Central America surveyreported it in 1947.In Panama,4 Less- at La Guinea,10 km e. of Filaddfia,along R. er Scaupon R. Chagresat Ft. SanLorenzo, Tempisque,Guanacaste 26 Jan (JZ).The Par- ColOn(KK, RM) werein anunexpected local- quebird was an ad.male. A pairof ad.Crane ity.And in Guatemala,6 RuddyDucks were Hawkswas seen 10Jan (LS) with severaloth- in San Miguel Duefias,Sacatep•quez 5 Jan er raptorspecies over fallow rice fieldsthat (ICE,CA). werebeing plowed in preparationfor cultiva- Approximately150 Audubon's Shearwaters tion at Sierpein the s. Pacificlowlands near 55 km offshore from e. El Salvador 14 Dec the mouthof R. Sierpe.This speciesis very (AM) providedthe firstwinter record for E1 rarelyreported anywhere in CostaRica away Salvador.A MagnificentFrigatebird was seen from its two centers of abundance in Tor- H. LeeJones I OliverKomar overTres Leguas, nw. OrangeWalk, Belize 3 tugueroand the lowerTempisque Basin. Feb (BF); mostpublished inland records of In Panama,in theforest along Old Camboa t ' • he expansionof open-countryspecies thisspecies have been from late summer. In Roadnear Summit, an areawhere the species throughdeforested regions of Central Guatemala, 2 Least Bitterns were seen in is seldomreported, 2 ad. PlumbeDusHawks America continues unabated. In Costa Monierrico N.E, Santa Rosa12 Dec (KE). A wereseen chasing each other and calling22 Rica alone, Pearl Kite, SouthernLapwing, Great Blue Heron nest at Turne[fe Atoll on 1 Feb (GLA). Now that peopleare looking, Mouse-coloredTyrannulet, Melodious Black- Feb(BF) was attended by a pair comprisedof Zone-tailedHawks are being seen more fre- bird,and Crested Oropendola, none of which a bluemorph and a white morph,the latter quentlyin the Caribbeanlowlands of Hon- wereon the CostaRica list two decadesago, not often seen in Belize. Seventeen Roseate duras.One soaring2 km s. of LasMangas, continueto extendtheir ranges,occupying Spoonbillsin a marshnear kas kajas Beach 5 Atldntida 19 Feb (MB) and another in the once-forestedareas of the country.A morere- Feb(CA) provided the 2nd report for Chiriqui Vallede Agufinw. of Olanchito,Yoro 28 Feb cent example,Tropical Mockingbird, is ex- (DA) continue a recent trend of one to three pandingrapidly after the firstbirds believed reportsper year.An intermediate-morphad. to be of wild provenancewere recorded near Swainsoffs Hawk at Blue Creek rice fidds, Or- PaloVerde less than threeyears ago. Else- angeWalk 11 Dec (LJ,PB, EB, LH et al.) was where, EasternMeadowlarks have been re- thoughtto be the sameindividual seen there portedin pasturelandand other man-altered last winter. In CostaRica, Swainsoffs Hawk is grasslandareas in Belize,E1 Salvador,and an irregularwinter visitor in smallnumbers; Hondurasin thepast few years, all in regions however,up to 25 birdsattracted to burning where they did not formerlyoccur. But a sugarcane and rice fields in Bagatziadjacent spedesthat has the potentialto have the to PaloVerde N.E 6-12 Jan (JZ) represented greatestimpact on local,and even regional, an unusuallylarge number for theseason. economies is the non-native Tricolored Mu- A White-tailed Hawk, very rare in the nia. In the region,it first appearedin Costa ~ PanamaCanal area, was seen near Metropoli- Rica in 1999 and has subsequentlyspread tan NaturePark, Panama City 18 Dec (JAC). into nearbyrice-producing areas, causing jus- Quiteunexpected was an imm.Harpy Eagle tifiable concern. It was first recorded in Hon- at Quebradade Oro, BladenN.R., Toledo15 duras and Belize in 2003 and E1 Salvador in Dec(JM, SM, ph. SB,SoM, JR). There are very 2004; it has now,in 2006, reachedPanama. Withnu mere than a half-duzenI•eviuus repurts for Costa few documentedreports of this majestic Continuingan unbroken string of"countI T Ri(a,this Nashville Warbler, found in the Botanical6ardens speciesfrom Belize, and this was the first to firsts" each season were the first Pacific atlirimbina Rainfurest Center 13 and {here) 22 February be confirmedphotographically An ad.Ornate Screech-Owl and Cave Swallow for Hon- 2006,was the first tu bephutegrapNcally confirmed inthe Hawk-Eagleflying over Pipdine Road 23 Feb country.Photograph byRyan Terrill duras,E1 Salvador's first documentedGreen- (GLA) was in the Panamanianlowlands, wingedTeal and Broad-tailed Hummingbird, andlargest number reported for theprovince. whereit is rare. In CostaRica, wintering Mer- and Panama's first Iricolored Munia. An extraordinary120 JaNms in with 300 lins wereat La Fortunaby VolcAnArenal 28 Wood Storks at Fresh Catch Fish Farm near Dec (LC) and at La Guinea, 10 km e. of DUCKSTHROUGH STORKS La Democracia,Belige 27 Jan (CP, CC, RR. Filadelfia, along the R. Tempisque,Gua- A flockof about200 Muscovy Ducks at Lagu- SR)was easily the largestconcentration ever nacaste25-26 Jan OZ). Thelatter may be the na de SanJuan del Gozo, Usulutdn24 Feb recorded in Belize or in Central America. sameindividual reported from this locality in (ph. RV) wasa remarkableconcentration for the fall andperhaps in previouswinters. E1 Salvador,although apparently a similar RAPTORS groupwas at thesame site last year. Three fe- The imm. Gray-headedKite reportedfrom RAILSTHROUGH NIGHTHAWKS maleAmerican Wigeons at a shrimpfarm at CayeCaulker last springwas still present At theGatOn Drop Zone in Sherman,ColOn, a Chomes,on the n. shoreof Gulf of Nicoya,4 throughthe endof theperiod and is nowan Gray-breastedCrake was seen2 Jan (CM), Jan 0Z) were noteworthy.This specieswin- ad.(ph. BF, ph. EMc).In E1Salvador, 3 Hook- and 2 were seen there 2 Feb (BB,JC, DM); tersregularly in smallnumbers in Tempisque billedKites at E1Imposible N.E, Ahuachapdn thisrarely reported species has only recently Basin,but it IS much rarer in other areasof 16 Feb(tPP, CA) werenoteworthy and possi- beenfound at thissite. A Sungrebecarefully CostaRica. A pair of Green-wingedIeal 13 bly representedtransients. A rarewinter visi- observedat Esterode SanDiego, La Libertad Janat LagoGQija, Santa Aria (ph. LP) estab- tor in CostaRica, single Northern Harriers 23 Jan(MC) wasin the sameplace where E1 lishedthe firstdocumentation of the species wereat Parque,10 km s. of LosChiles, in the Salvador's first record was obtained 13 in E1 Salvador and first record since an aerial n. Caribbeanlowlands, 8 Jan (KEa et al.) and monthsearlier. The SouthernLapwing first 296 NORTH ^UERIC^H BIRDS CENTI•ALAIVlEI•ICA-• recorded in Belize at Crooked Tree W.S. in overthe R. Chagres26 Dec (DM) wasunex- speciesin Hondurashas proven enigmatic; at Apr 2004was still present through the end of pected,as this speciesis rare in the Panama present,it is rathercommon above 350 m in the period(BZ et al.). A Long-billedCurlew Canalarea. A VioletSabrewing 15 Feb (ph. Pica Bonita N.P.,with only a few recentre- wasat Costadel Estein PanamaCity 9 Feb JiW) at duPlooy'sresort in w. Cayowas the portsin PicaBonita below 350 m and from (AMc).What was thought to beone of 2 Mar- first reportedfor this heavilybirded area at the Moskitia.In his DistributionalSurvey of bled Godwitsthat have winteredon Caye then. edgeof thespecies' range in Belize,and theBirds of Honduras,Monroe described it as Caulker the past severalwinters returned a BrownViolet-ear singing from a highperch a lowlandspecies rarely reported above 500 againthis winter (,J&DB, BZ et al.).A surpris- at Altos de Marla, Panamd2 Feb (MJI) was m, citingspecimens from the n. coastand in ing 4 Ring-billedGulls were at PanamaViejo thefirst reported in thatarea. Two individuals Olancho at elevations below 500 m. 9 Feb (MJI), andan ad. ElegantTern in basic of therarely reported Emerald-chinned Hum- plumagewas found 28 Feb among 1000 mingbirdin E1Salvador were captured at the WOODPECKERSTHROIJfH Sandwich Terns at a beach near downtown SantaAria volcano,Santa Aria 25 Feb (ph. FLYCATCHERS PanamaCity (ph. CB).In E1Salvador, a flock LA). Four Rufous-crestedCoquettes (an un- SingleYellow-bellied Sapsuckers were seen in of more than 600 Black Skimmers 18 Feb was usuallyhigh number for anylocality in Pana- Panamaat MetropolitanNature Park 17 Jan an exceptionalconcentration at Barrade San- ma) were at E1 Valle, Cocle3 Feb (MJI). A 0T) and in Gamboaand the AmmoDump tiago,Ahuachaptln (OK et al.). male Black-crestedCoquette 30 Jan (CG et Pondsabout 3 km away4 Feb (MJI). A Bare- ThreeScaled Pigeons at TortugueroN.P. 6 al.) at 150 m in the Oro Verde reservein Uvi- crownedAntbird, rarely reportedin Belize, Dec (DL) wereapparently the firstreported ta on Costa Rica's cen. Pacific coast was visit- washeard between the villages of BlueCreek from the heavilybirded Tortuguero area; this ing cashewtree flowers. The speciesis only and Jordan,Toledo 26 Jan (LJ). Farther s., a speciesis very seldomencountered in the occasionallyreported from the Pacificslope, pair was at DOrikade BuenosAires 14 Jan Caribbean lowlands in the e. half of Costa andthis one was exceptionally far s.,well be- (LS), a locationin CostaRica where it was first Rica and may exhibit pronouncedseasonal reportedlast fall. Seldomreported in the re- movements.Normally restricted in Honduras gionaway from Caye Caulker, where there is a to cloud forestsat elevationsabove 1200 m, a smallresident population, a CaribbeanElae- White-faced Quail-Dove was observed at niawas carefully studied at AltunHa, Orange closerange for severalminutes 24 Feb (MB) Walk28 Feb (ph. BF et al.). In Panama,a in the lowlands at 150 m at Pica Bonita in rarely reportedRufous-browed Tyrannulet Atlt•ntida.A PheasantCuckoo heard singing wasat Altosde Maria,Panamd on 2 Feb (MJI). at 1500 m from the forestedge at LasAlturas A NorthernScrub-Flycatcher was at Ft. San on thes. Pacificslope of CordilleraTalaman- Lorenzo,ColOn 2 Jan (GB), and a Pale-eyed ca 6 Feb (36, AO, JZ) wasonly the 3rd re- Pygmy-Tyrantwas heard on the s. sideof R. portedfrom this area of CostaRica, the others Chagresnear Gamboa 26 Dec (DM). The for- havingbeen recorded nearby last year. Thisattractive adult male PrairieWarbler was mist•netted mer is rare on the Atlantic side of the Panama A PacificScreech-Owl, the first ever docu- inthe Playa Naranjo mangroves inSanta Rosa N.P.