As usual, I was trying to make the most of a short trip to a far away land. I was lucky to connect with Alec Earnshaw, a very accomplished local birder, bird photographer and guide with a detailed knowledge and wealth of experience with the birds and birding locations in Buenos Aires province. From my first email inquiry, Alec was helpful, friendly and able to ease all my concerns as a solo traveler to an unfamiliar country. I was also attending a scientific meeting so my time for birding was limited and the winter weather had been on and off rainy and cool leading up to my time there. In the end Alec and I were able to get a half day in the city of Buenos Aires at the Costanera Sur Nature Reserve and a full day birding the marshes, fields and open woodlands of Ceibas.
We raced to Costanera Sur as soon as I arrived in town. Despite arriving at midday in cool overcast and misty weather and a closed gate to the reserve we were able to see quite a few of the marsh birds while walking along the sidewalk, dodging street vendors, families, lovers and a few bums. The street yielded: Guira Cuckoo, Cattle Tyrant, Red-crested Cardinal, Rufous Hornero, Green-barred Woodpecker, Picazuro Pigeon, Monk Parakeet, Chalk-browed Mockingbird and Shiny Cowbird.
The marsh gave up: White-faced Whistling Duck, Coscoroba Swan, Silver Teal, Yellow-billed Teal, Rosy-billed Pochard, Harris’ and Roadside Hawks, Southern Caracara, great looks at both Rufous-sided Crake and Plumbeous Rail, Spot-flanked Gallinule, Red-gartered and Red-fronted Coot. The much anticipated funarids included Wren-like Rushbird, Sulpher-throated Spinetail, Freckle-breasted Thornbird and Narrow-billed Woodcreeper. Despite being the dead of winter in Argentina we still managed several flycatchers including the Warbling Doradito, Sooty and White-crested Tyrannulets and the stunning Many-colored Rush Tyrant. The afternoon was topped off by Masked Gnatcatcher, Black and Rufous Warbling-finch, Double-collared Seedeater, Saffron Finch, Great Pampa-finch, Unicolored, Yellow-winged and Chestnut-capped Blackbirds and Bay-winged Cowbird.
Our full day out began early as daylight broke to a misty, cool morning in Ceibas. Despite the dreary weather, the birding was thrilling especially the stunning variety of Funarids occupying each of the habitats we encountered. These included Bar-winged Cincloides, Curve-billed Reedhaunter, Tufted Tit-Spinetail, Chotoy Spinetail, Sooty-fronted Spinetail, Stripe-crowned Spinetail, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Short-billed Canastero, Little Thoornbird, Firewood-gatherer, Lark-like Brushrunner, Brown Cacholote and Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper. Other highlights were Spotted Nothura, Southern Screamer, Ringed Teal, Brazilean Teal, Red Shoveler, Yellow-billed Pintail, White-tufted Grebe, Great Grebe, Whistling Heron, Cocoi Heron, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, White-faced and Bare-faced Ibis, Magauri Stork, Long-winged Harrier, Southern and Chimango Caracaras, Giant Wood-Rail, Limpkin, South American Snipe, Yellow-billed Tern, Spot-winged Pigeon, Picui Ground-Dove, Burrowing Owl, Guilded Hummingbird, White-fronted Woodpecker, Checkered Woodpecker, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Suiriri Flycatcher, Austral Negrito, Spectacled Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Black-crowned and White Monjitas, White-topped Plantcutter, White-banded Mockingbird, an absolutely stunning Blue-and-yellow Tanager, Golden-billed Saltator, Yellow-billed Cardinal, Long-tailed Reed Finch, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Brown-and-yellow Marshbird, Epaulet Oriole and Hooded Siskin.
In all, we tallied 125 species and I saw 86 life birds in the short 1 and ½ days we were in the field. I have to thank Alec Earnshaw for being a welcoming, talented, tireless guide and for providing enough great stories, delicious food and good cheer to make my time in Argentina full of great memories. Oh yeah, I also got to see Argentina play South Korea in the World Cup on a big screen in a park in Buenos Aires with a few thousand of my new Argentine friends. They won 4-1, of course. Vamos, Vamos, Argentina!