A very early start found us meeting Claudio, from Fantastico Sur, packing into a van and heading towards the coast on a guided trip for our 9th species of penguin. A short stop gave us a Chilean Flicker and then we drove on to Cachuga, a very smart seaside area. We climbed out of the van and there was pair of Rufous-tailed Plant Cutters on the wires. Claudio pished, chilean style, and the reaction was amazing, with Thorn-tailed Rayaditos, Plain-mantled Tit Spinetails, Tufted Tit Tyrants, White-crested Elaenias, Common Diuca Finch, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Shiny Cowbird, Gray-headed Sierra Finch, Austral Blackbird and a Fire-eyed Diucon flicked around the gardens. While we were looking every which way to try and catch sight of everything a Giant Hummingbird flew over. We had good views when one settled on the top of a tree. An Austral Pygmy Owl called and was eventually found in the pine trees, being hassled by Austral Blackbirds and other small birds.
Wire-crested Eleanias
Common Duica Finch
Fire-eyed Duicon
Moving down to the beach we had Blue and White Swallows swooping down for insects, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Kelp Gulls with a Franklin's Gull and, on an off-shore island, Humboldt Penguins (No 9)
Peruvian Pelican
Peruvian Pelicans flew through with a Peruvian Booby and on the rocks there was a Marine Otter playing in the seaweed. We also had excellent views of Seaside Cinclodes
Seaside Cinclodes
We moved on to some large pools next to a sulphuric acid factory where we saw a nice selection of birds icluding Lake Duck, Chiloe wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Red-gartered, Red-fronted and White-winged Coots, a pair of Coscoroba Swans, Black-necked stilt, American Oystercatcher and Southern Lapwing. In the reeds we had Many-coloured Rush-tyrant which proved very elusive for some of us, as well as Yellow-winged Blackbird, Spectacled Tyrant and Grassland Yellow-finch. We also had excellent views of White-eared Grebe.
We stopped for a comfort stop and were lucky to find Grey Gulls in the bay, while American Kestrels hunted overhead. We moved on in search of one of our main targets, Inca Tern. These breed on a small rock along the coast but we were unfortunate to coincide with a marathan race that cost us a lot of time as our driver, Hector, tried to avoid the police blocks. Claudio and Hector talked our way past one of these by explaining that we were official foreign photographers and the next checkpoint saw us being driven past with Hector confidently announcing 'Photographia, photographia' to the bemused police man.
The Inca terns were flying round the rocks giving great views. We were also lucky to see Red-legged and Guanay Cormorants, Peruvian Pelicans and a Peruvian Booby.
Inca Tern
The delays caused by avoiding the marathon meant that we had run out of time but Claudio managed to fit in a quick visit to a small reed patch on a river where we had much better views of Many-coloured rush tyrant as well as a small flock of Skimmers and Franklin's Gulls before we had to rush back to the hotel to collect our luggage and head for the airport.
A very nice introduction to Chilean Birding.
Skimmers
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