WILD PARROTS UP CLOSE … · 2019. 10. 23. · WILD PARROTS UP CLOSE ARGENTINA AND CHILE 2017 WILD...
Transcript of WILD PARROTS UP CLOSE … · 2019. 10. 23. · WILD PARROTS UP CLOSE ARGENTINA AND CHILE 2017 WILD...
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ARGENTINA and CHILE
NOVEMBER 2017
This will be a trip to truly remember for all the right reasons. Patagonian Conures by the thousand with
Austral and Slender-billed Conures, are some of the special Parrots that cannot be seen in any other
country but also some amazing scenery with glorious colours of the mountains in the Salta/Jujuy
region, the coastal areas of the Valdes Peninsula and the lake crossings in Chile as well as lots of other
birds, including Flamingoes and Condors, and wildlife, including Right Whales, Sea Lions and
Elephant Seals, as we travel to the North-west and Patagonian regions of Argentina and into Chile.
OUTLINE ITINERARY 2017
Day 1 October 30th Arrive Buenos Aires
Day 2 October 31st Salta and Rosario de la Frontera for 2 sub-
species of Maximillians Parrot (P.m.siy and
P.m.lacerus) and Blue fronted Amazon (A.a.xanthopteryx)
Day 3 November 1st Huaico Reserve and San Lorenzo for Mitred
Conure and Tucuman Amazon
Day 4 November 2nd Custa del Obispo for Sierra Parakeet and Andean sub-species of the Patagonian
Burrowing Parrot
Day 5 November 3rd Los Perales and Humahuaca Valley for Mountain Parakeet and Blue crowned
Conure
Day 6 November 4th Jujuy o Yala for White eyed Conure and
Green cheeked Conure (P.m.australi)
Day 7 November 5th Calilegua for Monk Parakeet (M.m.calita)
and Yellow collared Macaw
Day 8 November 6th Calilegua for Maximillians Pionus (P.m.siy)
and Tucuman Amazon
Day 9 November 7th Libertador San Martin for Yellow
chevroned Parakeet (B.c.behni)
Day
10 November 8th
Salta for flight to Buenos Aires
Day 11 November 9th Buenos Aires to Trelew and onto our
lodge at Puerto Piramides
Day 12 November 10th Valdes Peninsula for Right Whales, Orcas, Elephant Seals and Sea Lions
Day 13 November 11th Chubut River Valley for Monk Parakeet and Patagonian Burrowing Parrots
Day 14 November 12th
Trelew to Buenos Aires to Bariloche
Day 15 November 13th
Bariloche for Austral Conures
Day 16 November 14th
Travel to Puerto Montt, Chile via roads
and lakes
Day 17 November 15th
Chiloe for Slender billed Conures
Day 18 November 16th
Puerto Montt to Buenos Aires or Santiago
Day 19 November 17th
Buenos Aires/Santiago to Home
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ITINERARY
30th October
The group meets up for the first time at our hotel in
Buenos Aires
31st October
We will be taking a morning flight to Salta in the
North-west. From the airport we initially will travel
south to Rosario de la Frontera.
Northwestern Argentina is a land full of spectacular
landscapes and with a vast cultural heritage. Remnants
of buildings and roads from the “Great Inca Empire of
the Sun” can still be found everywhere here, and many
cultural events and pre-Hispanic rituals, such as that in
honor of the “Pacha Mama” (Mother Earth), are still
celebrated by the locals. Andean music is heard
everywhere, and people still play their traditional
instruments. This incredibly varied region has a great
diversity of natural habitats, ranging from Yungas
Cloudforest to dry Chaco Woodlands. The three
provinces in the north-westernmost part of Argentina,
Jujuy, Salta and Tucuman, host some pristine
representatives of these habitats, all worth visiting for
birders to find both diversity and good numbers of
native species.
Rosario de la Frontera gives our first chances of
parrots in the form of Maximillians or Scaly-headed
Parrots, Blue-fronted Amazons and Monk
Parakeets.
Overnight in Rosario de la Frontera
1st November
After an early morning look for more of the parrots
here we then travel back towards Salta and the
Huaico Reserve near to San Lorenzo where we can
see the Scaly-headed Parrots once again but also the
Mitred Conure and Tucuman Amazon
Overnight in San Lorenzo
2nd November
Today we will visit the area of Custa del Obispo to
look for the Sierra Parakeet and the Andean sub-
species of the Patagonian Burrowing Parrot.
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Forming a wedge along the southern Andean chains of
Bolivia and northwestern Argentina, the Yungas
Cloudforest supports one of the greatest biological
diversities in the Neotropics. It harbors a wide variety of
forests and woodlands, each hosting its own and unique
community of flora and fauna, and all varying according
with their altitudinal ranges. Wildlife is abundant in this
humid environment. Ferns, bromeliads and other
epiphytic plants are particularly stunning here, and they
cover every single corner of the forest. This biological
treasure is well protected within the boundaries of
several national parks and nature reserves and we plan
to explore it thoroughly in different areas.
Overnight in San Lorenzo
3rd November
Travelling further north to Jujuy o Yala visiting Los
Perales and the Humahuaca Valley this time we
search for the Mountain Parakeet Tucuman Amazon
and the Blue-crowned Conure.
Just south of the Humahuaca Valley lays the small
village of Yala and the yala River, which is bordered by
lush Yungas cloudforest. Exploring this area is a unique
experience for naturalists. Remarkable bird species,
such as Rufous-throated Dipper, Torrent Duck, Red-
faced Guan and Lyre-tailed Nightjar, are restricted to
this particular ecosystem. A local reserve just above
Yala protects a good stand of pure Alder forest, offering
great chances to visit yet another habitat, with its own
and particular wildlife.
Overnight in Jujuy o Yala
4th November
In Yala itself we will look for some of the Conures
in the area, White-eyed, Green-cheeked, Blue-
crowned and Mitred Conures
Overnight in Jujuy o Yala
5th November
Travelling slightly further north again getting close
to the Bolivian Border we visit the pristine Yungas
of the Calilegua National Park with chances of the
Tucuman and Blue-fronted Amazons again as well
as Yellow-collared Macaws and if we are lucky
maybe the Military Macaw
Overnight in Libertador San Martin
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6th November
Our second day in the Calilegua National Park
again looking for the Amazons and Macaws but
also searching for the four Conures as well as the
Mountain and Monk Parakeets and the Scaly-
headed Parrots once again just in case we missed
them elsewhere or even see a different behavior or
even try to get that bit closer for the better photos.
Overnight in Libertador San Martin
7th November
An adventurous day today as we collect our 4x4
vehicles and go off-road to look for the Yellow
chevroned Parakeets which will be the larger sub-
species of the one found in a large part of Brazil.
Overnight in Libertador San Martin.
Wildlife Highlights for the North-west are Andean,
Puna and Chilean Flamingo, Vicuna, Red-brocket
Deer, Red-tailed Comet, Chinchilla, King Vulture,
and an incredible diversity of Cacti hopefully we
have seen most if not all of these as well as many
other species including all the parrots.
8th November
Our time in the North-west comes to an end after a
morning of birding around the area and looking out
for those elusive species once again before driving
back to Salta for our afternoon flight onto Buenos
Aires.
Overnight in Buenos Aires
9th November
The next part of our Argentinian Adventure now
begins by flying from Buenos Aires to Trelew
where we pick up our vehicle and go onto our lodge
at Puerto Piramides.
We are now in the Eastern Patagonia region a land
of vast solitudes. It is here where the arid steppes of
the Patagonian Plateau reach the Atlantic Ocean.
Tall sedimentary cliffs frame endless gravel
beaches providing shelter to innumerable seabirds
and marine mammals that make their home in these
remote, barren shores.
Overnight in Puerto Piramides
10th November
Travelling a short distance today for our visit to the
Valdes Peninsula, a designated World Natural
Heritage Site, and arguably the richest nature
reserve in Eastern Patagonia.
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This area is home to more than 32.000 Southern
Elephant Seals and over 8,000 Southern Sea Lions,
but it is best known for its cetaceans, with roughly
1,000 Southern Right Whales relying on these
waters yearly to complete their breeding cycle and
its world-renowned population of sea-lion hunting
Orcas. A boat trip here helps us to see lots of these
amazing animals.
Overnight in Trelew
11th November
We head in a different direction today to the Chubut
River Valley looking for Monk Parakeet and
Patagonian Burrowing Parrots both different sub-
species of the ones we hopefully were able to see in
the North-west – can you spot the difference?
Driving through the steppe, we will always have
chances to see and photograph several land
mammals and birds.
Herds of Guanaco still roam freely in the endless
steppes of Patagonia. The Mara, or Patagonian Cavy, is
the largest rodent in Patagonia. It is an Argentine
endemic and the entire population is restricted to the
driest areas of central Argentina and Northern
Patagonia. Their smaller cousin, Patagonian Lesser
Cavy is frequently found taking the sun just outside
Magellanic Penguins’ burrows, where they shelter. Two
species of armadillo: Large Hairy and Pichi live here as
well. Other mammals possibly found along the way
include Lesser Grisson, Humboldt’s Hog-nosed Skunk,
Geoffroy’s Cat and 2 species of Fox: Patagonian Grey
and Culpeo.
Birds in this part of the world are really unique since
many of them are restricted to the Patagonian region
such as White-headed Steamer-Duck, Rusty-backed
Monjita, Band-tailed Earthcreeper, Patagonian
Canastero and Carbonated Sierra-finch among others.It
is also here where the largest colonies of Magellanic
Penguin can be found with up to about one million
nesting penguins raising their young and molting their
feathers every year.
Although we will enjoy all the sights of the wildlife
in this region our main target will be the Burrowing
Parrots or Patagonian Conures. 70-80,000 nest in
the shoreline cliffs every year and we should have
chances of seeing lots of them with many
opportunities for photographing these amazing
Parrots.
Overnight in Trelew
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12th November
After an early morning birding expedition we have
the remainder of the day travelling with a flight
back to Buenos Aires and then another flight onto
Bariloche on the border of Chile San Carlos de Bariloche (commonly called Bariloche) is
a town in Argentina’s Patagonia region. It borders
Nahuel Huapi, a large glacial lake surrounded by the
Andes Mountains. Bariloche is known for its Swiss
alpine-style architecture and its chocolate, sold in shops
lining Calle Mitre, the main street. It's also a popular
base for hiking and skiing the nearby mountains and
exploring the surrounding Lake District.
We arrive after the skiing season so hopefully not too
cold although I think we may need some warmer
clothing for this part of the trip.
Overnight in Bariloche
13th November
We explore the area for the Austral Parakeets or
Conures the most southerly found Parrot in the
Neotropics. We should also see lots of other birds,
most notably the Andean Condor, and maybe a few
mammals in the region
Overnight in Bariloche
14th November
We now have another travel day although this one
will be a bit more relaxed as we travel to Puerto
Montt, Chile via road and boats as we traverse the
lakes across Chile taking in the amazing scenery.
Snow-capped volcanoes provide unique
opportunities for some landscape photography.
Puerto Montt is a port city in southern Chile’s Lake
District, known as a gateway to the Andes mountains
and the Patagonian fjords. The city’s neoclassical
cathedral, built from wood in the 19th century,
overlooks Plaza de Armas square. Nearby, Casa del
Arte Diego Rivera displays contemporary works by local
and national artists. Just outside the city lie Caleta de
Angelmó Market and Calbuco, an active volcano.
Overnight in Puerto Montt
15th November
After a day of travelling and hopefully re-charging
our own body-batteries again we now have a full
day to find the Slender-billed Conure, locally
known as a Choroy, and the only endemic parrot
species in Chile so definitely one to watch.
Overnight in Puerto Montt
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16th November
All good things must come to an end or do they as
we now have a choice – do we take a flight back to
Buenos Aires, Argentina and see the city sights or
do we fly to Santiago, Chile and explore that city
instead? Whoever books this trip will have the
chance to choose. If we choose Santiago then there
would be a possibility of starting the whole trip a
day or two early to take in the attractions that
Buenos Aires has to offer. I am open to
suggestions!!!
Overnight in Buenos Aires or Santiago.
17th November Whichever city we decided to fly onto we could
spend an extra day there or fly home today
whatever the decision I am sure we will all go home
with some extraordinary memories and probably
lots of photos.
You should have your wide angle lens available
wherever we go as the scenery will be extraordinary
and changes around every corner but equally you
should have your long lens available for the parrots
and wildlife, they will be everywhere. Maybe take 2
cameras to be ready for anything – I will be!!
PRICE - per person sharing a double/twin room
single supplement
DEPOSIT
Balance to be paid 90 days before the start of the
trip and can be paid in instalments as long as the
total is paid before the 90 days
Included services:
• Full time English-speaking birding local leader.
• Private transportation for all transfers and
excursions.
• Accommodations on a twin/double room
basis with breakfast included.
Please bear in mind that breakfast in Argentina and
Chile is NOT American style, and it normally
includes only a hot beverage toast, croissants, butter
and jam.
• All rooms en-suite
• All lunches, boxed-lunches and dinners from
lunch on the 31st October to 15th November
excluding dinner on the 8th November
• Admission fees to all national parks and nature
reserves.
• Local guides where required by law.
• Drinkable water on board the vehicles while on
tour.
• Cross Lake services on November 14th
• Regular navigation for watching the Right
Whales in Valdés Peninsula on November 10th.
Not included:
• International and domestic airfares and airport
taxes.
• Personal travel and medical insurance.
• Tips of any kind
• Anything not stated on “Included services”
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PARROTS TO BE SEEN ON THIS TRIP
PARROTS SOUTHERN
ARGENTINA & CHILE NORTHWEST ARGENTINA
Military Macaw Ara militaris bolivianus X – very slim chance
Yellow-collared Macaw Primolius auricollis X
Nanday Conure Aratinga nenday X
Blue-crowned Conure Thectocercus acuticaudatus acuticaudatus
X
White eyed Conure Psittacara leucophthalmus leucophthalmus
X
Mitred Conure Psittacara mitrata mitrata X
Peach-fronted Conure Eupsittula aurea X
Patagonian Conure Cyanoliseus patagonus patagonus X
Patagonian Conure Cyanoliseus patagonus andinus X
Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus monachus X X
Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus calita X X
Austral Conure Enicognathus ferrugineus minor X
Slender-billed Conure Enicognathus leptorhynchus X
Green-cheeked Conure Pyrrhura molinae australis X
Sierra Parakeet Psilopsiagon aymara X
Mountain Parakeet Psilopsiagon aurifrons margaritae X
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet Brotogeris chiriri behni X
Scaly-headed Parrot Pionus maximiliani lacerus X
Scaly-headed Parrot Pionus maximiliani siy X
Blue-fronted Amazon Amazona aestival xanthopteryx X
Tucuman Amazon Amazona tucumana X
All of the Parrots listed above occur within the regions we will be visiting on this trip to Argentina & Chile. There are more Parrots to be found in these countries but not on this trip. I cannot guarantee seeing all of the Parrots on any of my trips but we will try extremely hard to see, photo and or video or even just observe as many as possible.
To enquire about this trip for more information or booking please contact:- STEVE BROOKES
at
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