In October, 2002, Eric and Doris took a tour with several other birders to Panama to learn about the birds and animals that live in the rain forest. Our leaders were April Pulley Sayre and her husband, Jeff. April's books about science and nature are among the best around. You can learn more about them at www.aprilsayre.com. She has been friends with Eric and Doris for several years. Jeff is an ecologist/biologist. Eric and Doris knew that anything the two of them did would be first rate.

It was! The group's base was the Canopy Tower, a converted radar station. Standing on the deck, we could look into the canopy and see sloths, howler monkeys, and an incredible number of birds. Each day was filled with a hike or a bus trip to a different location to see the wildlife that lives there. The group saw over two hundred different species of birds.

Here are some pictures we took on our trip. It wasn't easy to get them. The light in the rainforest is dim and the birds move fast. As Jeff pointed out, professional wildlife photographers may take dozens of pictures just to get one that is useable. These photos won't win any awards, but they certainly capture the excitement of the adventure.

Flocks of birds swooped in on this bird feeder while we were having lunch. They loved the mangoes and fresh fruit laid out for them. Their colors were amazing

A family of howler monkeys lived in the trees around the Canopy Tower. They make a frightful roar for a small animal. Early explorers hearing them for the first time thought they were being attacked by tigers. It is easy to understand why. No one needs an alarm clock with the howlers around. They start roaring at dawn.

Several species of toucans inhabited the canopy around the Tower. These are chestnut-billed toucans. Toucans may look ungainly, but in flight they are surprisingly graceful.

Two species of sloth, the two-toed sloth and the three-toed sloth, could be seen from the tower. This is the three-toed variety. The group called him the Yoga Sloth. In the morning he could be seen stretching and doing his "exercises." Then he went back to sleep. Sloths move so slowly that moss grows on their fur.

The best show at the Tower was at the hummingbird feeders. There is nothing timid about these tiny birds, who can be extremely aggressive when it comes to getting a meal. They buzzed back and forth like little dive bombers. The photographs don't do justice to their colors. They looked as if they were painted with neon.

If you would like to learn more about the birds and animals we saw in Panama, follow these links.