Toucan and Monkey Island

I am linking up with World Bird Wednesday  and Nature Notes

During our trip to Panama, our tour group took a boat ride out to Monkey Island. This tour reminded me of the boat rides we took on our Costa Rica vacation. Very cool! The guys driving the three boats were pretty experienced at finding the Capuchin monkeys. Plus, I think it helped they had some spare grapes on board.

This is the second three toed sloth we saw during our time in Panama. The boat drivers were quick to spot this cool looking critter. It is actually the first time I was able to see a face on the sloth. Usually, it is hidden.

We were warned not to laugh at the monkeys because it could make them agressive. But, as soon as the drivers spotted the monkeys, the monkeys immediately came closer to the boats. I think they knew where the spare grapes were kept. Some of the ladies in our tour group started screaming when the monkeys jumped on the boat. At that point I was laughing hysterically and trying to take some shots of the monkeys at the same time.

These are the white faced Capuchin Monkeys.

We were told if they were NOT fed by the drivers they could get agressive. There is only so much food on this little island and they are use to being fed.

The Capuchin monkey trying to make a get away with the grapes.

One of the Capuchin monkeys walking on top of the other boat.

More of the Capuchin Monkeys

My favorite sighting... the Keel Billed Toucan

One of the main highlights of Monkey Island for me was seeing the Keel Billed Toucan. I just love these birds.

To see more wonderful birds click on my link World Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes.

Thanks to Springman for hosting World Bird Wednesday and to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes. Also, I appreciate your visits and comments. I hope everyone has a great week and a Happy Thanksgiving.

SWF>>>>Birding Panama

For my Skywatch Friday post I have some photos of our visit to Panama's Rainforest Discovery Center. Hubby and I arrived in Panama a day early so we could take a guided bird tour on the famous Pipeline Rd. Our guide Justo of Just Adventures was wonderful and of course I saw a lot of new Panama birds.

We woke up early on a cloudy Saturday morning to meet our guide at 6am Justo was taking us to see the Discovery Center's tower our first stop for birding. So you could see the tower we climbed up to get a birds eye view, I scanned a copy of the photo from THE VISITOR newspaper. We were lucky it was only cloudy,  it is their rainy season.

Hubby was happy to be above the tree line looking at the rainforest below us and I was excited to see some new birds. At the top of the tower we were almost in the clouds, we did manage to find a Bat Falcon and a Black Vulture perched in a tree together. Also, we watched a woodpecker fly away, it was either the Linneated or the Crimson-chested. they both remind me of the Pileated Woodie I see at home. We could  hear the Howler monkeys in the distance.

Above, an awful capture of my lifer the Bat Falcon.

A lot of winding steps up but it was well worth the climb to see the view at the top of this tower.

We were always looking up and this time we saw the Capuchin monkey and we also saw a sloth.

The boardwalk trail leading to the Canopy Tower

Hubby is always amazed and says it is my luck that the skies usually turn out for the better while we are on vacation. I was happy to see the skies turn blue while out on our birding walk.

Back down on the trail, we saw another one of my lifers the White Whiskered Puffbird.

During the week of our vacation in Panama I saw at least 63 species of birds. I have not counted up all my lifers yet but I am sure I saw many new birds. But, a few were some of the same birds I saw in Costa Rica.

I hope you enjoyed my Panama Skywatch Friday post and to see more please click on the link.

Thanks to the hosting group at Skywatch Friday : Sylvia, Wren, Sandy and Fishing Guy.

Also, thank for visiting my blog and post. I always appreciate the visits and comments.

Have a great weekend and Happy Birding!!!