I am still sorting through photos, and here are a few birds. I love where we live on the north side of David, next to a big woods and the Rio David (David river). We have so many birds! Every morning when the sun comes up we are surrounded by bird songs of many types, and the same goes on at sundown with more songs throughout the day and often at night. I have read that there are more kinds of birds in Panama than in the entire area of North America!

An oropendula sits on a palm tree stump

a squirrel cuckoo is a quiet and elusive bird

I was lucky to get a few shots of the cuckoo

A pair of blue-grey tanagers are attracted by the papaya

I love these crimson-backed tanagers

Here is Mrs. crimson-backed tanager

We have a lot of flycatchers around here

An interesting butterfly sits on the tree trunk

These nightjars like to sit under the street lamps and jump up for the bugs that are attracted by the light. I like hearing their calls in the night

Other than that, summer continues in Panama. We finally got a break in the strong winds that blew for days on end, but after a couple days of calm they are back again. It has also been really hot, in the mid 90’s most afternoons and the sun feels like a heat lamp that can cook you.  It’s not so bad in the shade though (at least for me who likes warm weather). We do look forward to the evening cool downs though, for sure.

The fires continue and we have had more areas burn very close to our neighborhood. Thankfully no one seems to have fire in yards close to the houses (though some neighbors have used their garden hoses when the fires threatened to come closer), and the woods beside our house haven’t burned. I have made an effort to clean up fallen leaves and anything else that would burn quickly, just in case. Thankfully the houses are concrete block with metal roofs so they won’t burn, but I’d rather not lose a lot of plants in my yard.

I’m glad that we haven’t had problems with water so far. We have had some days of low pressure but very little time with no water at all, a common problem in the dry season. Unfortunately many others aren’t faring nearly as well. Drought is especially severe in central Panama and they are really suffering. And word is, in this El Niño year, the rains will return later than usual.