The Embera, one of seven indigenous groups in Panama.
They inhabit The Darien and into Colombia

The footage we obtain is enough to finish where we left off back in May and by the time we leave it's getting dark. It's a rush against time as the local army outpost back by the river, can allow or deny you the right to travel as darkness approaches. This is partly for security reasons (it's possible you could bump into drug runners using the river at night - or be mistaken for them!) but mostly for your own safety as there can be submerged logs and trees in the river, which would easily sink the boat.  We are very lucky and are granted permission to leave but it's a longer, slower journey in the dark and by the time we reach Yaviza, it's completely dark - we're glad to be back at the dock.

Pinogana, as we get on the boat the light is fading fast

The Chucanaque River