2007 Tour Narrative
Books read as children and adults, documentaries enjoyed, even just the names conjure up mental images of the Argentine Pampas, Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. But as is so often true, no photo or written description, however evocative, can equal the actual experience. Greater Rheas running through the grasslands, Southern Screamers appearing too heavy to sustain flight, Many-colored Rush Tyrants adding a brilliance of color against reedbeds, and a Giant Wood-Rail finally revealing itself—these were just a few of our pampas experiences. And winds in northern Patagonia could not deter us when there were Magellanic Penguins, Elegant Crested Tinamous, steamer ducks, seedsnipe, Maras, Guanacos, and other birds and mammals to be enjoyed. A windless morning boat trip in the bay for up-close viewing of Southern Right Whales provided welcome atonement for the brutal winds we had braved so willingly the previous days.
Southern Patagonia contrasted remarkably with northern Patagonia, in birds and geography. The close views of nesting Cinereous Harriers and the entertaining pirouettes of Magellanic Plovers endeared us to the Patagonian town of El Calafate, as did the excellent food and interesting shops. Our day in the nearby national park could not have been more perfect, with reflections of snow-covered mountains in the lake, ice calving from the glacier, firebush providing perches for Rufous-tailed Plantcutters, and the nothofagus forest yielding our sought-for species: Austral Pygmy Owl, Austral Parakeet, Chilean Flicker, Fire-eyed Diucon, Austral Blackbird, and many others.
And the finale of our journey, Tierra del Fuego, land of fire, once again gave us the best of the best. A day in Tierra del Fuego National Park gave us the ultimate and hope-for prize: male and female Magellanic Woodpeckers, indescribable and remarkable! Even the keenest of birders were distracted from birds briefly as we hiked the ski area and marveled at the views of the Beagle Channel stretching southward toward Antarctica before returning to the task of finding Yellow-bridled Finches. Our sailing on the Channel later that day with Magellanic Diving Petrels, Black-browed Albatrosses, cormorants, and Gentoo Penguins provided a taste of what an Antarctic cruise would offer. And Rio Grande offered a different side of Tierra del Fuego with sightings of Rufous-chested Dotterels, Austral Canasteros, and Ruddy-headed Geese.
The diversity of birds, scenery, and climate offered by Argentina is matched by only few other countries. The excitement of such highlight families as diving-petrels can be matched only by the drama of the settings in which they can be observed. The Pampas, Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego, with an excellent infrastructure, convenient hotels ranging from the basic-but-comfortable to the downright luxurious, delicious food, and generous hospitality is a region offering outstanding experiences for the birder and the holiday-goer alike.
Judy Davis
Updated: January 2008