Martin Mere, 22 Jan 2015

On Thursday, 22 January 2015 I visited the WWT site at Martin Mere for the first time with my new birding friend Richard Kettle. It was a cold winter’s day, and I spent a great deal of my time at the collection ponds, admiring the colourful ducks, swans and geese from all parts of the world. I did get out to the hides too, but only for a short rec. really – it’s near enough to visit frequently in the future! This post is concerned with exotic species of waterfowl only.

View of wetlands from the central observatory at Martin Mere. Photo courtesy of http://www.thebiggesttwitch.com

View of wetlands from the central observatory at Martin Mere. Photo courtesy of http://www.thebiggesttwitch.com

The list below contains all the water fowl I photographed during my visit, listed in alphabetical order. I haven’t included [the many other] birds that I saw but did not photograph. All new species I added to my life list during this visit appear in bold blue, and exotics I had already recorded in plain red text; for reasons of time and space I have only included photos of new species today.

All photos except the above were taken by me, at Martin Mere and on the day, using my Canon 7D and 400mm lens. As it was overcast early in the morning some photos have benefited from fill in flash, using a Better Beamer flash extender. Comments on distribution have been adapted from English or Spanish language Wikipedia entries.

Click on any image to access the slide show, or scroll down to see the commented version. Finally, please note that pictures come BELOW names and descriptions of birds.

African White-backed duck
Thalassornis leuconotus
Lives in southern Africa, especially between Senegal and Chad in the west and Ethiopia and South Africa in the east.

African white-backed duck

African white-backed duck

American Black Duck
Anas rubripes
Native to eastern North America

American black duck

American black duck

Andean goose
Chloephaga melanoptera
Lives in lakes and marshes high up in the Andes, usually well above 3000 metres

Australian Shelduck
Tadorna tadornoides
Breeds in southern Australia and Tasmania

Australian Shelduck

Australian Shelduck

Baer’s Pochard
Aythya baeri
Found in eastern Asia. It breeds in southeast Russia and northeast China, migrating in winter to southern China, Vietnam, Japan, and India.

Baer's Pochard

Baer’s Pochard

Bar-Headed Goose
Anser indicus
Breeds in Central Asia and winters in South Asia, as far south as peninsular India

Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsis
Breeds mainly on the Arctic islands of the North Atlantic.

Barnacle Goose

Barnacle Goose

Black Swan
Cygnus atratus
Breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia

Black Swan

Black Swan

Black-Necked Swan
Cygnus melancoryphus
Found in freshwater marshes, lagoon and lake shores in southern South America.

Black-Necked Swan

Black-Necked Swan

Brent Goose
Branta bernicla
Breeds in northwestern Canada, Alaska and eastern Siberia, and winters mostly on the west coast of North America from southern Alaska to California, but also in east Asia, mainly Japan.

Brent Goose

Brent Goose

Bronze-Winged Duck aka Spectacled duck
Speculanas specularis
Lives among forested rivers and fast-flowing streams on the lower slopes of the South American Andes, in central and southern Chile and adjacent parts of Argentina.

Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
Found on the east and west coasts of North America and the southern United States. Breeding habitat is wooded lakes and ponds in Alaska and Canada.

Bufflehead

Bufflehead

Cape Barren Goose
Cereopsis novaehollandiae
A large goose that lives in southern Australia.

Cape Teal
Anas capensis
Lives on open wetlands in sub-Saharan Africa.

Cape Teal

Cape Teal

Comb Duck
Sarkidiornis melanotos
Found in tropical wetlands in sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar and south Asia from Pakistan to Laos and extreme southern China. Also occurs in continental South America south to the Paraguay River region in eastern Paraguay, southeastern Brazil and the extreme northeast of Argentina, and as a vagrant in Trinidad.

Common Pochard
Aythya ferina
Pochards breed in much of temperate and northern Europe into Asia. They are migratory, and winter in the southern and west of Europe.

Common Shoveller aka Northern Shoveller
Anas clypeata
Breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, wintering in southern Europe, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Central, and northern South America.

Crested Screamer aka Southern Screamer
Chauna torquata
Found in southeastern Peru, northern Bolivia, Paraguay, southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina.

Crested Screamer aka Southern Screamer

Crested Screamer aka Southern Screamer

Eurasian Crane
Grus grus
Found in northern parts of Europe and Asia.

European Eider aka Common Eider
Somateria mollissima
Distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia.

Garganey
Anas querquedula
Breeds in much of Europe and western Asia, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa, India (in particular Santragachi), and Australasia in winter

Garganey

Garganey

Grey-Crowned Crane
Balearica regulorum
Found in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats. They can also be found in marshes, cultivated lands and grassy flatlands near rivers and lakes in Uganda and Kenya, and south to South Africa.

Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
Two major year-round ranges. One is in the Eastern United States from the southern Canadian border along the Atlantic Coast to the Gulf Coast in the region of the Mississippi delta. A smaller year-round range extends from Washington state and southern British Columbia to northern Idaho. Also breed to some extent in regions from Missouri to southern Canada and from Nova Scotia to eastern North Dakota and Saskatchewan, migrating when necessary to avoid winter conditions.

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Marbled Teal
Marmaronetta angustirostris
Breeding now restricted to a few sites in southern Spain, northwest Africa and in Israel. In the east it survives in the Mesopotamian marshland in southern Iraq and in Iran (Shadegan Marshes – the world’s most important site), as well as isolated pockets in Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq and further to the east in western India and western China.

Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschata
Native to Mexico, Central, and South America. Small wild and feral breeding populations have established themselves in the United States, particularly in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and South Florida as well as in many other parts of North America, including southern Canada.

Muscovy Duck

Muscovy Duck

North American Redhead
Aythya Americana
Breeding habitat is marshes and prairie potholes in western North America.

North American Redhead

North American Redhead

Orinoco Goose
Neochen jubata
Resident breeders in the forests of tropical South America.

Orinoco Goose

Orinoco Goose

Puna Teal
Anas puna
Resident in the Andes of Peru, western Bolivia, northern Chile, and extreme northwestern Argentina. Found on the larger lakes and pools in the altiplano.

Red-Crested Pochard
Netta rufina
Its breeding habitat is lowland marshes and lakes in southern Europe and Central Asia, wintering in the Indian Subcontinent and Africa.

Rosy-Billed Pochard
Netta peposaca
Endemic to South America. It is found in Argentina, central Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil.

Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
A duck from North America and the Andes Mountains of South America,

Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferruginea
Very small resident populations in north west Africa and Ethiopia, but the main breeding area of this species is from southeast Europe across central Asia to Southeast Asia.

Ruff
Philomachus pugnax
Breeds in marshes and wet meadows across northern Eurasia.

Ruff

Ruff

Shelduck
Tadorna tadorna
Widespread and common in Eurasia, mainly breeding in temperate and wintering in subtropical regions.

Shoveller aka Northern Shoveller
Anas clypeata
Breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, wintering in southern Europe, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Central, and northern South America.

Smew
Mergellus albellus
Breeds in the northern taiga of Europe and Asia.

Smew

Smew

Snow Goose
Chen caerulescens
Breeds north of the timberline in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and the northeastern tip of Siberia, and spends winters in warm parts of North America from southwestern British Columbia through parts of the United States to Mexico. Flies as far south as Texas and Mexico during winter, and returns to nest on the Arctic tundra each spring.

Snow Goose

Snow Goose

South Georgia Pintail aka South Georgian teal
Anas georgica georgica
Endemic to the island of South Georgia and its accompanying archipelago, and a vagrant to the South Sandwich Islands.

South Georgia Pintail aka South Georgian teal

South Georgia Pintail aka South Georgian teal

Southern Pochard
Netta erythrophthalma
Two subspecies, the South American (southern) pochard (found from Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina to Chile) and the African pochard (occurring from the Cape to the Ethiopian highlands).

Tundra Swan aka Bewick’s Swan
Cygnus columbianus
Also known as Bewick’s swan. Breeds in the Arctic and subarctic tundra, moving south in winter.

West Indian Whistling Duck
Dendrocygna arborea
A whistling duck that breeds in the Caribbean, also known as Black-billed whistling duck and Cuban whistling duck.

White-Cheeked Pintail
Anas bahamensis
Found in the Caribbean, South America, and the Galápagos Islands

Whooper Swan aka Elk

Whooper Swan aka Elk

Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnus
Winters in southern Europe and eastern Asia. Breeds in subarctic Eurasia, further south than Bewicks in the taiga zone. Rare breeders in northern Scotland.

 

Slimbridge 18 January 2015 – additions to life list

Last Sunday, 18 January 2015, I visited Slimbridge. In fact, I did very little bird watching in the sense of observing wild birds. It was my first visit to Slimbridge and I mainly enjoyed myself plodding around the ponds where the collections are and seeing some very colourful ducks, swans and geese from all parts of the world.

A male canvasback flexing his wings

A male canvasback flexing his wings

I’m appending below some new species – new for me, that is. These don’t really belong in my birding collection but they are all God’s creatures, as it were, and I see no harm in displaying them here. However, it should be said that little skill was required in finding or photographing these birds – the only real problem I had was getting far enough away from them to use a 400mm lens, a real problem with some ducks that rush up to you expecting a handful of grain!

As usual, all the photos were taken by me, and on the day; all with my Canon 7D and 400mm lens, without flash. Click on any image for slide show only, or scroll down for commented version. Comments on distribution have been adapted from English or Spanish language Wikipedia entries. Photos appear BELOW name and distribution details.

American Flamingo – Phoenicopterus ruber
Also known as the Caribbean flamingo, but not the best name as it also appears in the Galápagos. The only flamingo which naturally inhabits North America.

American flamingo

American flamingo

Andean Flamingo – Phoenicoparrus andinus
Found in Andean wetlands from southern Perú to northwestern Argentina and northern Chile.

Andean flamingo

Andean flamingo

Andean Goose – Chloephaga melanoptera
Lives in lakes and marshes high up in the Andes, usually well above 3000 metres.

Andean Goose

Andean Goose

Australian Shoveler – Anas rhynchotis
Found in southwestern and southeastern Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.

Australian shoveller

Australian shoveller

Bar-headed Goose – Anser indicus
Breeds in Central Asia and winters in South Asia, as far south as peninsular India.

Bar-headed goose

Bar-headed goose

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis
Breeds from the southernmost United States and tropical Central to south-central South America.

Black-bellied whistling duck

Black-bellied whistling duck

Canvasback – Aythya valisineria
Breeds in North America prairie potholes. Important breeding areas are the subarctic river deltas in Saskatchewan and the interior of Alaska.

Canvasback

Canvasback

Cape Barren Goose – Cereopsis novaehollandiae
A large goose that lives in southern Australia.

Cape barren goose

Cape barren goose

Comb Duck – Sarkidiornis melanotos
Found in tropical wetlands in sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar and south Asia from Pakistan to Laos and extreme southern China. It also occurs in continental South America south to the Paraguay River region in eastern Paraguay, southeastern Brazil and the extreme northeast of Argentina, and as a vagrant in Trinidad.

Comb duck

Comb duck

Common Crane – Grus grus
Found in the northern parts of Europe and Asia.

Common crane

Common crane

Common Redshank – Tringa totanus
A widespread breeding bird across temperate Eurasia. A migratory species, wintering on coasts around the Mediterranean, on the Atlantic coast of Europe from Great Britain southwards, and in South Asia.

Redshank

Redshank

Emperor Goose – Chen canagica
Breeds around the Bering Sea, mostly in Alaska, USA, but also in Kamchatka, Russia. It is migratory, wintering mainly in the Aleutian Islands.

Emperor goose

Emperor goose

Eurasian wigeon – Anas penelope
Breeds in the northernmost areas of Europe and Asia. It is strongly migratory and winters further south than its breeding range. It migrates to southern Asia and Africa.

Eurasian wigeon

Eurasian wigeon

Falcated Duck – Anas falcata
Breeds in eastern Asia. It nests in eastern Russia, in Khabarovsk, Primorskiy, Amur, Chita, Buryatia, Irkutsk, Tuva, eastern Krasnoyarsk, south central Sakha Sakhalin, extreme northeastern North Korea and northern China, in northeastern Inner Mongolia, and northern Heilongjiang, and in northern Japan, Hokkaidō, Aomori, and the Kuril Islands.

Falcated duck

Falcated duck

Gray Crowned-Crane – Balearica regulorum
Found in dry savannah in Africa south of the Sahara, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats. They can also be found in marshes, cultivated lands and grassy flatlands near rivers and lakes in Uganda and Kenya, and south to South Africa.

Grey-crowned crane

Grey-crowned crane

Greater Flamingo – Phoenicopterus roseus
Found in parts of Africa, southern Asia (coastal regions of Pakistan and India), and southern Europe (including Spain, Albania, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Italy and the Camargue region of France).

Greater flamingo

Greater flamingo

Greater White-fronted Goose – Anser albifrons

Subspecies A. a. albifrons breeds in the far north of Europe and Asia, and winters further south and west in Europe. The very distinct Greenland white-fronted goose, A. a. flavirostris, breeds in western Greenland, and winters in Ireland and western Scotland.

Greater white-fronted goose

Greater white-fronted goose

Lesser Flamingo – Phoenicopterus minor
A species of flamingo occurring in sub-Saharan Africa with another population in India.

Lesser flamingo

Lesser flamingo

Magpie Goose – Anseranas semipalmata
Found in coastal northern Australia and savannah in southern New Guinea, where it also breeds.

Magpie goose

Magpie goose

Maned Duck – Chenonetta jubata
Widespread in Australia, including Tasmania.

Maned duck

Maned duck

Plumed Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna eytoni
Breeds in New Guinea and Australia.

Plumed whistling duck

Plumed whistling duck

Puna Teal – Anas puna
Resident in the Andes of Peru, western Bolivia, northern Chile, and extreme northwestern Argentina. Found on the larger lakes and pools in the altiplano.

Puna Teal

Puna Teal

Red Shoveler – Anas platalea
Found in southern South America, in Argentina, southern Peru, southern Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, southern Brazil, and Chile. In winter the southernmost birds migrate north to Brazil and Peru.

Red shoveller

Red shoveller

Red-breasted Goose – Branta ruficollis
Breeds in Arctic Siberia, mainly on the Taymyr Peninsula, with smaller populations in the Gydan and Yamal peninsulas. Most winter along the northwestern shores of the Black Sea in Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine (occasionally moving further southwest to Greece), but some winter in Azerbaijan.

Red-breasted goose

Red-breasted goose

Red-crested Pochard – Netta rufina
Its breeding habitat is lowland marshes and lakes in southern Europe and Central Asia, wintering in the Indian Subcontinent and Africa.

Red-crested pochard

Red-crested pochard

Ruddy Shelduck – Tadorna ferruginea
Very small resident populations in north west Africa and Ethiopia, but the main breeding area of this species is from southeast Europe across central Asia to Southeast Asia.

Ruddy shelduck

Ruddy shelduck

Tundra Swan – Cygnus columbianus
Also known as Bewick’s swan. Breeds in the Arctic and subarctic tundra, moving south in winter.

Tundra Swan, aka Bewick's swan

Tundra Swan, aka Bewick’s swan

West Indian Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna arborea
A whistling duck that breeds in the Caribbean, also known as black-billed whistling duck and Cuban whistling duck.

West Indian whistling duck

West Indian whistling duck

White-cheeked Pintail – Anas bahamensis
Found in the Caribbean, South America, and the Galápagos Islands.

White-cheeked pintail

White-cheeked pintail

White-headed Duck – Oxyura leucocephala
Breeds in Spain and North Africa, with a larger population in western and central Asia.

White-headed duck

White-headed duck

Wood Duck – Aix sponsa
A species of perching duck found in North America.

Wood duck, aka Carolina duck

Wood duck, aka Carolina duck

Argentine birds at WWT Slimbridge

On Sunday 18 January 2015 I visited the Wildfowl & Wetland Trust site at Slimbridge, in Gloucestershire. It was a beautiful day, crisp and sunny, and not least because of the array of wild fowl from different parts of the world. Slimbridge has open wetland for true wildfowl and a number of collections in the fox-proofed central area. During my visit I walked through the ‘South American’ section and was amazed to see several birds from Argentina; some old friends and one or two that were new to me (read from other regions of the country).

Slimbridge general view of lakes housing collections.

Slimbridge general view of lakes housing collections.

So below I’m posting some of these. I didn’t photograph all of the ‘Argentine’ birds I saw, and there were doubtless some I didn’t see, so this will just be a representative selection. I’m presenting the birds this time in alphabetical order, by [Argentine] Spanish names. All photos shot by me on the day and at Slimbridge. I’ll be posting some of the other Slimbridge birds I saw here soon.

As always, you can click on any image to start a slide show or scroll down for commented text.

Cauquen comun
Upland Goose
(Chloephaga picta

cauquen común (macho)

cauquen común (macho)

Cauquen real
Ashy-headed goose
(Chloephaga poliocephala)
I don’t seem to have taken a photo of these, but there was at least one pair at Slimbridge. The mail was behaving quite aggressively towards other species of waterfowl.

Cisne coscoroba
Coscoroba swan
(Coscoroba coscoroba)

cisne coscoroba

cisne coscoroba

Flamenco chileno
Chilean flamingo
(Phoenicoparrus chilensis)

flamengo chileno

flamengo chileno

Flamenco de James
James’s flamingo
(Phoenicoparrus jamesi)
I thought I had taken lots of photos of the James’s flamingo but hey, when it came to processing I couldn’t find one. Details here if you are interested.

Flamenco andino
Andean flamingo
(Phoenicoparrus andinus)

flamenco andino

flamenco andino

Guayata
Andean goose
(Chloephaga melanoptera)

guayata

guayata

Pato pico cuchara sudamericano
Red shoveller
(Anas platalea)

pato pico cuchara sudamericano

pato pico cuchara sudamericano

Pato de collar
Ringed Teal
(Callonetta leucophrys)

pato de collar

pato de collar

Pato picazo
Rosy-billed pochard
(Netta peposaca)

pato picazo

pato picazo

Pato puneño
Puna Teal
(Anas puna)

pato puneño

pato puneño

Argentine Ruddy Duck
(Oxyura jamaicensis)

pato zambullidor grande

pato zambullidor grande


Hope these are of interest, and please do ‘comment’ if you find any errors, or have anything you would like to add or share.

Visit to Costanera Sur, Buenos Aires, 7 January 2015

A few days ago I found myself with a few hours to kill in Buenos Aires so I headed down to the Reserva Ecologica on the Costanera Sur to see what was around. I spent a couple of hours there – it was swelteringly hot, and even the birds were taking cover. In the end I was defeated by the heat and humidity and retired hurt to my air-conditioned hotel.

The Guira Cuckoo, a bird with real panache and one of my favourites.

The Guira Cuckoo, a bird with real panache and one of my favourites.

I was too hot and bothered to keep a list (Scarlett, where are you when I need you?), so tried to reconstruct one when I sat down with a cold beer back in the hotel. I’ve probably missed out one or two sightings, but have included photos below where I was able to take one – some of course didn’t come out too well, and sometimes I just wasn’t fast enough to take the shot.

Thirty-five species on this outing if I counted right, with three species new to me: not bad for a short trip. The life-listers were the Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch (siete vestidos), the White-winged Becard (anambé común)  and the Grey-breasted Martin (golondrina domestica) – full descriptions below. A happy day, if a hot and sticky one – Buenos Aires really is a place to leave in the summer.

Below is the list (corrections gratefully accepted). Click on any photo for a captioned slide show or scroll down to see the complete list. For each species cited I have given the name commonly used in Argentina, the English name (in bold) and the Scientific name (in italics). I did not record numbers this time. All photos below were taken on the day.

PODICIPEDIFORMES
Podicipedidae
1) Macá Común White-tufted Grebe Rollandia rolland

White-tufted grebe

White-tufted grebe

SULIFORMES
Phalacrocoracidae
2) Biguá Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus

Neotropic Cormorant

Neotropic Cormorant

PELECANIFORMES
Threskiornithidae
3) Cuervillo de Cañada White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi

White-faced Ibis

White-faced Ibis

ANSERIFORMES
Anatidae
4) Sirirí Pampa White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata

White-faced Whistling-Duck

White-faced Whistling-Duck

5) Pato Zambullidor Chico Lake Duck Oxyura vittata
6) Pato de Collar Ringed Teal Callonetta leucophrys

Ringed teal (male)

Ringed teal (male)

Ringed teal (female)

Ringed teal (female)

7) Pato Maicero Yellow-billed Pintail Anas georgica
8) Pato Barcino Yellow-billed Teal Anas flavirostris

CHARADRIIFORMES
Jacanidae
9) Jacana Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana

Wattled Jacana

Wattled Jacana

COLUMBIFORMES
Columbidae
10) Paloma Doméstica Feral Pigeon Columba livia

Manky rock pigeon

Manky rock pigeon

11) Paloma Picazuró Picazuro Pigeon Patagioenas picazuro

Picazuro Pigeon

Picazuro Pigeon

12) Torcaza Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata
13) Torcacita Común Picui Ground Dove Columbina picui

PSITTACIFORMES
Psittacidae
14) Cotorra Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus

Monk parakeet

Monk parakeet

CUCULIFORMES
Cuculidae
15) Pirincho Guira Cuckoo Guira guira

Guira cuckoo

Guira cuckoo

PICIFORMES
Picidae
16) Carpintero Real Green-barred Woodpecker Colaptes melanochloros

Green-barred Woodpecke

Green-barred Woodpecker

PASSERIFORMES
Tityridae
17) Anambé Común White-winged Becard Pachyramphus polychopterus

White-winged Becard (female)

White-winged Becard (female)

Tyrannidae
18) Pico de Plata Spectacled Tyrant Hymenops perspicillatus
19) Benteveo Común Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
Furnariidae
20) Hornero Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus

Rufous Hornero

Rufous Hornero

Hirundinidae
21) Golondrina Doméstica Gray-breasted Martin Progne chalybea

Gray-breasted Martins

Gray-breasted Martins

Mimidae
22) Calandria Grande Chalk-browed Mockingbird Mimus saturninus

Chalk-browed Mockingbird

Chalk-browed Mockingbird

Turdidae
23) Zorzal Colorado Rufous-bellied Thrush Turdus rufiventris

Rufous-bellied Thrush

Rufous-bellied Thrush

24) Zorzal Chalchalero Creamy-bellied Thrush Turdus amaurochalinus
Passeridae
25) Gorrión House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Icteridae
26) Tordo Renegrido Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis

Shiny Cowbird (male)

Shiny Cowbird (male)

Shiny Cowbird (female)

Shiny Cowbird (female)

Emberizidae
27) Chingolo Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Thraupidae
28) Yal Negro Mourning Sierra-Finch Phrygilus fruticeti

Mourning Sierra-Finch (female)

Mourning Sierra-Finch (female)

29) Diuca Común Common Diuca-Finch Diuca diuca
30) Sietevestidos Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch Poospiza nigrorufa

Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch

Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch

31) Jilguero Dorado Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola
32) Verdón Great Pampa-Finch Embernagra platensis
33) Corbatita Común Double-collared Seedeater Sporophila caerulescens

Double-collared Seedeater

Double-collared Seedeater

34) Cardenal Común Red-crested Cardinal Paroaria coronata

Red-crested Cardinal

Red-crested Cardinal

35) Pepitero de Collar Golden-billed Saltator Saltator aurantiirostris

Golden-billed Saltator

Golden-billed Saltator

My thanks to Alec Earnshaw for confirming some of my IDs. It was a good half-day’s birding, and a fitting end to my stay in Argentina. Back again in August 2015!

Estancia Tipiliuke, Sat 3 Jan 2015

Today we (Scarlett Eastman and Martin Eayrs) visited the Estancia Tipiliuke, owned by the Larminat Family who settled there from France in 1909. This was the first birding trip of 2015 and my last in this current trip to Argentina.

We left San Martín de los Andes at 9:00 am from Villa Vega, to a clear blue sky, strong sun and no wind. The day became hotter and stayed hot until about 13.30, when we returned home due to other commitments. Although short, it was an enjoyable day and we saw some thirty-seven species. A few photographs appear below – all were taken today.

Here is a list of the species we saw today, with some notes made by Scarlett.

FAM. PODICIPEDIDAE
1) Macá Común / Least Grebe (Rollandia Rolland). At least one adult and 2 chicks – rufous brown with the stripes on crown of the head (Laguna de los Zorros) in the reeds.

FAM. ARDEIDAE
2) Garza Blanca / Great Egret (Ardea alba) 4 around the laguna de los Zorros.

Great egret in flight

Great egret in flight

3) Garcita Blanca / Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 1 perched on a bush

FAM. ANATIDAE
4) Cauquén Común / Upland aka Magellan goose (Chloephaga picta)

Cauquenes comunes

Cauquenes comunes

5) Pato Barcino / Speckled Teal (Anas flavirostris)
6) Pato Maicero / Yellow-billed Pintail (Anas georgica)
7) Pato Overo / Southern Widgeon (Anas sibilatrix)

Southern widgeon

Southern widgeon

8) Pato Zambullidor Chico / Lake Duck (Oxyura vittata) M & F and a chick

Pato zambullidor chico

Pato zambullidor chico

9) Pato Capuchino / Silver Teal (Anas versicolor)

Pato capuchino

Pato capuchino

FAM. ACCIPITRIDAE
10) Aguilucho Común / Variable aka Red-backed Hawk (Buteo polyosoma) F on a tall post

Aguilicho (aka Ñanco)

Aguilicho (aka Ñanco)

FAM. FALCONIDAE
11) Halconcito Colorado / American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) at rocks by Quilquihue bridge stop
12) Chimango / Chimango caracara (Milvago chimango)
13) Carancho / Southern Caracara (Caracara plancus)

FAM. CHARADRIDAE
14) Tero / Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis)

FAM. COLUMBIDAE
15) Torcaza / Ear Dove (Zenaida auriculata)

Torcaza

Torcaza

FAM. PSITTACIDAE
16) Loro Barranquero / Burrowing Parakeet (Cyanocileus patagonus)

 Loro Barranquero

Loro Barranquero

FAM. APODIDAE
17) Vencejo Blanco / Andean Swift (Aeronautes andecolus). Quilquihue bridge stop

FAM. ALCENIDAE
18) Martín Pescador Grande / Ringed Kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata) 2 females on bridge

FAM. PICIDAE
19) Carpintero Pitío / Chilean Flicker (Colaptes pitius)

Carpintero pitio

Carpintero pitio

FAM. FURNARIIDAE
20) Junquero / Wren-like Rush bird (Phleocryptes melanops)

FAM. TYRANNIDAE
21) Cachudito Pico N. / Tufted Tit Tyrant (Anaeretes parulus)
22) Fio-Fio / White-crested Eleania (Elaenia albiceps)
23) Pico de Plata / Spectacled Tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus) M and F
24) Sobrepuesto / Austral Negrito (Lessonia rufa) M and F

Female sobrepuesto

Female sobrepuesto

25) Tachurí 7 Colores / Many-coloured Rush Tyrant (Tachuris rubrigastra)
26) Rara / Rufous-tailed Plant-cutter (Phytotoma rara) one female in bushes near Lagoon

FAM. HIRUNDINIDAE
27) Golondrina patagónica / Chilean Swallow (Tachycineta leucopyga)
28) Golondrina Barranquera / Blue and White Swallow (Notiochelidon cyanoleuca)

FAM. TROGLODYTIDAE
29) Ratona Común / Grass Wren (Troglodytes aedon)

FAM. TURDIDAE
30) Zorzal patagónico / Patagonian Thrush (Turdus falklandii)

FAM. EMBERIZIDAE
31) Misto / Grassland Yellow-Finch (Sicalis luteola)
32) Jilguero Dorado / Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola)

Jilguero dorado (hembra) - actually taken at Scarlett's house as we got home!

Jilguero dorado (hembra) – actually taken at Scarlett’s house as we got home!

33) Diuca / Dicuca Finch (Diuca diuca)                                                                                                                                            

FAM. ICTERIDAE
34) Varillero Ala Amarilla / Yellow-winged Blackbird (Agelaius thilius)
35) Loica / Long-tailed Meadow-lark (Sturnella loyca)

FAM. FRINGILLIDAE
36) Cabecita Negra Austral / Black-chinned siskin (Carduelis barbata)

FAM. THRESKIORNITHIDAE
37) Bandurria Austral / Black-faced Ibis (Theristicus melanopis)

FAM. SCOLOPACIDAE
38) Becasina Común / Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)

And to finish, a dragonfly

And to finish, a dragonfly