Click on any image for a slide show or scroll down to read the (illustrated) narrative.

Ashy-headed geese flying over Laguna Rosales

In today’s blog I have combined and edited comments and observations from Scarlett Eastman with my own, and as always I am grateful to Scarlett for these, for her guiding skills (and for keeping the list as we go). Most of the comments below regarding comparative observations at Rosales is the work of Scarlett, and I thank her for it.

Scarlett the botanist, photographing a yellow-flowering bush

Dateline: Saturday 25 October. The weather was clear with some non-threatening white clouds and a brisk wind as we left Scarlett’s home in La Vega at about 07.00, and stayed so all day although it did become quite hot around midday. We headed first for the Laguna Rosales, on the road to Lolog; spent some hours in the woodland there; completed a circuit of the lagoon; and finally came back via Calle Gingens, where we stopped by several chacras and walked the mallin a while.

A Long-tailed Meadow-lark high up in a tree fanfares us into Laguna Rosales

We had in fact visited Laguna Rosales almost exactly a year ago, and on this visit we kept fairly close to the same itinerary. We were struck on our earlier visit by how few waterfowl we observed on the lake and shoreland, and it was very gratifying to see the great ‘come-back’ since our last survey. Past surveys (in 1999, 2000 and 2001) had recorded large numbers of birds but last year was very disappointing.

Anyway, this year was much better than October 2013. We saw Brown-Hooded Gull nesting again in the reeds on the western tip of the lagoon, something not seen for the last ten years. Andean Ruddy Duck and Lake Duck were not yet up the millennial count of sixty-five to eighty individuals nesting but we were able to count some eighteen Lake Duck. These may have been nesting but we shall have to wait for a future visit to check for nests in the reeds.

Lake Duck aka Argentina Ruddy Duck on Laguna Rosales

We didn’t see any species of Grebes (Macá). Again, at the millennium a couple of pairs of Great Grebe (Macá Grande aka Huala, Podiceps major) and several pairs of White-tufted Grebe (Macá Común, Rollandia Rolland) were regularly observed. Scarlett had seen a pair of White-tufted Grebe last year on the eastern tip of the lagoon and as recently as last winter had seen a single bird; on this visit we saw none. Pied-billed Grebe (Macá Pico Grueso, Podylimbus podiceps) would also be regularly seen in the past but we saw none last year or this.

We did see Coots last year, both the White-winged coot (Gallareta Chica, Fulica leucoptera) as well as the Red-Gartered Coot (Gallareta Ligas Rojas, Fulica armillata) and this year the numbers seem to have slightly increased: we noted some half dozen Fulica leucoptera, but did not make a detailed survey. And we didn’t see any Black Cormorant (Biguá, Phalacrocorax brasilianus) at all.

Red-gartered coot, out of the water for once

Highlights of the day

We started the day with a Saffron Finch (Jilguero Dorado, Sicalis flaveola) which was on the feeder on Scarlett’s window; not the most common of birds but Scarlett always seems to have them around.

The highlight at the Laguna Rosales was probably the male Rufous-tailed Plantcutter (Rara, Phytotoma rara). We heard plenty of these but only saw the one.

Rufous-tailed plantcutter, sadly suffering from camera shake

We also heard lots of Black-throated Huet-Huet (Huet-Huet, Pterotochos tarnii) and Chucao Tapaculo (Chucao, Scelorchilus rubecula) but only caught a glimpse of the former scurrying through the undergrowth, his size and upturned tail helping to identify him. Sadly no photographs of these last two, but they are hard to see and even harder to photograph.

A pair of Ashy-headed Geese …

… and a pair of Upland aka Magellan Geese

As stated above, the number of waterfowl on the lagoon was considerably up on last year. We saw large numbers of geese and ducks, and a fair few coots too.

Red-gartered coot, out of the water for once

Of course we saw many of the more common birds too: in particular the Black-faced Ibis (Bandurria,Theristicus melanopis) were out in force.

It’s hard to get away from the Black-headed Ibis

Laguna Rosales is a beautiful spot, and not just for birding. We saw countless rabbits, a few hares and were fortunate enough to see a coypo, swimming close to  the bank. This is an indigenous animal, and the sighting was a first for me. I only had time for a rapid shot, somewhat obscured by the foliage, but it will serve as a register.

A coypu, swimming in the lagoon.

There were also many horses grazing on the marshland around the lake. Being a border town (with Chile) San Martín maintains a garrison and –given the mountainous terrain– horses are still a vital part of training and military operations, although it must be admitted they are also used to play polo on their own polo field at Laguna Rosales. The military seem to have a lot of horses; they also keep large numbers at the barracks on the Lolog road, near my house in Alihuén.

Army horses grazing in the marshland

On the way home we drove along calles Gingens and Bello, stopping off at a couple of smallholdings to walk the premises. One of the farmers was an old friend of Scarlett’s, Pablo McKinley, who sat us down to cold beer, particularly welcome as the day had hotted up considerably. We spent a pleasant moment there, while he and Scarlett bemoaned the changing face of San Martín since they both came here many years ago. It is true the town is changing character and is not what it was, and for some the urge is strengthening to move further south.

Black vulture, with the atmosphere they always bring ..

Pablo had told us of a Great Egret on his land (which we were unable to find) but were lucky enough to get good views of a small group of land-based Black Vultures (Jote Cabeza Negra, Coragyps atratus), several colourful Austral Parakeets (Cachaña, Enicognathus ferrugineus) feeding in a Maitén tree and a very confident Hellmayr’s Pipit (Cachirla Pálida, Anthus hellmayri) who seemed happy enough to pose for us at close quarters all afternoon.

Hellmayr’s Pipit, happily posing for a photo

Teros were in full occupation of this land and dive-bombed us in the false belief that we were a threat to their territory. Wrens too were plentiful, and a pleasure to behold.

One of the Tero population divebombing us

… and a wren flying off rather more delicately

The pretty little Black-chinned Siskin (Cabecitanegra Austral, Carduelis barbata) was very much in evidence during the day and is a fitting image to close on.

Black-chinned siskin, with the Jeep in the background

Here is a complete list for the day, in alphabetical order. We recorded 33 species.

Bandurria (Theristicus melanopis) Black-faced Ibis
Cabecitanegra Austral (Carduelis barbata) Black-chinned Siskin
Cachaña (Enicognathus ferrugineus) Austral Parakeet ±8
Carpintero Pitío (Colaptes pitius) Chilean Flicker
Cauquén Común (Chloephaga picta) Upland Goose male and female ±10
Cauquén Real (Chloephaga poliocephala) Ashy-headed Goose ±20
Chimango (Milvago chimango) Chimango Caracara
Chingolo (Zonotrichia capensis) Rufous-collared Sparrow
Chucao (Scelorchilus rubecula) Chucao Tapaculo (heard only)
Codorniz de California – (Callipepla califórnica) California Quail
Comesebo patagónico (Phygilus patagonicus) Patagonian Sierra Finch
Diuca (Diuca diuca) Dicuca Finch
Diucón (Xolmis pyrope) Fire-eyed Diucon
Fio Fiofío Silbón (Elaenia Elaenia albiceps) White-crested Elaenia
Gallareta Chica (Fulica leucoptera) White-winged coot 6
Gallareta Ligas Rojas (Fulica armillata) Red-gartered Coot ±8
Gaviota Capucho (Larus maculipennis) Brown-hooded Gull ±50
Golondrina Patagónica (Tachycineta leucopyga) Chilean Swallow
Gorrión (Passer domesticus) House Sparrow
Huet-Huet (Pterotochos tarnii) Black-throated Huet-Huet
Jilguero Dorado (Sicalis flaveola) Saffron Finch
Loica (Sturnella loyca) Long-tailed Meadowlark 
Pato Barcino (Anas flavirostris) Speckled Teal ±10
Pato Maicero (Anas geórgica) Yellow-billed Pintail 4
Pato Overo (Anas sibilatrix) Southern Wigeon ±8
Pato Zambullidor Chico (Oxyura vittata) Lake Duck ±18
Rara (Phytotoma rara) Rufous-tailed Plantcutter (male)
Ratona (Troglodytes aedon) House Wren
Ratona Aperdizada (Cistothorus platensis) Grass Wren
Tero (Vanellus chilensis) Southern lapwing
Tordo Patagónico (Curaeus curaeus) Austral Blackbird
Tordo Renegrido (Molothrus bonariensis) Shiny Cowbird
Zorzal (Turdus falcklandii) Austral Thrush

On Sunday 19 October 2014 my good friend Scarlett Eastman and I set off on the DESAFÍO 12 HORAS EN BUSCA DEL AVE ESCONDIDA, a 12 hour birding challenge in search of ‘hidden’ species. The rules were a bit complicated, but there were bonus points for rarer (read ‘endangered’ or ‘vulnerable’) species and penalties for having the misfortune to spot ‘exotic’ species (read ‘foreign imports, like the Sparrow or Californian Quail).

With Scarlett, in planning mode

This was not a serious competition, rather a way of ending up the three day long Fiesta de la Bandurria, a local birding event in San Martín de los Andes. Even if Scarlett and I were a little hazy about the rules we were determined to enjoy ourselves and in the end we did spot one or two rarer species, including three or four first time sightings for me so I was thrilled at that.

Apart from seeing male or female of species where I had previously only seen the other sex my new life list sightings were:

– Playerito Unicolor (Calidris bairdii) Baird’s Sandpiper
– Espartillero Austral (Asthenes anthoides) Austral Canastero
– Canastero Coludo (Asthenes pyrrholeuca) Lesser Canastero
– Colilargo (Sylviorthorhynchus desmursii) Des Murs’s Wiretail
– Misto (Sicalis luteola) Grassland Yellow-Finch

I wasn’t carrying a camera (we were moving fast) so this blog will have no bird pictures.

We left San Martín de los Andes at about seven am and forged a route, starting with nearby Laguna Rosales; Calle GinGens/Torres (skirting wetlands); the Quilquilhue bridge on the San Martín-Junín road, the riverside in Junín; lagunas just outside Junín on the way to La Rinconada; the land by the bridge at La Rinconada; two ‘bajadas’ to the river Collón Curá; a short way up the ‘intransitable‘ Ruta 50 to Sañico; and of course countless stops to investigate some flying or hopping bird. I should have liked to try to get a bit further up the road to Sañico but Scarlett was not very enthusiastic, and probably with good reason.

Chero on the old Ruta 50 up to Sañico, marked as ‘transitable’ – I wonder?

We submitted 73 species – the full list below is for the record (and for those valiant enough to struggle through). The taxonomy used is that used by our local birding association and other names are also in use – we had to submit in this format. I have eliminated the number of birds and places sighted as this is of local interest only.

Click on any image for slide show, or scroll down for illustrated narrative.

We left San Martín at 07.30 on a promising day, with clear blue sky, no wind and no hint of rain. Our aim was to find a place on the road between Junín and Aluminé called Newen Hue, which Scarlett had visited some years earlier and where she had seen Torrent Ducks. Our COA (birding association) is working with other local authorities on a survey of this species and we hoped to provide a few more pieces in the jigsaw. In fact, we were unsuccessful in this but we did have a great birding day anyway.

Juvenile Black-chested buzzard eagle

We stopped in Junin to fuel the jeep with petrol and ourselves with croissants. We then took the road to Tromen, and within a couple of miles had our first thrill: a juvenile Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle perched up on a telephone post by the side of the road. We must have spent ten minutes enthusing over this majestic bird just a dozen metres away, who seemed quite unfazed by our presence even when we got out of the jeep and walked to under his perch. A privileged moment.

Juvenile red-backed hawk (aka variable hawk)

Eventually we drove on and within a hundred metres or so, perched on another telephone post, we found a Red-backed Hawk, again a juvenile, with beautiful plumage. He was just as nonchalant as the Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle we had just seen. The Mapuche people know this bird as Ñanco, and it’s said that if you see a ñanco’s white chest it will bring you good luck.  It was clearly going to be a good day!

American kestrel

Eventually we moved on, but again, within another hundred metres or so, we found an American Kestrel sitting on the phone line. These are colourful little birds and beautiful to watch. I only managed to get off one shot (not quite in focus) before she flew away, but we did see a few more of these little hunters during the day.

Southern caracara, disturbed in his road kill feast

Restarting the engine of the jeep I could see couple of largish birds in the road ahead, picking away at some road kill. As we got closer we could see that they were an adult and two juvenile Southern Caracara, the young birds with their beaks still not fully formed, probably last year’s hatch. They are rather arrogant birds (I anthropomorphise, I fear), and strutted around long enough for us to get a few decent shots.

Chimango caracara in flight (shot the previous week at Pío Protto)

There were also a few Chimango caracaras around (when aren’t there?), to add to our growing big bird collection. The one pictured here was shot elsewhere as I didn’t bother to take a shot at the time, what with them being such common birds (I have several nesting in my garden).

All these big birds, and our trip had hardly started. I commented to Scarlet that all we needed now was a couple of Condors. We did see some too, but later in the day (see below).

Map of our journey

Our journey didn’t work out quite as planned as we never found the place (Newen Hue) that we were looking for. The name Newen Hue is Mapuche (or more properly Mapudungun, which comes from mapu ‘earth, land’ and dungun ‘ speak, speech’).  Newen Hue means something like ‘strong place’, a part of the river where the water runs fierce. But we didn’t find it. When we reached Rauhue we decided not to go on to Aluminé but instead to go along to Lake Quillén. I had been there many years ago, visiting the Lagos Marmol home with its spectacular views across the Quillén lake and valley, and was keen to revisit.

As luck had it, on the Quillén road we soon met up with a guardafauna pickup driven by Marta Bachmann, a provincial guardafauna rather than from Parque Nacional Lanin. We chatted awhile. She had done some research on Torrent Ducks and told us of a few places along the Quillen river where she had seen them in the past, although not recently. She had not heard of Newen Hue, but a policeman at the caminera said there was a place of that name along the Quillén Road. We never found that either, and although the places indicated by Marta looked promising we saw no ducks. We did see a faeces-splattered rock that looked auspicious, but didn’t have time for more than a cursory investigation of the river course.

Here we can see the white marks of faeces, very possibly of a torrent duck. This was taken some 5 kms along the road to Quillen from Rauhué.

But I am taking things out of turn. We had stopped off earlier at Pilo Lil, a spectacular collection of rock formations on the top of a mountain where neolithic and (later) C9th century indigenous peoples used to meet. There are allegedly cave/wall paintings there too, but we couldn’t find any evidence.

Scarlett Eastman in centre of Pilo Lil rock formations

We had our lunch here, and then a very good and a very bad thing happened. Simultaneously. Very unusually I had taken off my long lens, the only lens I ever really use, to take some closeups of rock formations. Out of the blue, a pair of Condors appeared and proceeded to circle three or four metres above us, clearly curious as to what we were and what we were up to. And my long lens was in the car, three hundred metres away.

Condor at Pio Lil

I shot a couple of ineffectual photos with my macro lens, why I’m not quite sure but I guess I was in shock. Then made my way to the car, not running so as not to scare the condors. By the time I got there and changed lenses the birds were leaving, but I did manage to get a couple of shots – not what I would have wanted, given the proximity, but certainly worth shooting. My son always joshes me that I permanently complain about ‘having the wrong lens on’, but this time it really was the case.

Condor circling around Pilo Lil

After the condor episode we walked around the mountain top for a while. Suddenly overhead flew a unequivocal peregrine falcon which Scarlett saw disappear into a crevice in the rock face. She then saw a pair of peregrines emerge, circle and return into the crevice. We walked around to a better viewpoint and found the nest, but never saw the peregrines again.

Peregrine falcon’s nest on rock face

A little to the right of the peregrine’s nesting bowl a black-faced ibis had decided to nest. I couldn’t help feeling little sorry for the poor bird, in such an exposed spot, but she had chosen a site where the sun warmed the rock face so I suppose all was not bad for her. And I must stop anthropomorphising.

Female black-faced ibis nesting on rock face

For the record, to get to Pilo Lil we crossed Arroyo Rancahue (marked on Google maps) on the road between Junín and Rauhué and then we turned right off the provincial route and up a steep hill for about 5 Kms. Very well worth the side trip.

On the left the provincial route from Junín to Aluminé and on the right the spiralling ascent to Pilo Lil

Finally, the day’s listing, in order of appearance. We saw some of these birds on a number of occasions.

1. Tero (Vanellus chilensis) Eng. Southern lapwing
2. Chimango (Milvago chimango) Eng. Chimango caracara
3. Jote Cab Negra (Coragyps atratus) Eng. Black vulture
4. Carancho (Caracara plancus)  Eng. Southern caracara 
5. Tordo Renegrido (Molothrus bonariensis)  Eng. Shiny cowbird (male and female, on various cables and bushes)
6. Pico de Plata (Himenops perspicillata)  Eng. Spectacled tyrant male and female seen in the bushes
7. Zorzal Patagónico (Turdus falklandicus) Eng. Austral Thrush
8. Loica (Sturnella loyca)   Eng. Long-tailed meadowlark (male and females, numerous)
9. Cabecita Negra (Carduelis barbata) Eng. Black-chinned siskin
10. Aguilucho Común o Ñanco (Buteo polyosoma) Eng. Variable or red-backed hawk
11. Águila Mora (Geranoetus melanoleucus) Eng. Black-chested buzzard eagle
12. Halconcito Colorado (Falco sparverius) Eng. American Kestrel
13. Diuca común (Diuca diuca) Eng. Diuca Finch

Grass wren

14. Ratona común (Troglodytes aedon) Eng. Grass wren

California quail crossing the road

15. Codorniz californiana (Callipepla californica) Eng. Californian Quail
16. Remolinera Común (Cinclodes fuscus) Eng. Bar-winged or Buff-winged Cinclodes

Eared dove, at side of road

17. Torcaza (Zenaida auriculata) Eng. Eared dove
18. Cauquén Común (Chloephaga picta)  Eng. Upland or Magellan goose
19. Sobrepuesto (Lessonia rufa) Eng. Austral negrito

Ashy-headed goose

20. Cauquén Real (Chloephaga poliocephala) Eng. Ashy-headed goose
21. Golondrina Patagónica (Tachycineta leucopyga) Eng. Chilean swallow
22. Carpintero Pitío (Colaptes pitius) Eng. Chilean Flicker
23. Golondrina barranquera (Nothiochelidon cyanoleuca) Eng. Blue-and-white swallow

Yellow-billed pintail

24. Pato Maicero (Anas georgica) Eng. Yellow-billed or Brown Pintail
25. Diucón (Xolmis pyrope) Eng. Fire-eyed Diucon
26. Halcón Peregrino (Falco peregrinus)  Eng. Peregrine falcon
27. Bandurria (Theristicus caudatus melanopis)  Eng. Black-faced ibis 
28. Condor andino (Vultur gryphus)  Eng. Condor 

As always, many thanks to Scarlet Eastman for recording and compiling the listing so efficiently.

Click on any image for a slide show or scroll down to read the commentary.

With the help of my son I cleared out the shed yesterday, threw all the accumulated junk into the back of the Jeep and drove off to the town tip, the landfill site at Pío Protto, a few kilometres outside San Martín de los Andes.

Photo of Pio Protto landfill site by Patricio Rodriguez

This is an exciting place for birding, albeit one without huge variety. Today I saw the usual Carancho (Caracara plancus), Eng. Southern Caracara, the Chimango (Milvago chimango), Eng. Chimango Caracara,  large numbers of gulls (which I ignored completely today) and of course the vultures.

Black vultures

We see two kinds of vulture in San Martín; the Jote Cabeza Negra (Coragyps stratus), Eng. Black Vulture and the Jote Cabeza Colorada (Cathartes aura), Eng. Turkey Vulture. We see far more black vultures generally, and today was no exception. Other birds are occasionally seen at the tip, but it’s not a place I often go.

Not the prettiest of birds

As I was short of time I decided to take pictures of the black vultures only, and below are a few of these rather ugly yet at times surprisingly graceful birds.

Black vulture comes in to land

The bird above is preparing to land – a nice view of its talons as it approaches its landing point. Below is rather a frightening vision; what is interesting is the layering of the wing feathers, clear enough here but not easily seen in a high flying bird.

Something out of Tolkein or Wagner?

The final picture shows how subtle yet how important the wing tips are to the flying of this big bird, giving it great precision in flight and landing.

Such delicate feathering …