Teach me about birdwatching!

Last post

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:45:00 +0000

My dear friends,

Mom died on June 11th at 57 years old. It has been obvious for a while, but let's make it oficial, I won't be posting here anymore. I haven't been out birding in quite a while and it may stay like that for some time.

Thank you for all these great years, will miss you all.

No birds

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Landscape in Cusco is beautiful, and even nicer around this time of the year, the rainy season.

Year started with new job and new chances to start all over. Downside is that it's been extremely busy and haven't gotten time for anything besides work and home. A girl from work got really ill and hasn't been there for a week now, and that means double work for me. But hey, at least it helped me learn a bit more about some stuff faster than I would have if she had been at the office.

Tomorrow will be a day for relax and hopefully a short trip to the mountains. Can't wait to see that Giant Hummingbird again!

First lifer of 2011!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:44:00 +0000

2010 was a tough year, too many changes, sacrifices and sadness, but 2011 WILL BE different, it will bring blessings and new opportunities.

I have neglected my poor blog for too long, and with it, some of the activities I enjoyed the most.

On Monday I start a new job, so a whole new chance to start over begins on the first weekday day of 2011!

Tommy and I decided to start the year with a short hike, going up to the mountains. We started late so we didn't expect to see too many birds, and as it seemed that some rain clouds were coming our way, we didn't really keep our hopes too high.

Hooded Siskin - Carduelis magellanica

I kept blowing to the sky, following a local tradition to prevent the rain from coming... According to the Andean tradition as I was born in August, a windy and a dry season month, it should work (note to readers: if ever in the Andes during rainy season and you were born in any of the rainy season months - November to March - avoid it, as it is believed that the action will actually bring the rains instead of sending them away)

It was a great feeling to be out again, green all over and no people around. And it got even better when we found some nice birds including a lifer for me!!!

Golden-billed Saltator - Saltator aurantiirostris

It was a nice afternoon, with unexpected surprises, amazing views and lovely birds and insects.

The bird list is short, but we certainly enjoyed finding each one of these, especially after so long! Here it is:

- Hooded Siskin
- Golden-billed Saltator (lifer!)
- Common Moorhen
- American Kestrel
- Andean Flicker
- Giant Hummimgbird (AWESOME as usual - it performed an aerial dance for us!!)
- Unidentified Hummingbird (sadly no pics to try and id!)
- Great Thrush
- Rufus-collared Sparrow
- Black-throated Flowerpiercer
- Band-tailed Seedeater

American Kestrel - Falco sparverius

This was a great start for a year that so far seems to actually be an opportunity to start over, this time knowing the city, with new friends and jobs for both of us. I know that my angel in heaven is pushing for some great things to happen (thanks Dad! miss you and love you!!) for me and the rest of the family.

Band-tailed Seedeater - Catamenia analis

So, one of this year's resolutions is to go out more, post more often and catch up with the posts of my dear friend's blogs.

A great 2011 for you all, I've missed you a lot!

(All pics by Tommy)

Happy Holidays!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:30:00 +0000

Been gone for ages but will come back strong in 2011!!! Have a great holiday season, I miss you and promise to be back reloaded when the new year hits!

Soon to see!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:24:00 +0000

I've been working from Monday to Sunday for some time now, I will do until my birthday in a couple of weeks.

I haven't been able to go birding, but my lovely husband had some spare time last week, and guess what? He went birding (what I miss terribly) not far from home, to a mountain near some Incan ruins.

He found this handsome hummingbird, an absolutely beautiful Green-tailed Trainbearer.

This is a very low quality pic (print screen when he wasn't looking, hehe), the original is so awesome! The glittering green and that long long long tail are just amazing.

I'm planning a short hike to try finding this birdie as soon as my shifts are back to "normal" and I get a full free day.

Hopefully I'll be able to see a few other birds that my hubbie managed to find on his own.

So, wish me luck! In a couple of weeks I might be back to birding and hopefully to blogging, to bore you again ;)

Miss you all!

Birds on hats

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:59:00 +0000

It's been quite a while since my last post. It's been a month and a half since dad died and I'm still getting used to the idea, and to this new city. I've been working and haven't been able to go birding, but I wanted to share with you a bit of the birds I actually saw.

June is a month of celebration in this city, starts with Corpus Christi and goes on and on until Inti Raymi (Festivital of the Sun) arrives.

This is a curious city, it mixes Christian/Catholic rites with Incan Festivities. It's a wild time with lots of people on the streets and groups of dancers performing for the crowd, the saints, the sun and God.

I loved these guys:

With white masks and whips (personifying the Spaniards that came to "colonize" centuries ago), but dressed up with all sorts of symbols from the Andean world (rainbow colours, nature representations embroderied on their hats called "monteras", Andean camelids, etc.)

They "fight", although it is more like a duel to show who's best with the whip.

They look proud and beautiful.

The Ukukus are also great. Ukuku means "bear" in Quechua, the language of the Incas. These Ukukus wear black masks and usually tease the dancers and the audiences, they are funny and get lot of cheering from the crowds. These ones were pulling a small truck while dancing freely on the streets.

Andean people respect nature, they represent it in many ways...

... like in these "montera", mountains, dolphins, sun...

... or this butterfly...

... others prefer birds...

... which helped with my need for birds!

Colourful parrots and patterns brightening up my day!!!

And even a Cock-of-the-rock to cheer me up :)

This is a new city (to me!), with traditions that I used to read about but never experienced myself...

... new experiences that make me smile (like these birdies here, or is it just me??)

I'm getting used to this city, letting the excitement and the colour invade my soul (at least until I can go birding for real birds!)

It's not easy, but it helps.

I plan to go birding this Sunday, wish me good luck!

Will miss you

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:13:00 +0000

Dad and just born Mel - 1977

Saturday 5am. Call from mom. Dad's heart stopped beating at 3:15am. He was 58.
Chaos, no flights available to Lima. At the airport by 8am, begging to airlines for some help. Was lucky enough to find a nice airport official to help out, by noon I was "home".

The night before mom called to say how great he was doing, better and better every day, even though he was still at the hospital.

It was incredible to see so many people at the funeral, we counted over 40 flower arrangements, at least a couple of hundred people visiting us.

We put a photo of him killing a crocodile, a photo that I took back in 1997... it captures his personality perfectly. People looked at it and smiled, saying that they will always remember him like that.

It was sad, but so peaceful. I can't describe the amount of love I felt in that room, the truly caring hugs and kisses.

I knew that he was very loved, but never imagined the impact he had in so many lives. I wasn't aware of the amount of people who cared about us all... school friends, my first grade teacher! teachers from secondary school (high school), former bosses, neighbours, people who worked with dad over 20 years ago!

I can't describe the feeling of having so many people saying to me how much they learned from dad, how good he was, how fun and caring, how deep he touched their lives, so many people trying to help us in every way. So many anecdotes, people laughing instead of crying, colourful flowers all over. WOW. I hope that I can leave such a good mark when it is my time to go.

He was a good example of an honest man. He had so many chances to take advantage of others, and he chose honour over money. He took care of grandma until the last day he could, even after his chemotherapies he went to visit her and cheer her up. He worked in pain for over 10 years, and almost never complained. He never owed money to anyone, the little we have is ours. He was always proud of our achievements, even though he didn't always show it. He gave us everything he had and more, always worried about us.

I wish he stayed a little longer, I'm going to miss our talks.

Te quiero mucho papito, cuídanos desde el cielo.

Huacarpay

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:43:00 +0000

I've been meaning to post for a while.

Dad has been extremely bad, I had to fly back for a week as it seemed like he was not going to make it. Being away makes me very nervous. It is frustrating not to be able to help, all I can do for now is wait and keep up the hope. I send letters to mom and she reads them to him when she manages to sneak into the Intensive Care Unit at the Hospital.

A couple of Sundays ago, Tommy and I decided to find out how to get to Huacarpay, a birding spot that we were told we couldn't miss. It was way too late for proper birding, but we decided to go anyway, just to find out exactly how to get there on our own.

Huacarpay was recently hit by nature, heavy rains and floodings left a lot of people homeless, and the town is slowly recovering.

It felt strange to know that and see large patches of soil like this:

The Andean marshes of Huacarpay were beautiful, we didn't manage to spend a lot of time there, but the time we were there was worth it! We couldn't find the endemic hummingbird of the area, the Bearded Mountaineer or the Giant Hummingbird (I wished so much to find it that maybe I scared it away with my obsessive thoughts! hehe)

The next pic doesn't really show what we saw, can you see the horizontal rainbow in front of the mountain? It was a first for me, and it was espectacular!

After a while we found some sort of observation cabin, too bad that we were so far away of most birds, even with the binoculars it wasn't easy, it was raining earlier and at first it seemed that we were not going to find much.

But after a while, all sorts of beauties started to appear. We managed to photograph only the ones that were closer to us.

Speckled Teal / Yellow-billed Teal

It was one of those totally unplanned trips, and we found so many new birds! We expected to see a couple of new birds, as we did not prepare in advance (remember we just wanted to figure out how to get there and get familiar with the area)

Andean Gull

We went back home when it started to get dark, with new birds to talk and learn about, super tired and hungry (we never had lunch!) but sooo excited about our unexpected adventure.

This is the list of what we managed to id so far, I guess that following trips will help us id a couple of birds that were too elusive even to let us take a few notes:

Yellow-billed Pintail
Hooded Siskin
Yellow-winged Blackbird
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Blue-and-yellow Tanager (lifer!)
Cinereous Ground Tyrant (lifer!)
Western Great Egret (lifer!)
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle (lifer!)
Plumbeous Rail (lifer!)
Cinnamon Teal (lifer!)
Andean Coot (lifer!)
Sparkling Violet-ear (lifer!)
Band-tailed Seedeater
Andean Gull (lifer!)
Puna Yellow Finch (lifer!)
Puna Teal (lifer!)
Plumbeous Pigeon (lifer!)
Puna Ibis (lifer!)
Speckled Teal / Yellow-billed Teal (lifer!)

New birders!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:52:00 +0000

A friend from school, Marisol, moved to Cusco with her kid some time ago.

Last Sunday she asked us if we wanted to take a walk with her, her boy and the dog. Of course we accepted and met early for breakfast together before climbing up to get around Sacsayhuaman.

It took us around an hour and it was worth it!

Rufous-collared Sparrow

On the way up we found new birds, a couple of them with pending id and sadly with no pic to help us (guess we have to go back some time soon hehe)

We didn't get into Sacsayhuaman, an important Incan Fortress, but walked around before heading to Q'enqo chico, a small set of ruins in a spot that gives you an amazing view of the city.

Mel-bird(er) at Q'enqo chico ruins

It was hot and sunny, they were tons of Rufous-collared Sparrows singing and the idea of not doing anything but stare at the blue sky, green mountains and pretty birds was so great!

Rufous-collared Sparrow

One of the highlights of the walk was the fact that we gained a couple of new birders to the cause! hahaha... both my friend and her 8 year old Santiago were amazed about how close they could see the birds with the binoculars (the four of us took turns to see) and the boy was so excited he kept asking about the birds and asking for the binoculars over and over again.

Santiago and the party's binoculars

It was so great to spend a nice day with friends and to have been able to share a bit of our love for nature and birds with them. By the way, can anyone recommend binoculars for kids that can be found on this side of the world?? Can't let Santiago escape!!

Band-tailed Seedeater

We saw:
Great Thrush (lifer!)
Great Sapphirewing (lifer!)
Band-tailed Seedeater (lifer!)
Black-hooded Siskins
Rufous-collared Sparrows (way too many of them)
A hummingbird that we were not able to id or photograph
A hawk waaay too far to id
Some sort of wren that was too fast

Might sound like a little list, but it was our first Sunday in the city, and we went out with a kid and a dog, not very bird-friendly ;)

Band-tailed Seedeater

I hope that soon we'll be able to go back there again and learn more about the birds on the area, it is fun to be out!

Night time - Plaza Regocijo

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:47:00 +0000

I tried to take pics of the same place (previous post) but at night time, the pics are horrible, but hopefully it will give you an idea of the area and what Plaza Regocijo looks like.

Do you know the meaning of the word "regocijo"? I found all these meanings: joy, delight, pleasure, amusement, exhilaration, glee, mirth.

Isn't that great? All those positive meanings! It is something I have to keep in mind :)

I still have to find out if it is possible to do some birding this weekend, I hope so with all my heart! I want to grab the binoculars and enjoy!

Will keep you posted!

New work environment

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:55:00 +0000

So, today I started working.

I'll tell you about the new job later on, today I just wanted to show you where it is :)

No more grey buildings and skies for me. These pics were taken after this morning's heavy rain, and if it wasn't for the wet floors you wouldn't know. I was standing on the balcony of the place. The pics don't do justice to what your eyes see. The green hills behind, the colonial architecture, the stone brick roads. Stunning. A bad day can't be that bad if you can stare at this.

For those of you who wonder, that flag is the flag of the Tahuantinsuyo, the flag of the Inca Empire, many centuries before what it is used for in other countries today.

Plaza Regocijo is just beautiful. I saw a yet-to-id bird here with Tommy, so, maybe on a break I can bring my binoculars and spy on some birds, if they allow me to scare customers like that!

This plaza is four blocks away from our new home, so, I can walk there every day! To think that it took me one hour and a half in public transport to get to work when I was in Lima!

Sundays are my 'free' days, so I'll try to go to the Urubamba Valley with Tommy and some friends next Sunday, hopefully to catch a nice bird on camera to show you :)

See you!

Some history about our new home

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:23:00 +0000

If you've been following this blog, then you know that Tommy and I decided to move to Cusco. We took these pics from the plane when we were not far from our destination.

Cusco is a city in Southeastern Peru with an altitude of around 3,400 m (11,200 ft). It can be hard on some people due to altitude sickness, but with the proper rest and precautions everything is fine.

Cusco is the historic capital of the Inca Empire and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO.

Some historians say that the name Cusco is derived from the Quechua phrase, qusqu wanka, meaning "rock of the owl". Isn't that awesome? More bird related stuff about our new hometown!

I got a new job and will start next week, and Tommy has a few projects that I believe will work out just fine.

We are meeting new people every day, and so far they have been great! They helped us so much these past few weeks. We are also finding information about nearby birding spots and saw a couple of new birds within the city, a hummingbird and what we believe is some kind of thrush (id pending)

It won't be easy, but it won't be boring either.

Getting ready!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:39:00 +0000

So, taxi will pick us up to go to the airport at 5:30am.

It is happening, we are moving to Cusco!

Besides the bunch of clothes and house stuff we managed to "pack" for the past week, we have a couple of things that were added to our super heavy bags, but that we couldn't miss.

One, the Field Guide of the Birds of Machu Picchu and the Cusco Region by Barry Walker, a guide we wanted to buy for a while and we finally got it!

Sorry about the bad pics, but they are as reference only. I love this plate, I wonder if I'll manage to see any of these hummingbirds soon!

The other thing is a present that my great friend Celeste, from Zöövenirs-Perú made for me.

Celeste, Andean Cock-of-the-rock and Mel

Isn't that Andean Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruviana) handsome?? Celeste sewed this super cool key holder for me as a farewell gift. I just love it! Thank you Celeste for such a great present!

That lovely bird is our national bird and it is one of the ones to be found in Cusco! Until work issues are certain, I might be selling these little fellows over there, so, wish me luck!

I have to go now... last minute packing, there is always something else to sneak into the bags!

See you soon, the adventure begins :)

New home

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:36:00 +0000

In a week, this is where we'll be. We found a place half a block from this market and colonial church in Cusco, Peru.

It is scary, it is exciting, it is all about new beginnings.

We are about to get a couple of bird guides from the region so we can start learning about the local birds, and will try to set us a goal of visiting a new place every weekend. Even if it is a few meters away from our new home.

If any of you have recommendations about a particular field guide, a birding area, etc. close by, it would be awesome. We've been researching, but it is always great to have some feedback from people who has been in the area before.

So, off we go, hoping for some birding adventures that we could share with you in a couple of weeks.

We are moving!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:24:00 +0000

Yes, we are!

We are moving to Cusco! Capital of the Inca Empire and our dream for a while. We are crazy.
We decided it last year, and of course, after I quit my job (ending on February 28) nature decided to make it extra harder and rained and rained until it flooded and thousands were left with nothing but what they were wearing.

We will go seeking for jobs in a place where devastation hit with fury. Businesses are closing and people are losing houses, crops and animals.

But we'll still go. It will be a challenge, and also an opportunity to help out some people. Our hearts waited too long for this. We want to start over from scratch - new life, new jobs, new problems but also new opportunities. We are confident that we could do good, meet new people and also enjoy the nature around the area (one of the main reasons to choose that location) and the travel possibilities from there to the South or to the jungle.

We can't say we are not worried about it. We have no house or full time job yet, and we move in a few weeks, but we are confident and excited!

It will be a pleasure to finally post about nature and new and exciting birds!!! Will you share this new adventure with us???

On the path to recovery

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:51:00 +0000

Yesterday, after two weeks of really stressing weeks, my dad had his very long surgery. They found many more tumours than they expected (even after all the scans, tests, MRIs, etc.) but they also managed to do more than they were planning at the beginning.

They say the surgery was a complete success, and they expect the recovery to be painful but fast. He spent the night in the Intensive Care Unit, so we haven't seen him since yesterday's morning.

I want to thank all the friends who said a prayer or sent their good wishes, I believe all your good will helped for this outcome.

The danger is not gone yet, but the first part is done at least.

I'll try to go to the park close to home yesterday, I need some birds to stare at, even if it is for a minute or two. Last weekend Tommy and I visited Cieneguilla, not far from home, and got a couple of lifers. I'll write about it soon.

Health

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:49:00 +0000

Hello my friends.

These past few weeks have been hard on the family. My dad has been hospitalized again and he's facing surgery tomorrow morning once more (if the doctors finally agree on that) A few dozens of tumours need to be removed from the abdominal area. He's 58 years old but his actual health condition is not great, so it has become a life threatening surgery at this point. But it is needed.

To those of you who pray, I ask for a prayer tomorrow morning to guide the doctors hands and hearts. To those of you who don't, I ask to send positive thoughts for the very same reason. The past 10 proved that every little positive thought and healing wish or prayer counts.

I have to go now, hope to be posting soon, and more cheerful and bird-full too.

Hugs to you all. THANK YOU!

Berisso

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:23:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I posted about the birds we found in Costanera Sur and La Plata, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Almost 30 lifers in an unexpected birding spot.

A few days later, we met Julio Milat, from the Museo Ornitológico Municipal de Berisso. He took us on a 3 hour field trip that was really awesome.

First we stopped to see this amazing and heavy construction. Parakeets made it and now all sorts of birds take advantage of it! The owner of the property is very concerned because the structure is weak and may not be able to hold all that weight for long.

It was a very nice day, sunny and clear. Tommy, my cousin Justina and I followed Julio and asked a lot of questions. Tommy took off with the camera (all pics of birds are his) while I stalked Julio notepad in hand asking him to help id this or that bird.

Masked Yellowthroat

Another big bunch of lifers came out of that trip. In order to list them, I used a local field guide, "Birds of Buenos Aires" by Tito Narosky / Christian Henschke. Some of the names didn't match the ones on other lists, so I asked David J. Ringer to help me clarify a couple of woodpeckers names to add them on my Birdstack list. THANK YOU David!

Golden-breasted woodpecker

So, here they are, Argentinian name first, then English, then Scientific (according to Narosky's guide):

1) Cotorra – Monk Parakeet – Myiopsitta monachus
2) Torcaza – Eared Dove – Zenaida auriculata
3) Golondrina ceja blanca – White-rumped Swallow – Tachycineta leucorrhoa
4) Fío fío – Fío fío pico corto – Small-billed Elaenia – Elaenia parvirostris (lifer!)
5) Mosqueta olivácea – Mottled-cheeked Tyrannulet – Phylloscartes ventralis (lifer!)
6) Hornero - Rufous Hornero – Furnarius rufus (lifer!)
7) Chingolo - Rufous-collared Sparrow – Zonotrichia capensis
8) Tero común – Southern Lapwing – Vanellus chilensis
9) Zorzal colorado – Rufous-bellied Thrush – Turdus rufiventris
10) Zorzal chalchalero – Creamy-bellied Thrush – Turdus amaurochalinus (lifer!)
11) Carpintero bataraz chico – Checkered Woodpecker – Picoides mixtus
12) Pijuí plomizo – Chicli Spinetail – Synallaxis spixi (lifer!)
13) Benteveo común – Great Kiskadee – Pitangus sulphuratus
14) Chiflón – Whistling Heron – Syrigma sibilatrix (lifer!)
15) Misto – Grassland Yellow-finch – Sicalis luteola (lifer!)
16) Corbatita común – White-collared Seedeater – Sporophila caerulescens (lifer!)
17) Torcacita común – Picui Ground-dove - Columbina picuí
18) Tordo músico - Bay-winged Cowbird – Molotrhus badius
19) Gorrión - House Sparrow – Passer domesticus
20) Pirincho – Guira Cuckoo – Guira guira
21) Calandria grande – Chalk-browed Mockingbird – Mimus saturninus
22) Ratona común - House Wren – Troglodytes aedon
23) Golondrina barranquera – Blue-and-white Swallow – Notiochelidon cyanoleuca
24) Carpintero campestre – Campo Flicker (the guide showed it as Field Flicker) – Colaptes campestris (lifer!)
25) Tijereta – Fork-tailed Flycatcher – Tyrannus savana (lifer! what a beautiful bird!!)
26) Crespín – Striped Cuckoo – Tapera naevia (lifer! but only heard)
27) Biguá – Neotropic Cormorant – Phalacrocorax olivaceus/brasilianus
28) Picaflor común – Glittering-bellied Emerald – Chlorostillbon aureoventris
29) Golondrina parda - Brown-chested Martin – Phaeoprogne tapera
30) Cachirla común – Correndera Pipit – Anthus correndera (lifer!)
31) Milano Blanco – White-tailed Kite – Elanus leucurus (lifer!)
32) Suirirí real – Yellow-browed Tyrant – Satrapa icterophrys (lifer!)
33) Estornino pinto – European Starling – Sturnus vulgaris (lifer!)
34) Carau – Limpkin – Aramus guarauna (lifer!)
35) Sirirí colorado – Fulvous Whistling-duck – Dendrocygna bicolor (lifer!)
36) Sirirí pampa – White-faced Whistling-duck – Dendrocygna viduata
37) Pato picazo – Rosy-billed Pochard – Netta peposaca (lifer!)
38) Pato capuchino – Silver Teal – Anas versicolor (lifer!)
39) Pecho colorado – White-browed Blackbird – Sturnella superciliaris (lifer! beautiful!)
40) Varillero congo – Chesnut-capped Blackbird – Agelaius ruficapillus
41) Varillero negro – Unicolored Blackbird – Agelaius cyanopus (lifer!)
42) Pollona pintada – Spot-flanked Gallinule – Porphyriops melanops (lifer!)
43) Carancho – Southern-crested Caracara – Polyborus plancus
44) Gavilán planeador – Long-winged Harrier – Circus buffoni (lifer! stunning flight!)
45) Pecho amarillo común – Brown-and-yellow Marshbird – Pseudoleistes virescens (lifer!)
46) Cuervillo de cañada - White-faced Ibis – Plegadis chihi (lifer!)
47) Cuervillo cara pelada - Bare-faced Ibis – Phimosus infuscatus (lifer!)
48) Pato maicero – Yellow-billed Pintail – Anas georgica (lifer!)
49) Carpintero real común – Golden-breasted Woodpecker – Colaptes melanolaimus (this one I couldn't find on other lists, but seems to be the southern version of the Green-barred Woodpecker - Colaptes melanochloros)
50) Jilguero dorado – Saffron Finch – Sicalis flaveola
51) Varillero ala amarilla – Yellow-winged Blackbird – Agelaius thilius (lifer!)
52) Doradito común – Warbling Doradito - Pseudocolopteryx (lifer!)
53) Halconcito colorado – American Kestrel – Falco sparverius (lifer! super cute!)
54) Taguató común – Roadside Hawk – Buteo magnirostris (lifer!)
55) Chimango – Chimango Caracara – Milvago chimango (lifer!)
56) Tordo renegrido – Shiny Cowbird – Molothrus bonariensis
57) Cigüeña americana – Maguari Stork – Ciconia maguari (lifer!)
58) Caracolero – Snail Kite – Rostrhamus sociabilis (lifer!)
59) Arañero cara negra - Masked Yellowthroat - Geothlypis aequinoctialis (lifer!)

Justina, Julio, Mel, Tommy

It was one of the highlights of the trip. Amazing 3 hours, so many birds, so many lifers, so much fun!

Happy Holidays :)

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:44:00 +0000

Blessings for my dear birder friends!

Costanera Sur and La Plata

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:44:00 +0000

It was about time that I started writing about the Argentina trip.

We travelled to do my thesis papers and presentation, and also to visit some family. However, we managed to squeeze in some time for nature. We were not able to find a Buenos Aires birding guide until the very last day (sadly), but we met some cool people while we tried to capture some new-to-us birds on camera or taking notes for future id.

On rainy November 29th, Sunday and a day before my thesis presentation, we walked from our hotel to Puerto Madero. From there, we kept walking until we got to Costanera Sur, as our goal was to get into the Parque Ecológico that was behind a pond that separated the natural reserve from the avenue.

We never made it to the reserve that day as it was closed because of the rain, but we met a group of birders that were around and spent about half an hour with them. They showed us the bird guide we needed (Tito Narosky's guide for Buenos Aires and surroundings), and helped us learn some local names.

We learned that the Vermilion Flycatcher ('Turtupilín' in Peru) is called 'Churrinche' in Argentina, a Rufous Collared Sparrow is a 'Gorrión Americano' in Peru and a 'Chingolo' in Argentina, a House Wren is a 'Cucarachero común' in Peru and a 'Ratona' or 'Ratonera' in Argentina. A Great Kiskadee is called Benteveo and is quite common in Buenos Aires, while the only one we saw before was back in 2007 in Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay)

Cool group of Argentine birders and Mel

After exchanging some information we all continued our ways. It would have been great to be able to go birding with such a great group, they did ask us when were we leaving, as they met on weekends, but we were going to be on a plane by then :(

Two days after this meeting, we decided to go back to Costanera Sur, as it was a sunny day and we had tons of bug repellent by then (we got eaten that first Sunday, badly!)

Tommy and I finally got into the reserve and found some pretty cool birds, so many lifers!! It was an awesome experience.

Here's the list of all the birds we found in Costanera Sur and the Parque Ecológico those two days -first name is the Argentine name, second is the English name, third is the Latin name- and some pics that Tommy took (please be aware that I used Narosky's guide to id, some of the names may be different, but until I find more common or current names, I'll stick to Narosky's):

1) Cotorra – Monk Parakeet – Myiopsitta monachus (lifer!)
2) Torcaza – Eared dove – Zenaida auriculata
3) Golondrina ceja blanca – White-rumped swallow – Tachycineta leucorrhoa (lifer!)
4) Cisne cuello negro – Black-necked swan – Cygnus melancoryphus (lifer!)
5) Coscoroba – Coscoroba swan – Coscoroba coscoroba (lifer!)
6) Gallareta chica – White-winged coot – Fulica leucoptera (lifer!)
7) Pollona negra – Common gallinule – gallinula chloropus
8) Tero real – South american stilt – Himantopus melanurushimantopus (lifer!)
9) Paloma doméstica - Rock dove – Columba livia
10) Paloma manchada – Spot-winged pigeon – Columba maculosa (lifer!)
11) Ñanday – Black-hooded parakeet – Nandayus nenday (lifer!)
12) Sietevestidos – Black-and-rufous warbling-finch – Poospiza nigrorufa (lifer!)

Black-and-rufous warbling-finch

13) Cabecita negra común – Hooded siskin – Carduelis magellanica
14) Picabuey – Cattle tyrant – Machetornis rixosus (lifer!)
15) Piojito común – White-crested tyrannulent – Serpophaga subcristata (lifer!)
16) Hornero - Rufous hornero – Furnarius rufus (lifer!)
17) Chigolo – Rufous-collared sparrow – Zonotrichia capensis

Rufous-collared sparrow

18) Zorzal colorado – Rufous-bellied thrush – Turdus rufiventris (lifer!)
19) Carpintero bataraz chico – Checkered woodpecker – Picoides mixtus (lifer!)
20) Benteveo común – Great kiskadee – Pitangus sulphuratus
21) Tacuarita azul – Masked gnatcatcher – Polioptila dumicola (lifer!)

Masked gnatcatcher

22) Cardenal común – Red-crested cardinal – Paroaria coronata (lifer!)

Red-crested cardinal

23) Torcacita común – Picui ground-dove- Columbina picui (lifer!)
24) Tordo músico – Bay-winged cowbird – Molotrhus badius (lifer!)
25) Gorrión - House sparrow – Passer domesticus
26) Pirincho – Guira cuckoo – Guira guira (lifer!)

Guira cuckoo

27) Calandria grande – Chalk-browed mockingbird – Mimus saturninus (lifer!)

Chalk-browed mockingbird

28) Calandria real – White-banded mockingbird – Mimus triurus (lifer!)
29) Ratona común - House wren – Troglodytes aedon
30) Biguá – Neotropic cormorant – Phalacrocorax olivaceus/brasilianus
31) Picaflor común – Glittering-bellied emerald – Chlorostillbon aureoventris (lifer!)
32) Golondrina parda – Brown-chested martin – Phaeoprogne tapera (lifer!)
33) Sirirí pampa – White-faced whistling-duck – Dendrocygna viduata (lifer!)
34) Varillero congo – Chesnut-capped blackbird – Agelaius ruficapillus (lifer!)
35) Carancho – Southern crested-caracara – Polyborus plancus (lifer!)

Southern crested-caracara

36) Carpintero real común – Golden-breasted woodpecker – Colaptes melanolaimus (lifer!)

Golden-breasted woodpecker

37) Jilgero dorado – Saffron yellow-finch – Sicalis flaveola
38) Tordo renegrido – Shiny cowbird – Molothrus bonariensis
39) Matico – Troupial – Icterus icterus (lifer!) - This one was awesome to find, too bad we couldn't photograph it, however, one of our new Argentine birder friends, Roberto Güller, helped us id it, when we described the bird to him he sent us a pic and there it was! A beautiful bird!
40) Chiricote - Grey-necked wood-rail - Aramides cajanea

Grey-necked wood-rail

Later on we travelled to La Plata to meet the family, on the way there we found:
1) Tero común – Southern lapwing – Vanellus chilensis
2) Garza blanca – Great egret – egretta alba
3) Benteveo común – Great kiskadee – Pitangus sulphuratus
4) Chiricote - Grey-necked wood-rail - Aramides cajanea
And a big bird with pending id.

In a few days I'll let you know about the awesome trip to Berisso and the many cool lifers we got there!

Will be back after I unpack!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Oh, and if you are curious about how it went... visit this. Ok, ok, that's in Spanish, but maybe you manage to understand a little bit ;)

I did it!! THANK YOU all for the great wishes and all your support during these past couple of years.

Here with the group that defended thesis on November 30th. I went first. It was a bit scary, but also exciting. Yes, that's me in green.

During the following weeks I'll post about the new birds we found in Buenos Aires and around. Few lifers!!

Gone for a week

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:45:00 +0000

I will be back in a week, hopefully with good news :)

A walk before lunch

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:09:00 +0000

If you have been following this blog for a while, you are well aware of my lack of posting due to working on my thesis.

In less than a week I will travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to defend my investigation in front of a room filled with people. I can't deny I'm a bit nervous.

And last Friday it was too much. I found out that I can't get my degree unless I do the paperwork to become a resident all over again. Even if I don't live or plan to live there anymore. The university told me that even though I had the go-ahead for defending the thesis, they couldn't register me for it.

EXCUSE ME??? I've been asking since last March about costs, papers, etc. and one week before I find out that I wasn't going to be able to defend and get my degree??? After e-mails, phone calls, conversations, arguments, etc. I had authorization to defend it on November 30 as I was told before. But I can't get my degree unless I become a resident again. Ok. No comments on that one, as I've been pretty upset due to that.

This morning I decided to just leave the bad news behind and move forward. I decided to go for some birding-healing.

Vermilion Flycatcher - Sooty Morph

Tommy and I took a walk before lunch. I have to confess I was still a bit grumpy, but my lovely hubbie did a great job cheering me up. He even let me use his camera for a few shots :)

I can't believe how good for the heart that was. It was sunny and a bit too hot, but we had a nice time and an ice cream to take care of the heat.

We found this Croaking Ground-Dove just relaxing in the sun. I'll do the same. Just close my eyes and relax in the sun.

Then it will be time to go back to work again. The thesis era is almost over, even though massive bureaucracy is ahead.

Nature is healing. I came back in a totally different mood. The brightness, the colours, the sounds. It is all good for the heart.

Tommy saw this Tropical Kingbird perched high on a tree. I managed to take a pic of it. It looks so proud! I like it! Will I be after defending the thesis?? Maybe.

It's amazing how much you can learn from birds. But you knew that already.

Lifer!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:26:00 +0000

New lifer yesterday! And not just any lifer.

I met my first blogger/birder friend!

Paul, The Wandering Tattler, and the lovely Sonja were visiting Peru for a few weeks. I'm waiting for their photo of our lunch together to post it here. (UPDATE: Paul sent me the pic the waiter took of us, here it is!)

It was sooo much fun to meet them. Too bad that I had to go back to work after a few hours and that we couldn't go birding together.

They were in Lima only for a day, after a trip that covered places such as Cusco, Arequipa, Madre de Dios, Ica...

They were just a few birds away from hitting the 200 birds mark for the trip (I hope they managed to find a few or id the ones they couldn't yet!)

We spent a few hours together, but it was so nice! It must be because birders rock ;)

I wish that we could meet again soon, and I'll wait for Paul's posts on my country. This place is full of contrasts, and I'm sure there are plenty of stories to come (Stop by and read!)

Thank you Paul and Sonja for a wonderful time, hope to see you soon!

High

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:33:00 +0000

This is the highest on a tree I've seen a Vermilion Flycatcher.

I went to visit grandma and on her garden, tall trees and palm trees make it difficult for the Vermilion to catch some food. They usually perch on small bushes or trees, waiting for the moment to fly and catch a fine meal.

This bird was much higher than any other of its kind I've ever seen. The tree is around 10 meters tall, and this fellow was on top of it. It dived for flies and bugs and didn't seem to get any. I'm not sure if it managed to get some, I didn't have my binoculars with me to see.

After a while, it just stopped diving to the ground. It stood there, on top of the tree, its bright feathers shinning in the sun. It was a beautiful thing to watch, even from the distance I was. It looked so proud and beautiful!

I'm also going to stop diving for things I won't get anyway, I'll start focusing on the future and the wonders to come.

Many changes ahead, that I will share with you in the near future :)