Mount Totumas Cloud Forest

This is a sample of beetles that visited our bug lights on a recent night. We seem to have two species of Chrysina beetles rather common that come to the lights. Chrysina batesi is the larger gold specimen and Chrysina resplendens is the smaller one. I never realized these were collectors items before I was told by recent visitors. The other beetles shown remain unidentified. The green one might be a flower scarab (Cetonidae) and the largest a rhinoceros beetle Heterogomphus mneszechi.

Below a photo of some of the silk moths that arrived the same night

Here you have a chance to marvel at the biodiversity of Lepidoptera collected at Mount Totumas Cloud Forest. These specimens were collected and mounted by my cousin Tom Neal from his past two visits.

Here is an updated list of birds spotted from 1500m up to 2200m on site including adjacent La Amistad National Park

Bird List Mount Totumas Cloud Forest

Highland Tinamou

Black Guan
Crested Guan

Spotted Wood Quail

Cattle Egret

Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Swallow-Tailed Kite
Plumbeous Kite
Ornate Hawk Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Roadside Hawk
Yellow Headed Caracara
Collared Forest Falcon
American Kestrel
Bat Falcon

Spotted Sandpiper

Band-Tailed Pigeon
Ruddy Pigeon
Buff-Fronted Quail Dove
Chiriqui Quail Dove
White-Tipped Dove

Sulfur-winged Parakeet
Crimson-fronted Parakeet
Blue-Headed Parrot
Brown-hooded Parrot

Common Pauraque
Dusky Nightjar

White-Collared Swift
Vauxs Swift

Scintillant Hummingbird
Fiery-throated Hummingbird
Volcano Hummingbird
Stripe-Tailed Hummingbird
Purple-Throated Mountain Gem
White-throated Mountain Gem
Green Hermit
Violet Sabrewing
Magnificant Hummingbird
Green Violet-Ear
Brown Violet-Ear
Green-Crowned Brilliant
Snowy Bellied Hummingbird
Magenta-throated Woodstar

Resplendent Quetzal
Collared Trogon
Orange-bellied Trogon
Blue-Crowned Motmot

Blue-throated Toucanet
Prong-billed Barbet
Red-Headed Barbet

Acorn Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-Crowned Woodpecker
Smoky-brown Woodpecker
Golden-Olive Woodpecker
Olivaceous Piculet

Ruddy Tree Runner
Lineated Foilage-Gleaner
Spectacled Foilage-Gleaner
Spotted Barbtail
Red-Faced Spinetail
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper
Olivaceous Woodcreeper
Buffy Tuftedcheek
Streak-breasted Treehunter

Silvery-fronted Tapaculo

Social Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Panama Flycatcher
Streaked Flycatcher
Mountain Elaenia
Yellow-Bellied Elaenia
Olive-striped Flycatcher
Yellowish Flycatcher
Rough-legged Tyranulet
Torrent Tyrannulet
Dark Pewee
White-Throated Spadebill
Common Tufted Flycatcher
Masked Tityra
White-Winged Becard
Barred Becard
Bright-Rumped Atitla
Ochraceous Pewee
Common Tody-Flycatcher
Tufted Flycatcher

Three-Wattled Bellbird

Brown-capped Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Yellow-winged Vireo
Yellow-Throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Rufous-Browed Peppershrike

Silvery-Throated Jay

Blue and White Swallow
Barn Swallow
Southern Rough-winged Swallow

Ochraceous Wren
House Wren
Grey-Breasted Woodwren

American Dipper

Mountain Thrush
Clay-colored Thrush
Black-faced Solitaire
Orange-Billed Nightingale Thrush
Ruddy-capped Nightingale Thrush
Slaty-backed Nightingale Thrush
Swainsons Thrush
Wood Thrush
White-throated Thrush

Black and Yellow Silky-Flycatcher
Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher

Black and White Warbler
Wilsons Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Collared Redstart
Slate-throated Redstart
Black cheeked Warbler
Buff-rumped Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Flame Throated Warbler
Golden Winged Warbler
Three Striped Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Ovenbird

Common Bush Tanager
Sooty Capped Bush Tanager
Silver-throated Tanager
Summer Tanager
Flame Colored Tanager
Cherrie’s Tanager
Blue Grey Tanager
White Winged Tanager
Bay Headed Tanager
Spangle Cheeked Tanager
Golden-Hooded Tanager
Scarlet-Thighed Dacnis

Buff-throated Saltator

White-naped Brush Finch
Yellow-thighed Finch
Chestnut Capped Brush Finch
Large Footed Finch
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Blue-Black Grassquit

Slaty Flower-piercer

Baltimore Oriole
Eastern Meadowlark
Shiny Cowbird
Bronzed Cowbird
Great-Tailed Grackle

Elegant Euphonia
Golden Browed Chlorophonia
Yellow-bellied Siskin

* Elevation range from 1500 to 2200 (including Rio Colorado drainage in La Amistad National Park)

** Last updated April 14, 2012

Well, progress is slow and steady. The logistical challenge of building in our remote location has pushed back a bit the completion date on our first cabin. Here are some photos. We expect to be done by May/June.

With exception of the internal 2×4 studs and roof rafters, all of the wood that went into the construction of this cabin was harvested at Mount Totumas Cloud Forest and then milled and finished on site.

Yesterday another new hummer considered rare in Panama, the Brown Violet Ear, arrived at our feeders. The recently published Field Guide by Angher and Dean state that this is a rare hummer in Panama with a range in the lower foothills up to 1300m. We are at 1900m so this is 600m higher than what is considered its normal range.

Check out the following photo. Both rare hummers, the Brown Violet Ear and Magenta Throated Woodstar, feeding together on the same feeder

This is volume 1 of an excellent photographic field guide of Butterflies of Central America. The author, Kim Garwood, visited Mount Totumas Cloud Forest recently as part of a group of entomologists that were on site. There was a lot of enthusiasm over the specimens collected and photographed.

Kim’s book is a collaborative effort of many photographers. We purchased a copy to add to our growing natural history library here at Mount Totumas Cloud Forest.

a female Magenta Throated Woodstar has visited our feeders for the past several weeks. This bird is considered rare in Western Panama and we are thrilled to have her around. Note the diagnostic whitish spot on the side of her rump.

We are pleased to announce that Mount Totumas Cloud Forest has been certified as a sustainable eco tourist destination with Rainforest Alliance. Check out our listing on their website.

Three Wattled Bellbirds perched on a distant tree. Cloudy weather brings them out on exposed purchases of the canopy. Immature males often join adults at this time of year as their mechanical calls resonate in the forest. Not at all like a bell by the way. Who named this bird anyway?

This orchid was at 2100m on a tree at the edge of a pasture on Mr. Vega’s property. First time seeing this one blooming.