BIRDING IN DARIÉN HAS BEEN ON OUR RADAR for years. Until recently the logistics and cost were daunting, the rivers were frequented by drug smugglers and illegal immigrants and decent lodging was non-existent.
Darién has been on our radar for years
The cost for a week at Canopy Camp is still exorbitant but it’s really the only game in town. Well, not really “town”—Canopy Camp is four hours by road from Panama City and only thirty kilometers from Yaviza where the northern part of Pan-American ends. We wanted to go someplace special for Connie's birthday and Darién is one of the few places in the world to see the rare Harpy Eagle.
Authentic African Safari Tents
They call it "Glamping"
We met the six others in our group on the ride from the City, along with our guide Oscar but road conditions were so bad we got little other than their names; Terrence and Susanna are Canadians, Mike and Leslie live in rural Washington state, Kevin is from Cleveland and Arizonan Terri would be the only serious birder.
Ruby-Topaz Hummingbird
Red-legged Honeycreeper
The Camp is idyllic—six African-style safari tents linked by gravel pathways to an open lounge/dining area. Electricity is solar, fans instead of air-conditioning, hot water showers (sometimes) and surprisingly good wifi. Meals were good with salad, desert and wine at dinner, the fridge was stocked daily with soft drinks—Oscar even brought Coke Zero along in the cooler on the ride to Camp.
Collared Aracari
King Vulture Overhead
Looks like Rain
The grounds were full of flowers, always with several species of hummingbirds hovering. Toucans, aracari, honeycreepers and even a King Vulture were regular visitors and a family of Geoffroy’s Tamarinds kept everyone entertained. Rain is always a possibility, especially in the late afternoon, but it flat out poured las night as it can only in the Tropics. I hope it’s not a harbinger of things to come.
