Desert Birding, And The Spectacular Quebrada De Las Conchas

January 18, 2023

Ah, a sleep-in. The late night owling escapades (can it really be called owling if we didn't find any owls?) had made our decision for a leisurely start quite easy to make. It also helped that we had just a few bird targets this day. 

We began in the cactus-laden desert just outside of Amaicha del Valle in search of the Sandy Gallito, White-throated Cachalote and several other species. The overcast conditions were a nice reprieve. We had figured that we would be "punished" for our lie-in by oppressive desert heat, but that was not the case! The clouds eventually dissipated, but the temperatures remained tolerable. 

 Amaicha del Valle area, Tucumán, Argentina

Finding Sandy Gallito (we called her Sandra, her friends know her as Sandy) and White-throated Cacholote is not difficult here. Just get out of the vehicle, really anywhere, and wander off into the desert. Soon enough, you will hear your target species. We quickly tallied a half-dozen of each, though seeing them well took a little bit of effort. 

Sandy Gallito - Amaicha del Valle area, Tucumán, Argentina

White-throated Cacholote - Amaicha del Valle area, Tucumán, Argentina

Laura had a few other potential lifers that we quickly connected with - Black-crowned Monjita and Diuca Finch. That was easy! Otherwise, we just enjoyed wandering through the desert and checking out the surprisingly diverse flora. 

Bulnesia schickendantzii - Amaicha del Valle area, Tucumán, Argentina

Parkinsonia praecox - Amaicha del Valle area, Tucumán, Argentina

Cereus aethiops - Amaicha del Valle area, Tucumán, Argentina

I have tentatively identified this lizard as Liolaemus quilmes, the Quilmes Smooth-throated Lizard. Like most species in this diverse genus, it has a small range - basically, just this portion of the desert. 

Liolaemus quilmes - Amaicha del Valle area, Tucumán, Argentina

Liolaemus quilmes - Amaicha del Valle area, Tucumán, Argentina

One final pitstop in the Quilmes area was an unsuccessful bid for a Black-legged Seriema. Not finding it wasn't a huge surprise, given that the temperatures and especially the wind had substantially increased. The most interesting organism here was this awesome little dung beetle in the genus Anomiopsoides. 

Anomiopsoides sp. - Quilmes area, Tucumán, Argentina

Anomiopsoides sp. - Quilmes area, Tucumán, Argentina

We continued northwards, hoping to make it to the outskirts of the city of Salta for the night. We grabbed lunch in Cafayate and purchased a few nice bottles of local Malbec before continuing onwards. 

Our route took us through the incredibly picturesque valley of Quebrada de Las Conchas and we made numerous stops to be tourists and admire the scenery. These were some of the best mountain views we have ever seen. 

Quebrada De Las Conchas, Tucumán, Argentina

Quebrada De Las Conchas, Tucumán, Argentina

Quebrada De Las Conchas, Tucumán, Argentina

We found a pair of Monte Yellow-Finches at one of our scenery pit-stops as well! The male was singing which helped clinch the ID. We chased him up a hillside, but he vanished without a trace. From our new vantage point we could see down a river valley. 

 Quebrada De Las Conchas area, Tucumán, Argentina

Quebrada De Las Conchas area, Tucumán, Argentina

A nice birding surprise was spotting a pair of distant Maguari Storks along the river. This is a rarity in the area, and it was a lifer for Laura as well. Just a bit too far for photos any better than record shots. 

Maguari Stork - Quebrada De Las Conchas, Tucumán, Argentina

We also discovered this as yet unidentified Liolaemus lizard next to the car upon our return. 

Liolaemus sp. - Quebrada De Las Conchas, Tucumán, Argentina

I'll finish with a few more photos of the scenery during our drive down the valley towards Salta. 

Quebrada De Las Conchas, Tucumán, Argentina

Quebrada De Las Conchas, Tucumán, Argentina

Quebrada De Las Conchas, Tucumán, Argentina

That afternoon, we rolled into the town of Chicoana and quickly found a hotel for two nights. Our plan in the morning would be to drive back up over the mountains towards Parque Nacional Los Cardones for a day of birding another region with jaw-dropping mountain views.