{"id":975,"date":"2014-10-15T12:00:14","date_gmt":"2014-10-15T15:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/?p=975"},"modified":"2014-10-15T12:00:14","modified_gmt":"2014-10-15T15:00:14","slug":"day-of-the-big-birds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/archives\/975","title":{"rendered":"Day of the big birds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click on any image for slide show, or scroll down for illustrated narrative.<\/em><\/p>\n

We left San Mart\u00edn at 07.30 on a promising day, with clear blue sky, no wind and no hint of rain. Our aim was to find a place on the road between Jun\u00edn and Alumin\u00e9 called Newen Hue<\/em>, which Scarlett had visited some years earlier and where she had seen Torrent Ducks. Our COA (birding association) is working with other local authorities on a survey of this species and we hoped to provide a few more pieces in the jigsaw. In fact, we were unsuccessful in this but we did have a great birding day anyway.<\/p>\n

\"Juvenile<\/a>

Juvenile Black-chested buzzard eagle<\/p><\/div>\n

We stopped in Junin to fuel the jeep with\u00a0petrol and ourselves with croissants. We then took the road to Tromen, and within a couple of miles had our first thrill: a juvenile Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle<\/strong> perched up on a telephone post by the side of the road. We must have spent ten minutes enthusing over this majestic bird just a dozen metres away, who seemed quite unfazed by our presence even when we got out of the jeep and walked to under his perch. A privileged moment.<\/p>\n

\"Juvenile<\/a>

Juvenile red-backed hawk (aka variable hawk)<\/p><\/div>\n

Eventually we drove on and within a hundred metres or so, perched on another telephone post, we found a Red-backe<\/b>d<\/strong>\u00a0Hawk<\/b>, again a juvenile, with beautiful\u00a0plumage. He was just as nonchalant as the Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle we had just seen. The Mapuche people know this bird as \u00d1anco<\/em>, and it’s said that if you\u00a0see a \u00f1anco’s white chest it will bring you good luck. \u00a0It was clearly going to be a good day!<\/p>\n

\"American<\/a>

American kestrel<\/p><\/div>\n

Eventually we moved on, but again, within another hundred metres or so, we found an American Kestrel<\/strong> sitting on the phone line. These are colourful little birds and beautiful to watch. I only managed to get off one shot (not quite in focus) before she flew away, but we did see a few more of these little hunters during the day.<\/p>\n

\"Southern<\/a>

Southern caracara, disturbed in his road kill feast<\/p><\/div>\n

Restarting the engine of the jeep I could see couple of largish birds in the road ahead, picking away at some road kill. As we got closer we could see that they were an adult and two juvenile\u00a0Southern Caracara<\/b>, the young birds with their beaks still not fully formed, probably last year’s hatch. They are rather arrogant birds (I anthropomorphise, I fear), and strutted around long enough for us to get a few decent shots.<\/p>\n

\"Chimango<\/a>

Chimango caracara in flight (shot the previous week at P\u00edo Protto)<\/p><\/div>\n

There were also a few Chimango caracaras<\/strong> around (when aren’t there?), to add to our growing big bird collection. The one pictured here was shot elsewhere as I didn’t bother to take a shot at the time, what with them being such common birds (I have several nesting in my garden).<\/p>\n

All these\u00a0big birds, and our trip had hardly started. I commented to Scarlet that all we needed now was a couple of Condors. We did see some too, but later in the day (see below).<\/p>\n

\"Map<\/a>

Map of our journey<\/p><\/div>\n

Our journey didn’t work out quite as planned as we never found the place (Newen Hue<\/em>) that we were looking for. The name Newen Hue<\/em> is Mapuche (or more properly\u00a0Mapudungun<\/em>, which\u00a0comes from mapu<\/em> ‘earth, land’ and dungun<\/em> ‘ speak, speech’). \u00a0Newen Hue<\/em> means something like ‘strong place’, a part of the river where the water runs fierce. But we didn’t find it. When we reached Rauhue we decided not to go on to Alumin\u00e9 but instead to go along to Lake Quill\u00e9n. I had been there many years ago, visiting the Lagos Marmol home with its spectacular views across the Quill\u00e9n lake and valley, and was keen to revisit.<\/p>\n

As luck had it, on the Quill\u00e9n road we soon met up with a guardafauna<\/em>\u00a0pickup driven by Marta Bachmann, a provincial guardafauna<\/em> rather than from Parque Nacional Lanin. We chatted awhile. She had done some research on Torrent Ducks and told\u00a0us of a few places along the Quillen river where she had seen them in the past, although not recently. She had not heard of Newen Hue<\/em>, but a policeman at the caminera<\/em> said there was a place of that name along the Quill\u00e9n Road. We never found that either, and although the places indicated by Marta looked promising\u00a0we saw no ducks. We did see a faeces-splattered rock that looked auspicious, but didn’t have time for more than a cursory investigation of the river course.<\/p>\n

\"Here<\/a>

Here we can see the white marks of faeces, very possibly of a torrent duck. This was taken some 5 kms along the road to Quillen from Rauhu\u00e9.<\/p><\/div>\n

But I am taking things out of turn. We had stopped off earlier at Pilo Lil, a spectacular collection of rock formations on the top of a mountain where neolithic and (later) C9th century indigenous peoples used to meet. There are allegedly cave\/wall paintings there too, but we couldn’t find any evidence.<\/p>\n

\"Scarlett<\/a>

Scarlett Eastman in centre of Pilo Lil rock formations<\/p><\/div>\n

We had our lunch here, and then a very good and a very bad thing happened. Simultaneously. Very unusually I had taken off my long lens, the only lens I ever really use, to take some closeups of rock formations. Out of the blue, a pair of Condors\u00a0<\/strong>appeared and proceeded to circle three or four metres above us, clearly curious as to what we were and what we were up to. And my long lens was in the car, three hundred metres away.<\/p>\n

\"Condor<\/a>

Condor at Pio Lil<\/p><\/div>\n

I shot a couple of ineffectual photos with my macro lens, why I’m not quite sure but I guess I was in shock. Then made my way to the car, not running so as not to scare the condors. By the time I got there and changed lenses the birds were leaving, but I did manage to get a couple of shots – not what I would have wanted, given the proximity, but certainly worth shooting. My son always joshes me that I permanently complain about ‘having the wrong lens on’, but this time it really was the case.<\/p>\n

\"Condor<\/a>

Condor circling around Pilo Lil<\/p><\/div>\n

After the condor episode we walked around the mountain top for a while. Suddenly overhead flew a unequivocal peregrine falcon<\/strong> which Scarlett saw disappear into a crevice in the rock face. She then saw a pair of peregrines emerge, circle and return into the crevice. We walked around to a better viewpoint and found the nest, but never saw the peregrines again.<\/p>\n

\"Peregrine<\/a>

Peregrine falcon’s nest on rock face<\/p><\/div>\n

A little to the right of the peregrine’s nesting bowl a black-faced ibis had decided to nest. I couldn’t help feeling little sorry for the poor bird, in such an exposed spot, but she had chosen a site where the sun warmed the rock face so I suppose all was not bad for her. And I must stop anthropomorphising.<\/p>\n

\"Female<\/a>

Female black-faced ibis nesting on rock face<\/p><\/div>\n

For the record, to get to Pilo Lil\u00a0we crossed Arroyo Rancahue (marked on Google maps) on the road between Jun\u00edn and Rauhu\u00e9 and then we turned right off the provincial\u00a0route and up a steep\u00a0hill for about\u00a05 Kms. Very well worth the side trip.<\/p>\n

\"On<\/a>

On the left the provincial route from Jun\u00edn to Alumin\u00e9 and on the right the spiralling ascent to Pilo Lil<\/p><\/div>\n

Finally, the day’s listing,\u00a0in order of appearance. We saw some\u00a0of these birds on a number of occasions.<\/p>\n

1. Tero (Vanellus chilensis<\/em>) Eng. Southern lapwing<\/strong>
\n2. Chimango (Milvago chimango<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Chimango caracara<\/strong>
\n3. Jote Cab Negra (Coragyps atratus<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Black vulture<\/strong>
\n4. Carancho (Caracara plancus) \u00a0Eng.\u00a0Southern caracara\u00a0<\/strong>
\n5. Tordo Renegrido (Molothrus bonariensis<\/em>) \u00a0Eng.\u00a0Shiny cowbird <\/strong>(male and female, on various cables and bushes)
\n6. Pico de Plata (Himenops perspicillata<\/em>) \u00a0Eng.\u00a0Spectacled tyrant\u00a0<\/strong>male and female seen in the bushes
\n7. Zorzal Patag\u00f3nico (Turdus falklandicus<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Austral Thrush<\/strong>
\n8. Loica (Sturnella loyca<\/em>) \u00a0\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Long-tailed meadowlark <\/strong>(male and females, numerous)
\n9. Cabecita Negra (Carduelis barbata<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Black-chinned siskin<\/strong>
\n10. Aguilucho Com\u00fan o \u00d1anco (Buteo polyosoma<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Variable <\/strong>or\u00a0red-backed hawk<\/strong>
\n11. \u00c1guila Mora (Geranoetus melanoleucus<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Black-chested buzzard eagle<\/strong>
\n12. Halconcito Colorado (Falco sparverius<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0American Kestrel<\/strong>
\n13. Diuca com\u00fan\u00a0(Diuca diuca<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Diuca Finch<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Grass<\/a>

Grass wren<\/p><\/div>\n

14. Ratona com\u00fan (Troglodytes aedon<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Grass wren<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"California<\/a>

California quail crossing the road<\/p><\/div>\n

15. Codorniz californiana (Callipepla californica<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Californian Quail<\/strong>
\n16. Remolinera Com\u00fan (Cinclodes fuscus)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Bar-winged <\/strong>or\u00a0Buff-winged Cinclodes<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Eared<\/a>

Eared dove, at side of road<\/p><\/div>\n

17. Torcaza (Zenaida auriculata<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Eared dove<\/strong>
\n18. Cauqu\u00e9n Com\u00fan (Chloephaga picta<\/em>) \u00a0Eng.\u00a0Upland <\/strong>or\u00a0Magellan\u00a0goose<\/strong>
\n19. Sobrepuesto (Lessonia rufa<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Austral negrito<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Ashy-headed<\/a>

Ashy-headed goose<\/p><\/div>\n

20. Cauqu\u00e9n Real (Chloephaga poliocephala<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Ashy-headed goose<\/strong>
\n21. Golondrina Patag\u00f3nica (Tachycineta leucopyga<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Chilean swallow<\/strong>
\n22. Carpintero Pit\u00edo (Colaptes pitius<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Chilean Flicker<\/strong>
\n23. Golondrina barranquera (Nothiochelidon cyanoleuca<\/em>)\u00a0Eng. Blue-and-white swallow<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Yellow-billed<\/a>

Yellow-billed pintail<\/p><\/div>\n

24. Pato Maicero (Anas georgica<\/em>)\u00a0Eng.\u00a0Yellow-billed <\/strong>or Brown Pintail<\/strong>
\n25. Diuc\u00f3n (Xolmis pyrope<\/em>) Eng.\u00a0Fire-eyed Diucon<\/strong>
\n26. Halc\u00f3n Peregrino (Falco peregrinus<\/em>) \u00a0Eng.\u00a0Peregrine falcon<\/strong>
\n27. Bandurria (Theristicus caudatus melanopis<\/em>) \u00a0Eng.\u00a0Black-faced ibis\u00a0<\/strong>
\n28. Condor andino\u00a0(Vultur gryphus<\/em>) \u00a0Eng.\u00a0Condor\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

As always, many thanks to Scarlet Eastman for recording and compiling the listing so efficiently.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Click on any image for slide show, or scroll down for illustrated narrative. We left San Mart\u00edn at 07.30 on a promising day, with clear blue sky, no wind and no hint of rain. Our aim was to find a … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-birds","category-for-fb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=975"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1009,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/975\/revisions\/1009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eayrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}