for the Birds
P
ANAMA was a land of surprises for us. From the
cosmopolitan high-rise metropolis that is Panama
City - "Panhattan'' to locals - to the delicious
dishes of ceviche. But the greatest surprise of all
was how much we came to love bird-watching.
The morning after we arrived in Panama City, we rose at 4:30
to go "birding'' at the Canopy Tower, a former US radio site in the
middle of the rainforest. To be honest, we did not think we would
enjoy it, especially at that hour. However, standing in the rainforest with cofee in hand, we knew this was special.
We peered into the telescope on the tower's deck, which
stands level with the treetops. One could not ask for a better view
of the sunrise. The rainforest begins its day quietly but, as the
birds wake up, quickly becomes a chorus of tweets and chirps. We
wondered what the birds were rattling of to one another. Were
they gossiping, divulging secrets of what had happened in the
rainforest the night before?
On the observation deck, we met a couple who had just begun
a 10-day bird-watching excursion. We quickly realized that our
tower top companions were seasoned birders, as they excitedly
pointed out a rare blue cotinga. Our guide often mimicked the
sounds of birds to draw them closer.