Ceibas- The Argentinian Pampas.
I would like to preface this report by thanking a couple of other guides who I was in touch with when planning my trip out to Argentina. In the end, I decided I only had time and money for Alec, who had been booked well in advance, but I received much helpful advice and correspondence from other birders- you know who you are, so thanks.
Our guide for the day, sometime Brit and now full time Argentinian Alec Earnshaw, picked myself and my mate up from our hostel in downtown Buenos Aires at 6am one Saturday morning. Its currently winter time out there, so the flasks of warm tea and coffee were much appreciated! Ceibas is an agricultural region around two hours north of the city, low-lying land punctuated by scrub forest and lagoons. Perfect terrain to graze cattle so I am told, and I should add at this point of you have not been lucky enough to taste a piece of steak with origins rooted in the Argentinian Pampas, you are missing out on a natural wonder.
Arrived in time for sunrise, although in truth the fog had refused to clear at this point so visibility was poor, but the birding began in earnest. Rufous Horneros, the national bird of Argentina, strutted around the muddy track duetting with one another to mark the breaking of the day. It didn’t take long for one of the birds of the day to show itself- thanks to a bit of shrewd playback by Alec, a monster Scimitar Billed Woodcreeper darted across the track we stood on. Wow! Alec then located the nest of a Lark-Like Brushrunner, a good record for the area he ensured us. Another nice surprise was a Solitary Black Cacique, and there were good numbers of Epaulet Orioles in the tall Eucalyptus that lined the track. Looking to the skies, away from the majority of the action, there was a significant movement of Ibis, both Bare and White Faced as they arrived at their favourite flooded meadows to feed and socialise for another day. A Snail Kite drifted by- a common raptor in these parts, and true to form were often spotted throughout the day tearing into snails from a fence post, littering the ground underneath with empty shells. Other birds at this first stop included a not so confiding Glittering-Bellied Emerald, Green Barred Woodpecker, Brown Cachalote and the first of the days confusing but fascinating Spinetail species- Chotoy, Tufted Tit and a Short Billed Canastero for good measure.
So, despite the poor weather, a good start to the day. Further stops along this same track produced Guira Cuckoo, Southern Caracara (including a group of around twenty that had successfully commandeered a small clump of scrub forest for themselves) a fantastic Roadside Hawk and a bird Alec had not seen here for over a year- Black Crowned Monjita. More subtly painted than its White relative, but nonetheless a cracking bird.
We birded until lunchtime, and whilst Alec prepared us some cold cuts and cracked open a beer each, we continued to scan the trees for an elusive species, White Woodpecker. This had been a good spot Alec informed us, and his great local patch knowledge again proved invaluable. We had the bird perched on a bow for almost half a minute, before it flew across the meadow to the furthest tree line. Great stuff! Another contender for bird of the day, but it would face stern competition.
From our lunch spot, we headed out across the meadow, on route Alec nailing a great picture of a juvenile Caracara feeding on a rotting carcass. We reached the shores of a lagoon, and some characteristic birds of the region were on display. Southern Screamers glided eagle-like above the over the lagoon to land and feed on the marshland, quite how evolution has not left these prehistoric looking birds behind I do not know. Their call, which can be heard almost 3 miles away, evokes a real feel of the wild. For me, the Curlew has the same effect in Britain. Our first ducks of the day were easy to spot, and most of them were Teal of one sort or another- Speckled, Silver, Ringed and the Brazilian Teal, on holiday obviously. Chilean Swallows (more tourists) hawked over the water, ignored by the odd Limpkin, Spot Flanked Gallinule and Wattled Jacana. The massive White Necked Heron was spotted at a distance, and a Savanna Hawk upset a group of Ibis, completely unnecessary I thought. Yellow Winged and Chestnut Capped Blackbirds had made their homes here, and luckily for us so had the brilliant Many Coloured Rush Tyrant.
Before leaving, Alec’s fantastic knowledge of Furnariidae calls came into play once more. On hearing the snippet of a song or call, Alec was quick off the mark was his MP3 player, tempting a new species out into the open. After much effort on his part, we caught a brief look at a Wren-Like Rushbird, the ultimate Skulker! We also picked up Yellow Chinned and Sulphur Bearded Spinetail here.
By now the sun was high in the sky, and bird activity had understandably dropped to its minimum for the day. However, a twenty-minute stop at the edge of a reedbed produced two of the days best. Not wanting to raise our hopes, Alec had refrained from telling us the main attraction here…so what a surprise it was when I spotted a pair of Scarlet Headed Blackbirds! A great birding moment for me, to locate a bird for myself which on heading to South America had been a target all along was extremely satisfying. Watched by the Blackbirds, Alec attempted to tape lure the infamous Curve Billed Reedhaunter…further success! And what a show too, this noisy Furnariidae came within a few feet of us, determined to defend its territory in the face of any possible threat. The decurved bill was a pleasure to view up close, the complexities of this family becoming clearer all the time.
As the day drew to a close, there were still a few new species to add. Long Winged Harrier startled a group of waders on a lonely lagoon- White Backed Stilt, Southern Lapwing, Common Snipe and two Species of Gallinule took to the sky in horror, a scene not dissimilar to my local patch of Minsmere in Suffolk. A Gallinule there wouldn’t go amiss. As the sun came down, hundreds of Egrets flew to their roost sites, accompanied by Ibis and the odd Tiger Heron. The curious sound of Rails emanated from the reedbeds, and the ever-present Great Kiskadee saw the day out alongside the dapper looking Spectacled Water Tyrant. For a change, a species I recognised zipped overheard and landed on the flooded Pampas Grass- not one, but two Greater Yellowlegs. An early Migrant I guess, having bred in North America somewhere. Great Pampa Finch settled down to roost alongside neighbouring flocks of Brown and Yellow Marshbird, and for the first time all day I could not see a single White Monjita. And, finally, metres from the car, a Vermillion Flycatcher! The icing on the Argentinian cake.
It was a great day out, with an educated and friendly guide in Alec. He can be contacted via his website:
http://www.fotosaves.com.ar/Birds.html
Despite the unfavourable season, we still managed to break the 100 species mark in one day. On returning to Buenos Aires, I had a solid day at Costanera Sur, a premier reserve next to the docks. Managed a few new species here, including Corscoroba Swan, Black Necked Swan, Chimango Caracara, Field Flicker, Golden Crowned Warbler and Long Tailed Reed Finch.
Having done some birding in the fantastic Iguazu national park (White Bearded Manakin the highlight here) and further south in Patagonia, I cannot recommend Argentina enough. After spending some time off the beaten track in Bolivia and ending up with food poisoning, it was a relief to arrive in this country. It is a country of contrasts, and there is landscape and birding to suit everyone. I loved driving through the lush humid forests of Misiones in the northeast, and hope to return there one day.
A big thanks to Alec and the people of Argentina, who made our trip what it was.
Here is a complete list of the birds seen in the province of Buenos Aires.
Thanks for reading,
Jim Bradley.
White Tufted Grebe
Pied-Billed Grebe
Great Grebe
White Necked Heron
Rufescent Tiger Heron
Whistling Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Maguari Stork
Bare-Faced Ibis
White-Faced Ibis
Southern Screamer
Corscoroba Swan
Black Necked Swan
Speckled Teal
Silver Teal
Ringed Teal
Brazilian Teal
Red Shoveler
Rosy-Billed Pochard
Snail Kite
Long-Winged Harrier
Roadside Hawk
Savanna Hawk
Southern Caracara
Chimango Caracara
American Kestrel
Limpkin
Giant Woodrail
Common Gallinule
Spot-Flanked Gallinule
Wattled Jacana
White Backed Stilt
Southern Lapwing
Greater Yellowlegs
Common Snipe
Brown-Hooded Gull
Spot-Winged Pigeon
Eared Dove
Picui Ground-Dove
White-Tipped Dove
Monk Parakeet
Black-Hooded Parakeet
Guira Cuckoo
Glittering-Bellied Emerald
Green-Barred Woodpecker
Field Flicker
Checkered Woodpecker
White Woodpecker
Scimitar-Billed Woodcreeper
Narrow-Billed Woodcreeper
Bar-Winged Cinclodes
Rufous Hornero
Lark-Like Brushrunner
Curve-Billed Reedhaunter
Sulphur-Bearded Spinetail
Yellow-Chinned Spinetail
Wren-Like Rushbird
Stripe-Crowned Spinetail
Short Billed Canastero
Chotoy Spinetail
Sooty-Fronted Spinetail
Brown Cachalote
Tufted-Tit Spinetail
Little Thornbird
Freckle-Breasted Thornbird
White-Winged Plantcutter
White Monjita
Black Crowned Monjita
Spectacled Tyrant
Many Coloured Rush Tyrant
Cattle Tyrant
Yellow-Browed Tyrant
Great Kiskadee
Suiriri Flycatcher
Vermillion Flycatcher
Warbling Doradito
Sooty Tyrannulet
White Crested Tyrannulet
Grey-Crowned Tyrannulet
Chilean Swallow
House Wren
Chalk-Browed Mockingbird
White-Banded Mockingbird
Rufous-Bellied Thrush
Creamy-Bellied Thrush
Masked Gnatcatcher
Rufous-Browed Peppershrike
Tropical Parula
Golden Crowned Warbler
Hepatic Tanager
Sayaca Tanager
Golden-Billed Saltator
Greyish Saltator
Red Crested Cardinal
Grassland Yellow-Finch
Rufous-Collared Sparrow
House Sparrow
Black-and-Rufous Warbling-Finch
Black-Capped Warbling Finch
Long Tailed Reed-Finch
Great Pampa-Finch
Hooded Siskin
Solitary Black Cacique
Epaulet Oriole
Screaming Cowbird
Shiny Cowbird
Bay-Winged Cowbird
Unicoloured Blackbird
Chestnut Capped Blackbird
Yellow Winged Blackbird
Scarlet Headed Blackbird
Brown and Yellow Marshbird