Sandra and I arrived in Buenos Aires late on November 29 and went directly to our lodging, a lovely place that even had “luxury apartments” in its name. For the first time in over two weeks, we didn’t have to set our alarms. The next morning, we ventured out and got an impression of the city: pleasant, clean, and modern. Our first bird was this friendly Rock Pigeon, who seemed determined to join us for breakfast.
Our plan was to bird Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur on our own, but the park was closed, apparently due to expected rain. We birded the edge of the park from outside the fence before the rain became too heavy. We had only a dozen species on our list, but two of those were life birds for me: Rosy-billed Pochard and Chimichanga Caracara. Oops! That’s actually Chimango Caracara, but once I’d dubbed it “Chimichanga Caracara”, it remained that for the rest of the trip. I also got my best ever look at a Picazuro Pigeon. In other places they had been a bit shy, but here they were nearly as tame as the Rock Pigeons.
We enjoyed a lazy afternoon and got some much-needed rest before our guide, Laura Dodyk, and driver, Dani Alvarez, picked us up early the next morning. We headed to Ceibas, a legendary birding destination just two hours north of Buenos Aires. Birders love Ceibas for packing wetlands, grasslands, thorn scrub, and woodlands into one small area—a rare combination that makes it possible to see a high number of species in a short time.
The day got off to a great start with my lifer Freckle-breasted Thornbird and Black-capped Warbling Finch at our first stop. Five more life birds quickly followed at Predio del Hotel Ceibas, our home for the next two nights.
Who doesn’t love woodpeckers? I do! And, this adorable Checkered Woodpecker became one of my all-time favorites. He may not be the biggest or flashiest woodpecker, but he more than makes up for it in cuteness and personality.
Another lifer at the hotel was this White-naped Xenopsaris, a bird that Laura said is usually challenging to see.
The birding was quite easy as we drove miles of rural dirt roads, where we could stop and walk along the road, never far from our car. We continued to rack up the lifers until I had 22 new birds on our first day with Laura and Dani. See more of my favorites from this day in the gallery below. Click on any image for a larger view and caption.
The expansive wetlands near Ceibas provide habitat for many species of waterfowl, and we were able to bird these areas right from the road. In the photos below, some of my lifers: Ringed Teal, Coscoroba Swan, and a Rosy-billed Pochard pair. Rosy-billed Pochard had actually been a life bird the previous day at Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, but I hadn’t been able to photograph it before the rain began.
The Ceibas area also has arid habitats, like low, thorny acacia scrublands where species such as this Lark-like Brushrunner thrive. I liked this bird so much that it gets its own gallery.
I also liked seeing Monk Parakeets in their native range, which encompasses northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and the southern parts of Bolivia and Brazil. They have become established in many parts of the world, including a sizable population right where I live in Florida, mostly due to escapees and releases from the pet trade. Monk Parakeets are unusual among parrots because they’re one of only two species that build nests rather than nesting in tree cavities. The resulting nests are big, bulky masses of sticks—often large communal structures, with each pair having its own “apartment.”
This little Brazilian Guinea Pig was another fun sighting. I’m as happy to see new mammals and other wildlife as I am to see new birds.
Our second day with Laura and Dani was fun, too, and I was thrilled to get life birds like the Dark-throated Seedeater, Spotted Nothura, and Golden-billed Saltator in the following gallery. Nothura is a genus of small tinamou, and this was my first sighting of one—and still my only Nothura.
I’ve seen quite a few Burrowing Owls, but I never get tired of them. Firewood Gatherer was not a life bird either, but it was also nice to see. Perhaps I’m just fascinated with its name. And Grassland Sparrow has become one of my favorites. Like many birders, I have a soft spot for the Ammodramus sparrows, the genus that includes the familiar Grasshopper Sparrow of North America.
We didn’t have as much time on our third and final day with Laura, but I got a few life birds, with my favorite being the stunning Scarlet-headed Blackbird.
For the obligatory hummingbird in any post about birding in the Americas, I present this Gilded Hummingbird, soon to be known to eBirders as Gilded Sapphire when Cornell adopts the new AviList taxonomy.
Sadly, I didn’t get any photos of Laura or Dani or any landscape shots because we never stopped birding. It was a great introduction to Argentina, and I was thrilled to get 39 life birds in just a few short days. I frequently end posts by saying that I want to visit a country again. Well, this time it came quickly, but not exactly as Sandra and I had planned. Stay tuned as I share more adventures from our month in South America.
Birding for Life 