This is the habitat.
Delana had a look on Google Earth to see if we could get to any interesting places close to Las Grutas on our days out. This popped up & e-bird confirmed the area as a hot-spot. The site is only about 4 kms from our apartment, so we drove there on 3rd June & parked up. We enjoyed a really good days birding.
Variable Hawk
Female
Quite a common bird in these parts,
but at low densities.
Southern Caracara
White-tailed Hawk
Juvenile, which is very different plumage
from an adult.
A rare birds this far south & quite a find.
Enjoying my lunch!
We came across this ants nest, they were very busy!
Cinereous Harrier
Adult female
Grey-bellied Shrike-Tyrant
Chaco Earthcreeper
White-throated Cacholate
Before we came to Las Grutas, we had heard
this species was scarce & hard to find.
However we have found them to be widespread
& quite common.
Male White-tipped Plantcutter
Patagonian Canastero
We found them to be quite common
at this location.
Greater Wagtail-Tyrant
Long-tailed Meadowlark
Ringed Warbling Finch
This was a most welcome world tick!
This is the deep pond (where the wildfowl are)
next to the sewage works.
After birding the scrub for five hours we called in at the nearby sewage works. It is a nice spot & added a bit of variety to the day.
Black-necked Swan
Coscoroba Swan
Crested Duck
Chiloe Wigeon
Yellow-billed Teal
Lake Duck
White-winged Coot
Red-gartered Coot
American Kestrel
Male
We both enjoyed a lovely day out & we had surprisingly good weather.
Yellow-billed Teal
Nice to actually see one of these!
White-tipped Plantcutter
Always good to see.
Stripe-crowned Spinetail
Nice to see this species out in the open!
A cracking bird.
Ringed Warbling Finch
Lake Duck
This bird kept flying around us, as we were
It gave us amazing views.
What a bird!
It doesn't get much better than this!
Southern Caracara
Quite a common bird in this habitat.
Crested Duck
Darwin's Nothura
A very difficult bird to see.
We were excited by this one!
Plumbeous Rail
Nice to get good views of this secretive species.
Grey-bellied Shrike Tyrant
This is quite a common bird at low densities
Patagonian Mockingbird
Chaco Earthcreeper
This is quite a strange bird.
A pair are resident on the edge of the marsh,
White-tipped Plantcutter
Patagonian Canastero
Grassland Yellow-finch
Nice to finally get a photo of this species.
It was feeding with a flock of
Mourning Sierra Finch
Looking from the hill at Las Grutas.
After having such a good day we again birded the same area on 5th June. However what a contrast! It was windy cold & overcast, bird activity was at a low ebb. But we enjoyed walking the hill tops & briefly visited the marsh again. The day was very much inferior to the 3rd June.
Yes, it was cold!
Most of the area looks like this.
It can be a lonely pursuit, birding in Patagonia!
Southern Caracara
Chimango Caracara
Harris's Hawk
Crested Duck
A pair were on the small marsh.
Great Kiskadee
Greater Wagtail-Tyrant
Male Hooded Siskin
Female
Great to see these little birds so well.
We returned to town and enjoyed a nice flock of 12 Hooded Siskin outside El Sol Supermarket. And then enjoyed a lovely sunset from our apartment.
Plumbeous Rail
Grey-bellied Shrike-Tyrant
We visited this area again on 13th June. It was a bright, crisp but cold day, with only a hint of a breeze. We walked around the wetland area first before heading off into the scrub lands. We found an area with slightly larger trees & this was where most of the good birds were. Saw a Sandy Gallito, but couldn't get a shot of it!
Chiloe Wigeon
On the way home, we took a quick look at the sewage works. It was a bit quiet but the Lake Duck was still present. Another good day in the field!
Delana on the edge of the marsh.
We visited the area again on 22nd June. It was a cold,but bright day with little wind & we enjoyed a pretty good day in the field.
American Black Vulture
Cinereous Harrier
eating lunch on the edge of the marsh.
in this habitat.
but hard to see.
Rufous-collared Sparrows.
Best birds:
Darwin's Nothura; Elegant-crested Tinamou; Coscoroba Swan; Lake Duck; 5 Plumbeous Rail; 7 American Black Vulture; Cinereous Harrier; 2 Variable Hawk; Chaco Earthcreeper; 3 Scale-throated Earthcreeper; Stripe-crowned Spinetail; 3 Patagonian Canastero; 8 White-tipped Plantcutter; White-throated Cacholote; 3 Grey-bellied Shrike Tyrant; Grassland Yellowfinch; 2 Golden-billed Saltator.
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