Date: Tuesday 6 September 2022

Trajectory:  Mercedes – Carlos Pelligrini

Distance covered: 123 km

Took a postprandial walk around Mercedes after supper last night – a pleasant town.

I had decided to pamper myself by upgrading the hotel, which came with a rather grander breakfast than normal these days. 

Got away at about 10.00 after getting the tyres checked – both rear tyres were a little low – and drove the short trip to Carlos Pelligrini – having a third morning coffee on the way, following instructions.

Soon we were entering Iberá Park.

As on my last trip here, the last forty kilometers of dirt road were highly productive for birds and also for deer.  I saw a Pampas Deer in the distance, quite rare around here I’m told, but dipped on the photo. Three more days here so fingers crossed.

I also saw a lot of capybara – docile creatures, said to be the largest rodents in the world. 

My bird of the day is the oven bird, alongside his oven. A very common bird, and the national bird of both Argentina and Uruguay, but always fun. Not the New World warbler but a South American bird in the Furnariidae family.

I found my friend Leslie Cook quite easily – he has a posada here in Carlos Pelligrini …

– and have arranged to go birding with him and a local guide on Friday. A Dutch couple staying at Leslie’s will make up the numbers and bring down the cost, though compared to the UK it’s cheap enough. 

Leslie is planting an orchard (his whole venture is new) and is already benefitting from home produce.

The place I am staying at, Ñande Retá, is an upmarket ecolodge. More expensive than I usually allow myself, but it comes with tours built in and is very relaxing. After last week’s exhausting schedule it comes as a pleasant respite.

 Iberá is a great centre for wildlife, and I’ll be here for three days. Tomorrow morning on the water again.