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Birding on a Panama Canal Cruise--April-May 2008

On April 22nd, we embarked on our first ever cruise on the advice of our daughter Bonnie who has been on two cruises. It was billed as the Panama Canal Cruise, from Fort Lauderdale to Seattle. Being interested in nature and birding, we tried to make the most of our stops at various ports. Duration of the cruise was 19 days, with stops in the Bahamas, Columbia, then transit of the canal, and then Costa Rica, and 4 brief forays in Mexico. Most of the shore excursions offered by Holland America are for shopping and sight-seeing. The only stops where nature oriented shore excursions were offered were Puerto Chiapas and Huatulco. The first offered a mangrove boat ride, and the latter a Birdwatching Ecotour. Creating this log was inspired by Helen Baines, whose similar log from a Jan 2004 Panama Canal cruise was discovered during my pre-cruise on-line research. Her web page can be reached at: http://helensbirds.homestead.com/panamacruise04.html

Feel free to contact me, Dan Logen, at d.logen@verizon.net if you have any comments or questions!

Half Moon Cay

Bananaquit Day--A new bird for us and a cool name also!

First stop was at Holland America’s private island, Half Moon Cay. The island of course is designed to make money for Holland America, with water sports, lagoon cruising, snorkeling, glass bottom boat, gift shops, bar, horseback riding, etc. All the shore excursions cost extra. They are not included in your basic cruise purchase. Despite all these activities, very little of the island is developed. I was needlessly worried that there would be very few birds. The ship was anchored offshore, and we took a tender ashore. The island is covered with scrubby dense trees. You cannot really walk anywhere through the trees unless you are on a road or trail. As soon as I stepped off the tender, bird song was all about. Bananaquits were everywhere, and very vocal. Also very numerous was the Bahama Mockingbird, also quite vocal. These were both life birds for me, as I have never been to the Bahamas. I got a good view of just one vireo, the Thick-billed. Some North American migrants were evident, with several Cape May Warblers seen, as well as a Palm Warbler, and a couple Blue Grosbeaks. Common Ground Doves were numerous. A pair of Burrowing Owls posed on a post with the blue Caribbean and the Westerdam in the background. We walked to the right from the tender dock, down a deserted beach, then turned left and went inland to a lagoon which was alive with birds--Bahama Pintails, Black-neck Stilts, Least Grebes, Short-billed Dowitchers and a brief glimpse of a rail. Walking out of this area, we came up to the back of a sign saying ‘no entry‘--oops!