Monday 18 March 2024

Tanzania Dreaming.... or Getting Ahead of Myself A Bit...!

 Well Japan will have to wait for a bit, so onwards with the plan for 2024. It's just over 3 weeks until i'm off to Saudi Arabia for my 3rd trip there. Then it's just over 2 weeks until I do Turkey and Mongolia back-to-back - all great trips and very exciting. I will come back to them in another post. And I really need to lose a bit of weight after the recent Cape Horn cruise first!!

The ever-angry Yemen Warbler from Saudi Arabia...

A gorgeous Oriental Plover from Mongolia

So today i'm a little preoccupied with my trip to Tanzania in July. I've been seeing plenty of great photos posted on Facebook from my guide over there, and it's really whetting the appetite. This isn't going to be the usual safari thing but what people call the Eastern Arc Mountains Tour, a region choc full of endemics and really rare stuff. Well, actually, i'm super-excited about this one and having visited Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, northern Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and a bit of South Africa in the past, there's still a whole bunch of lifers possible. But why does it tantalise the tastebuds so much? Hmmmm.... 

Firstly, it's just an area that's not really one of those places high on birders wish lists of places to visit - and that always draws me for some reason. Secondly, there's a feast of new birds for everyone. Thirdly (and possibly most importantly) it's going to be a bit of an adventure. Ahh yes, adventure in the safest possible terms but it also means the dreaded camping! After doing a Snow Leopard trip in Ladakh years ago I swore I wouldn't be camping ever again! But the lure of some great birds and the passage of time has swept that hatred of camping away. And it's only 6 or 7 nights, we'll be in the mountains so it won't be hot 'n' sweaty, which would drive me mad and we will have a ground crew looking after us. The rest of the time will be spent in much better accommodation. The camping aspect has already put several guys off joining the 4 of us already committed to the trip and it's obviously not everyone's cup of tea. But you gotta suffer for your birds right?! 

Bohm's Bee-eater is a big deal...

Chapin's Apalis 

Rubeho Akalat

Rubeho Warbler

Uluguru Bushshrike

Usambara Thrush

Usambara Weaver

And there really are plenty of cracking birds to look forward to. The photos above show a small sample of what is ahead. Oh, and we've booked a couple of nights on Pemba Island for a few more endemics as well. Our flights are booked, and the East Africa field guide is dusted off and ready. There's still 2 spaces available for anyone who fancies a shed load of lifers, a bit of an adventure and a few laughs along the way. The full itinerary can be viewed here - Eastern Arc Birding Adventure

In the meantime, Saudi Arabia beckons....


Tuesday 12 March 2024

POST CRUISE BLUES...!

 It's always the same when I return from a trip, after the jet lag hits and the tiredness dissipates. That anti-climatic feeling. The birding's over. That high. The adrenaline rush of the chase, of finding good birds, of feeding off everyone's excitement at getting a lifer. A bird I've seen a dozen times takes on a whole new meaning entirely when it's a lifer for someone in my group. In fact that feeling is just as good as a lifer for myself. Having ADHD may well increase that feeling for me, I don't really know. My brain works differently to most people's, so I relive these moments over and over and not being able to quieten my brain from racing away with never-ending thoughts makes trying to sleep now a problem. 

So it's just under 5 weeks until I go to Saudi Arabia, so when my ever-patient wife suggests we do the Japan cruise that's been at the back of my mind for a while.... I'm off, checking flights, how far to birding sites from the 7 shore stops, and can I really get up to the north of Okinawa in the time we've got ashore...? And then the realisation of the stupid cost of flights....... Everything comes crashing down again and we have to rethink. I begrudge being ripped off by these greedy airlines...... 

So it's time to breathe and recap on the past month. And what a whirlwind ride it's been. From Hooded Grebe to Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, Antipodean Albatross to Magellanic Plover, Magellanic Woodpecker to White-throated Cachalote, Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross to Ringed Teal, Curve-billed Reedhaunter and more...! But my overriding memory is of those King Penguins at Volunteer Point on the Falkland Islands.....










So I probably won't go to Japan just yet, but one day.... But don't tell the wife...!

Saturday 17 February 2024

HOODED GREBE OR BUST!

The main purpose of my visit to Patagonia in southern Argentina was to see Hooded Grebe. The medium to long-term picture for this species is bleak and that's why you simply have to see it soon.

Hooded Grebe - Strobel Plateau, 12th February 2024

It is classified as Critically Endangered by BirdLife International. And I quote: "This species's population size has declined rapidly over the past three generations and it therefore qualifies as Critically Endangered. It appears from recent counts that the population is now stable, probably as a result of extensive conservation actions. If evidence continues to show that the population remains stable, the species may be downlisted to a lower category of threat in the future."

It is an endemic breeding species to Argentina with an estimated population size of 650 - 800 mature individuals. Again I quote from BirdLife International:  "This species breeds on a few basaltic lakes in the interior of Santa Cruz, extreme south-west Argentina. The only known wintering grounds are located at the estuaries of río Coyle, río Gallegos and río Chico on the Atlantic coast of Santa Cruz (Johnson and Serret 1994, Imberti et al. 2004, Roesler et al. 2011b). It is apparently a summer visitor in the Torres del Paine National Park in Magallanes, southern Chile, but there are no confirmed breeding records for the country (Roesler et al. 2011b, S. Saiter and F. Schmitt in litt. 2013, Donoso et al. 2015, Roesler 2015)."


Now consider this......For this breeding season 2023-24 there are no confirmed successful breeding pairs! The previous season only 1 chick survived and according to the volunteers of the Hooded Grebe Project severe stormy weather destroyed the remaining nests on the Strobel Plateau. In the 2021 - 2022 breeding season only 4 chicks survived and none in 2020 - 2021 & 2019 - 2020. And only 1 chick survived in 2018 - 2019. Isn't that unbelievable?


For the full lowdown from BirdLife International follow this link: Hooded Grebe Info

 

There's also a very interesting article by BirdLife International and again follow this link to read in full:  Hooded Grebe - Dancing on the Edge


When you consider the species was only discovered on a lake near El Calafate in 1974 and there's been an 80% reduction in their numbers since then, you have to ask if there's any hope for the species. But the Hooded Grebe Project volunteers have been doing a stirling effort to help by introducing breeding platforms, guarding nests and trying to do something about the introduced Salmon, Trout and American Mink that are their main predators, along with Kelp Gulls now expanding their range. And of course the elephant in the room of climate change resulting in hotter, drier summers with more wind resulting in many favoured breeding lagoons drying out.


Everything points to the species heading to extinction but the volunteers remain committed to their cause. With the climate change threat creating drier conditions year upon year, the subsequent demise of their favoured plant to build their nests and find their favourite food within (aquatic invertebrates) is going to be the biggest challenge I think. 


So I had to go. or at least try to see them and figure out a way to help and bring more tourists/birders here and raise awareness of the species' plight. Well, it's an epic journey just to reach El Calafate, followed by a straight 6 or 7 hour drive to one of the estancias to stay overnight. Followed by a rough 2 hour drive to meet the land owner who takes you on a bone-jarring 2 hour drive over one of the roughest, rockiest roads you've ever been on to reach the lake. And then the whole journey back to El Calafate. Throw in birding stops etc and it's one hell of a ride! But absolutely worth it.



We saw 9 Hooded Grebes here....


We were lucky to see 9 Hooded Grebes amongst a flock of approximately 70 Silvery Grebes here. We were due to visit another lake but had information a few days before getting here that only two had been present and they had suddenly disappeared. So we managed to get access with a different landowner as volunteers from the Hooded Grebe Project had told the owners of the estancia about the presence of the grebes here. 


Upon arrival I wasn't optimistic about seeing them but with scopes set up from the top of the escarpment above managed t quite quickly spot one. They are bigger and much heavier than Silvery Grebes and glow really white from a distance....




Hopefully the above photos give you some idea of how much the Hoodies stand out from the Silveries...

So walking down to the lake we spotted a few more Hooded Grebes. Setting our backpacks down amongst some rocks we walked slowly closer and each time the closest pair of Hoodies dived underwater we walked quickly closer and froze when they resurfaced. By doing this we got close to the water's edge opposite where they were present and had amazing scope views. Getting decent photos was tricky with some haze, a little wind and general adrenalin pumping through my body from the excitement. Phonescoping was much more effective and I even managed to film a pair displaying...... Wow!!





And here's a few more photos...












So i'm hoping to run a trip to see them in December this year and 2025. Will post details as soon as i'm back from our Epic Cape Horn Cruise next month. 


Thanks for reading. Let's go birding!




Thursday 15 February 2024

Heading 'Up North'

Woke up sunburnt and feeling like I’d been staked out on a sunbed in Benidorm for 2 weeks!

It’s a loooooong days drive from El Calafate to the estancia where we were staying tonight, with numerous roadside stops along the way. After dropping the rental car at the tiny airport, our guide, Alejandro picked us up in his 4WD and we headed north. Our pilgrimage to see one of the Holy Grail birds was now gathering pace.... 


At our first stop along the Santa Cruz River gave us Patagonian Yellow Finch and a flock of Least Seedsnipe flew past and landed nearby. 


Patagonian Yellow-Finch

Further stops en-route yielded Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrant, Variable Hawk, Common Miner, Sharp-billed Canastero and Common Diuca Finch


Common Miner


Plus 2 more lifers: Grey-bellied Shrike-Tyrant and Band-tailed Earthcreeper


Band-tailed Earthcreeper

There’s a 70kms stretch of road that isn’t paved and it really slows you down, as well as being a little rough on your back. All the while we were scanning for Patagonian Tinamou but didn’t have a sniff of that today despite oceans of suitable habitat. It’s literally a needle in a haystack. 

 

We eventually arrived at the famous La Angostura around 7pm, just in time for dinner, which we shared with some Argentinian, Dutch and French tourists, who were very nice people indeed. Copious amounts of wine and beer washed down a heavenly meal before the 3 of us tried Austral Rail, again without a murmur from the enigmatic beastie. An albino Chilean Swallow flew around us and looked stunning in the last of the evening suns rays, plus Silver Teal was a trip tick. We had a late evening walk looking for Lesser Horned Owl, which turned out blank although I did make friends with the lodge's dogs, cat and horse! 


Pretty sure I’m not going to sleep well tonight (just for a change) as I’m really too excited with the prospect of what tomorrow could well bring….


Wednesday 14 February 2024

Ice, Ice Baby!

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. 


Dark-bellied Cinclodes

Magellanic Snipe


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....

Los Glaciers National Park



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.



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..!!!


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!

Ashy-headed & Upland Geese



Saturday 10 February 2024

Patagonia at Last!

 Oh boy we made it! After an overnight stop in Madrid and another in Buenos Aires we touched down in El Calafate in southern Argentina at 8am local time. I'm not going to dwell on sleeping through my alarm this morning and literally having 10 minutes to pack as the cab was waiting to take us to Jorge Newbery Airport. Think i've only ever done that once whilst overseas birding and certainly not done that leading a Zoothera Birding trip! So I slept the whole 3 hour flight this morning as the plane left at 5am and I was still reeling from oversleeping - but literally only had 2 hours sleep last night anyway. 

But isn't it funny, no matter how little or disrupted your sleep is, that when you're heading to a birding trip you find yourself full of beans and raring to go no matter what. And around 9.15am Pete and I were in the rental car and off towards the town. The road skirted the massive Lago Argentina and we pulled up to an overlook next to Reserva Laguna Numez. And there were birds. Lots of them. The sky was blue, temperature was a little cool and there wasn't any wind that Patagonia is so infamous for! 

Laguna Nimez Reserve is a fantastic place

A Cinereous Harrier gave ridiculously good views as it hunted right in front of us and I was mesmerised watching it, practically ignoring a male Spectacled Tyrant tarting itself beside our car. Out on the lagoon it was fun using my new Swarovski ATX 95 scope and getting eye-scorching looks at (yes Roberta that one is for you!) Red-fronted and White-winged Coots. Plenty of common wildfowl were around and it was kind of nice to familiarise myself with Red Shoveler, Yellow-billed Pintail, Yellow-billed Teal, Chiloe Wigeon, Lake Ducks, Upland Geese and some Coscoroba Swans

Spectacled Tyrant

Cinereous Harrier

A short distance along the road was the Visitor Centre and we duly paid our ten dollars and spent the next few hours doing a circuit of the reserve. At the back of my mind I had grand ideas of finding Austral Rail but the day warmed up very quickly and a surprising number of visitors were strolling along the trails, making it quite futile spending any time searching for anything remotely skulking. Saying that we did see 2 Plumbeous Rails and a Wren-like Rushbird

It's a great reserve with some superb scenery too


I love the goofy look on a Red Shoveler

Everything else was repeats of earlier but also included a flotilla of Black-necked Swans, Chimango Caracara, White-winged Coots, Black-chinned Siskin, Long-tailed Meadowlark and a couple Mourning Sierra-Finches. There were some other common species but i'm not going to bore you with them! I did like very close views of Chilean Swallows and certainly enjoyed being perturbed for a few minutes by those pesky female Spectacled Tyrants!

Looking back down the road towards Lago Argentina

So with cheese and ham bagels at the ready we set off to check a few rail spots. But that was a bust as the habitat didn't look right so ended up driving out of town some 15kms to Hoya del Chingue to see if there were any Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrants around - a lifer for both of us. The road soon became a rocky sort of bumpy track and after 10kms we turned off for another 5kms and went uphill to the old ski resort. It was a tricky drive in our little Fiat but we made it and duly scored the ground-tyrant after numerous stops and false alarms. A family of Spot-billed Ground-Tyrants were nice and many Scale-throated Earthcreepers were around but apart from masses of Rufous-collared Sparrows not a lot else. I still want to get Austral Canastero, Short-billed Miner and Band-tailed Earthcreeper (all lifers) but they might have to wait as we are heading into the National Park tomorrow...

As we'd returned to the hotel around 5pm and with sunset not until 9.20pm we decided to have an hour off at the hotel and go out again in the evening. The wind had built up unfortunately and there was no sign of Magellanic Plover, but we did get White-tufted Grebe, 4 Lesser Yellowlegs and Magellanic Snipe in the glorious evening light. Then we returned to the hotel for a few beers (of course) and a great meal. And that was our day....