Well, yesterday was a disaster. A huge tanker had got stuck in the channel leading into Buenos Aires harbour and we were unable to dock, so spent the entire day moored in the middle of the river. The ship causing the problem was a ‘sister’ to the one that blocked the Suez Canal last year! You just couldn’t write this s***!!!!! Anyway, we left the ship one last time ‘early doors’ and met up with our excellent local guide Lucas Marti, who took us to Costanera Sur first. We birded the approach, as the gates are locked to the actual reserve until 8am and notched up a fine selection of species. To a backdrop of salsa music we birded from the main path, seeing White-faced Whistling-Duck, Cocoi Heron, Southern Screamer, Giant Woodrail, Limpkin, Bare-faced Ibis, Wattled Jacana, a flyover Long-winged Harrier, White-eyed & Monk Parakeets, Green-barred Woodpecker, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Cattle Tyrant, Tropical Kingbird, Creamy-bellied and Rufous-bellied Thrush and Yellow-billed Cardinal. Of course there were plenty of birds we’d already seen and I particularly enjoyed the close views of Rosy-billed Pochard, Spot-flanked Gallinule, a superb Rufescent Tiger-Heron, some more Brazilian Teal, a stunning Fork-tailed Flycatcher in the scope, and a really cool pair of close Narrow-billed Woodcreepers amongst others.
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| Rosy-billed Pochard |
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| This Green Kingfisher was rather obliging |
After a little under two hour drive we arrived at Ceibas and birded along a dusty road. Boy it was hot but the birding was good with White-fronted and White Woodpeckers, Short-billed Canastero, Black-capped Warbling-Finch, Red-crested Cardinal and the hulking Brown Cachalote.
Black-capped Warbling-Finch
But by now it was well into lunchtime, so we drove to a nearby restaurant that just happened to be located right next to a wetland (well, despite the drought there was still some mud and water!) and either side of our lunchtime feast we notched up quite a few decent species including the very common Southern Screamer, Roseate Spoonbill, Giant Woodrail, Black-necked Stilts, a load of Pectoral Sandpipers, Spot-winged Pigeon, Scarlet Flycatcher (split form vermilion Flycatcher), and more common species. A short drive away was a small pond where we finally saw Ringed Teal, a very wanted species I can tell you!
Watching Ringed Teal
In fact there were several males and a few females and very nice in the scope they were too! A pair of Collared Plovers were also a nice addition to our list, as was Pantanal Snipe and Guira Cuckoo. We also saw another Brown Cachalote, White-fronted Woodpecker and Chalk-browed Mockingbird here as well. With our lodge just a short distance away we headed over there to drop our luggage off, seeing a few Upland Sandpipers standing in the shade of some bushes along the way.
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| Pantanal Snipe |
There was also Savannah Hawk, White-tipped Dove, Brown-and-yellow Marshbird, and at a boggy spot right beside the track we were driving on a close Pantanal Snipe was stood next to 3 Yellowish Pipits.
Our lodge...
After we had dropped our bags into our rooms we had a short rest before heading out once again into the vast landscape. What an amazing place this is and the birding just kept on getting better and better. A few of the group saw a Spotted Nothura in the gardens, but we’d be seeing plenty of them tomorrow…. So we drove to different spots in the area, walked a bit, drove a bit, bided some more and began with Suiriri Flycatcher, followed by Checkered Woodpecker, yet another Brown Cachalote, Tufted Tit-Spinetail, Small-billed Elaenia, and eventually a group of 3 Lark-like Brushrunners. I’d have dearly liked to get a photo but it wasn’t doable so kept on birding, seeing Chotoy Spinetail, Screaming Cowbird, Golden-billed Saltator, Spectacled Tyrant, White-barred Piculet, White-rumped Swallow, Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch, Hooded Siskin, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Stripe-crowned Spinetail and bird of the day – Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper.
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| Ceibas habitat |
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| Savannah Hawk |
What a day this had been and we returned to the lodge at dusk, unprepared for the feast to follow! But the free beer tasted mighty fine!
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