Journey to the Southern Cone: Part 11 (Tierra del Fuego)

Introduction
January 8, 2016 - Santiago area, Chile
January 9 and 10, 2016 - Quintero pelagic, Parque Nacional La Campana, Chile
January 10, 2016 - Farellones, Chile
January 10-11, 2016 - Embalse El Yeso, Chile
January 12-13, 2016 - Nothofagus forests in Talca, Chile
January 14-15, 2016- Chiloé Island, Chile
January 16-17, 2016 - Chiloé Island penguins, Puerto Montt, Chile
January 18, 2016 - Patagonia: Puerto Montt to Sierra Baguales, Chile
January 19, 2016 - Patagonia: Sierra Baguales to Tierra del Fuego, Chile
January 20, 2016 - Patagonia: Tierra del Fuego, Chile
January 20-24, 2016 - Punta Arenas, Chile to Puerto Deseato, Argentina
January 25-26, 2016 - Valdes Peninsula and Las Grutas, Argentina
January 27-28, 2016 - San Antonio Oeste, Punta Tombo, and Bahía Blanca, Argentina
January 29-30, 2016 - Buenos Aires, Argentina


January 20, 2016

One of the defining characteristics of Patagonia is the constant, incessant wind that continuously sweeps across the landscape. The previous days had exhibited typical conditions and the following days would prove to be quite windy as well, but the stars aligned for us during our morning in Tierra del Fuego. The air was completely still at dawn and remained that way as the sun slowly rose in the sky. We made our way along the bumpy roads of Patagonia towards a specific pebble-lined lake about half an hour away; a lake that is home to a strange, dove-like shorebird called the Magellanic Plover.

countryside near Porvenir, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Along the way small birds flushed from the roadside and after a few minutes our first Short-billed Miner was tallied. A Least Seedsnipe and Buff-winged Cinclodes were also in the same area, while a wet field further along held four Two-banded Plovers. We didn't linger for very long with these birds however, as our main quarry awaited. 

Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

By 7:40 the smooth as glass waters of Laguna de los Cisnes (The Lake of the Swans) appeared around a bend. Due to the size of the lake, and our lack of knowledge as to what part of the shoreline the plovers frequently, we decided to split up. Dave headed off in a counter-clockwise direction while Adam and I walked the other way around. 

Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Adam and I had been walking for less than 20 minutes when a movement up ahead caught our attention. A quick look with binoculars confirmed our suspicions that it was a Magellanic Plover! 

Magellanic Plover - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

We watched as the bird slowly worked the shoreline, keeping an eye on us while also inspecting the substrate for any morsels. Fortunately with a bit of patience we were able to approach reasonably closely, allowing a prolongued study and great photo ops.

Magellanic Plover - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Magellanic Plover is a species that has been reclassified several times, although recent evidence suggests that it is indeed a shorebird, but sufficiently distinct from all the others that it isclassified as the sole member of its family - Pluvianellidae. With striking pink legs, a bright red eye and smooth gray plumage coupled with a dove-like gait, it really is an unusual species to watch!

Magellanic Plover - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

When the bird was walking away from us over a section of larger rocks it blended in quite well, though upon closer inspection the bright leg and eye color stands out. If the bird was standing perfectly still it was quite difficult to pick up on first glance.

Magellanic Plover - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

At this point Dave was way over on the other side of the lake. Despite the still air, the distance between us make it difficult to know if he could hear our shouts an see us waiving to get his attention. It did not matter in the end, as he came across six Magellanic Plovers on that side of the lake! Adam and I were content with our single bird - the views could not be beat.

Magellanic Plover - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Magellanic Plover - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Some call notes over the water alerted us to several shorebirds flying along - Baird's Sandpipers. 

Baird's Sandpipers - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Rufous-chested Dotterels and White-rumped Sandpipers appeared, as did some Two-banded Plovers. We enjoyed our first good looks at this species which also was quite "accommodating" as we inched closer for photos.

Two-banded Plover - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

The Rufous-chested Dotterels were slightly more wary but with some patience they too came close enough for great looks and good photo opportunities.

Rufous-chested Dotterel - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Rufous-chested Dotterel - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

We could have spent hours at this lake but unfortunately the clock was ticking. We were hoping to make the long drive south to a recently discovered King Penguin colony, drive back north to Porvenir, and then catch the 2 PM ferry back to the mainland. We were already running a little late so we hurried back to the car.

Several songbirds flitted in the scrubby vegetation lining the shoreline including Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetails, Gray-hooded Sierra-Finches, Rufous-collared Sparrows, Long-tailed Meadowlarks and Austral Negritos.

Austral Negrito - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Gray-hooded Sierra-Finch - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Gray-hooded Sierra-Finch - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Long-tailed Meadowlarks - Laguna de Los Cisnes, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Unfortunately the predicted drive to the King Penguins was just over three hours long meaning we had a very small window before we would need to turn around and head north, in order to make the ferry crossing. I made very good time on the gravel roads, making up ground during the long straightaways and taking the turns as quickly as possible without sliding off the road. A chipped windshield, broken door latch and two hours later, we emerged from the vehicle at the penguin colony dusty but alive, and with an hour to spare before having to turn back around. 

Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

King Penguins - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Well over 100 King Penguins were currently at this colony - a nice mix of adult birds and mostly grown young birds. It was incredible to see this species up close and to watch their interactions...

King Penguins - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

King Penguins - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

King Penguins breed mostly on various sub-Antarctic islands but there are also a few colonies in southern Chile. This colony was established in 2009 or 2010 and has slowly grown in number with each passing year - we counted 144 birds during our visit. This is one of the easiest colonies to access for most birders not traveling to the Falklands, South Georgia, or Antarctica, and it is becoming a popular tourist attraction as well. During our visit there was a handful of other people there.

Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Adam watching the King Penguins - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Over the course of the hour we watched as some individuals slipped in the ocean to fish, while other returned from their forays in the ocean. Most of the birds were just milling about, though occasionally one would start calling and before long 10 or 20 others joined in.

King Penguins - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Penguins lend themselves well to photography due to their often comical expressions and behaviours. A barrier had been erected a sufficient distance from the colony so that people did not disturb the birds, but it was close enough that we were still able to obtain frame-filling images of the birds.

King Penguin - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Below are a sequence of photos of the penguins. The distant mountains provided a stunning backdrop to the south, across the blue waters of Bahia Inutil.

King Penguin - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

King Penguin - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

King Penguin - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

King Penguins - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

King Penguins - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

King Penguin - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

King Penguin - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

King Penguins - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

King Penguin selfie!

One large group of Sooty Shearwaters passed by far offshore. We picked out two Great Shearwaters travelling with them as well as a Southern Giant-Petrel and two Black-browed Albatrosses. We didn't really look at too many songbirds though a confiding Patagonian Yellow-Finch provided great views near the parking lot.

Patagonian Yellow-Finch - Parque Pingüino Rey, Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Unfortunately our time with the penguins was soon up so we reluctantly pulled ourselves away to begin the long drive back. We made good time, racing through the straightaways once again, while keeping an eye out (though unsuccessfully) for Chocolate-vented Tyrants, one of our few remaining target species in this part of Patagonia. After an equally harrowing two hour drive we pulled into the ferry terminal, making our boat with seconds to spare, and with a leaking tire added to the list of ailments we had inflicted upon the poor rental car!

ferry from Porvenir to Punta Arenas, Chile

In hindsight it would have been great to spend an extra day on Tierra del Fuego as our time here was quite rushed. That being said, there is never enough time at any stop on a trip like this! We had a very ambitious itinerary that covered a lot of ground so that is one of the sacrifices one has to make.

Journey to the Southern Cone: Part 10 (Patagonia: Sierra Baguales to Tierra del Fuego)

Introduction
January 8, 2016 - Santiago area, Chile
January 9 and 10, 2016 - Quintero pelagic, Parque Nacional La Campana, Chile
January 10, 2016 - Farellones, Chile
January 10-11, 2016 - Embalse El Yeso, Chile
January 12-13, 2016 - Nothofagus forests in Talca, Chile
January 14-15, 2016- Chiloé Island, Chile
January 16-17, 2016 - Chiloé Island penguins, Puerto Montt, Chile
January 18, 2016 - Patagonia: Puerto Montt to Sierra Baguales, Chile
January 19, 2016 - Patagonia: Sierra Baguales to Tierra del Fuego, Chile
January 20, 2016 - Patagonia: Tierra del Fuego, Chile
January 20-24, 2016 - Punta Arenas, Chile to Puerto Deseato, Argentina
January 25-26, 2016 - Valdes Peninsula and Las Grutas, Argentina
January 27-28, 2016 - San Antonio Oeste, Punta Tombo, and Bahía Blanca, Argentina
January 29-30, 2016 - Buenos Aires, Argentina


January 19, 2016

The temperature during the night plummeted to only a couple of degrees above the freezing mark. It was not the most restful sleep I had ever had and after what seemed like an eternity the sky over the mountains to the east began to lighten.We quickly made camp and began birding, attempting to shake off any remaining cobwebs as the day began.

Andean Condor - Sierra Baguales, Chile

Guanaco - Sierra Baguales, Chile

It was a great morning of birding and slowly but surely the hillsides and stream edges came alive with song. The calls of Least Seedsnipes beckoned from the pebble-strewn hillsides and it wasn't long until we had picked out a few perching on rocks.

Least Seedsnipe - Sierra Baguales, Chile

Least Seedsnipe - Sierra Baguales, Chile

Least Seedsnipe - Sierra Baguales, Chile

This was our second species of seedsnipe on the trip after finding a handful of Gray-breasted Seedsnipe in the hills near El Yeso above Santiago earlier in the trip. There are only four species of seedsnipe in the world, all restricted to the Andes and Patagonia. The Least Seedsnipe is, of course, the smallest individual of this family, ranging from Patagonia north to northern Peru and southern Ecuador. 

In the first couple of hours after dawn the birding was excellent and we quickly added a number of species to our growing list, including most of our main targets in Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant, Band-tailed Earthcreeper and Yellow-bridled Finch, along with our first Common Miners. Unfortunately the Yellow-bridled Finches were quite distant and disappeared over a hillside before we could obtain better looks.

Common Miner - Sierra Baguales, Chile

Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrant - Sierra Baguales, Chile

Around mid-morning I decided to take a quick break to have a nap in the car, as the cold temperatures the night before had prevented me from getting much sleep at all, and I was starting to come down with a nasty cold. It had been all I could do to bird up to that point in the morning so a few minutes in the car with my eyes closed was a welcome relief. Adam joined me in the car as he was pretty tired at this point as well, while tireless Dave ventured down the road to keep birding. Only a short amount of time had gone by when I was woken up due to distant shouting down the road. It was Dave, with word of a small group of White-throated Caracaras that he had just found about a kilometer down the road! The three of us quickly made our way to the spot and fortunately one of the caracaras was still visible, perched on a fence post. A pretty sweet bird to end our time in the Sierra Baguales!

White-throated Caracara - Sierra Baguales, Chile

Our adventures in this part of Patagonia was nearly complete, but not before we made a quick stop at the entrance to Torres del Paine National Park. There are a series of wetlands in the area that play host to Austral Rails, a poorly known species with a restricted range in the southern Andes. Prior to 1998 there had only been a couple of sight records over the past hundred years, but intensive surveys in the years since have proven this species to be a little more widespread.

view of Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

We pulled up to our desired wetland and quickly heard a few of the rails calling from within. We tried to to get a visual and were eventually successful when a single bird flushed and land back down into the marsh, but mostly we just enjoyed hearing the rails call from their wetland. Several Wren-like Rushbirds and Spectacled Tyrants were also seen in the wetland, while numerous Sedge Wrens sang from the rushes. It seemed pretty strange to be listening to Sedge Wrens singing here at the other end of the world, considering that these are the same species as the Sedge Wrens we see in wet prairies and sedge meadows back in Ontario.

Guanacos were unusually abundant along the access road to the national park!

Guanacos - Torres del Paine entrance road, Chile

Guanacos - Torres del Paine entrance road, Chile

Leaving Torres del Paine behind, we drove back south on the gravel roads through endless open plains on our way towards Tierra del Fuego. Our rental car had some issue in which clouds of dust came in through the vents and by the pedals, quickly filling the car with a thick coat. We drove with the windows down the whole way, and Dave and Adam made good use of their bandanas!

While any roadside wetlands held good concentrations of ducks, geese and shorebirds, the barren steppe in between was somewhat devoid of life.

roadside birding in the Patagonian steppe, Chile

It is difficult to eke out an existence in these conditions. This perished Guanaco was one of several that we encountered.

perished Guanaco - Patagonian steppe, Chile

We had some information where a pair of Ruddy-headed Geese had been observed near the town of San Gregorio. The most difficult of the five sheldgeese species, Ruddy-headed has been undergoing declines in mainland South America, though a large population can still be found on the Falkland Islands. We were pretty happy to see that this pair of geese were still in their roadside wetland! The distance combined with the heat haze did not lend itself to good photography conditions and even views in the scope were quite "shimmery".

Ruddy-headed Geese - San Gregorio, Chile

By late afternoon we found ourselves in the Pampa Larga area, a well-known spot where both Tawny-throated and Rufous-chested Dotterel can often be seen, as well as White-bridled Finch, which is in my opinion one of the more spectacular finch species. A series of watering holes alongside the road provide fresh water and help congregate the birds.

Of course, one cannot drive anywhere in Patagonia without stumbling across Guanacos, it seems!

Guanaco - Pampa Larga, Chile

We spent an enjoyable couple of hours slowly cruising the roads, staking out various watering holes, and chasing down shorebirds in the fields. At least 12 Tawny-throated Dotterels were found and they allowed a reasonably close approach. I am quite partial to shorebirds and relished the opportunity to study this interesting species from up close.

Tawny-throated Dotterel - Pampa Larga, Chile

Tawny-throated Dotterel - Pampa Larga, Chile

The watering holes produced the greatest variety of birds. Correndera Pipits were abundant!

Correndera Pipit - Pampa Larga, Chile

It took some searching but we eventually encountered a White-bridled Finch! It was a little skittish but I positioned myself in such a way that I would be ready with my camera as I peeked over the edge of the grass into the dirt track where it had been seen. Unfortunately I completely blew the opportunity and the bird flushed before I could crack off any photos. Dave however managed a couple of great shots which are included on our eBird checklist.

Our last new bird for this area was a family of Patagonian Mockingbirds adjacent to the roadside.

Patagonian Mockingbirds - Pampa Larga, Chile

Patagonian Mockingbirds - Pampa Larga, Chile

By 8:30 PM we had reached the ferry terminal in Punta Delgado. It was a short crossing, taking only 15 minutes or so, but of course we kept an eye out for birds the entire time! Not much was seen in the way of seabirds - though we enjoyed studying the South American Terns - but we did see several spectacular Commerson's Dolphins as they cruised beside the ferry. The combination of white body along with black fins and head is quite striking on this species!

Upon arriving at the ferry terminal on Tierra del Fuego we drove to the southwest along the main road towards the town of Porvenir where we would be spending the night. Days are long in Patagonia in January; this photo was taken around 10 PM.

sunset on Tierra del Fuego, Chile

It was a long uneventful drive, but the surrounding landscape was stunning as the sun slowly slipped over the horizon. We kept our eyes peeled for Short-billed Miner, a range-restricted species that is common on Tierra del Fuego, but none were conclusively identified during the drive. We did have a flyover Black-crowned Night-Heron and the boys spotted a Short-eared Owl which disappeared before I could get on it. It was late when we arrived at our hostel for the night but we enjoyed a celebratory beer after another successful day. In the morning we would search for Magellanic Plover, one of the most unique shorebird species in the world, followed by a visit to a King Penguin colony located several hours south of Porvenir. I could hardly wait!

Birdathon results (May 13, 2017)

Jeremy, Dan and I planned to complete our Birdathon within the confines of the Point Pelee Birding Area on May 13, 2017. Compared to Big Day attempts elsewhere in the province, Point Pelee Big Days are highly dependent on the local conditions, in particular the variety of migrant species that happen to be in the area on a given day. While Big Days completed in central and eastern Ontario can rely on a good diversity of breeding species, especially if one is not limited to a small geographic area, the success of a Point Pelee Big Day is based almost exclusively on the selection of migrant species that one catches up with. During some days it may be possible to see 160+ species while during other days 110 may even be a difficult number to reach. Dan, Jeremy and I all happened to be in the Point Pelee area from May 12-15, and after some scouting on May 12 we determined that May 13 would be the day of our attempt. Theoretically, this date is near the peak of bird migration with a nice selection of both earlier and later migrants.  

From left to right: Daniel Riley, Josh Vandermeulen, Jeremy Bensette. Photo credit: Ken Burrell

We were up by 4:30 and as we stepped outside the neighbourhood was already alive with the familiar song of several American Robins, our first bird of the day. We motored out of Leamington towards Hillman Marsh where we hoped to pick up a few marsh birds before heading into the park. A quick stop at the Leamington Airport provided a few Horned Larks and Savannah Sparrows, singing away while the sky was still mostly black. These species can be difficult at times within the Point Pelee Birding Area. 

We only spent a few minutes at Hillman Marsh as dawn was approaching. Rails remained quiet or at least had their voiced drowned out by the hoardes of blackbirds, but we did have a Hooded Merganser fly over us here, our only one of the day. 

New birds were quickly added as we entered Point Pelee National Park and by the time we reached the Marsh Boardwalk we were near 40 species. Walking around the boardwalk was quite productive – a Marsh Wren rattled away, several Wood Ducks flew over, but best of all was a great look at a flyby American Bittern while a second “blonk-a-donk”ed from somewhere out in the marsh. 

We made our way towards the Tip, adding numerous warblers and other species as the forest awoke. It was apparent that a few new birds had arrived overnight including good numbers of the early-ish warblers such as Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Black-and-white Warbler and Northern Parula, but the conditions were not ideal and many of the later migrants had yet to appear. As we were birding among the crowds in the woods near the Tip we spotted a White-eyed Vireo at eye-level, which had somehow gone undetected by the crowd until that point! We completed a brief vigil at the very Tip, scoping the waters for gulls and ducks while occasional orioles (and not much else) flew off the Tip. A Bobolink suddenly appeared in a Hackberry at the Tip, while a Tufted Titmouse also alighted in a nearby tree a few times throughout our Tip watch. Tufted Titmouse is quite unusual within the Point Pelee Birding Area, so it immediately became a candidate for Bird of the Day. We scoped a few Greater Scaup and a female Bufflehead off of the Tip, the four “expected” species of gulls, and both Common Loon and Horned Grebe. We were in decent shape with our day list quickly approaching 80. 

Tufted Titmouse - Point Pelee National Park

The rest of the morning consisted of wandering trails throughout the southern half of the park. Our warbler tally hit 20 by late morning, though we only added a few more in the afternoon to bring us to 22 species on the day. Notable misses included a few of the earlier migrants (Pine, Blue-winged) and several of the later species (Blackpoll, Mourning, Canada, Wilson’s). Speaking of warblers, we spent 30 minutes with the Prothonotary Warblers on the Woodland Nature Trail; perhaps not the best strategy on a Big Day, but it was hard to tear ourselves away from the “Swamp Candles”! 

Prothonotary Warbler - Point Pelee National Park

Tilden’s Woods was probably the most productive area though it was the busiest I had ever seen it with birders and photographers! The tall trees in the sloughs provided a Golden-winged Warbler and our only Cape May, Orange-crowned and Bay-breasted Warblers on the day. A bright Acadian Flycatcher was associating with a Least Flycatcher at the Shuster/Tilden’s intersection, though we couldn’t catch up with the Hairy Woodpecker that several birding parties had noted in Tilden’s Woods previously.

As the afternoon wore on our energy and motivation levels began to wane somewhat, and we spent too much time socializing with all of the familiar faces we came across. But we continued to slowly add new birds, such as Lincoln’s Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Winter Wren (a nice surprise so late into the season), and Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Try as we might, we couldn’t pull out an Indigo Bunting or Swainson’s Thrush!

By 5:00 PM we were finally ready to leave the park. Our list was over 110 species and 130 still remained a possibility. We scored a couple of Ring-necked Pheasants at a typical location in the Onion Fields and by 5:30 PM began to bird Hillman Marsh. An American Woodcock with several fuzzy, super cute babies had been spotted in the grasses near the parking lot; a nice addition to our Birdathon and saving us a stop later in the evening.  

American Woodcock - Hillman Marsh Conservation Area

At the shorebird cell we quickly added the expected ducks – Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal and Lesser Scaup – though Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck and Ruddy Duck were nowhere to be found. Other than a few Dunlins, shorebirds were also almost non-existent and our ambition of reaching 130 species was quickly fading. We made the decision to walk along the dyke towards the southwest corner of the shorebird cell and here we lucked out, adding Pectoral Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper and Short-billed Dowitcher in quick succession. Both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs were nowhere to be found and the same could be said for Ruddy Turnstone, Willet, Semipalmated Plover and several other hoped-for shorebirds. We lucked out with a few Forster’s Terns and a single Black Tern in the main part of the marsh – those would have been embarrassing misses! By 7:15 PM we had wrapped up at Hillman Marsh, with 126 species to our name. 

At this point Dan and I called it a day as there were very few possibilities left to get, but Jeremy continued until dark. Thanks to his efforts, four new species were added to the day list – Solitary Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Swainson’s Thrush, and Eastern Whip-poor-will.

When it was all said and done we had tallied 130 species. It was a number that was a little less than what we had hoped for, but considering the modest diversity present that day we were quite happy with our final count. For those wondering, some of our big misses for the day included Red-tailed Hawk, Indigo Bunting, Ruddy Duck and Blue-winged Teal. Can’t get them all! 

We would like to thank everyone who sponsored us on our Birdathon! There is still time to donate if you haven’t had a chance – click here to visit the link. 

Good birding!

Josh, Dan and Jeremy

from left to right: Jeremy, Dan, Josh. Photo credit: Sarah Lamond