So i'm days behind in posts. Lots of birding, lots of driving and kilometres covered, but definitely worth it. The whole purpose of coming here is to see a long held dream become a reality - the Critically Endangered (According to BirdLife International) Hooded Grebe. But we've a spare day before hitching up with our guide, so headed into Los Glaciers National Park about an hour from the town where we are staying of El Calafate. A little pre-breakfast jaunt down to the lake gave us close Magellanic Snipe, Lesser Yellowlegs, a family of Flying Steamer-Ducks and Dark-bellied Cinclodes amongst others.
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| Dark-bellied Cinclodes |
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| Magellanic Snipe |
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| Flying Streamer-Duck |
There's fantastic scenery for sure in the National Park, and it attracts a lot of visitors and I mean A LOT! I found it very frustrating that there were very few parking places and the ones available are usually full of people. But it was the weekend and I wondered if that just increased the volume of traffic and people?
However, as I say there was spectacular scenery....
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| Los Glaciers National Park |
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| Perito Moreno Glacier |
Got great views of a pair of Austral Pygmy Owls... They really annoyed the local Chilean Elaenias and Thorn-tailed Rayadito's.
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| Austral Pygmy Owl |
Highlight of my day was this immature Magellanic Tapaculo that was so bold and kept on following us as we walked down the road a little way.... And a lifer as well..!!!
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| Magellanic Tapaculo |
And a few Austral Parakeets flying over were a lifer too! We ended the day at another area outside the park, which was pretty bridles but did find our first Ashy-headed Geese amongst a bunch of Upland Geese, before heading back to the hotel for an early shower!
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| Ashy-headed & Upland Geese |
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