January 11, 2023
Laura and I picked up our rental car from Enterprise in Buenos Aires as soon as they opened. The 9 AM start time meant that it was after 10 AM by the time that we had finally hit the open road. For the next six weeks, we are completing a big loop with the car, hoping to see as much of the country (well, at least the northern half) that we can in a month and a half.
Our first objective is to visit the Córdoba area, as this region is home to several range-restricted bird species including Córdoba and Olrog's Cinclodes, Salinas Monjita, and Dinelli's Doradito. Córdoba is, however, quite a drive from Buenos Aires and we made it our goal for the afternoon to make up as much ground as possible.
But, of course, we had to include at least one birding stop! We chose Reserva Natural Otamendi, located just an hour outside of Buenos Aires. My main target species in this area were the Straight-billed and Curve-billed Reedhaunters which inhabit the scrubby wetlands northeast of the park. One could say that the reeds are haunted here. The Straight-billed is the more range-restricted of the two, but both of these species are rather scarce and local in the Buenos Aires area, coastal Uruguay, and extreme southern Brazil.
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| Straight-billed Reedhaunter - Reserva Natural Otamendi, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Our visit coincided with the late morning hours but luck was on our side, weather-wise. Overcast conditions had cooled the air somewhat, encouraging a decent amount of bird activity for the time of day.
We succeeded with our targets, but it took some time until we actually saw them both. We did not have time to visit the reserve proper, instead continuing further along the road, around the bend and over the tracks to the dusty stretch of road that cuts through extensive marshlands. Both of the reedhaunters did not respond at all to tape. Neither did the third species of reedhaunter found here (Sulphur-bearded). This was not a surprise to us, given that this is the main site visited by birders for these species in Argentina. But the Curve-billed and Straight-billed Reedhaunters were not uncommon and fairly accommodating.
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| Straight-billed Reedhaunter - Reserva Natural Otamendi, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Laura's much-anticipated first Spectacled Tyrant appeared early on, and it outlasted the other contenders to finish as her Bird Of The Day. For someone who reportedly doesn't like streaky brown and gray things, a surprising number of flycatchers succeed as her BOTD! Though, to be fair, the Spectacled Tyrant is rather spectacular.
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| Spectacled Tyrant - Reserva Natural Otamendi, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Several other species were lifers for both of us and cause for celebration, including Giant Wood-Rail (those things are huge!), Sooty Tyrannulet and Long-tailed Reed Finch. Southern Yellowthroat, Variable Oriole and Great Pampas Finch were new for Laura as well. Not a bad pit-stop during the heat of the day!
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| Giant Wood-Rail - Reserva Natural Otamendi, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
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| Freckle-breasted Thornbird - Reserva Natural Otamendi, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
The rest of the afternoon was spent driving. We pulled over on a few occasions, once to view Laura's first Guira Cuckoo as well as a nearby Burrowing Owl teed up on a fence post. We made it as far as San Francisco before calling it a day and finding a hotel.
January 12, 2023
We enjoyed being lazy birders this morning, sleeping in so that we could catch the hotel's complimentary breakfast. So often on these birding trips we leave far too early in the morning to take advantage of the breakfasts. Luckily, this delay did not hurt us too much since the weather was unseasonably cool, keeping bird activity strong into the late morning and early afternoon hours.
Our destination was Laguna Chiquita Mar, a large saline lake in north Córdoba province that happens to be one of the only sites to find Dinelli's Doradito. We pulled up to a well-known birding site called Lomas de los Indios, where a tower has been built overlooking the marsh.
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| Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
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| Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
A thunderstorm loomed over the lake, preceded by heavy blasts of winds. We still managed to find quite a few species along the infrequently traveled entrance road despite the windy conditions, including many firsts for us!
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| Chotoy Spinetail - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
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| White-fronted Woodpecker - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
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| Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
We climbed the observation tower, giving us fantastic views over the scrubby vegetation surrounding the lake edge. Water levels appeared to be quite low and the water line was well over a kilometer out from our position. The only visible wading birds were distant pink specks, undoubtedly Chilean Flamingos.
Quite a few songbirds could be seen from the tower, though we had no luck with drawing in a Dinelli's Doradito.
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| Southern Yellowthroat - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
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| Great Antshrike - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
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| White-banded Mockingbird - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
But we need not have worried. The doraditos (or doritos, as we call them) were quite common in the scrub and we tallied double digit numbers over the next hour or so. Seeing them well was a little tricky but I eventually managed some decent photos.
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| Dinelli's Doradito - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
We had to wait out a bit of rain under a bush, but it passed by, leaving us relatively unscathed. The doraditos kept singing throughout the brief shower.
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| Dinelli's Doradito - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
I have to say, it was nice visiting a place during the breeding season when all of the birds are vocalizing! A nice contrast to Malaysia and Thailand, where we spent much of the autumn.
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| Dinelli's Doradito - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
We walked along the edge of the vegetation out towards the pink mass of flamingos but decided that the distance was too great to make it worth our while. Happy with our outing, we retreated back to the car, adding one more lifer on the way out (singing Olive-crowned Crescentchest). Below are a few more photos from Laguna Chiquita Mar.
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| Lowland Yellow-toothed Cavy - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
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| Double-collard Seedeater (female) - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
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| White Woodpecker - Lomas de los Indios, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
Before continuing on to the city of Córdoba, Laura and I made one more birding pitstop at a site called Camping Marull, located on the south shore of Bahía Laguna de Plata. I was intrigued by a handful of eBird reports of South American Painted-Snipes here. The gate was locked and we were soon met by the owner, Lorena, curious what we were up to. We inquired about possibly visiting to look for birds and she allowed us in for 200 pesos (~1 CAD) each. Note that it is better to call ahead to arrange a visit; the number can be found on Google Maps.
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| Camping Marull, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
We made our way towards the reed-fringed shoreline that surely held the painted-snipes. Our first Lark-like Brushrunners on the grassy lawn distracted us momentarily, however!
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| Lark-like Brushrunners - Camping Marull, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
My hunch about a suitable place to search for the painted-snipes was accurate. Quickly, three or four flushed up from the reeds! Unlike "typical" snipes that fly rather fast and erratically, the South American Painted-Snipes floated up above the vegetation and slowly glided along before dropping softly down in a different area. This allowed me a chance at a flight shot.
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| South American Painted-Snipe - Camping Marull, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
We scoped the lake edge from the muddy flats but the stiff breeze and heat haze made viewing conditions difficult. Still, we picked out Laura's first Red Shovelers, as well as Lake Ducks, hundreds of Chilean Flamingos, Baird's and Pectoral Sandpipers, and Collared Plovers.
We were in for a treat on our walk back to solid ground. Laura's keen vision picked up on a painted-snipe along the edge of the reeds! I set the scope up on it. A second appeared in the background, and then a third and a fourth! The birds were not that shy, tolerating our presence (provided we did not make any sudden movements, of course).
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| South American Painted-Snipe - Camping Marull, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
Now this is what I had envisioned for my first South American Painted-Snipe experience. What stunning birds...
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| South American Painted-Snipe - Camping Marull, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
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| South American Painted-Snipe photoshoot - Camping Marull, Laguna Chiquita Mar, Córdoba, Argentina |
We left Laguna Chiquita Mar on a high and completed the long drive to Córdoba. Our route with the rental car was off to a flying start. The birds had cooperated, we had covered a ton of ground, and our efficiency had even shaved one full day off our itinerary, to be cashed in on a later date.
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