As always, click on a photo to see in slide format, or scroll down for normal view.

My first birding outing back in the UK was to Martin Mere, near Southport. I suppose the plat du jour was the recently hatched Grey-crown Crane:

Juvenile Grey-crowned Crane, Martin Mere

Here’s a reminder of what mother crane looked like, with a close up below of the colourful plumage.

Grey-crowned crane – adult

detail of feathers, grey crowned crane

Here’s a Northern Pintail – looking crisp as the weather I experienced on this visit …

Northern pintail

… and a few friends from Argentina, first the Southern Screamer …

Southern screamer

and below, the Chilean Flamingo …..

Chilean flamingo

… and finally some Muscovy Ducks.

Muscovy ducks

Moving outside the collections area, I didn’t stay very long on this visit as I mistimed train connections, but I did attend feeding time for the Whooper Swans, a main feature of Martin Mere. Below a close-up.

Whooper Swans

Whooper Swan, close up

Other wild birds I saw included a snipe  about his business …

Snipe

A glorious robin singing his heart out ….

Robin

A shelduck …

Common Shelduck

A greenfinch …

Greenfinch

Quite a few reed buntings

Reed Bunting (female)

Reed Bunting (male)

And, back on the shoreside, a lapwing

[Northern] lapwing

Grey Heron

And a ruff, sadly not in breeding plumage but I’ll be back!

Ruff

I was in Buenos Aires at the end of October 2015 for a teachers’  conference and when it was over my good friend Alec Earnshaw invited me up to Ceibas for a day’s birding. It was a long day too –Ceibas is in the Province of Entre Ríos and we left the northern suburbs at about 04.00, getting back to BA at about 23.00– but it was an excellent day, and I had myself an excellent guide, one of Argentina’s very best. Thank you again, Alec, for a wonderful day’s birding.

Alec knew this area really well, and was able to guide me to a a great many birds, twenty-eight of which were lifers for me. Below are some of the birds we saw – there were so many birds everywhere that I didn’t bother to take photos of birds I know in order to save my batteries for new ones.

Lifers of the day were Savanna Hawk, Grassland Sparrow, Chestnut-capped Blackbird, Wood Stork, Screaming Cowbird, Suiriri Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Solitary Sandpiper, Sooty Tyrannulet, Grayish Saltator, White-browed Meadowlark, Brown-and-yellow Marshbird, Straight-billed Reedhaunter, Curve-billed Reedhaunter, Nacunda Nighthawk, Bran-colored Flycatcher, White Monjita, Firewood-gatherer, Brown-chested Martin, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Freckle-breasted Thornbird, Roseate Spoonbill, Warbling Doradito, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Stripe-crowned Spinetail, Chotoy Spinetail, Whistling Heron and Snail Kite. That’s a total of 28 – not bad for one day’s birding, and I’m no longer a beginner.

The photos below follow, for some inexplicable reason, a not quite perfect inverse alphabetical order. This was obviously not the order we saw them, but some months later it would be time-consuming to reconstruct that order, and it’s not that important anyway.

varillero congo (Chestnut-capped Blackbird) Agelaius ruficapillus

tuyuyú (American Wood Stork) Mycteria americana

tordo pico corto (Screaming Cowbird) Molothrus rufoaxilaris

siriri pampa (White-faced Whistling-Duck) Dendrocygna viduata

siete vestidos ( Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch) Poospiza nigrorufa

pitotoy solitario (Solitary Sandpiper) Tringa solitaria

piojito gris (Sooty Tyrannulet) Serpophaga nigricans

[female] pico de plata (Spectacled Tyrant) Hymenops perspicillatus

[male] picaflor comun (Glittering-bellied Emerald Hummingbird) Chlorostilbon lucidus

domesticated version of pato real (Muscovy Duck) Cairina moschata

pepitero de collar (Golden-billed Saltator) Saltator aurantiirostris

[not to be confused with long-tailed meadowlark!] pecho colorado (White-browed Meadowlark) Sturnella superciliaris

pecho amarillo común (Brown-and-yellow Marshbird) Pseudoleistes virescens

ñacundá (Nacunda Nighthawk) Chordeiles nacunda/Podager nacunda

federal (Scarlet-headed Blackbird) Amblyramphus holosericeus

espinero pecho manchado (Freckle-breasted Thornbird) Phacellodomus striaticollis

espátula rosada (Roseate Spoonbill) Ajaia ajaja

doradito común (Warbling Doradito) Pseudocolopteryx flaviventris

curutié colorado (Yellow-chinned Spinetail) Certhiaxis cinnamomeus

curutié blanco (Stripe-crowned Spinetail) Cranioleuca pyrrhophia

cortarramas (White-tipped Plantcutter) Phytotoma rutila

chotoy (Chotoy Spinetail) Schoeniophylax phryganophilus

chinchero chico (Narrow-billed Woodcreeper) Lepidocolaptes angustirostris

chiflón (Whislting Heron) Syrigma sibilatrix

chaja (Crested aka Southern Screamer) Chauna torquata

carpintero de cardon (White-fronted Woodpecker) Melanerpes cactorum

cardenal comun (Red-crested Cardinal) Paroaria coronata

caracolero (Snail [or Everglade] Kite) Rosthramus sociabilis

tordo musico (Bay-winged Cowbird) Agelaioides badius

becasina (South American Snipe) Gallinago paraguaiae

bigua (Neotropic aka Olivaceous Cormorant) Phalacrocorax brasilianus

cachilo ceja amarilla (Grassland Sparrow) Ammodramus humeralis

calandria grande (Chalk-browed Mockingbird) Mimus saturninus

atajacaminos tijera (Scissor-tailed Nightjar) Hydropsalis torquata

[young] aguilucho colorado (Savanna Hawk) Buteogallus meridionalis

suirirí común (Suiriri suiriri) Suiriri Flycatcher

suirirí amarillo (Yellow-browed Tyrant) Satrapa icterophrys

I made a return trip to Río Gallegos in November 2015. This time it was for work (to give one or two talks at a local teachers’ conference) but it was a good chance to meet up with my friend Emanuel Tiberí and do a little birding.

We took a half day and went out to Punta Loyola, an area that Emanuel knows well as he is working on the reserve there. I was lucky enough to see one or too lifers while there (Least Seedsnipe, Chocolate-vented Tyrant, Collared Plover and Tawny-throated Dotterel) , so it was a good outing.

Here are a few photos I took on the morning outing:

monjita chocolate (Chocolate-vented Tyrant) Neoxolmis rufiventris

chorlo cabezón (Tawny-throated Dotterel) Oreopholus ruficollis

chorlito doble collar (Two-banded Plover) Charadrius falklandicus

agachona chica (Least Seedsnipe) Thinocorus rumicivorus

bandurrita comun (Scale-throated Earthcreeper) Upucerthia dumetaria

In the afternoon I walked out along the costanera before taking my flight back north and took my final shot of the trip: possibly the most common bird in Patagonia, but always a delightful one: the chingolo.

chingolo (Rufous-collared Sparrow) Zonotrichia capensis

This is the final part of a trip I made north from Mar del Plata to Punta Rasa when my Pelagic trip was cancelled due to bad weather). It covers a little of the area around Punta Rasa and then the coast down to Panama and Mar Chiquita. As I am so far behind with South American bird logs I am again limiting this to photos of some of the species I saw, limiting the captions to bird IDs. I saw one lifer: the Southern Screamer.

Firstly I drove west to General Lavalle:

gallineta comun (Plumbeous Rail) Pardirallus sanguinolentus

garza mora (Cocoi or White-necked Heron) Ardea cocoi

[singing his heart out] chingolo (Rufous-collared Sparrow) Zonotrichia capensis

pecho amarillo común (Brown-and-yellow Marshbird) Pseudoleistes virescens

pato picazo (Rosy-billed Pochard aka Rosybill) Netta peposaca

cuervillo de cañada (White-faced Ibis) Plegadis chihi

chaja (Crested aka Southern Screamer) Chauna torquata

carpintero-real comun (Green-barred Woodpecker) Colaptes melanochloros

 Finally, I drove into the holiday village at Mar Chiquita, just to the north of Mar del Plata.

pitotoy chico (Lesser Yellowlegs) Tringa flavipes

pititoy grande (greater yellowlegs) Tringa melanoleuca

lechucita vizcachera (burrowing owl) Athene cunicularia

churrinche (Vermilion Flycatcher) Pyrocephalus rubinus

benteveo comun (Great Kiskadee) Pitangus sulphuratus

becasa de mar (Hudsonian godwit) Limosa haemastica

martin pescador grande (Ringed Kingfisher) Megaceryle torquata

I am way, way behind with my birding logs, and will therefore limit this to a listing of some of the birds I saw and photographed.

In the afternoon of 19 October 2015 I drove up to Punta Rasa, one of the finest birding sites I have visited and one I can most highly recommend. It’s where freshwater meets seawater, and a stopping off point for migratory species all year round. You never really know what you will see there.

The area around Punta Rasa is also very good for other species (not water birds or migratory species, again all year round).

So, here are the photos from Punta Rasa – with captions limited to ID info. Lifers of the afternoon were Great Pampa-Finch, Royal Tern, American Golden Plover, Olrog’s Gull, and Snowy-crowned Tern.

chorlo pampa (American Golden-Plover) Pluvialis dominica

chorlito gris aka chorlo arctico (Black-bellied Plover) Pluvialis squatarola

[at foot of photo] gaviotín golondrina (Common Tern) Sterna hirundo (see also in Eurasia)

gaviotín lagunero (Snowy-crowned Tern) Sterna trudeaui

gaviotín real (Royal Tern) Thalasseus maximus

milano blanco (White-tailed Kite) Elanus leucurus)

gaviota cangrejera (Olrog’s Gull) Larus atlanticus

Food for the Olrog Gulls – the crab Neohelice granulata

ostrero comun (American Oystercatcher) Haematopus palliatus

playerito enano (semipalmated sandpiper) Calidris pusilla

verdón (Great Pampa-Finch) Embernagra platensis

And a leaving shot from Punta Rasa:

[at end of day] gaviota cangrejera (Olrog’s Gull) Larus atlanticus

After my day in and around Mar del Plata I got up early and drove north from Mar del Plata to the coastal town of San Clemente de Tuyú, home to Mundo Marino (Sea World), although I did not visit it on this occasion. I was on my way to Punta Rasa, but will deal with my visit there in a second post. In San Clemente I was heading for the old port, a great place for birds, especially [migratory] water birds.

As I am putting up this post a long time after my visit I’ll just limit myself to listing some of what I saw, this time giving my IDs in the photo captions. Lifers of the morning were Bare-facded Ibis,White-rumped Swallow and Maguari Stork.

becasa de mar (Hudsonian godwit) Limosa haemastica – on ground

becasa de mar (Hudsonian godwit) Limosa haemastica – in air, a little confused, perhaps

benteveo comun (Great Kiskadee) Pitangus sulphuratus

tero real (Black-necked Stilt) Himantopus mexicanus

ciguena americana (Maguari stork) Ciconia maguari

[ON LEFT) ciguena americana (Maguari stork) Ciconia maguari

golondrina ceja blanca (Tachycineta leucorrhoa) White-rumped Swallow

pititoy grande (greater yellowlegs) Tringa melanoleuca

pitotoy chico (Lesser Yellowlegs) Tringa flavipes

hornero comun (Rufous Hornero aka Red Ovenbird) Furnarius rufus

lechucita vizcachera (burrowing owl) Athene cunicularia

and finally a little avian porn:

gorrion (house sparrow) Passer domesticus

I found myself at Neuquén with a few hours to kill before my flight left, so I rented a car from Hertz and checked what was in the vicinity.

My first stop was a small and rather sad private conservation centre, the Parque Luan, situated within walking distance of the airport, had I known. This place was started and run with the best of intentions as a rescue centre but over time funding for the basics (maintenance, food, animal care) has been much reduced and the place is a little run down. The people running it were very friendly and obviously caring insofar as resources permitted, but (one feels) way out of their depth in their efforts.

Puma (Puma concolor), one of three in Parque Luan, all in excellent condition

So sad to see a majestic animal like the Puma cooped up in a cage (there were three of them), though I should state that the three big cats were all in beautiful condition.

Aguilucho común o variado hembra, Variable or Red-backed Hawk (Geranoaetus polyosoma)

And sad too to see large raptors like the [female here]  Variable or Red-backed Hawk, Aguilucho común o variado (Geranoaetus polyosoma) and (below) the Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Aguila Mora (Geranoaetus melanoleucus) all caged up was just heart breaking …

Aguila mora (Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle), Geranoaetus melanoleucus

Jote cabeza colorada (Turkey Vulture), Cathartes aura

… as it was to see vultures caged up, in this case [above] the Turkey Vulture or jote cabeza colorada (Catharses aura). You can see the sadness in their faces.

There were many species of birds, mammals and reptiles in Parque Luan, and I as I am not overfond of photos of wildlife in captivity I restrained myself. But I did allow myself a couple of exceptions.

Cotorras (Monk Parakeets), Myiopsitta monachus

These Monk Parakeets or Cotorras (Myiopsitta monachus), abundant in the region,  were not strictly speaking in the collection, so to speak,  but had clearly found it a useful source of food put out for the Cockatiels below, Spanish Cacatúa ninfa, Cocotilla o Carolina, (Nymphicus hollandicus).

Cockatiel, Sp. cacatúa ninfa, cocotilla o carolina,(Nymphicus hollandicus)

One can only speculate how a large flock of Cockatiels had left their native Australia for Neuquén, but my best guess is escapees from a private collection somewhere. They are beautiful birds; the male of the species is on the left, the female to his right.

Near to the Parque Luan is the river Limay, accessible at La Herradura. I spent some time here birding, but took few photos. One I did take was this brilliant yellow Saffron Finch, jilguero dorado (Scales flaveola).

Saffron Finch, jilguero dorado (Scales flaveola)

Down by the riverside there was not a huge amount of activity but I did see a few  Flying steamer-ducks or quetros voladores, (Tachyeres patachonicus) …

Quetro volador (Flying steamer-duck), Tachyeres patachonicus

.. and the unchallenged ‘bird of the day’, a Collared Plover or chorlito de collar (Charadrius collaris), a new bird for my life list.

Chorlito de collar (Collared Plover), Charadrius collaris

All in all a good if short outing – the whole thing completed in about four hours on a specially arranged half-day car rental (you have to ask!).