tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9663291876995064842024-03-14T12:05:36.154-04:00ShorebirderNick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.comBlogger735125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-64930248974251432882023-12-15T17:43:00.002-05:002024-01-02T16:21:01.957-05:00Just Announced: Tour to the Pantanal and Jardim da Amazonia, Brazil - Sep 2024<p>I am very excited to be returning to Brazil's Pantanal in 2024, this time as a guide for <a href="https://www.sunrisebirding.com/24Pantanal/index.html" target="_blank">Sunrise Birding</a>. This will be my third tour to this must-see region. For those not familiar, the Pantanal is the world's largest freshwater wetland and is THE place to see Jaguar in the wild. In addition to other fascinating mammals such as Tapir, Giant Otter, Maned Wolf and Giant Anteater, the area boasts several hundred species of birds in beautiful open savannah and riverine habitat. The birds there are not shy and tend to be quite photogenic in fact. Join us on what promises to be an unforgettable adventure.</p><p><a href="https://www.sunrisebirding.com/24Pantanal/index.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> for more information. Hope to see you there! In the meantime, here are a few images from my most recent visit, with Connecticut Audubon Society.</p><p> - Nick</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6E-QVGu-z0EUKm8Ay8gbnpX4gSPAs2V8F1pjXYEefl_XJKulCyJ-a20jOo0dUBDFkQx3d8-nyjQqkXHSNTlkyn2qbZT_9C9QAh5emNgEkeNfpm_PlrUUhiClRifdDEupx6Bz30K_NQvq4HkIbKDsr0QL1BcrKNRe9tpk-vIF50QIhTsSeEkLfFN9I-S5t/s1200/1J1A2182b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6E-QVGu-z0EUKm8Ay8gbnpX4gSPAs2V8F1pjXYEefl_XJKulCyJ-a20jOo0dUBDFkQx3d8-nyjQqkXHSNTlkyn2qbZT_9C9QAh5emNgEkeNfpm_PlrUUhiClRifdDEupx6Bz30K_NQvq4HkIbKDsr0QL1BcrKNRe9tpk-vIF50QIhTsSeEkLfFN9I-S5t/w400-h266/1J1A2182b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8EiFKEEMvzGKTR_d_YM-FlI-10az8yq17OI37QZglgQbRIOKFamanyiXRTaQSkl_VkCgrmHXlA0yVn6UMHTb6T5ELpw2mBfImmGXs6OXjDGflHHiFkGCj9K7sxbuBo7uL3RkZLJjNl0tE3CF2cg3yIiqvTIcJdYSyHgIYoIpZnFH7ON6Rq2ytBgNdOsuX/s1200/1J1A2380a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1200" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8EiFKEEMvzGKTR_d_YM-FlI-10az8yq17OI37QZglgQbRIOKFamanyiXRTaQSkl_VkCgrmHXlA0yVn6UMHTb6T5ELpw2mBfImmGXs6OXjDGflHHiFkGCj9K7sxbuBo7uL3RkZLJjNl0tE3CF2cg3yIiqvTIcJdYSyHgIYoIpZnFH7ON6Rq2ytBgNdOsuX/w400-h294/1J1A2380a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yOSRyNd784TU3k8829z2zXQf2IwUWqqCPWgq1c1TpmAkatIc-fpgi5DT8fkKCz7-RV08SbHIA_Lf1NhjuDi_0zqAUrd6tvRdBe97NL-eChCbqGdFMIyFePug11giqaBiArpVj3v_YYfmJw1cx67B4KFjNn-iYwrA8xmnzyNa-dWmSvnj7suJQC2tzUA_/s1200/1J1A2793b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yOSRyNd784TU3k8829z2zXQf2IwUWqqCPWgq1c1TpmAkatIc-fpgi5DT8fkKCz7-RV08SbHIA_Lf1NhjuDi_0zqAUrd6tvRdBe97NL-eChCbqGdFMIyFePug11giqaBiArpVj3v_YYfmJw1cx67B4KFjNn-iYwrA8xmnzyNa-dWmSvnj7suJQC2tzUA_/w400-h266/1J1A2793b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuPR4gmI3cLw6Zk-tRbqQhtUvGBn5cLSUw5Jb5qArJGEFtnN6XdhGZrEeFDUBxm8xw0phyO5ThyphenhyphenRaQlQXeU9QvXprcYMlSpej4bE10ylsj4mrJoMGPNIj0FKoqwWBgyhKw7mkRWjzCpLOsf5Bit8ARz4ASr9t8LmiKupvjGkNfWI31vRWdYpEJz3SbJiT/s1200/1J1A3104b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuPR4gmI3cLw6Zk-tRbqQhtUvGBn5cLSUw5Jb5qArJGEFtnN6XdhGZrEeFDUBxm8xw0phyO5ThyphenhyphenRaQlQXeU9QvXprcYMlSpej4bE10ylsj4mrJoMGPNIj0FKoqwWBgyhKw7mkRWjzCpLOsf5Bit8ARz4ASr9t8LmiKupvjGkNfWI31vRWdYpEJz3SbJiT/w400-h266/1J1A3104b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr6OEh4xNnuwlLe5adP9LHM1rS3F8SW6n8NPIauuW8RVILKdST0viuWPJMyb7gjl8I9J45AZpF9R4Ye0RHDvLo1cAlag8mLIWfsc9mHQiS53BRuJA3HaLl56xalqdlE4osFWLYLYtcJhXipO8OuREcHTw70vvtUqaOUwLsoFz_HvoWICqMr6_mEBydIi6/s1200/1J1A3318a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr6OEh4xNnuwlLe5adP9LHM1rS3F8SW6n8NPIauuW8RVILKdST0viuWPJMyb7gjl8I9J45AZpF9R4Ye0RHDvLo1cAlag8mLIWfsc9mHQiS53BRuJA3HaLl56xalqdlE4osFWLYLYtcJhXipO8OuREcHTw70vvtUqaOUwLsoFz_HvoWICqMr6_mEBydIi6/w400-h266/1J1A3318a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZJV97fUIq_n13YSYsOkOuV9xgVfys-43aL44LgMGamFQGEE6GLuzQmfrXFLFvnAXXs3GwkFRjR9WTGsrawIVNg3towEZXzH0VoPcbFRCVg9hPsWmsoADfLL_hutqdIBqUHeq6sOCph56BdlbibercbMXSQVwbvCtTbTZKh36bhqCoeIO8eKAbf4rq8Mp/s1200/1J1A3429a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZJV97fUIq_n13YSYsOkOuV9xgVfys-43aL44LgMGamFQGEE6GLuzQmfrXFLFvnAXXs3GwkFRjR9WTGsrawIVNg3towEZXzH0VoPcbFRCVg9hPsWmsoADfLL_hutqdIBqUHeq6sOCph56BdlbibercbMXSQVwbvCtTbTZKh36bhqCoeIO8eKAbf4rq8Mp/w400-h266/1J1A3429a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4StkvQNMb_FoCVofPx7ckBnvjc-8oA5_1Mx8T2b0bnSxNuHM5zyG4SaJfGMPQ_kil5_UrbLTEQ05zCr4VSwehXeI1M_wFDPVkcpuwdUdfCr86U12m36UcKwrNPYRIQc5F2QUtkCDN0XLm2x8EE_UaRsbFuvlMONzXQkxD65V-lsM8yqTI6ApEfbc_cEgo/s1200/1J1A3477b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4StkvQNMb_FoCVofPx7ckBnvjc-8oA5_1Mx8T2b0bnSxNuHM5zyG4SaJfGMPQ_kil5_UrbLTEQ05zCr4VSwehXeI1M_wFDPVkcpuwdUdfCr86U12m36UcKwrNPYRIQc5F2QUtkCDN0XLm2x8EE_UaRsbFuvlMONzXQkxD65V-lsM8yqTI6ApEfbc_cEgo/w400-h266/1J1A3477b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqGnPljt7RX-rU5Cp38A4hXeivwGt7mZthijY1zNpZeO3We4oynsbYM6O_LeoTs1tSk_LvsKkD7ujqFC5gWnIaxWFNFhg6W9DKB8iQAO7-aTWeGhl7h34NY2yc7XnrrRlqDzKRYEvhdffcWHDHEI8KHXejL8S9kA3vUYvVtKXZlMnCMvccT56PERDfRtC/s1200/1J1A5070d.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqGnPljt7RX-rU5Cp38A4hXeivwGt7mZthijY1zNpZeO3We4oynsbYM6O_LeoTs1tSk_LvsKkD7ujqFC5gWnIaxWFNFhg6W9DKB8iQAO7-aTWeGhl7h34NY2yc7XnrrRlqDzKRYEvhdffcWHDHEI8KHXejL8S9kA3vUYvVtKXZlMnCMvccT56PERDfRtC/w400-h266/1J1A5070d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWR5D5ysAH89FKkMzjwb1kKOKTQbVzvL0-Jax_W506ldNrmJw3yQJcvV9Y2xVr7QIfvTSDfUTsA-9cmweptpIZiLnz_TlpDYW8VTkRE-xf9pDXo2Oizm2JBPxNf-QRKVP8p4HwK_pm1_8H87gauBrNCXzIgeq4wbT4b2sQMEco_mvnz5s5Xt5O8XEhVApR/s1200/1J1A5429a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1200" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWR5D5ysAH89FKkMzjwb1kKOKTQbVzvL0-Jax_W506ldNrmJw3yQJcvV9Y2xVr7QIfvTSDfUTsA-9cmweptpIZiLnz_TlpDYW8VTkRE-xf9pDXo2Oizm2JBPxNf-QRKVP8p4HwK_pm1_8H87gauBrNCXzIgeq4wbT4b2sQMEco_mvnz5s5Xt5O8XEhVApR/w400-h354/1J1A5429a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2bFZL5AbNzC9P4aC19Rk7crkYkirSSGMLiaB_iisBJ3wJw5gCJ6noz-7KvRiS6jVGjwTbpkXNxFMp9JuHOQgITpu6BgUW9O9Kfl3ZSTbeKMN0exDt7vCsiScsfMsdwQSgQ52LrO17dso4KzYwcW4vSKwW_Db_wHVTlf3qNDkZzs5M2egXYjUATsNeZBn/s1200/1J1A5720a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="1200" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2bFZL5AbNzC9P4aC19Rk7crkYkirSSGMLiaB_iisBJ3wJw5gCJ6noz-7KvRiS6jVGjwTbpkXNxFMp9JuHOQgITpu6BgUW9O9Kfl3ZSTbeKMN0exDt7vCsiScsfMsdwQSgQ52LrO17dso4KzYwcW4vSKwW_Db_wHVTlf3qNDkZzs5M2egXYjUATsNeZBn/w400-h296/1J1A5720a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkou5ZqeE5gWT35qeCeuxVgTNbrjbOM0MvsHLyHij2uMWIYpCwZNUBhQgdCc78iylwgRxENUov6CvLrFgxgtK71F29RLDylw_4EM70npmy0sCk84PYoMVkboayT56YHwr2zGcr8DYpumjmPmfHk2HfsX4qXWpwmUKK2xg8zdOwSOnuRLS0DWC-AaJo0Fh/s1200/1J1A5824c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkou5ZqeE5gWT35qeCeuxVgTNbrjbOM0MvsHLyHij2uMWIYpCwZNUBhQgdCc78iylwgRxENUov6CvLrFgxgtK71F29RLDylw_4EM70npmy0sCk84PYoMVkboayT56YHwr2zGcr8DYpumjmPmfHk2HfsX4qXWpwmUKK2xg8zdOwSOnuRLS0DWC-AaJo0Fh/w400-h266/1J1A5824c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkoOBd7zL789GO7VDcvcllX0WZUZF7r_PLWmFPxxecmG4WPb9LnnaDoGv5JXkgcC4INWEnxjkeU4CHTi0epm01gGAZZvIq6vFTravN3UeAcAE_5_FKs5RtMSio3lj89mu_Ev6_h_s9mA183HShdrIM3tv-XiWwycoZWOJ2Y-jmn3L9Ql0e05yVVvpQrHz/s1200/1J1A5991b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkoOBd7zL789GO7VDcvcllX0WZUZF7r_PLWmFPxxecmG4WPb9LnnaDoGv5JXkgcC4INWEnxjkeU4CHTi0epm01gGAZZvIq6vFTravN3UeAcAE_5_FKs5RtMSio3lj89mu_Ev6_h_s9mA183HShdrIM3tv-XiWwycoZWOJ2Y-jmn3L9Ql0e05yVVvpQrHz/w400-h266/1J1A5991b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjje56nXMOESEsGCQ3t2jZED0iwW6Ye67GUbjF3LBIOUaDE2I-RLbnVYW6KNTv4ldycAUUf1GPe9uu8Agfgdk6wH1t-cCNgd6mv7f4pgLvqWLd1Zh1UBIiYQmF5aerUowZGI6HoAPyfb8a_lxFA-uFXx8q_11-tzXqTAfsb31H5CthlXl29g8WLhmBJqc16/s1200/1J1A6161a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1200" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjje56nXMOESEsGCQ3t2jZED0iwW6Ye67GUbjF3LBIOUaDE2I-RLbnVYW6KNTv4ldycAUUf1GPe9uu8Agfgdk6wH1t-cCNgd6mv7f4pgLvqWLd1Zh1UBIiYQmF5aerUowZGI6HoAPyfb8a_lxFA-uFXx8q_11-tzXqTAfsb31H5CthlXl29g8WLhmBJqc16/w400-h319/1J1A6161a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6S_M-1Ynnidqq_IGb7K-1AOOj4b-WXY3V8Rw9mP0nN6uz_Vh3aEREb6NtdAiF_d-eFAFaH9zWEt7-72dpdmSQsu42mrce5sD6VXKcn9GZF4efylRm9qiduYQUtQMSmPQ8l2m54E922g4oLhkMUXiawZ-vwNKKhxdJRiuARbbS0uiS7G1nDOixuz_11IN/s1200/1J1A6356b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6S_M-1Ynnidqq_IGb7K-1AOOj4b-WXY3V8Rw9mP0nN6uz_Vh3aEREb6NtdAiF_d-eFAFaH9zWEt7-72dpdmSQsu42mrce5sD6VXKcn9GZF4efylRm9qiduYQUtQMSmPQ8l2m54E922g4oLhkMUXiawZ-vwNKKhxdJRiuARbbS0uiS7G1nDOixuz_11IN/w400-h266/1J1A6356b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnJFnRMNZkZ_shUB34KI7A-Z9vBmq8bJGpwZaFlPaI-D_y1CD27L_ZO0LeYeh1iSRPsCa-1xxoPrzXldXSDHvH_d8C_DRHOpGzbFr4KDnHFHMSRZSSLlWVQ3ZligsJwkM7LW6K4v5n7x1cx4_LJLJ-IKFUP-AA3-QLRjd1Gbm9yRu-7M0M42-BNvoosDG/s1200/IMG_6705.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnJFnRMNZkZ_shUB34KI7A-Z9vBmq8bJGpwZaFlPaI-D_y1CD27L_ZO0LeYeh1iSRPsCa-1xxoPrzXldXSDHvH_d8C_DRHOpGzbFr4KDnHFHMSRZSSLlWVQ3ZligsJwkM7LW6K4v5n7x1cx4_LJLJ-IKFUP-AA3-QLRjd1Gbm9yRu-7M0M42-BNvoosDG/w400-h300/IMG_6705.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-32777178828029474872023-12-15T17:13:00.001-05:002023-12-15T17:13:48.401-05:00Norwegian Double Dip! March 2022 and June 2023 (Part 2 of 2: June 2023)<p>It did not take long after the March 2022 visit to plan a return trip to Varanger for the breeding season. This time I teamed up with Mike Sylvia, former Massachusetts birder who is currently residing in Ireland. Having been to the area so recently, and having read through Biotope's fantastic "Birding Varanger" guidebook multiple times, planning was pretty easy. The one big change this time would be doing our forest birding in northern Finland instead of the Pasvik Valley. The Finland leg increased our chances at a few target species such as Broad-billed Sandpiper and Parrot Crossbill, among others. There would be more driving this way, but I was game to see a new area.</p><p>Otherwise the route was pretty similar to the March visit. We flew in and out of Kirkenes and rented from Hertz, who provided us our vehicle at the airport with easy pick-up and drop-off and no hidden fees or scams.</p><p>We arrived on the evening of June 20, fetched the car, stocked up on groceries, checked into our tiny nearby Airbnb, and went into town for a real meal (which are quite expensive here!). Turned out that our Airbnb was right around the corner from an excellent ARCTIC WARBLER spot, and this was the first place we hit the following morning (6/21) on our way towards Finland.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxwxz1hiHbi5f3HZos9uFxmj6E-9M3PS3HtnD8pmarXGSmWTu7aKOhKCbXM1zPkHIsgl2zZBFUcGMBBUl45vNGf_I1tkPmleDwQiQnUsIglI_vtiiTrxOllXBvKQInlXVu4e3tbXaYBEP0Mxe72z32T2Z1n7fup0aPfkZSKnzBQWDRxi_IxcZqe9U1R24/s2000/_P1A3413-Edit-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxwxz1hiHbi5f3HZos9uFxmj6E-9M3PS3HtnD8pmarXGSmWTu7aKOhKCbXM1zPkHIsgl2zZBFUcGMBBUl45vNGf_I1tkPmleDwQiQnUsIglI_vtiiTrxOllXBvKQInlXVu4e3tbXaYBEP0Mxe72z32T2Z1n7fup0aPfkZSKnzBQWDRxi_IxcZqe9U1R24/w400-h266/_P1A3413-Edit-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arctic Warbler</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Much of the rest of the morning was spent driving and birding along Route 971 via Neiden. Along this road we had our first ARCTIC LOON, SHORT-EARED OWLS, PIED FLYCATCHERS, SIBERIAN TITS and SMEW (hen) of the trip amongst the commoners like WOOD SANDPIPER, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, WILLOW WARBLER, FIELDFARE, BRAMBLING, and WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL.</p><p>We eventually hit the E75 and spent some time atop a tower outside Kaamanen. It was not terribly birdy, but we saw our only MOOSE of the trip feeding out in the marsh.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoWYYSM3qNQf5qBX7mRk3uV4H1qofBJ4cwHoBzLkON_qqz6VmyG6fuT1s5rHVz_qALmXHTED-oLTyX5nv-QdV-LORALpbc7V3lGPlanSWxlnkaob9HApMTt2bb6Q7SFX_cftH-ZIemVfozePUs8MEMAijNZtHqJk91ejocgvyBwG6Xs2-Vc3t5P5mNnSR/s2000/IMG_9087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoWYYSM3qNQf5qBX7mRk3uV4H1qofBJ4cwHoBzLkON_qqz6VmyG6fuT1s5rHVz_qALmXHTED-oLTyX5nv-QdV-LORALpbc7V3lGPlanSWxlnkaob9HApMTt2bb6Q7SFX_cftH-ZIemVfozePUs8MEMAijNZtHqJk91ejocgvyBwG6Xs2-Vc3t5P5mNnSR/w400-h300/IMG_9087.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The rest of the day was spent hopping from spot to spot as we worked our way south to Ivalo. A mid-afternoon boreal forest walk revealed a troupe of SIBERIAN JAYS and a stunning male PINE GROSBEAK, plus a pair of SIBERIAN TITS occupying a nest box. As we reached the southern terminus of our route, Parrot Crossbill became one of our bigger targets, as they were far more likely down here than anywhere else on the route. That afternoon we heard a flock of RED CROSSBILLS that to our ears were clearly not Parrots.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uPLCqPg5KDImYInjfUAisTYqCN0oKmHhBldXMMcGlJGAe9SrVN_RctPxgqGcA35DpFLep2Z4uAZvHCn3_B71kXnwBrCnKQpZg4OKv1DfnrDtweHo5tHtuTtkaDa5an8WzeSOTq3He1b-YVsh66XRqt0jGLC6gAa6NvP7WnSj7s8mmXdy8KtW4m2bwy1Y/s2000/IMG_9093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uPLCqPg5KDImYInjfUAisTYqCN0oKmHhBldXMMcGlJGAe9SrVN_RctPxgqGcA35DpFLep2Z4uAZvHCn3_B71kXnwBrCnKQpZg4OKv1DfnrDtweHo5tHtuTtkaDa5an8WzeSOTq3He1b-YVsh66XRqt0jGLC6gAa6NvP7WnSj7s8mmXdy8KtW4m2bwy1Y/w400-h300/IMG_9093.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crossbill and grouse habitat, allegedly</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmQH1SXn5BrW8PTHJXZRqx1AF9mmGXA6QCxVjs8cIkq0u965cyuQ9MNkFmi-CBavMk9ahh1k-mUw4gOrmb80ViR1dWw_yNospp5WEhJZuwKaoJcmx6evbLZ_tATmk8-te0OzJPXU_UO6vhL-tIuUVl-qph_9339cg7DwfCivMsZDmy1DIC7JdtOkCP-9d/s2000/_P1A3686-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmQH1SXn5BrW8PTHJXZRqx1AF9mmGXA6QCxVjs8cIkq0u965cyuQ9MNkFmi-CBavMk9ahh1k-mUw4gOrmb80ViR1dWw_yNospp5WEhJZuwKaoJcmx6evbLZ_tATmk8-te0OzJPXU_UO6vhL-tIuUVl-qph_9339cg7DwfCivMsZDmy1DIC7JdtOkCP-9d/w400-h266/_P1A3686-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OgAC1J6vrgNc1QuhoaKg4lHzHqCtmel48GD4AEI69sBojVHTDgADJjSB5FPG3XRhUPclFwFT-OlTHNZzyy8ehXqQBfovAeGyfTt1St98rxKj5pvT_8MXa6HGp0Cy3Fu59LfP5XWLP3iI52ljCZUDQms19ndSgS-gp4GHklCTxZ29dKlmoLUdStWdb6L5/s2000/_P1A3740-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1782" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OgAC1J6vrgNc1QuhoaKg4lHzHqCtmel48GD4AEI69sBojVHTDgADJjSB5FPG3XRhUPclFwFT-OlTHNZzyy8ehXqQBfovAeGyfTt1St98rxKj5pvT_8MXa6HGp0Cy3Fu59LfP5XWLP3iI52ljCZUDQms19ndSgS-gp4GHklCTxZ29dKlmoLUdStWdb6L5/w356-h400/_P1A3740-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siberian Tit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMGdh0Z_0gY1qlpnIcYm00pLPZivO7yF6VAjNB_U1GWs5IHs_5ZUwe1D-PiBE-ofb3tccUY1ZIk8zPg5htYMngVXcae9BJtr956SAWlRWT3N9twjdh8Zn2povr26bNXcjn2Wr1QNkojHcIOCopJW6je-anFeuekzKxBGcSSADaX01g9NvsN71hyphenhyphen2usApS/s2000/_P1A3762-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMGdh0Z_0gY1qlpnIcYm00pLPZivO7yF6VAjNB_U1GWs5IHs_5ZUwe1D-PiBE-ofb3tccUY1ZIk8zPg5htYMngVXcae9BJtr956SAWlRWT3N9twjdh8Zn2povr26bNXcjn2Wr1QNkojHcIOCopJW6je-anFeuekzKxBGcSSADaX01g9NvsN71hyphenhyphen2usApS/w400-h266/_P1A3762-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2W9HHVljBg_D8Nx0SCW4ZYqqRmbsQ80MsxZi2ZdqlOmzcXMPE6E3_hyphenhyphenE_o2wb8MiFZGKnJvg1mLb-QtKFXYd8Q9EOmtdocJYOW4QLMjxUWykMiWoyn3mZ74zoFrtaTdUf1votdqbeVDY5UwMiy_NfYWoyV2M0aptwNvEl8HUwrnBRP5QvcQ15QpoXrog/s2000/_P1A3888-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2W9HHVljBg_D8Nx0SCW4ZYqqRmbsQ80MsxZi2ZdqlOmzcXMPE6E3_hyphenhyphenE_o2wb8MiFZGKnJvg1mLb-QtKFXYd8Q9EOmtdocJYOW4QLMjxUWykMiWoyn3mZ74zoFrtaTdUf1votdqbeVDY5UwMiy_NfYWoyV2M0aptwNvEl8HUwrnBRP5QvcQ15QpoXrog/w400-h400/_P1A3888-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pine Grosbeak</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CKs8UaifRJ1x2ZJoiJheoeA195YBhz4h7yeWwLZ8R3ISh2juxsDTQ8tv64azih599xOLAwmCcaKXf1N2Ec1EyjNVPKOE42Jr7KW98vSKFzW-y5pWEArrcu4PcW99I4nYqNq3Km4t_n8nF0mB5pf4ji_QAu0vZcBIaG_rBNaF5l7OOobcwccaZFCz8lgg/s2000/_P1A4124-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CKs8UaifRJ1x2ZJoiJheoeA195YBhz4h7yeWwLZ8R3ISh2juxsDTQ8tv64azih599xOLAwmCcaKXf1N2Ec1EyjNVPKOE42Jr7KW98vSKFzW-y5pWEArrcu4PcW99I4nYqNq3Km4t_n8nF0mB5pf4ji_QAu0vZcBIaG_rBNaF5l7OOobcwccaZFCz8lgg/w320-h400/_P1A4124-Edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siberian Jay</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Forcing yourself to sleep is no easy task when you are surrounded by 24/7 daylight and pumped up on adrenaline. Still, we did our best to bag some rest before starting the next morning (6/22) before 4am. We encountered another flock of RED CROSSBILLS before finally crossing paths with about five PARROT CROSSBILLS overhead, an ID that was confirmed by spectrogram analysis. I'm really not sure what to make of red crossbill taxonomy in general, but for now this goes on the list as a "good" species.</p><p>We had a lead on a EURASIAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER nest, and sure enough we located the birds pretty easily, as the adults were shuttling food back to the nest hole on a regular basis.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVciormPNf0OgF83l9tobbZOfO3KW5XywazcPbmX08Jsd0n5eLqLZkJ5Wabhq_RO3xghxrVb24mVQLm0wLC7EozP_NtLFSyU8o1GB9vJrhKiqEiA6PbFlBihYiTNlJZpLGMizXCbmld8nBqescjEvUMznoDFA8buBvuRdedVN6fBH3-mlAQFYzV1BPMrKf/s2000/_P1A4388-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVciormPNf0OgF83l9tobbZOfO3KW5XywazcPbmX08Jsd0n5eLqLZkJ5Wabhq_RO3xghxrVb24mVQLm0wLC7EozP_NtLFSyU8o1GB9vJrhKiqEiA6PbFlBihYiTNlJZpLGMizXCbmld8nBqescjEvUMznoDFA8buBvuRdedVN6fBH3-mlAQFYzV1BPMrKf/w320-h400/_P1A4388-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LqpVpuZMHZdIK3C_tQW3E6pLqI2ybCTYww4Jrg0fK13E4P-l3DWERkrKWChGv2iuNfAil7bNW3SBCkalCbgyqhLFkzLOxNDs3u-1C-zNw-vOvpgCtVdpA162yZaqfaUzEarjFuFryowe6XXPuYX8ayiy23BaVXOnDLJU2rloa0oSoFpujMYPKkReebce/s2000/_P1A4461-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LqpVpuZMHZdIK3C_tQW3E6pLqI2ybCTYww4Jrg0fK13E4P-l3DWERkrKWChGv2iuNfAil7bNW3SBCkalCbgyqhLFkzLOxNDs3u-1C-zNw-vOvpgCtVdpA162yZaqfaUzEarjFuFryowe6XXPuYX8ayiy23BaVXOnDLJU2rloa0oSoFpujMYPKkReebce/w320-h400/_P1A4461-Edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXGfIzzmA6Ws2cAUqqmMNNt4K8yshSB3ZEfPDuY-VHkyAfeRwXOPOzGpgacKvO_9xpNkGLpUknc6aIfuvjyXaBcW4qOn0M4IrNNQdIqn3KBhiP7a5ZWU33l1ooNAtS8YYlGlHdx1UtGp3PwuZ2WAT9U6lKBWQpIsESTF5dQizT_SfCuFFePwqTrSDpAFh/s2000/_P1A4484-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXGfIzzmA6Ws2cAUqqmMNNt4K8yshSB3ZEfPDuY-VHkyAfeRwXOPOzGpgacKvO_9xpNkGLpUknc6aIfuvjyXaBcW4qOn0M4IrNNQdIqn3KBhiP7a5ZWU33l1ooNAtS8YYlGlHdx1UtGp3PwuZ2WAT9U6lKBWQpIsESTF5dQizT_SfCuFFePwqTrSDpAFh/w320-h400/_P1A4484-Edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Later that morning we walked up Kiilopaa, a rocky hilltop that was a known breeding site for EURASIAN DOTTEREL. This species I had only seen once before, a few distant basic plumaged birds in Portugal a couple autumns ago, and was keen on seeing one in alternate plumage. We did find a pair rather quickly, but they proved elusive for photos. I nearly tripped over a frozen family of ROCK PTARMIGAN on the walk back, though I'm sure they saw me coming the whole time! Mom waited until the last second to scurry away, chattering and clearly annoyed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJnQIKG3lqtTE-tQVpQhffBPle1hd8zmrsKShk0XPWqEqxDRIoXIb26biRE74XFGbWuHsJOTZ-NzrL3g8I4WXX6u4TlDEKblI_gxFncjWqrCCZxDBKOfo07HT94g-batBTnQXyVlTzYKD_iK-gLtrieChY_KBErMVVRo9aYjMMwZ_bjk_gffm_oo9OgTr/s2000/_P1A4571-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJnQIKG3lqtTE-tQVpQhffBPle1hd8zmrsKShk0XPWqEqxDRIoXIb26biRE74XFGbWuHsJOTZ-NzrL3g8I4WXX6u4TlDEKblI_gxFncjWqrCCZxDBKOfo07HT94g-batBTnQXyVlTzYKD_iK-gLtrieChY_KBErMVVRo9aYjMMwZ_bjk_gffm_oo9OgTr/w400-h266/_P1A4571-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Ptarmigan</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Our next hit was a scrubby field that seemed to be THE spot for LITTLE BUNTING if eBird pins are any indication. It took some time, but we secured decent views of a singing individual. As we were birding the road by the car, preparing to leave, I pished up a RUSTIC BUNTING that was interacting with several REED BUNTINGS. No images of that bird sadly, but it was an unexpected trip highlight as we were a bit north of that species' typical range.</p><p>From Ivalo the rest of the afternoon was spent driving up the E75 and then westward on the 92 to our lodging at Giellajhoka. This would put us in prime position to make a midnight foray (6/23) to Kevon Iuonnonpuisto for a couple of our most-wanted shorebirds of the trip. First, some roadside bogs along 92 held a nice assortment of displaying waders including JACK SNIPE, one of my most hoped-for species of the trip. The display call is one of the strangest I have ever heard and really does sound like some sort of galloping Headless Horseman. We then proceeded northward off the main road towards a larger complex of bogs. Here, we encountered more breeding shorebirds, the best of which was a rather cooperative BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER, a species very high on Mike's list and one I haven't seen in many years. Thoroughly satisfied with our experience there, and ahead of schedule, we decided to act on intel we received from a Finnish birder who kindly tipped us off to a singing YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER not too far west of us, near the Norwegian border. Her directions were spot-on, and we had repeated views of this tiny warbler as it quickly shot from treetop to treetop at a clearing. This was a life bird for me and honestly was not at all on the radar - a true vagrant!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ye1cTNPpR7MXXztg21gk4eqBIe8AvLaB09Pldcn1fYRvtCIBBQWCtaRTLIQ21B88CzjOTMzESVTNAphyX1iheoc-yaDIXbPL1z4fgNqzcNos-yuojusxP8zgaFWJ5ujNOOdVrf33uTXn06z_Cp8akYy-G-k8cyZEz6Ji_3G7NEKf_83QDKPU13c5_MXa/s2000/_P1A5409-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1375" data-original-width="2000" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ye1cTNPpR7MXXztg21gk4eqBIe8AvLaB09Pldcn1fYRvtCIBBQWCtaRTLIQ21B88CzjOTMzESVTNAphyX1iheoc-yaDIXbPL1z4fgNqzcNos-yuojusxP8zgaFWJ5ujNOOdVrf33uTXn06z_Cp8akYy-G-k8cyZEz6Ji_3G7NEKf_83QDKPU13c5_MXa/w400-h275/_P1A5409-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Broad-billed Sandpiper</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Wk6aNx2VsJ_DDnex4GIwCqFbywh-xZYmsTAJwVknSQopmyHAtYbKrrZIrTeE0ZQgRAHwkppBeUbT59Q1sw162IwOYVwMohZJ_NAcjVYTM3vSa2lBl3k1ty_zAc3S7O6HF4Wv09hlvchSNOlJ3sZIb4qcZrb1WRQj_6RIFxkY3EAYndrcCPhoq09L4GTO/s2000/_P1A5604-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Wk6aNx2VsJ_DDnex4GIwCqFbywh-xZYmsTAJwVknSQopmyHAtYbKrrZIrTeE0ZQgRAHwkppBeUbT59Q1sw162IwOYVwMohZJ_NAcjVYTM3vSa2lBl3k1ty_zAc3S7O6HF4Wv09hlvchSNOlJ3sZIb4qcZrb1WRQj_6RIFxkY3EAYndrcCPhoq09L4GTO/w400-h266/_P1A5604-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">European Golden-Plover</td></tr></tbody></table><p>By the time we had accomplished all of that, it was still early enough to grab breakfast back at the lodge before departing back east and then northward up the E75. The rest of the day would be spent driving to the Varanger Peninsula (and back into Norway) where we would be exposed to a whole new suite of birds. Along the way we saw a NORTHERN HAWK-OWL on roadside powerlines and a couple dozen LITTLE GULLS hawking insects over the river along the 970 road. We spent a couple hours with the gulls, trying our best to wade far enough into the river to improve the light angle.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaogI5j8_a6EwvbgkG5BA-EtQSTOM-hrR8Nz2MenWUeo1-o2eBNnPIkIgByuC958a1ALvLeGJ6-S0cqXZ-NmlOseGvKUtBLWpn65RkZNuYSCV_RI-OgZhSCB41dbNUA3MODIxK-RSK63ZM2zseznlviBh_b5pF7L6wRVSf7VwfGbqEmpza_EkNxXAPo2GH/s2000/_P1A6363-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaogI5j8_a6EwvbgkG5BA-EtQSTOM-hrR8Nz2MenWUeo1-o2eBNnPIkIgByuC958a1ALvLeGJ6-S0cqXZ-NmlOseGvKUtBLWpn65RkZNuYSCV_RI-OgZhSCB41dbNUA3MODIxK-RSK63ZM2zseznlviBh_b5pF7L6wRVSf7VwfGbqEmpza_EkNxXAPo2GH/w400-h266/_P1A6363-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUL5b6jOUwQaKiHY2-1dHQ40rywjJxQCLdh-EN3yBNl5c-YLBXs98twvAETYZBC_trkQW9pO3Pt8ca8MZmlnxhuxktIYj8UPKU2-laaP3RDEdMmSl-qW1CQQPWAdpGRxSn2JtA2BmLfx65X5xgstcUybrr6MJ-JYTScFCyN0S7hXSe1GQW4vSYYgPvVxzj/s2000/_P1A6478-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUL5b6jOUwQaKiHY2-1dHQ40rywjJxQCLdh-EN3yBNl5c-YLBXs98twvAETYZBC_trkQW9pO3Pt8ca8MZmlnxhuxktIYj8UPKU2-laaP3RDEdMmSl-qW1CQQPWAdpGRxSn2JtA2BmLfx65X5xgstcUybrr6MJ-JYTScFCyN0S7hXSe1GQW4vSYYgPvVxzj/w400-h266/_P1A6478-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifT3sFaAGPzuvlwUHcw09_Efki3B-DQkK9j4azQuNTuUDQhxEq_Jga8_FNndfLW9XldMBGKCtHVeH2CYqWS2PSUuYQMsMAHwX5U0WrqmDKWHGadFUmijI4a352cZZ8q5gpWg7BNSJdV1DYS69YjZtPZRYKJjFzDJF9ZEWqhiwrtJdHxfPvBgU6A6cHJFY-/s2000/_P1A6658-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifT3sFaAGPzuvlwUHcw09_Efki3B-DQkK9j4azQuNTuUDQhxEq_Jga8_FNndfLW9XldMBGKCtHVeH2CYqWS2PSUuYQMsMAHwX5U0WrqmDKWHGadFUmijI4a352cZZ8q5gpWg7BNSJdV1DYS69YjZtPZRYKJjFzDJF9ZEWqhiwrtJdHxfPvBgU6A6cHJFY-/w400-h266/_P1A6658-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvIgBPkUGdnyIAa7NTHr8ObeTXYKfCeG3iMYBB_uI4FtlG_EDXNFMr6U6SeBy0avYhUponZ4xYIFQyONvy6T8UxJV9tjSo1sbI04tOC4tRg8i32UsRbNVsT9Rn4P9AA87WdhdttXXHbOd5bUXPwVA0W1mf7HnZAM7ZDziAM-7VS5OKDCZ5_aO_83QtVvI/s2000/_P1A6794-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvIgBPkUGdnyIAa7NTHr8ObeTXYKfCeG3iMYBB_uI4FtlG_EDXNFMr6U6SeBy0avYhUponZ4xYIFQyONvy6T8UxJV9tjSo1sbI04tOC4tRg8i32UsRbNVsT9Rn4P9AA87WdhdttXXHbOd5bUXPwVA0W1mf7HnZAM7ZDziAM-7VS5OKDCZ5_aO_83QtVvI/w400-h266/_P1A6794-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3KfzASciRUDc4cGWQVAWwhSEWPaLGXkcu_n25V5Pj9pm1CAaOTIVbFku0F4bphH8Fv6Ruy3LLhuAMCrSkJ1G3hhUUjvX4GQVlX6IEQ0zU8vcvU2-EEeS_7M3wuCNoMKwXI0EpA5jPbsk5FgbeQB1e6j3yfR6PN-2lkpdvwHOG0o6R3S6hZeOKYKjlPnv/s2000/_P1A6815-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3KfzASciRUDc4cGWQVAWwhSEWPaLGXkcu_n25V5Pj9pm1CAaOTIVbFku0F4bphH8Fv6Ruy3LLhuAMCrSkJ1G3hhUUjvX4GQVlX6IEQ0zU8vcvU2-EEeS_7M3wuCNoMKwXI0EpA5jPbsk5FgbeQB1e6j3yfR6PN-2lkpdvwHOG0o6R3S6hZeOKYKjlPnv/w400-h266/_P1A6815-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Gulls</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jUwQm1URqSeDUUrDdq126QoZOaHNJ8d0svWvWq_C6T-EAPnZtSKgSIfasu4cXrOWprJXIakvybUDP8EYQcTX0EfIoOih4XMeFhO-I4Yf9E1ar4ZWEMpIzddUbqWcPzyLQZLElO3YQbrhw8Rz-xuMv8kEIfzkEAzzEuzU5dvdAjK-mPQ12ql10QjtlcD7/s2000/06d836f5-431e-4a8b-83cc-9a45cce34bec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jUwQm1URqSeDUUrDdq126QoZOaHNJ8d0svWvWq_C6T-EAPnZtSKgSIfasu4cXrOWprJXIakvybUDP8EYQcTX0EfIoOih4XMeFhO-I4Yf9E1ar4ZWEMpIzddUbqWcPzyLQZLElO3YQbrhw8Rz-xuMv8kEIfzkEAzzEuzU5dvdAjK-mPQ12ql10QjtlcD7/w400-h300/06d836f5-431e-4a8b-83cc-9a45cce34bec.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqG_lD-PPd2QaLR9QgzK8ND8f-6hFZ_J61MaOqTcIPwDCq7P5lVyt79jGhsbwEhVutJs8hJcvtaJKB6Fjh7q9ho2AUERJgP81esANqgiScTLFRu9aOxZ7OxTCBSqg56g1O3bTCt-WnGPQN9xnozcguwTTDq8FG5E3EwwVbo3eMSUlD5YjtPw4NgmEpJSf/s2000/IMG_9113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="2000" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqG_lD-PPd2QaLR9QgzK8ND8f-6hFZ_J61MaOqTcIPwDCq7P5lVyt79jGhsbwEhVutJs8hJcvtaJKB6Fjh7q9ho2AUERJgP81esANqgiScTLFRu9aOxZ7OxTCBSqg56g1O3bTCt-WnGPQN9xnozcguwTTDq8FG5E3EwwVbo3eMSUlD5YjtPw4NgmEpJSf/w400-h189/IMG_9113.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Though we had been pushing pretty hard already, we wanted to maximize our field time in the best lighting conditions. This meant birding "overnight" when the skies were clear and "during the day" when clouds dominated. That midnight sun is pretty magical.</p><p>Our first night on the peninsula was forecast to be clear, so we sacrificed sleep to take advantage of that (6/24). We were rewarded with some beautifully lit subjects and active birdlife on the tundra. On this bright morning, activity died down pretty early, by say 0630ish. We made the most of our few hours and enjoyed such species as EUROPEAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, NORTHERN WHEATEAR, LONG-TAILED JAEGER, BLUETHROAT and HOARY REDPOLL.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0LLq9uccLf6BLlChERgm7wESDTpj5lBqDWBvkl_Dp0Dvcuhz08qA1aCHdaQKHGpkgiTN2IWeX_Ub4gpnW1SM0DLuPZkc4pjDAsBtsvIWCdZO0ltCycHmup9oVb-2HBphVCvlac2eLN6FJOO7wM6cH42LXVDN-VXIH3yCtOQ8xNpptSxBQQoOMI6wm2BH/s2000/_P1A7130-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0LLq9uccLf6BLlChERgm7wESDTpj5lBqDWBvkl_Dp0Dvcuhz08qA1aCHdaQKHGpkgiTN2IWeX_Ub4gpnW1SM0DLuPZkc4pjDAsBtsvIWCdZO0ltCycHmup9oVb-2HBphVCvlac2eLN6FJOO7wM6cH42LXVDN-VXIH3yCtOQ8xNpptSxBQQoOMI6wm2BH/w400-h266/_P1A7130-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzwz7lh70y2eMtRUuuSa_QDx5_gQonv-4abjYO5cAqelwrI41ObNm8oMEaMIOIeLmkUW8g8j_1KkhGOwU9uaijXmev1IPutihqgMAVkDLqYkrnNZqdY7izApa-Q96X2KJmge5ZXQdoW9-PeW7GYKBXNMJQJWcpvZBi2vHIAOjaIPWhyYYlggWymZiYwfs/s2000/_P1A7143-Edit-2-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="2000" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzwz7lh70y2eMtRUuuSa_QDx5_gQonv-4abjYO5cAqelwrI41ObNm8oMEaMIOIeLmkUW8g8j_1KkhGOwU9uaijXmev1IPutihqgMAVkDLqYkrnNZqdY7izApa-Q96X2KJmge5ZXQdoW9-PeW7GYKBXNMJQJWcpvZBi2vHIAOjaIPWhyYYlggWymZiYwfs/w400-h239/_P1A7143-Edit-2-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Wheatear</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIMr5VpEUi-JsPweoj9EimLoC5tVqq3qT2zVzrBKFQ2zH4dK8mx2jkFveg1nNa902m_e9UkLfF_o9IFSXBSOObg9SEy6xdz_WFB37bn3WxsyidSfqCvxtsE8kyRe42kT44O3r737VJs69h9aos9H1BjblZsS4hkoB-m0ggKf7B5X3nHdVvh4tmxHRwYGV/s2000/_P1A7421-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIMr5VpEUi-JsPweoj9EimLoC5tVqq3qT2zVzrBKFQ2zH4dK8mx2jkFveg1nNa902m_e9UkLfF_o9IFSXBSOObg9SEy6xdz_WFB37bn3WxsyidSfqCvxtsE8kyRe42kT44O3r737VJs69h9aos9H1BjblZsS4hkoB-m0ggKf7B5X3nHdVvh4tmxHRwYGV/w400-h266/_P1A7421-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-tailed Jaeger</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwM7eqNVfs4ueJunRi6lF4HrQ7OJ1wYxAqQt-VPT7jETO5K2O5yaZUj7U8BlUguBU9cNJbpBHgFPDPVGlAc64sengg4qT9_sG4b5T3JdfgKwgNsURMD8jwLf7xdw8lgdM6gm0_6WkrKdRjy35CEED__IUdhxe9NjmgDQel8NKzsC1yOuxdHgn9dTy7BPA/s2000/_P1A7562-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwM7eqNVfs4ueJunRi6lF4HrQ7OJ1wYxAqQt-VPT7jETO5K2O5yaZUj7U8BlUguBU9cNJbpBHgFPDPVGlAc64sengg4qT9_sG4b5T3JdfgKwgNsURMD8jwLf7xdw8lgdM6gm0_6WkrKdRjy35CEED__IUdhxe9NjmgDQel8NKzsC1yOuxdHgn9dTy7BPA/w400-h266/_P1A7562-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluethroat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIibPcRcdutcMVO6QjqoRkltFSQa2CFYQkbe0cW0w_A7RYuqiTUjsxMSs3az-k2TYOOKqb-PD1ha_QdbLu3_NTH8T3GBpbIWMji_Wv7cOycfDFefbcN3Evj4odUI478QLzsoEOkjPXAO-VIy7h-AUZApkVyh5mzGkVuWzwo8mW3ewxYeGKjRiD_t1VF76b/s2000/_P1A7682-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIibPcRcdutcMVO6QjqoRkltFSQa2CFYQkbe0cW0w_A7RYuqiTUjsxMSs3az-k2TYOOKqb-PD1ha_QdbLu3_NTH8T3GBpbIWMji_Wv7cOycfDFefbcN3Evj4odUI478QLzsoEOkjPXAO-VIy7h-AUZApkVyh5mzGkVuWzwo8mW3ewxYeGKjRiD_t1VF76b/w400-h266/_P1A7682-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lapland Longspur</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAGw9k_T1CcXai150jcSxF6__OWVborgVIP8Iuc71VkPsVyTVNUMD1ip4yBJw8dDdXVwV5XeEsVdCKr_L1xIJz8KuaYVsJii-A0qOvCahwlOgL4cqtHAKFCHh_8sM8upJeyqEO_dgoTfh0uLxnus6v_uvyl1gBQ-R0p2MAjBbWm2tPJZlmZIkSrtps3c7/s2000/IMG_9121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAGw9k_T1CcXai150jcSxF6__OWVborgVIP8Iuc71VkPsVyTVNUMD1ip4yBJw8dDdXVwV5XeEsVdCKr_L1xIJz8KuaYVsJii-A0qOvCahwlOgL4cqtHAKFCHh_8sM8upJeyqEO_dgoTfh0uLxnus6v_uvyl1gBQ-R0p2MAjBbWm2tPJZlmZIkSrtps3c7/w300-h400/IMG_9121.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tjvOpAOYS_k9n7JWIE_uPIzkV-dSBXqVLUhwJcNMXPI9UTv4nDKU2h72r7bgtsj_kD1jRKztmbVb_7qf4KixcV5odrunxT5gE0ZiXHAyMZEL-vyhyT20K9dJv_4KEWNHOnoSMAiuoye8B3g4uWFD_Z8926l4Y0LcDC11uT_HSTb9Ql4lWjB2HYEi-N67/s2000/IMG_9123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tjvOpAOYS_k9n7JWIE_uPIzkV-dSBXqVLUhwJcNMXPI9UTv4nDKU2h72r7bgtsj_kD1jRKztmbVb_7qf4KixcV5odrunxT5gE0ZiXHAyMZEL-vyhyT20K9dJv_4KEWNHOnoSMAiuoye8B3g4uWFD_Z8926l4Y0LcDC11uT_HSTb9Ql4lWjB2HYEi-N67/w300-h400/IMG_9123.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVg1y-eWCKpmhs_79Es_b7LAxn2eVrCSYSep2jHHB273RR20hX_E-vUrU4gVQWVFW2O1ZIhYEywBNG7L9PCDcMEhE2cfV9TskSvBoVwZ5kv20zwogb5W0eiTTEnHuhjzdyXeWkx_JSf22m8tt_N__7ac-2Se-iAmgw7wFBRiDD_Pry5FzRlk7wcep7FgTu/s2000/IMG_9124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVg1y-eWCKpmhs_79Es_b7LAxn2eVrCSYSep2jHHB273RR20hX_E-vUrU4gVQWVFW2O1ZIhYEywBNG7L9PCDcMEhE2cfV9TskSvBoVwZ5kv20zwogb5W0eiTTEnHuhjzdyXeWkx_JSf22m8tt_N__7ac-2Se-iAmgw7wFBRiDD_Pry5FzRlk7wcep7FgTu/w400-h300/IMG_9124.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKa6SDDmh8nOoy23ZJ2gjlmMdNHZl6hNXy82jIywBSNji9ERWMhsl49GMCPmKqc-ufzXMbV8j5D5FJJazTSGoHLaMrWpKhKfLQKc6ybhmzNPQ29w0p-Lg5kUpArBXMH-TVqlYEoU3kGVdY6x2yAbur4X7j9PGwpGw0sTnMAViGPm_KCaO7rRmk0Nj_Jiwm/s2000/IMG_9189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKa6SDDmh8nOoy23ZJ2gjlmMdNHZl6hNXy82jIywBSNji9ERWMhsl49GMCPmKqc-ufzXMbV8j5D5FJJazTSGoHLaMrWpKhKfLQKc6ybhmzNPQ29w0p-Lg5kUpArBXMH-TVqlYEoU3kGVdY6x2yAbur4X7j9PGwpGw0sTnMAViGPm_KCaO7rRmk0Nj_Jiwm/w400-h300/IMG_9189.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfS5aYrWRz80qLI2CcXKHJxfbQGsYjaV7yRHQpxrHZ4W1LsorxX_Yleqw3oEosVbUapBAKjmBpc5Za6sSXD96nMZctY-Wqbj8I-gpl-4Rd6Fk4xiafOYRqIkQKuKdKlyOw60XVn9HKNMtPHEmjBTRVUtTmnX5rGd6rwcDtS6uVap_OZi0RBBENqU7R7Q4s/s2000/IMG_9243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfS5aYrWRz80qLI2CcXKHJxfbQGsYjaV7yRHQpxrHZ4W1LsorxX_Yleqw3oEosVbUapBAKjmBpc5Za6sSXD96nMZctY-Wqbj8I-gpl-4Rd6Fk4xiafOYRqIkQKuKdKlyOw60XVn9HKNMtPHEmjBTRVUtTmnX5rGd6rwcDtS6uVap_OZi0RBBENqU7R7Q4s/w300-h400/IMG_9243.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>Photography on the tundra was shot thanks to the harsh light and heat shimmer, so we diverted to the coast and found a few lingering STELLER'S EIDER. Compared to my spectacular eider experience in <a href="https://www.shorebirder.com/2023/11/norwegian-double-dip-march-2022-and.html" target="_blank">March</a>, this was shit, but it was possible that we could have missed Steller's altogether at this time of year, so we were pleased to see the few females that were present. We also had our first encounter with TEMMINCK'S STINT, which we thought would be more common than it was, and was a long-overdue lifer for me.</p><p>We took the bright midday to catch up on sleep. Kudos to Mike for being so willing and eager to disrupt his sleep/wake cycle so much to adapt to the quickly-changing weather out here. It really does seem crucial to stay flexible and play the weather if you want to maximize your success.</p><p>But it doesn't always work out as planned! Having slept so well during the day of the 24th, we planned on staying out for an entirely clear overnight period. We felt like geniuses at first, as we started at 9pm under gorgeously clear skies and a lowering sun. The breeding shorebirds on the tundra seemed at peak activity, and we were really enjoying the WHIMBRELS, BAR-TAILED GODWITS, and PARASITIC JAEGERS. But it seemed just as we were getting started, a thick fog rolled in and would not budge. With it, bird activity grinded to a halt. We stuck it out for a while but eventually waved the white flag and called it a night.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAh8-FjlBF8_faijnY2GNepiLIb0PhO2QvSW9f-R-BU2K7sEZ-mQOYR9xcI45FF2nIav-Y3XIJXhcjlYlnB6WqBeYvSo3cNK6fb2S8VeMuQlPtMnRhJzuMeYpSdifzAy3tHeOhf8Sk9eNtOE4s-kAwsbVAYTuiCsjF8IUdrZxYN4lV9ksET63gu527h6kB/s2000/_P1A7906-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1827" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAh8-FjlBF8_faijnY2GNepiLIb0PhO2QvSW9f-R-BU2K7sEZ-mQOYR9xcI45FF2nIav-Y3XIJXhcjlYlnB6WqBeYvSo3cNK6fb2S8VeMuQlPtMnRhJzuMeYpSdifzAy3tHeOhf8Sk9eNtOE4s-kAwsbVAYTuiCsjF8IUdrZxYN4lV9ksET63gu527h6kB/w365-h400/_P1A7906-Edit.jpg" width="365" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Redshank</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5BVURZxP5bRlJr2j09gZw7pRFBLQWihZIqcRMIJwXjgI157C4qw_M_hv8Zy6AyMBi9BKQQ7ZaSDoyKQ6cHrPS0ta6KrYorhYisQafLU-kaRswqoMtbxMFZ5JNqVg43cF20NHye_ROSYHkJR57igclTyc6C3I9jsibZdRxOsR-ott2lBAKLtEFk7ycSwY/s2000/_P1A8003-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5BVURZxP5bRlJr2j09gZw7pRFBLQWihZIqcRMIJwXjgI157C4qw_M_hv8Zy6AyMBi9BKQQ7ZaSDoyKQ6cHrPS0ta6KrYorhYisQafLU-kaRswqoMtbxMFZ5JNqVg43cF20NHye_ROSYHkJR57igclTyc6C3I9jsibZdRxOsR-ott2lBAKLtEFk7ycSwY/w400-h266/_P1A8003-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Short-eared Owl</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRueckO2wb7d0HeO-LjjamFJKiDZlkbMebl81iLaZjH-HygwjOSghGvjUsqG0AQjbtwzEMGWQZq1_qm3OFVS2ZfLKlSRkFwlBTiQdjYfABl6t_Plb4jxrYibcRKNmHqsRi_PuzMVOQFHfzu_D_hTlDeH-PNshBkL_RPnwFX-s5SWIUAwTWqZDyHMtnJgM8/s2000/_P1A8140-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRueckO2wb7d0HeO-LjjamFJKiDZlkbMebl81iLaZjH-HygwjOSghGvjUsqG0AQjbtwzEMGWQZq1_qm3OFVS2ZfLKlSRkFwlBTiQdjYfABl6t_Plb4jxrYibcRKNmHqsRi_PuzMVOQFHfzu_D_hTlDeH-PNshBkL_RPnwFX-s5SWIUAwTWqZDyHMtnJgM8/w400-h266/_P1A8140-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whimbrel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVE70ZYlSp1Z3MRC4-6NT2X6xFUq6h3coZv6hbK4gWm6KEm8EdnC6RRj0do06eyr5EGRCAq2ji6zKYCesqcgR23RBQLUYm503bxGlGBm3STrYzURkPNlfLB9B1yOz8NTwrdQHrI5vM2eypCfKYCJIHX4Og2SBjMgcJFBrH2rnJnH4_Z_d6koSmpORkAg9l/s2000/_P1A8270-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVE70ZYlSp1Z3MRC4-6NT2X6xFUq6h3coZv6hbK4gWm6KEm8EdnC6RRj0do06eyr5EGRCAq2ji6zKYCesqcgR23RBQLUYm503bxGlGBm3STrYzURkPNlfLB9B1yOz8NTwrdQHrI5vM2eypCfKYCJIHX4Og2SBjMgcJFBrH2rnJnH4_Z_d6koSmpORkAg9l/w400-h266/_P1A8270-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whimbrel chick</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24mWISXVeZ99KrLCpJSB04hfPowu5DhbUFw3DkionpWZ-2V7KIeVUAkJX4c7D_lZbuuyl8NUg5bN-44VdZhC8CbzaTbtP3Bw23JnOX-DD73PUHYRWySQVoyywaK618MXJ6e80REB6FMDO10vFliJnsk8CmqcSkTbnuoXGLyfkxKjW3sMWJl4UR8k0CxSw/s2000/_P1A8429-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24mWISXVeZ99KrLCpJSB04hfPowu5DhbUFw3DkionpWZ-2V7KIeVUAkJX4c7D_lZbuuyl8NUg5bN-44VdZhC8CbzaTbtP3Bw23JnOX-DD73PUHYRWySQVoyywaK618MXJ6e80REB6FMDO10vFliJnsk8CmqcSkTbnuoXGLyfkxKjW3sMWJl4UR8k0CxSw/w400-h266/_P1A8429-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlR_STEh_6gGkwfE5V95Y-ynFo2YGNFKuToMfi7fJrxsDB0o0w5y79GeC7-URJexvGH7E3rJhRweGBA2q4c7fAWHwm4UtIisjANyFMg2pI3embiWAPt_cpjjK5_9NTm_Wm7tfHUodjpMDxAZ4wjgw0dEXiR_JwqXzJxxW8mB-GIDfgCC0LhD3ypPWrBkW/s2000/_P1A8454-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlR_STEh_6gGkwfE5V95Y-ynFo2YGNFKuToMfi7fJrxsDB0o0w5y79GeC7-URJexvGH7E3rJhRweGBA2q4c7fAWHwm4UtIisjANyFMg2pI3embiWAPt_cpjjK5_9NTm_Wm7tfHUodjpMDxAZ4wjgw0dEXiR_JwqXzJxxW8mB-GIDfgCC0LhD3ypPWrBkW/w400-h266/_P1A8454-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqaXJoM2wFACEtOZhzSAYupXTOMm56rMaL_7unvDHOvXpVq5qoGoPRn6l5bjXVSJiWFGzMsdLLnuPO-w4H60gOlYn0s68RJXSgxhCkGDHJvHqyL-qKWwKK_Qq9ZC19Q8bPlk10jaC4NdYWa352lY58KgEGVljJ_xglcxxYTjO-wQ4gxJq8hpFFHjPz1_5/s2000/_P1A8461-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqaXJoM2wFACEtOZhzSAYupXTOMm56rMaL_7unvDHOvXpVq5qoGoPRn6l5bjXVSJiWFGzMsdLLnuPO-w4H60gOlYn0s68RJXSgxhCkGDHJvHqyL-qKWwKK_Qq9ZC19Q8bPlk10jaC4NdYWa352lY58KgEGVljJ_xglcxxYTjO-wQ4gxJq8hpFFHjPz1_5/w400-h400/_P1A8461-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whimbrel and Parasitic Jaegers took turns harassing one another.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJh7mwG50n72vJzsWftUQGHZ0es0cQi2pxXYY0Td8LrSL3jf6mtDv4-1M60Ic3ZivcP4mkFEhZCrBaA8Y21_xVSrjeiMqxCsqS1ljSfwS96AIfkq7pJNmhC743l9vECqcnR7DHVpUnc-BLL4U91jxxy6ivbvday5g7pbWr_mhV6-jhyphenhyphenEwble5AmHPHSsDX/s2000/_P1A8733-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJh7mwG50n72vJzsWftUQGHZ0es0cQi2pxXYY0Td8LrSL3jf6mtDv4-1M60Ic3ZivcP4mkFEhZCrBaA8Y21_xVSrjeiMqxCsqS1ljSfwS96AIfkq7pJNmhC743l9vECqcnR7DHVpUnc-BLL4U91jxxy6ivbvday5g7pbWr_mhV6-jhyphenhyphenEwble5AmHPHSsDX/w400-h266/_P1A8733-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parasitic Jaeger</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUEkhmlL3oqXscCyZ1Mt6I-UjUIMU0UIlxqmcFc6ytyF014BJm_fpjsE-cdSHCxKRpmpcsE7PsxtbYdSBV_nNynAiOxtkjAP3XJbzDey4h-8QMXpj2-Rjxzju53BqSoQz8WqSi9qygbhGZKm3fJCYBMACLIiiuWzG-HLblKOJsrRxlSsIs4ofwUMDhnDD/s2000/_P1A8778.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1719" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUEkhmlL3oqXscCyZ1Mt6I-UjUIMU0UIlxqmcFc6ytyF014BJm_fpjsE-cdSHCxKRpmpcsE7PsxtbYdSBV_nNynAiOxtkjAP3XJbzDey4h-8QMXpj2-Rjxzju53BqSoQz8WqSi9qygbhGZKm3fJCYBMACLIiiuWzG-HLblKOJsrRxlSsIs4ofwUMDhnDD/w344-h400/_P1A8778.jpg" width="344" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">midnight sun before the fog rolled in</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHlAYke3BcMvbXY-AnLMnbboWPw050TUlNFzZWq1_YlyDnJSpLxQIEl9vw3kSWnQFOh-JRdhhv3hIyxg6WMrJ2I1qI-Kj4BppzBZFAgXUWShFMUEDTpEnMqoyLIwsjpJzgSAUaX4ew3XJhM-XnYsRa3N3Q12uJ2pP34oobuXTtKR660_tN1v9GOaC2crk/s2000/_P1A8985-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHlAYke3BcMvbXY-AnLMnbboWPw050TUlNFzZWq1_YlyDnJSpLxQIEl9vw3kSWnQFOh-JRdhhv3hIyxg6WMrJ2I1qI-Kj4BppzBZFAgXUWShFMUEDTpEnMqoyLIwsjpJzgSAUaX4ew3XJhM-XnYsRa3N3Q12uJ2pP34oobuXTtKR660_tN1v9GOaC2crk/w400-h266/_P1A8985-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar-tailed Godwit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqaDv42614CdlFUMSFBJN6Z5CXjGv2nlYjdrSFwS6cYsYjMhoL9bZJyXYD4gOpcdRj3ihUM_MK8g6fL_DiVzKFTThWRSuk_jHdysfQFV9l7ilmDXg2KM0C9xqwA7C1g3MXc5OX_F8PP9kTO-gKMzxq5-T3DnYVLQiY3r-y8QqQiQfKGFw-HUY4LgTlyHs/s2000/IMG_9128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqaDv42614CdlFUMSFBJN6Z5CXjGv2nlYjdrSFwS6cYsYjMhoL9bZJyXYD4gOpcdRj3ihUM_MK8g6fL_DiVzKFTThWRSuk_jHdysfQFV9l7ilmDXg2KM0C9xqwA7C1g3MXc5OX_F8PP9kTO-gKMzxq5-T3DnYVLQiY3r-y8QqQiQfKGFw-HUY4LgTlyHs/w400-h300/IMG_9128.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>It was still foggy in the morning (6/25), so tundra birding was out, and we decided to walk around Vadsoya. This was the first place we encountered numbers of male RUFFS, but they were not actively lekking, which told us that we must have been past peak for observing this fascinating social behavior; this likely peaks in May-early June. We did have better luck with RED-THROATED PIPIT, our first of the trip.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJVt9bM6q29ENO955XLhroCgqW7pDancGAwmV1avEaRS4PKx4NbKwxhpwSy7mcm0GQLt2XUcTyzFpdbUea8IlqbLbRdFRjzWdl_BIP3w2kbc_O-Pl48nLjOu89o42deETWq11iKSwL7up1wARNu-UxKl76VEQTivy80UxStV7bN5KguN1QpAkDTa5gSqs/s2000/_P1A0007-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1603" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJVt9bM6q29ENO955XLhroCgqW7pDancGAwmV1avEaRS4PKx4NbKwxhpwSy7mcm0GQLt2XUcTyzFpdbUea8IlqbLbRdFRjzWdl_BIP3w2kbc_O-Pl48nLjOu89o42deETWq11iKSwL7up1wARNu-UxKl76VEQTivy80UxStV7bN5KguN1QpAkDTa5gSqs/w400-h320/_P1A0007-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">European Golden-Plover</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq96wd_PqRHABb45qQmBW6otQkdTWeE3SC4SwcT-PSmxQZJrm-6YZ7BmcRdGriT2L3xs3PA60r70W95We5f8BmuqYe55pjLhqvIn-0jS8BtUfAcipeU_BjkMGUoAIe-CXyNxx2i7mlEPykBx5UiQPJac0jPmoLzPIU8l1r_E_C4Zb1SZtr6sBsMDeywK7K/s2000/_P1A0198-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq96wd_PqRHABb45qQmBW6otQkdTWeE3SC4SwcT-PSmxQZJrm-6YZ7BmcRdGriT2L3xs3PA60r70W95We5f8BmuqYe55pjLhqvIn-0jS8BtUfAcipeU_BjkMGUoAIe-CXyNxx2i7mlEPykBx5UiQPJac0jPmoLzPIU8l1r_E_C4Zb1SZtr6sBsMDeywK7K/w400-h266/_P1A0198-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy9646gOGBryVgNUOvwKWniTS8Z3jWh8ZuPHMAHF_3Ue1oW8WEnlr7xupBgiVQfMwADcgKnFe7naRldQ0pnejGa9UJmNb-hQ0MoVdH8mWUYPOpjgP9JI8I5v3RI0qgjKWPrwdUgo4-nJplMnzuGe9hxaM6FCld9h8-th8CMfAMKtAiUPLKC3BKxmvn-NA/s2000/_P1A0253-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy9646gOGBryVgNUOvwKWniTS8Z3jWh8ZuPHMAHF_3Ue1oW8WEnlr7xupBgiVQfMwADcgKnFe7naRldQ0pnejGa9UJmNb-hQ0MoVdH8mWUYPOpjgP9JI8I5v3RI0qgjKWPrwdUgo4-nJplMnzuGe9hxaM6FCld9h8-th8CMfAMKtAiUPLKC3BKxmvn-NA/w400-h266/_P1A0253-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-throated Pipit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>In an attempt to rid ourselves of fog, we drove west back towards the mainland, which tends to be the drier part of the Varangerfjord, especially on an east wind. Along the way we stopped at any gull flock we saw, eventually turning up a small, dark LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL that looked the part for the nominate subspecies, which was a new taxon for the both of us I think.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpEv1VRQm8PKvZQCn4gA0YS7E4lnw7s2DGJUKZI4OGSt3aqwLqB7d1Zbhjvw7E7rHz8PaaCi1GWouDkKI8F1hwSaP453cl8kQnMaJsszlBsumbcFG60jMd36rDY4hkEGj3lDirE6lrnn4XYsSt7MsgZhteYvxZ7EofLZ224OHxdfPBjVeU_JMRfnJtlbD/s2000/IMG_9131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpEv1VRQm8PKvZQCn4gA0YS7E4lnw7s2DGJUKZI4OGSt3aqwLqB7d1Zbhjvw7E7rHz8PaaCi1GWouDkKI8F1hwSaP453cl8kQnMaJsszlBsumbcFG60jMd36rDY4hkEGj3lDirE6lrnn4XYsSt7MsgZhteYvxZ7EofLZ224OHxdfPBjVeU_JMRfnJtlbD/w400-h300/IMG_9131.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsE3L8ojCxkBKFkcJhUb35jztiDVhN-9cBUCjAH43TlezijQdTTz9v8FPt3NAUvzSPeHX0azB1UhnqyoLK0nsC9urr9_WRrpAHW08U_ioRImS2-kgZ-_U_RaBQ9YreCdUMWnmFjN5y_v7AI2TITsM9Bg2-NtH6dvMXEDi3Zghg4SyDG5F_8Eq-xSuhXfyO/s2000/IMG_9139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsE3L8ojCxkBKFkcJhUb35jztiDVhN-9cBUCjAH43TlezijQdTTz9v8FPt3NAUvzSPeHX0azB1UhnqyoLK0nsC9urr9_WRrpAHW08U_ioRImS2-kgZ-_U_RaBQ9YreCdUMWnmFjN5y_v7AI2TITsM9Bg2-NtH6dvMXEDi3Zghg4SyDG5F_8Eq-xSuhXfyO/w300-h400/IMG_9139.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The iconic church at Nesseby</td></tr></tbody></table><div><p>Later that night, Mike caught some shuteye while I rode adrenaline for a couple more hours and headed to Ekkeroy. As I was driving out there, a massive splash just offshore caught my eye which could only have been a breaching whale. Sure enough, a HUMPBACK WHALE took flight a couple more times. So damn cool. Ekkeroy itself was reasonably birdy though nothing unusual popped except for an adult LITTLE GULL, a good bird this far out the peninsula.</p><p>The next morning (6/26) I returned to Ekkeroy with Mike, and it was clear enough this time to see the 10,000+ BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES on their nesting cliff. As we continued eastward, making our move from Vadso to Vardo, we detoured inland slightly to search for photogenic BLUETHROATS. To this point, Mike had already crushed this species but I had not yet had a good look at a male. He was a great sport in trying to rectify that, which finally did pay off when we located a pair carrying food to a nest.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmFYeO68uQkexXO9o7iqcovyUCrEXy80LIo_WqeU6g2h_zCnUYnT28lov659ereZQTabYC4muB6WPFL9X5sRsMTwNUYEoxLxOw-JKax-3zz5PrUN08bI5NGyQy08ldqWB2E-IdRJXXHvVGkx9KwBZOtXC9bZb3gffA4EnStVP2ID8cijmWkG5W9bri0uX/s2000/_P1A0877-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1639" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmFYeO68uQkexXO9o7iqcovyUCrEXy80LIo_WqeU6g2h_zCnUYnT28lov659ereZQTabYC4muB6WPFL9X5sRsMTwNUYEoxLxOw-JKax-3zz5PrUN08bI5NGyQy08ldqWB2E-IdRJXXHvVGkx9KwBZOtXC9bZb3gffA4EnStVP2ID8cijmWkG5W9bri0uX/w328-h400/_P1A0877-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBj5A6UEm1cjrRBDFcxqZjEhpdh8KQluyhbGo3Hs9B8SYZjtD5BiJe6vKF81jnAh_noL4KKn1x50dIYhwb32HWPbistXsh1ipRv7YiopDQuWet1lzVDuJP_l6cImT3gg51araqyo-ChFIyAEP2SwI-4HZ8YClsRD-Rax0eX2V6LWxtYIVPu25iWzEEBPx/s2000/_P1A1081-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1656" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBj5A6UEm1cjrRBDFcxqZjEhpdh8KQluyhbGo3Hs9B8SYZjtD5BiJe6vKF81jnAh_noL4KKn1x50dIYhwb32HWPbistXsh1ipRv7YiopDQuWet1lzVDuJP_l6cImT3gg51araqyo-ChFIyAEP2SwI-4HZ8YClsRD-Rax0eX2V6LWxtYIVPu25iWzEEBPx/w331-h400/_P1A1081-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="331" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluethroat</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mxytGGgSQzk2pRrEtGa6re7dSmldCcuyhhVYJntkTLy_tF_2sj2ZSjMiRbPs2yiyPntqIxAE5C3i664j_IpXenCxk2B0i_hON18N57jYQKA8uWNqxx7Zv40jGzs1q7vhixbrxjdBVQdFMVodowBRq8hatHhOD_zJkWvLwIIQepRbX8vMl12DuZd5HML4/s2000/_P1A0660-HDR-Pano-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="2000" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mxytGGgSQzk2pRrEtGa6re7dSmldCcuyhhVYJntkTLy_tF_2sj2ZSjMiRbPs2yiyPntqIxAE5C3i664j_IpXenCxk2B0i_hON18N57jYQKA8uWNqxx7Zv40jGzs1q7vhixbrxjdBVQdFMVodowBRq8hatHhOD_zJkWvLwIIQepRbX8vMl12DuZd5HML4/w400-h208/_P1A0660-HDR-Pano-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cliffs at Ekkeroy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1mbAZpZKkrO5wKpXC3Of3vkG4aKNVy6OTFVYCN3cuCkQ2lvqG7rhATDcKs0mIMoK8muTNEX4U33k4mbRVq3nei4U-vDXOuKEEDWyQlf59kQ9LG5rJq8rRYtx_S-MNQD5RX4GU8S_xQrLqBxKWk3x1C-cfm4PwDSG8BenF40LH_pJr-8nYVE0Z4qp6QVK/s2000/_P1A9737-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1mbAZpZKkrO5wKpXC3Of3vkG4aKNVy6OTFVYCN3cuCkQ2lvqG7rhATDcKs0mIMoK8muTNEX4U33k4mbRVq3nei4U-vDXOuKEEDWyQlf59kQ9LG5rJq8rRYtx_S-MNQD5RX4GU8S_xQrLqBxKWk3x1C-cfm4PwDSG8BenF40LH_pJr-8nYVE0Z4qp6QVK/w400-h266/_P1A9737-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Ringed Plover</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuj7ofhYizdHLvCw2icx_NiHUZ_21fYqei0SyoJpj_KNKGdHyDr8G3t56yg5WJ3WWGpPTUXxPlPf3DITdHAO-riIhceOtmKhtU06IEPLbCU6swdouHfS1Xjh9KOMVHJVwxrYbhn94WZFlCyX3-8vNr64N0et28s1QZRxRu_RwdrFajqSoLzKMrvtKfzwJ/s2000/_P1A9881-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuj7ofhYizdHLvCw2icx_NiHUZ_21fYqei0SyoJpj_KNKGdHyDr8G3t56yg5WJ3WWGpPTUXxPlPf3DITdHAO-riIhceOtmKhtU06IEPLbCU6swdouHfS1Xjh9KOMVHJVwxrYbhn94WZFlCyX3-8vNr64N0et28s1QZRxRu_RwdrFajqSoLzKMrvtKfzwJ/w400-h266/_P1A9881-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eurasian Oystercatcher</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We began to encounter a bit more sea duck diversity as we moved east, mostly by picking through the COMMON EIDER flocks. Our first few KING EIDER were out there, plus some COMMON SCOTER and LONG-TAILED DUCKS. VELVET SCOTER were quite scarce and we only saw a few handfuls the entire trip.</p><p>Eventually we checked into our place on Vardo and decided to continue up the coast towards Hamningberg. The landscape quickly became more rugged the further north we got, and the coastal scenery was quite stunning in spots. Brush-covered ravines between the cliffs undoubtedly held Ring Ouzels, as our research suggested, but our attempts to locate this evening were futile.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86WqaCCZG5VN8irameMiUFaMGgnk9VtdZVjz_YwR5HbWB8OpokZfqqsAYhn8f3QTj-MBkq0KZGR5-lNo5r_jAVJip0rpzbPjQpRBWWp0V-mT4AzlvQCXBpwM5YXTg0PtL_mIhMCOciHi5c6QWHnA52fTaebkY9hpKgV3NQGjXznsmOp4Hmhsujl_M52gi/s2000/_P1A1338-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="2000" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86WqaCCZG5VN8irameMiUFaMGgnk9VtdZVjz_YwR5HbWB8OpokZfqqsAYhn8f3QTj-MBkq0KZGR5-lNo5r_jAVJip0rpzbPjQpRBWWp0V-mT4AzlvQCXBpwM5YXTg0PtL_mIhMCOciHi5c6QWHnA52fTaebkY9hpKgV3NQGjXznsmOp4Hmhsujl_M52gi/w400-h238/_P1A1338-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1CdaeGeksLBQYi7GwZJT1g9URGBaN460bS9dzXEiodztN3-e14jyeU0M-wloSZfVspNDXKBG9EtQZ5Uf9I3_I4bTNyAUNXSQ6oOHkdPzddN3JRnZAB6n7O19gcev_uBe03Mg2uTpxzfq5vHkmWNlvFf0LIQBtB3fcc8q3AHFwNlsChah4RyoDAaEDIOF/s2000/_P1A1338-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1CdaeGeksLBQYi7GwZJT1g9URGBaN460bS9dzXEiodztN3-e14jyeU0M-wloSZfVspNDXKBG9EtQZ5Uf9I3_I4bTNyAUNXSQ6oOHkdPzddN3JRnZAB6n7O19gcev_uBe03Mg2uTpxzfq5vHkmWNlvFf0LIQBtB3fcc8q3AHFwNlsChah4RyoDAaEDIOF/w400-h266/_P1A1338-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfaaIzU4LI16tIvKfIGzixcD_ticGp_paDUo7HTVqhrFllJ4jDvKat3NyJFCu3LyJJS4ltllCzv4urUhLmiEw3Ud4VD4OoHJhbgPAVAsjncV1U701fHKIQlo9uhXBXns-pHQdjcSqXqF-ncdxu-a1FV8UEvnjz_aSsldT86HN9bdbAxJW7xvZO7VebkBI/s2000/_P1A1341-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfaaIzU4LI16tIvKfIGzixcD_ticGp_paDUo7HTVqhrFllJ4jDvKat3NyJFCu3LyJJS4ltllCzv4urUhLmiEw3Ud4VD4OoHJhbgPAVAsjncV1U701fHKIQlo9uhXBXns-pHQdjcSqXqF-ncdxu-a1FV8UEvnjz_aSsldT86HN9bdbAxJW7xvZO7VebkBI/w400-h266/_P1A1341-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-legged Kittiwake colony in town</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZC_-N_Vdd6st7N36dABH-lrK2W0HoR32c-5xWEBKdyyELjjjdMOdQLvINiR9Kk8uzRgO9fced-2XJgLNgqXjgWgT9T9Gxc7noRMvx3PQvNkPlcLkBbvCfijg6uQvhQxz_PWLDDaMk86x5clG9pBCXYgygVnjS_xhctaYZ2hs-jIfzHNTgPQUlMgkFQyc/s2000/_P1A1368-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="2000" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZC_-N_Vdd6st7N36dABH-lrK2W0HoR32c-5xWEBKdyyELjjjdMOdQLvINiR9Kk8uzRgO9fced-2XJgLNgqXjgWgT9T9Gxc7noRMvx3PQvNkPlcLkBbvCfijg6uQvhQxz_PWLDDaMk86x5clG9pBCXYgygVnjS_xhctaYZ2hs-jIfzHNTgPQUlMgkFQyc/w400-h245/_P1A1368-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Wagtail enjoys the view</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyp84N5qrbLoq7T1GLCx9WhH-ut0kxmrWij9QlKQ1vUA-X9jTiBnU7HDcb7uavGfLbYg4rebmvrckVsymyInosbgr92BewcEG5iJI8i6elUFyPiYUV8GbLqT2FLUPKDT97fwHjJSSg9OqMb63bEp9uhql_SOQxgNkBSnafEIia1T2Ixw8P0DhBefyPpbTh/s2000/_P1A1380-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="2000" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyp84N5qrbLoq7T1GLCx9WhH-ut0kxmrWij9QlKQ1vUA-X9jTiBnU7HDcb7uavGfLbYg4rebmvrckVsymyInosbgr92BewcEG5iJI8i6elUFyPiYUV8GbLqT2FLUPKDT97fwHjJSSg9OqMb63bEp9uhql_SOQxgNkBSnafEIia1T2Ixw8P0DhBefyPpbTh/w400-h185/_P1A1380-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hurtigruten navigates between the Barents and Norwegian Seas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxe1QIgGrJ0-ySQgWL8iYF8ickQpPdMaJ63KVbGZAjTzALYOOf0oqMk84D2ovt9H0JCch6EsLGeq0SX96cVdmHejS9DuuAUasTCNLATOJW3kCtCQI0L887aa232INpEdCcf0mbeZR4Zse3OP0uI-T5mgeXFqJVZRmvldYIQfhXrFMIELwThLnS9Bg__IT/s2000/_P1A1414-Pano.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="2000" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxe1QIgGrJ0-ySQgWL8iYF8ickQpPdMaJ63KVbGZAjTzALYOOf0oqMk84D2ovt9H0JCch6EsLGeq0SX96cVdmHejS9DuuAUasTCNLATOJW3kCtCQI0L887aa232INpEdCcf0mbeZR4Zse3OP0uI-T5mgeXFqJVZRmvldYIQfhXrFMIELwThLnS9Bg__IT/w400-h98/_P1A1414-Pano.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road to Hamningberg</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next morning (6/27) we took the boat ferry to the small island of Hornoya, which is an absolute must-do. After seeing the place in its <a href="https://www.shorebirder.com/2023/11/norwegian-double-dip-march-2022-and.html" target="_blank">late winter glory</a>, I was eager to see what it looked like in the heart of summer. This was one of the few locations on this trip that was arguably more beautiful at this time of year than it was in March. Alcids perched on tufts of rich green grass. Tiny wildflowers were in bloom. Rocks were covered in lichens that varied in color from wintergreen to burnt orange. We spent five hours there and I could have stayed longer. At one point I was lying in one position for about 90 minutes watching and photographing the comings and goings of the hundreds of breeding auks from an elevation of what seemed like a couple hundred feet (in reality I have no idea how tall that cliff is!). Among the hordes of COMMON MURRES were many RAZORBILLS and ATLANTIC PUFFINS, plus a handful of THICK-BILLED MURRES if you knew where to look. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRbtbgyeE7EyCzBXa59kiMUvyMSdT2YXLC0iQzyPD_6XoNz_VyGWAEomWeAKi91EvlZtYxE3J0z035kVr0UK7BCQfUhA-JHMNKD5bNmxxi8K7jrXD5vX-7XUpwX3ofKBoSEnxmzXgvY8Yto89rTjxRTwIKkfeCscKANoUpJ-y4t_xZ4j1N4XOZhczJc3o/s2000/_P1A3749-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRbtbgyeE7EyCzBXa59kiMUvyMSdT2YXLC0iQzyPD_6XoNz_VyGWAEomWeAKi91EvlZtYxE3J0z035kVr0UK7BCQfUhA-JHMNKD5bNmxxi8K7jrXD5vX-7XUpwX3ofKBoSEnxmzXgvY8Yto89rTjxRTwIKkfeCscKANoUpJ-y4t_xZ4j1N4XOZhczJc3o/w400-h266/_P1A3749-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgcSRg2dbbpz056Wl2SlkimaOFwblDfa6Gs6C4bBIN21aptDiDoMeq3c-36a98C-Nxi8aEDG5f2MeuKGWi1QAk2xuflvrcIygGhW3xSwIt4TEkA-iUs5RaZ9ZT91J7bqhFPbYyrvYkpmCsUf1fRVQjad4tFcBlgk_IdQGqRXjlOUIImgJfffqTJe4BnlA/s2000/_P1A3781-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="2000" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgcSRg2dbbpz056Wl2SlkimaOFwblDfa6Gs6C4bBIN21aptDiDoMeq3c-36a98C-Nxi8aEDG5f2MeuKGWi1QAk2xuflvrcIygGhW3xSwIt4TEkA-iUs5RaZ9ZT91J7bqhFPbYyrvYkpmCsUf1fRVQjad4tFcBlgk_IdQGqRXjlOUIImgJfffqTJe4BnlA/w400-h241/_P1A3781-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdFpzOhyb9mM1pCrAhwgTETdqYYnBTIOwuWCHyyBIqoSCVrKkEw9fGnYWw-fbpXfuWJ7joJBgoO662mQBc5WGvohrDx_Tp9OP8uhcIptiEfzc9IwuojUwdikamT-mfo0MkkxtsHReq6XeGuJhsG4bAmXrvAbfWZqMEw-xMhhhkcVwXYABp_UmqL0laFq_/s2000/_P1A4193-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="2000" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdFpzOhyb9mM1pCrAhwgTETdqYYnBTIOwuWCHyyBIqoSCVrKkEw9fGnYWw-fbpXfuWJ7joJBgoO662mQBc5WGvohrDx_Tp9OP8uhcIptiEfzc9IwuojUwdikamT-mfo0MkkxtsHReq6XeGuJhsG4bAmXrvAbfWZqMEw-xMhhhkcVwXYABp_UmqL0laFq_/w400-h255/_P1A4193-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXgyX4T8M5wetEuUwdac-TWD9c6POJTqy_fii9kJLj03zlMOGGv19uAwxunQiq2ipWi9_tU9kFnSAEHbKal26D4-aT_qQFqf6wHAEumMJTGCJW-rHttI0gNhX_4JjUAtM9SmaQFMCjEGY3rCVU68ma42iuXpH3C6lVWEJFCAmHSldnkoMMSWeE-b-GM-B/s2000/_P1A4610-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXgyX4T8M5wetEuUwdac-TWD9c6POJTqy_fii9kJLj03zlMOGGv19uAwxunQiq2ipWi9_tU9kFnSAEHbKal26D4-aT_qQFqf6wHAEumMJTGCJW-rHttI0gNhX_4JjUAtM9SmaQFMCjEGY3rCVU68ma42iuXpH3C6lVWEJFCAmHSldnkoMMSWeE-b-GM-B/w400-h266/_P1A4610-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Atlantic Puffins</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQpRzfeRJKAHBdJ4RRvFDcTA6Fq8ttoUaYLJCzLPN_BHLUzdFrdMEMrnp5qPuuc2uHALCFlIZ7ZbwepkTFkOgc_G0kf9JxS_PDz2Yu8IxfQK8p0CHE8JFv_uxyHzYgsDVttOBrPkE4QM5cGkqwyBgVt3-LZOMQNhew-o-0EEp-jRc7Pc9KdjfLpV5mHfZ/s2000/_P1A4734-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1964" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQpRzfeRJKAHBdJ4RRvFDcTA6Fq8ttoUaYLJCzLPN_BHLUzdFrdMEMrnp5qPuuc2uHALCFlIZ7ZbwepkTFkOgc_G0kf9JxS_PDz2Yu8IxfQK8p0CHE8JFv_uxyHzYgsDVttOBrPkE4QM5cGkqwyBgVt3-LZOMQNhew-o-0EEp-jRc7Pc9KdjfLpV5mHfZ/w393-h400/_P1A4734-Edit.jpg" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Razorbill</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1S4JFCTiPUbIXYTWj2E3JvZszj1FX5lQscF4pQNccWmWOv5n1CuQN52Aiux3b6iylXEgaw-PwcSgig4K48FD1Ktk5UUPGH4Brw2sBRUPFX0O04Og8r0y1iq_geyIz777faGEP1540sAiLNllBalS90xXkK4wEgxTrlL15v5SJI7O1omPyGWwHcsewOPHr/s2000/_P1A4767-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="2000" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1S4JFCTiPUbIXYTWj2E3JvZszj1FX5lQscF4pQNccWmWOv5n1CuQN52Aiux3b6iylXEgaw-PwcSgig4K48FD1Ktk5UUPGH4Brw2sBRUPFX0O04Og8r0y1iq_geyIz777faGEP1540sAiLNllBalS90xXkK4wEgxTrlL15v5SJI7O1omPyGWwHcsewOPHr/w400-h293/_P1A4767-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Atlantic Puffin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUngfgzHyjAepGlM24-c2uD_0HgreX5xMcbBYKaRboQJRMEXIC6Qw80_O0uVQaFyy33Ac75tyAisCixrXdrN3T2vpyMl4jPPfLUhaXskwUHro7coaeXq8jDyNofVnSCmNN4KCp_ksPQtN6cae7IQssM7iFre6I8zV3Ev3qonOiVC-XEZxtDFC8IinLw8O/s2000/_P1A4869-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1308" data-original-width="2000" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUngfgzHyjAepGlM24-c2uD_0HgreX5xMcbBYKaRboQJRMEXIC6Qw80_O0uVQaFyy33Ac75tyAisCixrXdrN3T2vpyMl4jPPfLUhaXskwUHro7coaeXq8jDyNofVnSCmNN4KCp_ksPQtN6cae7IQssM7iFre6I8zV3Ev3qonOiVC-XEZxtDFC8IinLw8O/w400-h261/_P1A4869-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT06xeytK3HQM6tLY8KZReQo1la6cLSgKJvS90K9Thzwdb94_i2GONtSzyMzvQxEwzw9Lb5FA0nRCB7ybsbulpgd9OJVxAGf4AY17Pntvvx76b6YTzroOQaopvBrjnqpR8naao959UtB8Ep7XnCZkoaacnCo0ZZh5y-egWjrNiCvHEyfkHatef9sXzSw-S/s2000/_P1A5015-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT06xeytK3HQM6tLY8KZReQo1la6cLSgKJvS90K9Thzwdb94_i2GONtSzyMzvQxEwzw9Lb5FA0nRCB7ybsbulpgd9OJVxAGf4AY17Pntvvx76b6YTzroOQaopvBrjnqpR8naao959UtB8Ep7XnCZkoaacnCo0ZZh5y-egWjrNiCvHEyfkHatef9sXzSw-S/w400-h400/_P1A5015-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Razorbills</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRpXCHSbWY-fDkzoVs6QKKmeszEzb37ftGrqU4tQpxUu6d0zztjM201KTbC-I7oNIZJwWD8kcaBIeTyBl_LfFIs9HphyphenhyphenXEr06CrVWQ38mIZJ5CBLZYFbzv5-GZHfQgL7ZVezumofjjEybvYp1H5VhscZ3ZufUaEbOJ0o7wPFgmTFWmsqowJgJ3lmnTD6u/s2000/_P1A5036-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRpXCHSbWY-fDkzoVs6QKKmeszEzb37ftGrqU4tQpxUu6d0zztjM201KTbC-I7oNIZJwWD8kcaBIeTyBl_LfFIs9HphyphenhyphenXEr06CrVWQ38mIZJ5CBLZYFbzv5-GZHfQgL7ZVezumofjjEybvYp1H5VhscZ3ZufUaEbOJ0o7wPFgmTFWmsqowJgJ3lmnTD6u/w400-h266/_P1A5036-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Murre</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEU8tHXFxyQtOWuZvsPPwscnw0iCcaYiM3KxDwKXenpp4wr2xyi6TPh4414-yKU7Ht8do8BlQc-USYpai_K5gHWWrUOdphbmSR3I5UDt4PeLeQTV3iDOKIDlo5He7MmXh1cQd_rMEGxfQPGIb6L8A9vkn6NxiDwQ_UafH-tdT9dXbNJceSU37tXiHijNR/s2000/IMG_9203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEU8tHXFxyQtOWuZvsPPwscnw0iCcaYiM3KxDwKXenpp4wr2xyi6TPh4414-yKU7Ht8do8BlQc-USYpai_K5gHWWrUOdphbmSR3I5UDt4PeLeQTV3iDOKIDlo5He7MmXh1cQd_rMEGxfQPGIb6L8A9vkn6NxiDwQ_UafH-tdT9dXbNJceSU37tXiHijNR/w400-h300/IMG_9203.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The BARNACLE GEESE here were our only of the trip. PARASITIC JAEGERS patrolled offshore and several MINKE WHALES popped up and down. TWITE is perhaps the top passerine priority out here, and we saw a few along the trail up to the lighthouse. ROCK PIPITS are also present.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4OxXNwNU-agGj7xwSlidriGgfAwyJZbzXpImqZlWlyT1uHW1FKTTq8wjTeIx9-T5p2pKJEUvb-zPx9izdBH3lfABRB1v3GSq8vUAFYxEhAG4M-oAF3LHVns8YTADwy3ex3AGKFkeeyNbDJX1nQGlIr0W9H3DYePEB1AOtZ6ZiQwbWTCCr9e2GxflWuIS/s2000/_P1A4970-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1607" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4OxXNwNU-agGj7xwSlidriGgfAwyJZbzXpImqZlWlyT1uHW1FKTTq8wjTeIx9-T5p2pKJEUvb-zPx9izdBH3lfABRB1v3GSq8vUAFYxEhAG4M-oAF3LHVns8YTADwy3ex3AGKFkeeyNbDJX1nQGlIr0W9H3DYePEB1AOtZ6ZiQwbWTCCr9e2GxflWuIS/w321-h400/_P1A4970-Edit.jpg" width="321" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twite</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After another night on Vardo, we headed back north towards Hamningberg with RING OUZEL again on the mind in the wee hours of the morning (6/28). This time we connected, though they did play quite hard to get. With our quarry in the bag, we turned around and headed back down the coast with quite a long drive ahead of us, as we were to be in Kongsfjord for the night. We had all day to make the journey and planned a few stops en route. First was a cliff just inland near Kiberg that held a family of RING OUZEL, easily our best looks yet. The birds again proved furtive with recently fledged young about.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1n5SPBWSWk9IROrM9hds1iZTe0l_dUfARiyK_SMiCQ19knNnfgbxVtSt711AuTphfFe3aNBaBg1j3-PzmMFPsCBXltaaJcGX5YdQCTjEAPfF3Qd7Mzc2otSNyLz0NirG5KtM5-2IU-zIcz719vv3hdfJdKJ8yjD_7jdQzLPgJE0zaw_y6V1bXvODtkaN/s2000/IMG_9171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1n5SPBWSWk9IROrM9hds1iZTe0l_dUfARiyK_SMiCQ19knNnfgbxVtSt711AuTphfFe3aNBaBg1j3-PzmMFPsCBXltaaJcGX5YdQCTjEAPfF3Qd7Mzc2otSNyLz0NirG5KtM5-2IU-zIcz719vv3hdfJdKJ8yjD_7jdQzLPgJE0zaw_y6V1bXvODtkaN/w400-h300/IMG_9171.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw_IpLPJSDpsQVOcFrG2ZZ9UdANshyphenhyphenNWU5sVpGIzu33SKoHOXWYPU7zcxRpV7ClA2yucvtY0OfsJcEYWqas5lvObF-0ZKVHpFPymn88jIhQhJmsUNn6baRzrRLACEYAKh-fyYSfoSd8BQH3oVUYY1iBNsPojPLTRZ6MpUYVYJczdJWJS_egtGYbqTN3UU/s2000/_P1A5159-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw_IpLPJSDpsQVOcFrG2ZZ9UdANshyphenhyphenNWU5sVpGIzu33SKoHOXWYPU7zcxRpV7ClA2yucvtY0OfsJcEYWqas5lvObF-0ZKVHpFPymn88jIhQhJmsUNn6baRzrRLACEYAKh-fyYSfoSd8BQH3oVUYY1iBNsPojPLTRZ6MpUYVYJczdJWJS_egtGYbqTN3UU/w400-h266/_P1A5159-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ring Ouzel</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We made a point of scanning every river mouth as we worked our way back westward along the varangerfjord. In late June, shorebird migration should just be starting as failed breeders begin to move around. We had seen very little evidence of staging to this point, so we were pleased to find a handful of waders feeding on the flats of the Skallelva River just south of the "town" of Skallelv. We were initially drawn to the TEMMINCK'S STINTS, of which there were about a half dozen, which had probably doubled our total to that point. Mike picked out something different which wound up being, a bit to our disbelief, a stunning alternate plumaged STILT SANDPIPER with nice chestnut ear coverts and everything.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eZ8RSchzNKpoJHR_mdN1v9eIJNe2-7ck10DJgw6JorEvQcN50iT7KZIOP5xyxAnkRYhk6NnomNZ_IWICxn_sjOIvsBKH3FZ-8MCsU1YaUQPDutiCG8WD2TrT0tWmwMG3DpC25tQ5Orq4Go9bJyVRyByuEnPr9T9g3n9OyW2wU72ywS8S-7xw-V5GogRe/s2000/_P1A5995-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eZ8RSchzNKpoJHR_mdN1v9eIJNe2-7ck10DJgw6JorEvQcN50iT7KZIOP5xyxAnkRYhk6NnomNZ_IWICxn_sjOIvsBKH3FZ-8MCsU1YaUQPDutiCG8WD2TrT0tWmwMG3DpC25tQ5Orq4Go9bJyVRyByuEnPr9T9g3n9OyW2wU72ywS8S-7xw-V5GogRe/w400-h266/_P1A5995-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stilt Sandpiper</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBb2XfkB9-6Z2mop4tfHOGCx1pVUIivKWcq_gRVQByOzUMEj5bqMaEApvWMeCVPMq6ZLXktbFix8TiFKmEQ_G0SAdbA7gZeM8qpqotmmmWB1fml7aLbOjV547u50c4VZPgWLZyjIXyUguxWvZ579cIA4UizUHs0uw_Uw0vxweYmERx7i2ihj4mlug_2Tx/s2000/_P1A5530-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBb2XfkB9-6Z2mop4tfHOGCx1pVUIivKWcq_gRVQByOzUMEj5bqMaEApvWMeCVPMq6ZLXktbFix8TiFKmEQ_G0SAdbA7gZeM8qpqotmmmWB1fml7aLbOjV547u50c4VZPgWLZyjIXyUguxWvZ579cIA4UizUHs0uw_Uw0vxweYmERx7i2ihj4mlug_2Tx/w400-h266/_P1A5530-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temminck's Stint</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>I remarked that it was probably the best-looking Stilt Sand I had ever seen! I usually see molting adults or juveniles in the northeast US. Anyway, it gave us a bit of a jolt, and it is always nice to find something locally rare on a trip.<p>Afterwards we worked our way west through Varangerbotn and then north along the Tana River, stopping here and there but not seeing much of note. Our birding was about done for the day and we relaxed at our accommodations at Kongsfjord.</p><p>Early the next morning (6/29) we set out for the high tundra in search of DOTTEREL, SHORE LARK and others. The high tundra was very quiet; this held true for each of the few hikes we took here. We did find one cooperative DOTTEREL that was happy to be approached while it was feeding. A light mist kept everything wet but not soaked, so we were comfortable enough. Later on we scored our first nice looks at SHORE LARK which was a particular target for Mike, who had found a North American Horned Lark in Ireland the year before.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefaOsljMXkCkifI6tmIKHBjo4R9s0IrKxTg425dLMvZDYSOYouGC9IMo4D8M7Gs5vNng1hn7XN5EKg-nig6DHoX4ZO3TlZr6ynwfZ6H_e2LMAZE8Xet72fnyRoIRwIHjdJKbZwVpZ8KY4DePL5AIH_ftAnhezd_uRzJfiWgtRPUJnY3ElYhoeTwX2qTKP/s2000/_P1A7328-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefaOsljMXkCkifI6tmIKHBjo4R9s0IrKxTg425dLMvZDYSOYouGC9IMo4D8M7Gs5vNng1hn7XN5EKg-nig6DHoX4ZO3TlZr6ynwfZ6H_e2LMAZE8Xet72fnyRoIRwIHjdJKbZwVpZ8KY4DePL5AIH_ftAnhezd_uRzJfiWgtRPUJnY3ElYhoeTwX2qTKP/w400-h266/_P1A7328-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eurasian Dotterel</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It was back to the coast for the rest of the morning as we took the road north towards Berlevag. We found one concentration of seabirds that were focused on feeding HUMPBACK WHALES that were reasonably close to shore. Tubenoses were represented by several NORTHERN FULMAR and a few MANX SHEARWATERS, the latter not terribly common around here. Four alcid species and several KING EIDER were other highlights.</p><p>Later on, kicking around the Kongsfjord Arctic Lodge, we checked out the nearby cliffs where Gyrfalcons are known to nest. Unfortunately we were too late in the season and the local Gyrs had already dispersed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwhNhjQcuT1j1bjnccGBQbpBAORyVoI8vX6lAO5dXQzjoQ1DX58syus3XMBkdnfV1WgqmrYwbOqfvSenNAWjv-wBp_rbcUQCJAYnaJlzsR1MIlQ-vgnmPF9jFwZm3Vb7rDi12VUQgMlCnTfz2WLJOAGy4iQ73Rzsu3KaH6pMVpACOiDcg7ZEVPPcnCUy-/s2000/_P1A8597-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwhNhjQcuT1j1bjnccGBQbpBAORyVoI8vX6lAO5dXQzjoQ1DX58syus3XMBkdnfV1WgqmrYwbOqfvSenNAWjv-wBp_rbcUQCJAYnaJlzsR1MIlQ-vgnmPF9jFwZm3Vb7rDi12VUQgMlCnTfz2WLJOAGy4iQ73Rzsu3KaH6pMVpACOiDcg7ZEVPPcnCUy-/w400-h266/_P1A8597-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parasitic Jaeger</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcB4IKXkRxSbai9EGwFPIr7XtfS0jZDhoaekULURycepfw0ZBIhcC6pcr8R3BICejFuYbckvfxYfQSY7Ey76nH4fbBr6btlJQtLXV8NUy_M1E1SonBRAFsb0w-aAGzu5Hl2klrR8GtwcyR1E_iadL1S8X4ojPvPQJM0jarNySJ5hEIYmJLVJH6b_ZkB-M/s2000/_P1A9156-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcB4IKXkRxSbai9EGwFPIr7XtfS0jZDhoaekULURycepfw0ZBIhcC6pcr8R3BICejFuYbckvfxYfQSY7Ey76nH4fbBr6btlJQtLXV8NUy_M1E1SonBRAFsb0w-aAGzu5Hl2klrR8GtwcyR1E_iadL1S8X4ojPvPQJM0jarNySJ5hEIYmJLVJH6b_ZkB-M/w400-h266/_P1A9156-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-tailed Jaeger catching bugs</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxxYuaEjbob8UOjE59IpEIUI_DMmd06wpFHS9eJswYQ3FR-3vSEAiqpb9XfqBFL1B7qFJlYphLqS2EKlj0TyJLJQbjvoEuwr78kFI9g0ImPwQ-0SUagI0QRlicgHG6UPyJZevdxy3Rbdb6jQCWgRUAkA7DEjyPo0Ks_-gqrvWz3ks2ibC6uh7qWCIftTr/s2000/_P1A7998-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxxYuaEjbob8UOjE59IpEIUI_DMmd06wpFHS9eJswYQ3FR-3vSEAiqpb9XfqBFL1B7qFJlYphLqS2EKlj0TyJLJQbjvoEuwr78kFI9g0ImPwQ-0SUagI0QRlicgHG6UPyJZevdxy3Rbdb6jQCWgRUAkA7DEjyPo0Ks_-gqrvWz3ks2ibC6uh7qWCIftTr/w400-h266/_P1A7998-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-tailed Jaegers</td></tr></tbody></table><p>June 30th was our last day of birding before our departure the following morning. One last attempt at the high tundra remained largely devoid of birds and no more Dotterel. With not much else planned for the peninsula, we headed towards Kirkenes, where we would be spending the night. We decided on an unexpected detour in the Pasvik Valley for our final afternoon. We added WILLOW TIT to the trip list and stumbled upon a family of NORTHERN HAWK OWLS right along one of the side roads. Super cool.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0_F1jDc-0PkrrH5_HnJZHLe-fUJbStXj6Jktu4qxPwnRtkZpwOEJKHsq8ddvoe3DWDbUDr-MEiwE4iZCLqUVmQM2P5YsPfWj8yVfNtN3GgFKZDhlA2dYi-e_0Mqv3fds0YAe1jaIJmIAdOgcJrJRt0Yj9uIgdf58iPXo3wibwYY4YH4DFQdyh1XYR4c1/s2000/_P1A9323-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1587" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0_F1jDc-0PkrrH5_HnJZHLe-fUJbStXj6Jktu4qxPwnRtkZpwOEJKHsq8ddvoe3DWDbUDr-MEiwE4iZCLqUVmQM2P5YsPfWj8yVfNtN3GgFKZDhlA2dYi-e_0Mqv3fds0YAe1jaIJmIAdOgcJrJRt0Yj9uIgdf58iPXo3wibwYY4YH4DFQdyh1XYR4c1/w318-h400/_P1A9323-Edit.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fledgling Northern Hawk-Owl</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We reacquainted ourselves with some forest species that we saw earlier in Finland. A tower at Skroytnes gave us our only, albeit distant, views of drake SMEW.</p><p>We dicked around the rest of the afternoon by building a Russian list from the narrowest points along the river. We recorded about 20 species in Russian airspace and failed to spot anyone keeping watch from any of the several towers over there. A couple of Norwegian military boats ripped up and down river. Nothing to see here!!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMajhpWts9T_fUmHw5PUxtVRRXexEb8qFHXLm0bIXPy_zjWixMGMPsk39MbkyT4UaMBIxOlblHHwgFlJjU0tiiwqE1FhwVVn9T46qUdnftA3YzbGs16Z-tF3tx-aU6UzjpPasPAQ7zPgZOW96dP89dc_JqOi5TpuFO86W1ulPMPC3Z17E_OfCNSYKWQYmp/s2000/IMG_9250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMajhpWts9T_fUmHw5PUxtVRRXexEb8qFHXLm0bIXPy_zjWixMGMPsk39MbkyT4UaMBIxOlblHHwgFlJjU0tiiwqE1FhwVVn9T46qUdnftA3YzbGs16Z-tF3tx-aU6UzjpPasPAQ7zPgZOW96dP89dc_JqOi5TpuFO86W1ulPMPC3Z17E_OfCNSYKWQYmp/w400-h300/IMG_9250.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOpcjlseVnZhaft7L8Rl9wKC9LQS_u2Qe98RIBL-VEJ2DThBP1eCQh2UM6vjeqI2V0EUmibQbQysjI7iZsG6vLINDkpgFG8YjBXquW_wVuJroOQDCjWmdd0GVH4lgR_tJFM4wJAAk7V-SXi30uPUl-20QK097aIdjlNshTHrVWyT4K4PeLtK6FATlb4pc/s2000/IMG_9253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOpcjlseVnZhaft7L8Rl9wKC9LQS_u2Qe98RIBL-VEJ2DThBP1eCQh2UM6vjeqI2V0EUmibQbQysjI7iZsG6vLINDkpgFG8YjBXquW_wVuJroOQDCjWmdd0GVH4lgR_tJFM4wJAAk7V-SXi30uPUl-20QK097aIdjlNshTHrVWyT4K4PeLtK6FATlb4pc/w400-h300/IMG_9253.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take that, Putin!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And that was it! Another trip in the books. Overall we had a solid tour of the region and saw most of what we reasonably expected. Late June is really tough for some of the grouse and forest owls, so it was no surprise that we did not connect with many of those. Our timing in the heart of the breeding season, when many species become secretive with young around, made things more difficult than, say, a visit in late May. Everything is still there...you just have to work a bit harder for it. A late May visit would also have more to offer from a migration standpoint, especially things like jaegers and loons, so the seawatches tend to be way more productive at that time. We knew this going in, but even we were surprised at just how quiet some places were. However we really enjoyed what we did see, and I would recommend a trip to this part of the world to anyone who enjoys the arctic environment that is equal parts harsh and gorgeous.</p><p> - Nick</p></div>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-26111821087367169002023-11-10T13:58:00.005-05:002023-11-13T10:21:03.364-05:00Fine Art Prints for Sale!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheW0-FTBFi-iTPIIl0IP6HztXtoVl5VYyGss3QcM4-PjQka20Pi4ZknC3JRJzjdSH0ETMcoRCL49kD4A9C3BOot9BFDkEOBUt4P2DuVH94t7Vl1fLc2DPlNxRgaS4WoYBgc-P65V5hWKZkPU3iuRAPjr8ShjMcvTyz5ZNvOpPzuR9N9Xw0yNxb5ONOcNQm/s2000/57726.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="2000" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheW0-FTBFi-iTPIIl0IP6HztXtoVl5VYyGss3QcM4-PjQka20Pi4ZknC3JRJzjdSH0ETMcoRCL49kD4A9C3BOot9BFDkEOBUt4P2DuVH94t7Vl1fLc2DPlNxRgaS4WoYBgc-P65V5hWKZkPU3iuRAPjr8ShjMcvTyz5ZNvOpPzuR9N9Xw0yNxb5ONOcNQm/w400-h268/57726.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">I've finally gotten around to making some of my favorite images available for purchase as fine art prints. <span style="font-size: 16px;">All prints are made on professional grade giclee satin luster paper and feature archival fade-resistant pigmented inks, meant to last a lifetime.</span> Custom requests are welcome. Visit <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/NaturallyNickPhotos" target="_blank">MY ONLINE STORE</a> for a look! <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/naturallynickphotos" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to access store.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Also please feel free to contact me about printing any image featured on this blog :)</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Instagram: @NaturallyNickPhotos</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">-Nick</span></p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-50025151883019597712023-11-10T13:42:00.000-05:002023-11-10T13:42:08.621-05:00Norwegian Double Dip! March 2022 and June 2023 (Part 1 of 2: March 2022)<p>Back in early 2022, as travel was beginning to regain steam after the height of the pandemic, I was looking for a solo northern adventure that would offer an opportunity to view the aurora borealis, a natural phenomenon that I had been wanting to observe for some time. Early Spring was an appealing time because, as much as I wanted to experience the lights, I had little interest in spending an entire vacation in darkness. The aurora "shoulder seasons" of autumn and spring hold significant daylight at the high latitudes, enough to combine typical daytime outdoor activities with nighttime aurora vigils. This means little sleep, but the adrenaline is enough to keep you going.</p><p>The decision of <i>where </i>to go then had to be made. Obviously the destination should lie somewhere in the "Aurora Belt," that area between 60 and 70 degrees latitude where auroras are most often visible. Alaska first came to mind, specifically Fairbanks, but the wildlife throughout interior Alaska in March is not terribly active or speciose. Thoughts of someplace more far-flung came to mind, and a bit of research revealed two doable options: Iceland and northern Scandinavia. Iceland is conveniently reached via a direct flight from my region, but the allure of Scandinavia was too strong to ignore.</p><p>Researching the trip, it seemed photography should be a priority. Obtaining images of the northern lights would add another dimension to the experience of viewing them, and I was excited by the idea of attempting astrophotography for the first time. Up in Varanger, Norway, a floating blind was available for duck photography, and a visit to a seabird colony might produce close views of alcids. I had been contemplating an upgrade to mirrorless camera technology anyway, and this was the kick in the pants I needed to make the switch. So I sold a kidney and picked up a new kit: Canon R5 and the 100-500mm RF lens.</p><p>The centerpiece of the vaca would be Varanger, which I bookended with a couple days each in Tromso and Olso. Since this is a birding-focused space, I'll focus on my time in Varanger, 24-28 March 2022.</p><p>My flight landed in Kirkenes on the morning of the 24th. Car collection from Hertz was quick and easy, and soon I was in a hybrid Toyota sedan with studded snow tires, which proved to be a surprisingly competent vehicle despite the packed snow-covered roads. The first destination was the Pasvik Valley, named for the Pasvik River that separates this part of Norway from Russia. I had only scheduled about 24 hours to bird the taiga forest there, in hopes of finding SIBERIAN JAY and SIBERIAN TIT. I did connect with both of those species plus displaying BLACK GROUSE, NORTHERN HAWK-OWL, EURASIAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, PINE GROSBEAK and HOARY REDPOLL. During winter it is basically all roadside birding here, and every waterway is frozen and masked by snow, including the large river. As you'd imagine, diversity is low. Activity is concentrated around the small villages and bird feeders that are scattered through the valley.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv8lFPjZFtLi_xL_xSSuzWMU6XANGaaCFDyrn8ZumFNN0urLVHwgL9bfPSR_OTSpepfQe6WeaDktRgVY50SCHdIMOLLWNyY7C7OJNLg6eq478uG2gd_HAtO2o_e8KbwDPmrCVMUHLKDGFnDO12NstketSYzXA9kXC2qhAp3ZgoYAdMgLNrBV1xGxcNJso/s2000/_P1A8019-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv8lFPjZFtLi_xL_xSSuzWMU6XANGaaCFDyrn8ZumFNN0urLVHwgL9bfPSR_OTSpepfQe6WeaDktRgVY50SCHdIMOLLWNyY7C7OJNLg6eq478uG2gd_HAtO2o_e8KbwDPmrCVMUHLKDGFnDO12NstketSYzXA9kXC2qhAp3ZgoYAdMgLNrBV1xGxcNJso/w400-h266/_P1A8019-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZQBBILkmKc8i01nEfHsmqwx19IKrNG667k2uIMeLbc3T5yLUvFBZOn8Qtu21jLzukKHlAnXmaTb0xXXzj5TZ6RPEcEDZ8inPxe7F56_C5p77ySQVMqOJtRRXx5N9u3_lziXHMUdRQrUrypPnKpMH_bGgtGidRUaIuoCk2_8BqG2OgSYDhUjGXkORk32P/s2000/_P1A8057-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZQBBILkmKc8i01nEfHsmqwx19IKrNG667k2uIMeLbc3T5yLUvFBZOn8Qtu21jLzukKHlAnXmaTb0xXXzj5TZ6RPEcEDZ8inPxe7F56_C5p77ySQVMqOJtRRXx5N9u3_lziXHMUdRQrUrypPnKpMH_bGgtGidRUaIuoCk2_8BqG2OgSYDhUjGXkORk32P/w400-h266/_P1A8057-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7Fbxm1OPZyRHXzmq4qTLllj0qPuC57ZBl5rYsvF8kXzEFx_UEZCCtDTvXer10I9VKGSwJh1r-pAZH4bKhaDNQvh-RYD-oTTm7Ee9DsgGzniZ_9hrz46U5p5rN_WC6f_yGGy3Uw_lvA2esIJWvZf2So6GlCnzFKjhLXyw7kg3C4ZaNcz9SK9espziSyQc/s2000/_P1A8129-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7Fbxm1OPZyRHXzmq4qTLllj0qPuC57ZBl5rYsvF8kXzEFx_UEZCCtDTvXer10I9VKGSwJh1r-pAZH4bKhaDNQvh-RYD-oTTm7Ee9DsgGzniZ_9hrz46U5p5rN_WC6f_yGGy3Uw_lvA2esIJWvZf2So6GlCnzFKjhLXyw7kg3C4ZaNcz9SK9espziSyQc/w400-h400/_P1A8129-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siberian Jays</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2De7hAdw002GEt0sv_Nm5Wqh_-Dt5ZD4DlKheZ25BLXnO3CMOsn-3F0R39kMLs-yzFq5XNsSZccfqkXEXrI5ftLTu2XNt1YAJ9rkL2XheFfvuI3MTcCM66GMupGNL5exXete1v0tr9KMbKAA9KbqHvLHwopExcNHVVC4vwglxNFp1iojAlJsbcHEQDGpI/s2000/_P1A8318-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2De7hAdw002GEt0sv_Nm5Wqh_-Dt5ZD4DlKheZ25BLXnO3CMOsn-3F0R39kMLs-yzFq5XNsSZccfqkXEXrI5ftLTu2XNt1YAJ9rkL2XheFfvuI3MTcCM66GMupGNL5exXete1v0tr9KMbKAA9KbqHvLHwopExcNHVVC4vwglxNFp1iojAlJsbcHEQDGpI/w400-h266/_P1A8318-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siberian Tit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHwbxeWUV7EtINTWYx9qZLH5Xj0uw-Y7zogxHcV-Oyr_vKlt_phQTfMSJ-ZGTt6BWLBF10nnZVgeEQKtEzh4Z8cnfnlB23gW-LJb6HU8ivI-D60xAIgVQlh-lYNlZZZaApaupqUao6FpWTCfAY6H5I805p8ok4PMn6Ea8yIzncrsHQIkCB3wO94KgYhu7/s2000/_P1A8411-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHwbxeWUV7EtINTWYx9qZLH5Xj0uw-Y7zogxHcV-Oyr_vKlt_phQTfMSJ-ZGTt6BWLBF10nnZVgeEQKtEzh4Z8cnfnlB23gW-LJb6HU8ivI-D60xAIgVQlh-lYNlZZZaApaupqUao6FpWTCfAY6H5I805p8ok4PMn6Ea8yIzncrsHQIkCB3wO94KgYhu7/w400-h266/_P1A8411-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg399PwEM-lT3mnkv4gElZP7XuwLOCm1aGRLTE6bSvmDC8QL4rSKD1hl1AVVQEsJBUMxl9wSa3oCxM4NGqzi0dp_IvmFHTpp0Tv8-TLtnJ7LbHqJqDOT_MW_08MsNEkz1bUf7zdLlFJ89rfVdf6lpGrTOz_al81R1wGvilkqdyFeDS1_JCzZ9oozoNm1BiG/s2000/_P1A8419-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg399PwEM-lT3mnkv4gElZP7XuwLOCm1aGRLTE6bSvmDC8QL4rSKD1hl1AVVQEsJBUMxl9wSa3oCxM4NGqzi0dp_IvmFHTpp0Tv8-TLtnJ7LbHqJqDOT_MW_08MsNEkz1bUf7zdLlFJ89rfVdf6lpGrTOz_al81R1wGvilkqdyFeDS1_JCzZ9oozoNm1BiG/w400-h266/_P1A8419-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5L_dSympUDMdwd5_jwb6NToz_FDbb56u6-TUhKEESFhcoH5_6Cpq81DMagmVgI4xHY7c15BkIiuY5oJIJkNZGOPnbXrRAviOV1Bumros2FKyOU5VrqGgV9IoVZ-tz6oKoDLc_EYE8SS3luM3Kxpk9BGSDDiUK3cqwSuaF5wh3NSoDBuK1AUww1yarD3_/s2000/_P1A8441-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1774" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5L_dSympUDMdwd5_jwb6NToz_FDbb56u6-TUhKEESFhcoH5_6Cpq81DMagmVgI4xHY7c15BkIiuY5oJIJkNZGOPnbXrRAviOV1Bumros2FKyOU5VrqGgV9IoVZ-tz6oKoDLc_EYE8SS3luM3Kxpk9BGSDDiUK3cqwSuaF5wh3NSoDBuK1AUww1yarD3_/w355-h400/_P1A8441-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="355" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfuMd3KaWpk9t53UQiMgjz9PfwKWeSZE3cjAgSJzm9uUQ7FpY2etMBjeQp5nwOH8OgDXhd3NMIp9s9ERgcbVoK-HKzrWSmvrXLvnBTu0dwVh5UPYd6ZmbtjdktL_jBSE9t5CxXUMI3BdWliDlCAI3c-zH7wNPfuPHV-3AYMSB5U6_Buky-1oHxbyR7BPN/s2000/_P1A8471-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfuMd3KaWpk9t53UQiMgjz9PfwKWeSZE3cjAgSJzm9uUQ7FpY2etMBjeQp5nwOH8OgDXhd3NMIp9s9ERgcbVoK-HKzrWSmvrXLvnBTu0dwVh5UPYd6ZmbtjdktL_jBSE9t5CxXUMI3BdWliDlCAI3c-zH7wNPfuPHV-3AYMSB5U6_Buky-1oHxbyR7BPN/w400-h266/_P1A8471-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Hawk-Owl</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnFjM2C6I4MDTS7QPgnWGfo_d1EAC7_80NcHk5LVtb02lWam8VzcBdOShyO5EUz1HIl4NV2nJNYxMy8GaETsnbrJn_mBe8P3TWFNuVd867kluFe5JLRxGv6wG3jTmQIu1F4Vli-0HYxzeoHLs19SDMiooauDaFTr0PPR5ZNyF4cZK2CLqKUnpv4cKtsJs/s2000/_P1A8258-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnFjM2C6I4MDTS7QPgnWGfo_d1EAC7_80NcHk5LVtb02lWam8VzcBdOShyO5EUz1HIl4NV2nJNYxMy8GaETsnbrJn_mBe8P3TWFNuVd867kluFe5JLRxGv6wG3jTmQIu1F4Vli-0HYxzeoHLs19SDMiooauDaFTr0PPR5ZNyF4cZK2CLqKUnpv4cKtsJs/w400-h266/_P1A8258-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpCYFUDuQBFBDLcU9a31uZ993cStB7Aod1Qq2vDnM0Y0mh8Bvm-spQJInjMPb9C8hv6V1914_n1W17EPu5ZdRhKuDb_ywYTxOnSmnaLjMiDJuBJlPyC_HMyfHsMgrKxxy7fKd-EdOktJSNvmW2YUW2zHJeu-JK8FzzMYcfRp6rRlW6KSS7CwCApj3DLgq/s2000/_P1A8364-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpCYFUDuQBFBDLcU9a31uZ993cStB7Aod1Qq2vDnM0Y0mh8Bvm-spQJInjMPb9C8hv6V1914_n1W17EPu5ZdRhKuDb_ywYTxOnSmnaLjMiDJuBJlPyC_HMyfHsMgrKxxy7fKd-EdOktJSNvmW2YUW2zHJeu-JK8FzzMYcfRp6rRlW6KSS7CwCApj3DLgq/w400-h266/_P1A8364-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pine Grosbeaks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NRqvnDNcg-A7bZGCMow_og3EqyV09aeVYDtFPeEHQYLtlY2hKWR3f_DevXePQK1dmNNTbJLtN329aJ_ponPN9Opas61Q3AcCRNpTGV1sooqiLDlgpqNuDx6iAox_c7g9eGvUOQxss11ZG5KNY9_BgG5hpp3GOJ54A9oGEiVA_rgJl9B5uVjHjFhCOvTC/s2000/_P1A8376.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NRqvnDNcg-A7bZGCMow_og3EqyV09aeVYDtFPeEHQYLtlY2hKWR3f_DevXePQK1dmNNTbJLtN329aJ_ponPN9Opas61Q3AcCRNpTGV1sooqiLDlgpqNuDx6iAox_c7g9eGvUOQxss11ZG5KNY9_BgG5hpp3GOJ54A9oGEiVA_rgJl9B5uVjHjFhCOvTC/w400-h266/_P1A8376.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoary Redpoll (rear) and Common Redpoll</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbv_6hH3dL0d5ad0SFgOTRE-LmKDl6tXTMId4EIgBqWbK0b4gO-aS-DU0LnO6F4mZCp-R4q4w7RUA-hjbzb81Jw7JIxyo_knuDGTOpzH2mW7rHf2a6GJsADs5I_-oNs4fLiH4WdyiUhIFbzpdTzTb8AXK4vVI2qg5LTrBGcjAtCijBDp0jJgkHQNkS7rC/s2048/IMG_6346.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbv_6hH3dL0d5ad0SFgOTRE-LmKDl6tXTMId4EIgBqWbK0b4gO-aS-DU0LnO6F4mZCp-R4q4w7RUA-hjbzb81Jw7JIxyo_knuDGTOpzH2mW7rHf2a6GJsADs5I_-oNs4fLiH4WdyiUhIFbzpdTzTb8AXK4vVI2qg5LTrBGcjAtCijBDp0jJgkHQNkS7rC/w400-h300/IMG_6346.JPEG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across the frozen river to Russia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPIpQQAeQVQtSVxBttMzuADi5IMkqr1wq1rMQagENRIaqQOa5AahB0XAuJIVVEntHzjiKUM1A2gLEixdY38QCckj8uo4lA4qOc7fVMrX6JL0BpeMTBicxv2Lj2xiZKh_V9D9ICfmIK69asdk4rghp668oAvL9rFVFbc2ehwKT0ys_eyPp3PgbOJ8VAFEL/s2048/IMG_6335.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPIpQQAeQVQtSVxBttMzuADi5IMkqr1wq1rMQagENRIaqQOa5AahB0XAuJIVVEntHzjiKUM1A2gLEixdY38QCckj8uo4lA4qOc7fVMrX6JL0BpeMTBicxv2Lj2xiZKh_V9D9ICfmIK69asdk4rghp668oAvL9rFVFbc2ehwKT0ys_eyPp3PgbOJ8VAFEL/w400-h300/IMG_6335.JPEG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The harsh landscape that awaits, flying into Kirkenes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w_q_0dGA9yUlmNlGF-9aATcIkjKzBRM45vl8IyJviRkI2WdBWImLZ0iUckLQAY-QwLDZa211YEsmSbH62RfkBPZvTPpqScYoVoqmDWwPFv7a0Nen_VCxGwJsMPGu5abIpr0Yl4PuG1f5sc62voHxaPEGwuvbc9jimoearGS9xb6BEbDOZuswMZOcMkD0/s1560/IMG_6350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9w_q_0dGA9yUlmNlGF-9aATcIkjKzBRM45vl8IyJviRkI2WdBWImLZ0iUckLQAY-QwLDZa211YEsmSbH62RfkBPZvTPpqScYoVoqmDWwPFv7a0Nen_VCxGwJsMPGu5abIpr0Yl4PuG1f5sc62voHxaPEGwuvbc9jimoearGS9xb6BEbDOZuswMZOcMkD0/s320/IMG_6350.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My location in the Norwegian portion of the valley. That's Russia to the east and Finland to the west.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>My one night in the valley was spent at Ovre Pasvik Camping, which exceeded my admittedly low expectations. I had a double bunk room to myself complete with super effective space heater and an electric cooktop with utensils. I was plenty warm and comfy. That night I spent some time using playback for Boreal Owl, but it was very windy and there was no sign of owls. I did catch a very brief but exhilarating first look at the aurora borealis!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAI8SvNU74JbuPJwiVXOvx6ShqKHEMMCG-4XtZIuZHuGgJ9sXx4IdUK6sRRsfXvn4V0kFu3XX_TyDrSL0Has_S5XtblLnCqWKdlIp2aOGbl3aUlf0uHYuCNL3WVAG-qdF-COAkmNJ7O7eQ55BMllgc0SNttwJ2fHFUbSV7oCSZfLEB7hyphenhyphen3CFFcD0KeDVv/s2000/_P1A8230-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAI8SvNU74JbuPJwiVXOvx6ShqKHEMMCG-4XtZIuZHuGgJ9sXx4IdUK6sRRsfXvn4V0kFu3XX_TyDrSL0Has_S5XtblLnCqWKdlIp2aOGbl3aUlf0uHYuCNL3WVAG-qdF-COAkmNJ7O7eQ55BMllgc0SNttwJ2fHFUbSV7oCSZfLEB7hyphenhyphen3CFFcD0KeDVv/w400-h266/_P1A8230-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Following this quick but successful dip into the valley, I backtracked north on my way to the Varanger peninsula. I arrived mid-afternoon on the 25th at the iconic church at Nesseby en route to my Airbnb in Vadso. A EURASIAN COOT in Vadso harbor was a rare find for this far north.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WPi4sOOC4fmsrx7kUgZmzcvT6dlWtyOGhk6xPdx8GEYKhzI27-azX4_8bujjVUDSvgMFlPvsAY3IFkvX5FKDBUt3yHBjUjHL-fgfMUmzzxRWfb75LZ0T1h6__ZiTZH3l5ElveuPWr_48ikk8WNsxX44-dvFTdm3Kx5s59ogB3ySBOiPtNGzUfFkH1KQI/s2048/IMG_6381.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WPi4sOOC4fmsrx7kUgZmzcvT6dlWtyOGhk6xPdx8GEYKhzI27-azX4_8bujjVUDSvgMFlPvsAY3IFkvX5FKDBUt3yHBjUjHL-fgfMUmzzxRWfb75LZ0T1h6__ZiTZH3l5ElveuPWr_48ikk8WNsxX44-dvFTdm3Kx5s59ogB3ySBOiPtNGzUfFkH1KQI/w400-h300/IMG_6381.JPEG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FM8dS9_wRr_pIYg_DUGOviXj8BdMp65wNkmfI1qiOngp7x3GyUEZPkeh00vWgChU21DN8R2eaMdUBoMU5bwKC81fKOISzVQFoCDI1c_eVq5GEGA-6_6lfW-zxg8r83qT7SgPiuxPr8d9w_pE0xLeRqiAErlpiBdsG5NPbgpmVrtHoLrNtgaUrnCqvRzM/s2048/IMG_6382.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FM8dS9_wRr_pIYg_DUGOviXj8BdMp65wNkmfI1qiOngp7x3GyUEZPkeh00vWgChU21DN8R2eaMdUBoMU5bwKC81fKOISzVQFoCDI1c_eVq5GEGA-6_6lfW-zxg8r83qT7SgPiuxPr8d9w_pE0xLeRqiAErlpiBdsG5NPbgpmVrtHoLrNtgaUrnCqvRzM/w300-h400/IMG_6382.JPEG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>I spent the 26th birding the coast eastward and finding my first STELLER'S and KING EIDERS of the trip. VELVET SCOTER were far less common than I thought they'd be; in fact I saw only one pair in my few days along the coast. Driving eastward towards Vardo was made interesting by several intermittent snow squalls that kept rolling through with a fierce intensity. Spectacular coastal views would transition to whiteout conditions in a matter of seconds, and ten minutes later the sun would be shining again. The vast coastal arctic landscape was nothing short of stunning to observe as dramatic gray clouds alternated with bright sunlight all afternoon. As I write this well after the fact, now having been here in both late winter and summer, I can say that the winter landscape is more beautiful, though admittedly the June midnight sun is something to behold. The afternoon of the 26th was spent on and around Vardo, taking in the white-winged gulls, ROCK PIPITS, PURPLE SANDPIPERS and yet more eider.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhME5X-sUiuxKMasTRxBCoSsOUVWBRJ_w0dMvjhF7N7mi5bEOJCqrlug9mWSFhvrQaNUKIKcDQMwqQ7iN9eXVFwC5mqmVrobv4W3I2k2Zc3cK6W_QPxzlBN1kBOI6iJ8Pg-a_YK-ApsisUSyHcqhZ-r5BoCk6OMC0U0hfVoETsj2Gzsr0cSUriZhJxy61so/s2000/_P1A8544-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhME5X-sUiuxKMasTRxBCoSsOUVWBRJ_w0dMvjhF7N7mi5bEOJCqrlug9mWSFhvrQaNUKIKcDQMwqQ7iN9eXVFwC5mqmVrobv4W3I2k2Zc3cK6W_QPxzlBN1kBOI6iJ8Pg-a_YK-ApsisUSyHcqhZ-r5BoCk6OMC0U0hfVoETsj2Gzsr0cSUriZhJxy61so/w400-h266/_P1A8544-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYJ31zndbzXcDCfjSVDwExbr2lY57xbeSeQXbV-FKubkggfsCYz3GhxLXT1UI20xxiEOJI0jp1RaM1wseX8PYUjQGB16gRo9KnO9BY7jQLq_MnxL209HchzdUE11NtU7ZC9GbvbI7OXWIlAJmrvR1yXJgUj9JnYWnkQte8F31PjTwNaQOnE_ywk1cLW4k/s2000/_P1A8662-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYJ31zndbzXcDCfjSVDwExbr2lY57xbeSeQXbV-FKubkggfsCYz3GhxLXT1UI20xxiEOJI0jp1RaM1wseX8PYUjQGB16gRo9KnO9BY7jQLq_MnxL209HchzdUE11NtU7ZC9GbvbI7OXWIlAJmrvR1yXJgUj9JnYWnkQte8F31PjTwNaQOnE_ywk1cLW4k/w400-h266/_P1A8662-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fieldfares</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDwMOviL9t3JHMGhWQjfK-h2YPHEe7sTRMzTuYDwZ8-te1xM2VdyGqPoumKXhlwyMFrYZ_EtjounVyrS7SfviYsqEFIHJkr1DL3SjUZn6KDs9_GHIbN9_3q35t7Fx6PmDeDe1WEKuV_sxAstXIj1Ozk2ZaIrlRMhisPgwQY0KVeeiV1TgoVjv-uQuSc-s/s2000/_P1A8864.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDwMOviL9t3JHMGhWQjfK-h2YPHEe7sTRMzTuYDwZ8-te1xM2VdyGqPoumKXhlwyMFrYZ_EtjounVyrS7SfviYsqEFIHJkr1DL3SjUZn6KDs9_GHIbN9_3q35t7Fx6PmDeDe1WEKuV_sxAstXIj1Ozk2ZaIrlRMhisPgwQY0KVeeiV1TgoVjv-uQuSc-s/w400-h266/_P1A8864.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bird cliff at Ekkeroy, where thousands of Black-legged Kittiwakes breed</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TnC2eevgwWSEUw2ATlRA_Aj8Ff7J_fIzuXDZPxEkEkQw_Qg31K9Di6fMI1zr3FpoLuDjncewg80bdMyUX65s6rVqA9PvkyuOpHney4DPPozyP1YleanC-ZqO9FwuHCTCEIfsl4Qpviv7Gg-5HuYLe21HwppsrA6IUSXgZFyOnU57hI6ONf_jfqQ_a25F/s2000/_P1A9420-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="2000" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TnC2eevgwWSEUw2ATlRA_Aj8Ff7J_fIzuXDZPxEkEkQw_Qg31K9Di6fMI1zr3FpoLuDjncewg80bdMyUX65s6rVqA9PvkyuOpHney4DPPozyP1YleanC-ZqO9FwuHCTCEIfsl4Qpviv7Gg-5HuYLe21HwppsrA6IUSXgZFyOnU57hI6ONf_jfqQ_a25F/w400-h195/_P1A9420-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steller's Eiders</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlP8VjOTD3DbYF7DxBIElB9yYJNfEeSldFXyiqv4TwqRrH0FpxiEEDvjclXuU8JHeYoWO1p3wS9G7_QAH5kRYhlb24NJienRAQ-__KQ4P5i7Igp6zMjLgOISxo__cggHejDQ96RG2Ah9wT2v2ioGGgwBCeHMr8b9f4VylxqaIIpxPBEAeqkfGxd5h-qfn/s2000/_P1A9720-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="2000" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlP8VjOTD3DbYF7DxBIElB9yYJNfEeSldFXyiqv4TwqRrH0FpxiEEDvjclXuU8JHeYoWO1p3wS9G7_QAH5kRYhlb24NJienRAQ-__KQ4P5i7Igp6zMjLgOISxo__cggHejDQ96RG2Ah9wT2v2ioGGgwBCeHMr8b9f4VylxqaIIpxPBEAeqkfGxd5h-qfn/w400-h226/_P1A9720-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Sandpiper</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4WIEF4H95vKIPW3JzQ4P18YXtgtsx3tg1lLRhvx0t94YXGkjxWE46Plz0J3YlyzknrqpUDRN3qJCGzshPJqEIwASvz-AKgWahbb9k0vjuXdZJyhqpB0mEi1pU6YLPfY8QR8oTjzkn5LAOo0YUrqKn9nqpxlldNEUAqZ1hQLofcKqHP6AUy3EKrzuRL7E/s2000/_P1A9901-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="2000" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4WIEF4H95vKIPW3JzQ4P18YXtgtsx3tg1lLRhvx0t94YXGkjxWE46Plz0J3YlyzknrqpUDRN3qJCGzshPJqEIwASvz-AKgWahbb9k0vjuXdZJyhqpB0mEi1pU6YLPfY8QR8oTjzkn5LAOo0YUrqKn9nqpxlldNEUAqZ1hQLofcKqHP6AUy3EKrzuRL7E/w400-h229/_P1A9901-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The variation in male Common Eider bills is always interesting to observe anywhere in their range</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z4R9m4XNVLrdICPAinQXwG0jqupH6gGbJFB4A8OMrZO5tevXO5vMtAfLMsQ19I12TjHPPIZEzoVpFfobIql6Hf7VR7tHEaxOlUp-NFXIfrwR3zU-t6N1HvU-8g7R_0RIBT7n4FRjnfHRIeVNR0ssw9YzT-EMLYBWXbdvlP1cPk-Hmu8fb0l5Cb_itubu/s4892/IMG_6394.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3214" data-original-width="4892" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z4R9m4XNVLrdICPAinQXwG0jqupH6gGbJFB4A8OMrZO5tevXO5vMtAfLMsQ19I12TjHPPIZEzoVpFfobIql6Hf7VR7tHEaxOlUp-NFXIfrwR3zU-t6N1HvU-8g7R_0RIBT7n4FRjnfHRIeVNR0ssw9YzT-EMLYBWXbdvlP1cPk-Hmu8fb0l5Cb_itubu/w400-h263/IMG_6394.JPEG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2XiGFqjoFECou-XIpu-CMtxOwNZUrcyGbdouunC5Rlk6CmiwuKnSK7I_Tbo7_L5JRU-YcCv-EIZo8wOhVnjGbg-4Ee73HdfJr3xpy5jMNQ6KesH1xDh7RMv9_mlU0Uvsw6mRavp9fER9aP0STL9L2Xc5P79rwi2qQB_RucpLfoEBg_35jy6inJKX2mh8/s2048/IMG_6411.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2XiGFqjoFECou-XIpu-CMtxOwNZUrcyGbdouunC5Rlk6CmiwuKnSK7I_Tbo7_L5JRU-YcCv-EIZo8wOhVnjGbg-4Ee73HdfJr3xpy5jMNQ6KesH1xDh7RMv9_mlU0Uvsw6mRavp9fER9aP0STL9L2Xc5P79rwi2qQB_RucpLfoEBg_35jy6inJKX2mh8/w400-h300/IMG_6411.JPEG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views from the coastal road to Vardo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdkIhWX_4eqejyIbhhk8i5RmP7oBWGbmXaT6l6-J27N9MYrqj7UMBCfBKCD22_VoE-yRPKvHNHWBHqkXpx8fNZwNUhIVyavRpbRendf8oIjLFxKO6BpJQ9Jr22DkdJYYAq_finQWxyGB90IJj5C8DyCRDXJE9qGAvi3V02Nl-NTnQ8flZK8Ll88cizoZz/s2000/IMG_6419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1311" data-original-width="2000" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdkIhWX_4eqejyIbhhk8i5RmP7oBWGbmXaT6l6-J27N9MYrqj7UMBCfBKCD22_VoE-yRPKvHNHWBHqkXpx8fNZwNUhIVyavRpbRendf8oIjLFxKO6BpJQ9Jr22DkdJYYAq_finQWxyGB90IJj5C8DyCRDXJE9qGAvi3V02Nl-NTnQ8flZK8Ll88cizoZz/w400-h263/IMG_6419.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Jqg0q0iTT-F9VPixaRcDe4utiN3iqgb65JEG38WqySbFScJdRXR5BBp925yfekYUOc50G4CzIBogqD3ucDkzXoAIkQJgGPwPeNZn5BzJsUl8AuFtQRk14GuueeY-_ulEpnJ1JStiDKa3pbB0z3I7UN-QRoEZG6XE05TbCVnPCsjHbneVMisTMc9kG7WJ/s2000/IMG_6421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="2000" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Jqg0q0iTT-F9VPixaRcDe4utiN3iqgb65JEG38WqySbFScJdRXR5BBp925yfekYUOc50G4CzIBogqD3ucDkzXoAIkQJgGPwPeNZn5BzJsUl8AuFtQRk14GuueeY-_ulEpnJ1JStiDKa3pbB0z3I7UN-QRoEZG6XE05TbCVnPCsjHbneVMisTMc9kG7WJ/w400-h241/IMG_6421.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views of Hornoya from land</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlobIrI817iKqWZASZjdqJmHyS-X6nb910M8V6vMU_tlJUr2_6V_GIGrH6Ak3QehyHqQ1pQuwNFkltyp8Nct3irqQtCElMrtFl9uknmzdAkecovHiz34k5F4K43HHEEjTGeU9NA_5pIq9eH2Azy2ET-d5bdBNng1Y5F1vCxDglc6uzsLs9nfvoyhtHE6X/s2000/IMG_6433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlobIrI817iKqWZASZjdqJmHyS-X6nb910M8V6vMU_tlJUr2_6V_GIGrH6Ak3QehyHqQ1pQuwNFkltyp8Nct3irqQtCElMrtFl9uknmzdAkecovHiz34k5F4K43HHEEjTGeU9NA_5pIq9eH2Azy2ET-d5bdBNng1Y5F1vCxDglc6uzsLs9nfvoyhtHE6X/w400-h300/IMG_6433.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I hopped on the first boat to the island of Hornoya on the 27th, which is a fast 10-minute boat ride away. Unfortunately several days of strong north winds and snow squalls had prevented the recently-arrived alcids from settling into their nesting habits. As a result, very few birds were on the island itself. Swarms of COMMON MURRES circled the island as they waited for the weather to settle. Among the flocks were smaller numbers of THICK-BILLED MURRE, RAZORBILL and ATLANTIC PUFFIN. At times the snow was so heavy that birding was impossible and I could do nothing but lie down and soak up the beauty while the squall passed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPY4khR28LBBZ3o9B3MveU-PQyXBgPV6rffrNvCigmpz1Ycy8YEG-AOXhLTL-ntevDq-ooabeFfIVgZQuFH22MeF3pF67AM7U7gZXQweLK_oRUwlThZ_T7om212T1cCB7Oob8zAhG3Y4sClavBlCLvonw9QUnHYRlqmLUSs1o2ZrBvrlHwKS58xbiNIJH/s2000/_P1A0342-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1110" data-original-width="2000" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPY4khR28LBBZ3o9B3MveU-PQyXBgPV6rffrNvCigmpz1Ycy8YEG-AOXhLTL-ntevDq-ooabeFfIVgZQuFH22MeF3pF67AM7U7gZXQweLK_oRUwlThZ_T7om212T1cCB7Oob8zAhG3Y4sClavBlCLvonw9QUnHYRlqmLUSs1o2ZrBvrlHwKS58xbiNIJH/w400-h223/_P1A0342-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thick-billed Murre (left) with Common Murres</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5dFCTkY91B2NyPTt2wO9jr5fuOx1HGZSgCSRP4fODpgB73PUEOt-DpgNYWHEys1HXlZ5ExQevaDb1ofVRbzKYMqpsce20ZGgHaRwNu2Tuk_M2bCwOHWR6aFBGcMKZYyailFQhJv1BrQ52idqLUbusLtCpAfb0uPDyVxK2MUjseqLqL4-SWV54_SwZr29/s2000/_P1A1526-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5dFCTkY91B2NyPTt2wO9jr5fuOx1HGZSgCSRP4fODpgB73PUEOt-DpgNYWHEys1HXlZ5ExQevaDb1ofVRbzKYMqpsce20ZGgHaRwNu2Tuk_M2bCwOHWR6aFBGcMKZYyailFQhJv1BrQ52idqLUbusLtCpAfb0uPDyVxK2MUjseqLqL4-SWV54_SwZr29/w400-h266/_P1A1526-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thick-billed Murre</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bNnw_Sa2tevIYsZG5sHahGXh_8yoM33zDd8N0wUe3wLqtgAFMbKLtakRKwG-GFPO3nVHk5FOFYuLpGwPQX5v_-5inYGRA3HZvcMsbMwQetH__B7dZX2_cRXQKIIOrp3M6V8bt3L4ltMI3jqbJZiiCKi19_HYxTj09KPxEK_0lCEEPrF48gs9qMDtiN2v/s2000/_P1A1536-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bNnw_Sa2tevIYsZG5sHahGXh_8yoM33zDd8N0wUe3wLqtgAFMbKLtakRKwG-GFPO3nVHk5FOFYuLpGwPQX5v_-5inYGRA3HZvcMsbMwQetH__B7dZX2_cRXQKIIOrp3M6V8bt3L4ltMI3jqbJZiiCKi19_HYxTj09KPxEK_0lCEEPrF48gs9qMDtiN2v/w400-h266/_P1A1536-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Atlantic Puffin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0I31gKoN_jWDbMzNnX9ITFEoMae6KZzYUKZMOUwec0Cj9GzeNv3nSYuvQ8qNtw4N0_Dhu5CIWGOATKWBEtRxNh768glVkBkEZYEeM5wGDkX-uxBUoOyaPjrY5xZgKkWxDbtWliVAUmvvPSVe3miiodOfdFxfNRZpgF5DK0O0aHL9M8I9_rrAvlltov-K/s2000/_P1A1585-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="2000" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0I31gKoN_jWDbMzNnX9ITFEoMae6KZzYUKZMOUwec0Cj9GzeNv3nSYuvQ8qNtw4N0_Dhu5CIWGOATKWBEtRxNh768glVkBkEZYEeM5wGDkX-uxBUoOyaPjrY5xZgKkWxDbtWliVAUmvvPSVe3miiodOfdFxfNRZpgF5DK0O0aHL9M8I9_rrAvlltov-K/w400-h226/_P1A1585-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Razorbills lead a Common Murre</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPBLqtf_365VzAfzQ7os_eQksVdUt86KCpDvbZePT_Mvkttnw1q8aJpYC57SkE3edOS-MUF-ja6yGEm2HPVz2Mw5rMNLa1ZkdAhxjNyVvBZDb_3-h4VsSw7WNKQCoGk4mCMwBUEZ2YWJ6wlb4_F5Liw3wwbbTt1rGDoAD2PXrkX-rwo_CgYzwAVIaHIvn/s2000/_P1A1687-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPBLqtf_365VzAfzQ7os_eQksVdUt86KCpDvbZePT_Mvkttnw1q8aJpYC57SkE3edOS-MUF-ja6yGEm2HPVz2Mw5rMNLa1ZkdAhxjNyVvBZDb_3-h4VsSw7WNKQCoGk4mCMwBUEZ2YWJ6wlb4_F5Liw3wwbbTt1rGDoAD2PXrkX-rwo_CgYzwAVIaHIvn/w400-h400/_P1A1687-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Atlantic Puffin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEl9y6_McYO5zVZD9VezLGA3JOAJHEAF7eRrPvLlQd16IP0tjYrzwKRfZN6KPvqAUP4Z9cjnZmnvooqc20g4E2keqcINV9ENIIpz2HpoyEK2ESpLQCSzC934FSmP2dO6YaIl97nLV2bkbv34tFuJ04uEjR8kI5rYDooi9NV-CHQbPhTDqHgkfLkmTe3Y0e/s2000/_P1A1066-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEl9y6_McYO5zVZD9VezLGA3JOAJHEAF7eRrPvLlQd16IP0tjYrzwKRfZN6KPvqAUP4Z9cjnZmnvooqc20g4E2keqcINV9ENIIpz2HpoyEK2ESpLQCSzC934FSmP2dO6YaIl97nLV2bkbv34tFuJ04uEjR8kI5rYDooi9NV-CHQbPhTDqHgkfLkmTe3Y0e/w320-h400/_P1A1066-Edit-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">European Shag</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFrcb_aaijm3-imPJbsjplIyZN1e4-XmdpHLEI5s3DduOCLIG3dYiMM7kn9RhII2yqWzGUcLdGmknRvtVv3tjEzd28bXQrmvOa6GJV7SG78xiYYj6MXbgVgH3B6Ze0kNevH6gFvpUlPAmLavwTtrYNjBwf0c53ylDRwrvtkxx7aVxTK6n_WUMzIsIsLdn/s1624/IMG_6434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="1624" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFrcb_aaijm3-imPJbsjplIyZN1e4-XmdpHLEI5s3DduOCLIG3dYiMM7kn9RhII2yqWzGUcLdGmknRvtVv3tjEzd28bXQrmvOa6GJV7SG78xiYYj6MXbgVgH3B6Ze0kNevH6gFvpUlPAmLavwTtrYNjBwf0c53ylDRwrvtkxx7aVxTK6n_WUMzIsIsLdn/w400-h289/IMG_6434.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boat to Hornoya pulls into the dock at Vardo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAMHydCM59Nb7FEjOk4GicLUeGW7UN8hPPvb0pyGHoB-zl8MN-Ehgvj6staz-wGIjKWL1JyqXd2w7l7N21I3NAaw7P23-MkM-x7xm6ORwV766H7oIm0uAfTRDhovY4Q8UMv_JT1lP74OJqySzlrDVpDb8cNd67yPylzsEo0bH12Qa80YVucjeOdWQ13g5/s2000/IMG_6444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="2000" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAMHydCM59Nb7FEjOk4GicLUeGW7UN8hPPvb0pyGHoB-zl8MN-Ehgvj6staz-wGIjKWL1JyqXd2w7l7N21I3NAaw7P23-MkM-x7xm6ORwV766H7oIm0uAfTRDhovY4Q8UMv_JT1lP74OJqySzlrDVpDb8cNd67yPylzsEo0bH12Qa80YVucjeOdWQ13g5/w400-h265/IMG_6444.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lighthouse at the top of Hornoya</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13MO9smnJBO13M4jNM0OMfWElXBvMoR0hRc5ZKV7eZeoCzhNAYkpJQmsRrjO6Ei3PdyyN8Ev_ppQ8_NEluV5yUR3pT9fh4VDxix3bd93bw4lKeejd_I5-3BUitrZ6B1pZwUhNeUayrWidjIc7FqdNCdws6gMBrbkPbO4PMkegdjeo9rYK70kpZ5m_S3Tx/s2000/IMG_6454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13MO9smnJBO13M4jNM0OMfWElXBvMoR0hRc5ZKV7eZeoCzhNAYkpJQmsRrjO6Ei3PdyyN8Ev_ppQ8_NEluV5yUR3pT9fh4VDxix3bd93bw4lKeejd_I5-3BUitrZ6B1pZwUhNeUayrWidjIc7FqdNCdws6gMBrbkPbO4PMkegdjeo9rYK70kpZ5m_S3Tx/w400-h300/IMG_6454.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hornoya snow squall, one of many</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWO10X2zDDLkPwsQ1142kP8Otg5mFCtmEZ2iwa0RIUpVh7tBs1O1mIFrBT8AsRF08gtrjMwA8vfqdw289naHmspc1A8hF-s86IutmF-2wWqclPKWRKPOABBFL1cOQEg8c4SVOrfSaPQQuOb1uifGM73Xad_-2dA-m8-wNIFQFYOwHw35pA6Ko9k3MwTW9M/s2000/IMG_6461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWO10X2zDDLkPwsQ1142kP8Otg5mFCtmEZ2iwa0RIUpVh7tBs1O1mIFrBT8AsRF08gtrjMwA8vfqdw289naHmspc1A8hF-s86IutmF-2wWqclPKWRKPOABBFL1cOQEg8c4SVOrfSaPQQuOb1uifGM73Xad_-2dA-m8-wNIFQFYOwHw35pA6Ko9k3MwTW9M/w400-h300/IMG_6461.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nap time</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I had a long drive ahead of me that night, my last in northern Norway. After that brief aurora display on my first night in the Pasvik Valley, every night since had been shrouded by clouds. It was looking like I might go home without seeing the Northern Lights in all their glory. Finally that evening, as I drove towards Batsfjord, the skies cleared and I got the show I was looking for. Something I will never forget.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkNeHbZRtcVP1dkXKAVAahPzmthayKYPl-YUvyTss2IdgehJtbKcTsOykUv1mgEs9c4pmEW_7h8oR1xWtlMy_v4zva4CmqLc5vm_juenCVjdCv9nYn5zryFO6hqJYm2iKWg-e7iSKSflA9LnGs92ZRLeCyX3fjrJ37TinVouvMqqGCi2jL3WghSTaPWDq/s2000/_P1A1895.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkNeHbZRtcVP1dkXKAVAahPzmthayKYPl-YUvyTss2IdgehJtbKcTsOykUv1mgEs9c4pmEW_7h8oR1xWtlMy_v4zva4CmqLc5vm_juenCVjdCv9nYn5zryFO6hqJYm2iKWg-e7iSKSflA9LnGs92ZRLeCyX3fjrJ37TinVouvMqqGCi2jL3WghSTaPWDq/w400-h266/_P1A1895.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TYKzskftGWJ2Tz_J43ilqononZ2K3rqLtCrcsEjEElGXh2H9OhPZEuloEmGqUeeTeC-Z7N_84Hi2u0H9sQJfB7JYMd1tvw-EZgcWF0pEcLsfakr4fAfoD9UJQpsA-joo8uSxwoVdycS0MIcvnwBb6j_zFXlybOeKPT-bvjDw14HgwCEl_tf4FjlXdcLH/s2000/_P1A1900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1517" data-original-width="2000" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TYKzskftGWJ2Tz_J43ilqononZ2K3rqLtCrcsEjEElGXh2H9OhPZEuloEmGqUeeTeC-Z7N_84Hi2u0H9sQJfB7JYMd1tvw-EZgcWF0pEcLsfakr4fAfoD9UJQpsA-joo8uSxwoVdycS0MIcvnwBb6j_zFXlybOeKPT-bvjDw14HgwCEl_tf4FjlXdcLH/w400-h304/_P1A1900.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pgXyaaD5MtZUSJEzRwCTBVQFFqZeBtOXxWCUeBHlGrGS8cBvNreuUBtvwhCmtQ41hjv2v1IjQVDmaStdOD9-rKSUhBCRAv2PJ0df9RzIqPlI9PRlVut-pQZwmGvV0Ue-948VI6ai_5mQ3EfALpvIJoAB_F-XMGO_M6GjwcEQwZP0Pj3O2KlgL7DEVwX2/s2000/_P1A1914-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1563" data-original-width="2000" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pgXyaaD5MtZUSJEzRwCTBVQFFqZeBtOXxWCUeBHlGrGS8cBvNreuUBtvwhCmtQ41hjv2v1IjQVDmaStdOD9-rKSUhBCRAv2PJ0df9RzIqPlI9PRlVut-pQZwmGvV0Ue-948VI6ai_5mQ3EfALpvIJoAB_F-XMGO_M6GjwcEQwZP0Pj3O2KlgL7DEVwX2/w400-h313/_P1A1914-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMD4gsWKlL23WfPzK6dHzCxBdXqEuc92-Ove8neWIGV4f0vQUwWkKK7RA_sgF89FhAQLlNRdxBKpByd0Xa2qVhWjmzpjLHpX7qa2DktQewYpqMKwaHbJVumsbcnlUKpHxLoMiW4F2HJ2L_4lbKz65QwuGWFs45tiQ2Uxu_I4HBS1EOyZAzWs6TDyrwLA7Z/s2000/IMG_6477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1122" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMD4gsWKlL23WfPzK6dHzCxBdXqEuc92-Ove8neWIGV4f0vQUwWkKK7RA_sgF89FhAQLlNRdxBKpByd0Xa2qVhWjmzpjLHpX7qa2DktQewYpqMKwaHbJVumsbcnlUKpHxLoMiW4F2HJ2L_4lbKz65QwuGWFs45tiQ2Uxu_I4HBS1EOyZAzWs6TDyrwLA7Z/w225-h400/IMG_6477.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conditions were prime for an aurora show</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I never did sleep that night. Between the driving and the aurora-watching, I arrived at Batsfjord just before our scheduled departure to the floating blinds that are strategically positioned in the eider's feeding grounds. I lucked out and had an entire blind to myself, thanks to a group from Finland that was delayed by weather. Duck numbers were not super high, but all three eider species were represented and periodically made close approaches. Anyone visiting the area during winter-spring and interested in photography should absolutely spend a morning in these blinds because you'll likely never get so close to these species anywhere else.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3tpKsBAIezOo1bHtMEstjJ5XxVjhv1XZRIti6REz35USCOX4Y1ycVKrDkDVKKsa1k3yD40ZquB37ILG-YV4vmGb1xAbpEluXGHqhyVu5LLbcDvBmQMnku__Hoq0rOi-nHWFxnKQ7_o5lJXwDujOMFYnSeQF1TvnVhXD_ZYFHS_mQbyyEjlcxABbCxKUc/s2000/_P1A2496-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1311" data-original-width="2000" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3tpKsBAIezOo1bHtMEstjJ5XxVjhv1XZRIti6REz35USCOX4Y1ycVKrDkDVKKsa1k3yD40ZquB37ILG-YV4vmGb1xAbpEluXGHqhyVu5LLbcDvBmQMnku__Hoq0rOi-nHWFxnKQ7_o5lJXwDujOMFYnSeQF1TvnVhXD_ZYFHS_mQbyyEjlcxABbCxKUc/w400-h263/_P1A2496-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmSj9YKhbNH6ILssnLkDl5DglSkj6eMFgvDj_tXOJZmvYLQ2OxOyhVxv4NTJ9Sysd1WsqU5LO_r86RYhFyh3RphNMDmdBvmJj2Vv64gedjCejSKkJhXt4ufi5H6eOxz3Fteqfbuw7HMDm_8IIlqGCDpbvlbeZ_OTR_lpjY3pjv7ejJjh7vtiDAq_FfVMC/s2000/_P1A2617-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="2000" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmSj9YKhbNH6ILssnLkDl5DglSkj6eMFgvDj_tXOJZmvYLQ2OxOyhVxv4NTJ9Sysd1WsqU5LO_r86RYhFyh3RphNMDmdBvmJj2Vv64gedjCejSKkJhXt4ufi5H6eOxz3Fteqfbuw7HMDm_8IIlqGCDpbvlbeZ_OTR_lpjY3pjv7ejJjh7vtiDAq_FfVMC/w400-h183/_P1A2617-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIGA-CQIurhYNxFipS7ZCtY1GYnA_-fe7SpRzN94ChBqbwgGUfv7TigKPeq3l-hBtk4JIp2wBQjuKeyB7f-a62J_6tiQO-c5nXtKWjqcgEFIfT0_mbf9-PNHa5fKs_857FCf0SMI5ZtSpZpErV7rRrd78GYq9BEScaQJQtfjLFTRpOhZrselHYKFmS8tD/s2000/_P1A2723-Edit-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIGA-CQIurhYNxFipS7ZCtY1GYnA_-fe7SpRzN94ChBqbwgGUfv7TigKPeq3l-hBtk4JIp2wBQjuKeyB7f-a62J_6tiQO-c5nXtKWjqcgEFIfT0_mbf9-PNHa5fKs_857FCf0SMI5ZtSpZpErV7rRrd78GYq9BEScaQJQtfjLFTRpOhZrselHYKFmS8tD/w400-h266/_P1A2723-Edit-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54-7q4r_93cws5H11ZZVrUJNtAWSZ8OHWOLpnhefSWfqQ8Bstu6s5cx_Mhuc8LaSS4_1cEn9GKg7ERsEb5Upg2dX51M56nHZMRybv0D3cs4kzjSJmkE-zX7yROrYUBhO0SZakk2zdPbdh0E62v78BqjcDDyPYMpOCn2fCl4hDQnuw1RGSExOXDmAPrIuI/s2000/_P1A2724-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54-7q4r_93cws5H11ZZVrUJNtAWSZ8OHWOLpnhefSWfqQ8Bstu6s5cx_Mhuc8LaSS4_1cEn9GKg7ERsEb5Upg2dX51M56nHZMRybv0D3cs4kzjSJmkE-zX7yROrYUBhO0SZakk2zdPbdh0E62v78BqjcDDyPYMpOCn2fCl4hDQnuw1RGSExOXDmAPrIuI/w400-h266/_P1A2724-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpLzXB_L0J211MVtfOv-9yLTOvnMtlUxlpT_M-GDMdt3sUbNUtu0COBwBNIRb-XIEXkL6L8KnyLUNlx8_dKX_vWLOZgm7wJIWUCkRK6wQbvgm93WzBJbT_NcBkO0NYp6eDswgOTAECt_l5eni9tniZtn6aqTAyefiMklzQ-p6LtAszhQBX_ciHvDwNto9/s2000/_P1A2747-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpLzXB_L0J211MVtfOv-9yLTOvnMtlUxlpT_M-GDMdt3sUbNUtu0COBwBNIRb-XIEXkL6L8KnyLUNlx8_dKX_vWLOZgm7wJIWUCkRK6wQbvgm93WzBJbT_NcBkO0NYp6eDswgOTAECt_l5eni9tniZtn6aqTAyefiMklzQ-p6LtAszhQBX_ciHvDwNto9/w400-h266/_P1A2747-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvfvFtyJTw6BHDYGdc22E1NnvbxrxqNIhjKSDh-CNN3zUy5kqO7157PxXeXpPinas0Vy7e7milWXtndmCD3WHkI52Xnry9G_FChW3delxzSf3RAlIPjD8QbRYFA_2JqVlFBDLdUZZ-ZVCP6Z7fOEhoNkxqC3E1SQVCVV8TjyRnFfDEuKWeI-ZMfvRgDUf/s2000/_P1A2758-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="2000" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvfvFtyJTw6BHDYGdc22E1NnvbxrxqNIhjKSDh-CNN3zUy5kqO7157PxXeXpPinas0Vy7e7milWXtndmCD3WHkI52Xnry9G_FChW3delxzSf3RAlIPjD8QbRYFA_2JqVlFBDLdUZZ-ZVCP6Z7fOEhoNkxqC3E1SQVCVV8TjyRnFfDEuKWeI-ZMfvRgDUf/w400-h226/_P1A2758-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDDnR86Ks9LXcAwynw7kWDbz5sHKe-DqS8U4nPzpygMAc8kZEtryfIFCzINQYYFfj3hi7wHJQ1pKNio_yE4FGS9VnwC6bFpGPcsiWNVJwOJ0BPzn2GxwACrbYxkdi3ZjLU6yfkAeuARWZFsnq34BNloEiNq3Sb8a1pdVcHCdil0xDVdOdK9-K1OToTxbs/s2000/_P1A2775-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="2000" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDDnR86Ks9LXcAwynw7kWDbz5sHKe-DqS8U4nPzpygMAc8kZEtryfIFCzINQYYFfj3hi7wHJQ1pKNio_yE4FGS9VnwC6bFpGPcsiWNVJwOJ0BPzn2GxwACrbYxkdi3ZjLU6yfkAeuARWZFsnq34BNloEiNq3Sb8a1pdVcHCdil0xDVdOdK9-K1OToTxbs/w400-h246/_P1A2775-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikj2kdTCD3I-atV3eOsI-_unkz7sanykfYZlf1KQjErnKUu4iSEJQ5P48su5JO7Eqvpi54G7YePmUs1oJEuH7MF2qed9RzuQljBw08K0KA9nD2rzDOiBZMfNoTu3XTdnLLTwqgsDIdd84f473wI5VrgZFD5biDM6KoXF7jZMJuppyIqIpoVU2wX2qOTfY-/s2000/_P1A2809-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1254" data-original-width="2000" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikj2kdTCD3I-atV3eOsI-_unkz7sanykfYZlf1KQjErnKUu4iSEJQ5P48su5JO7Eqvpi54G7YePmUs1oJEuH7MF2qed9RzuQljBw08K0KA9nD2rzDOiBZMfNoTu3XTdnLLTwqgsDIdd84f473wI5VrgZFD5biDM6KoXF7jZMJuppyIqIpoVU2wX2qOTfY-/w400-h251/_P1A2809-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjit2YggonMvFKZVhPKWiJEsnwnyIxua48__0F5V1GpgTTU_cOtucCQDQnVQn0dHYQEqb9iCVZ0hRcEyLf-v4O1BGliCbkmGlMKzDvj5cQPt6-7FUVs2TOaCNmiYR8vRAK4VXhz2TLREKnA6U851Wd9jOhdJx9BJPPC3xzrszD0H8gbsM28eWCNE_7c5vno/s2000/_P1A2828-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="2000" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjit2YggonMvFKZVhPKWiJEsnwnyIxua48__0F5V1GpgTTU_cOtucCQDQnVQn0dHYQEqb9iCVZ0hRcEyLf-v4O1BGliCbkmGlMKzDvj5cQPt6-7FUVs2TOaCNmiYR8vRAK4VXhz2TLREKnA6U851Wd9jOhdJx9BJPPC3xzrszD0H8gbsM28eWCNE_7c5vno/w400-h175/_P1A2828-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmOmpdRQk66cMe1xPdaHNLQ10wpHAiK3YSGKC5kn5KgbHEpELLGxWX_NmtrF9GkvYCUbW31bWJDtI6rYJQdd0eNqEo220ZmPlUW2gU_FK-V_0Z-ZSGr0gl0yeX3hi7pyjhdM7qBSsUzSK38q60b5mXlPy9nCegYvHBqoSi7ZG6dEX6AvkL0KsLmdL9TGy/s2000/_P1A2855-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmOmpdRQk66cMe1xPdaHNLQ10wpHAiK3YSGKC5kn5KgbHEpELLGxWX_NmtrF9GkvYCUbW31bWJDtI6rYJQdd0eNqEo220ZmPlUW2gU_FK-V_0Z-ZSGr0gl0yeX3hi7pyjhdM7qBSsUzSK38q60b5mXlPy9nCegYvHBqoSi7ZG6dEX6AvkL0KsLmdL9TGy/w400-h266/_P1A2855-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRAXB_1h8CenwdKxYEMxPa7p7fNTDMbLxFSuQsQc-ZkeE_EWxcVvinU1j8e9-IwCfdEFVQdHKXsnJbuKOAnWQl1Td3RNAZrRhyawuuy68DEyQsmxQvTpGgKxWjcBt6FmZmje2-42x9QUmBitq8utell-MIj3UJFX0_IeGH5zy8F_XxFlW42QTgwR6HXkB/s2000/_P1A2855-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRAXB_1h8CenwdKxYEMxPa7p7fNTDMbLxFSuQsQc-ZkeE_EWxcVvinU1j8e9-IwCfdEFVQdHKXsnJbuKOAnWQl1Td3RNAZrRhyawuuy68DEyQsmxQvTpGgKxWjcBt6FmZmje2-42x9QUmBitq8utell-MIj3UJFX0_IeGH5zy8F_XxFlW42QTgwR6HXkB/w400-h266/_P1A2855-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmwUNqvYko9DUTvFmIZfH8Sdxr5jZh3YFeV2GYUXzJUw6m11oOGm5hLVOEai5f21tssOQ5OhaMlbhTd7qahG8tEaohxbdUPEuFEeq6KfP8hQgUuXNdv72mOGuv88T7yyBxzZP2RyU50_EfTYjmVywctMs_Q_rAXn7cd3SCYcCYNq0Cvur28ckCvSsz4Dc/s2000/_P1A2890-Edit-2-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="2000" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmwUNqvYko9DUTvFmIZfH8Sdxr5jZh3YFeV2GYUXzJUw6m11oOGm5hLVOEai5f21tssOQ5OhaMlbhTd7qahG8tEaohxbdUPEuFEeq6KfP8hQgUuXNdv72mOGuv88T7yyBxzZP2RyU50_EfTYjmVywctMs_Q_rAXn7cd3SCYcCYNq0Cvur28ckCvSsz4Dc/w400-h250/_P1A2890-Edit-2-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steller's Eiders</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8KC5tn-r5vd3HsvQ7-ogCkNZbgRKipxSwUQhbhpG4iVjv4zjaDU1BqsyZ6YK9Cw5UzXwSHlQGPVhEuPIGcii_dL7JVRXTmO9F6ANuksDUePPaIU3ELhmw2qdlkLT94B6kgAhKrYAOJh62fvGuGwOaeQ2EMkPNCrYejmfoXnUgZM9YkczYmRt0ek4SPuZ/s2000/_P1A2298-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="2000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8KC5tn-r5vd3HsvQ7-ogCkNZbgRKipxSwUQhbhpG4iVjv4zjaDU1BqsyZ6YK9Cw5UzXwSHlQGPVhEuPIGcii_dL7JVRXTmO9F6ANuksDUePPaIU3ELhmw2qdlkLT94B6kgAhKrYAOJh62fvGuGwOaeQ2EMkPNCrYejmfoXnUgZM9YkczYmRt0ek4SPuZ/w400-h213/_P1A2298-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kO-SYWRtLsWyAsVDFxVPbcqB0vT-2m0N8IxdqaTHEXvC75qP_wRvmNjQhDAZrgOBANJESc-Lpz2WhydQZ1-TWHsloMQXAUIGI-IDLIbChgp7w3E7cT-cAcrlFBHATnRQfHzm5afvw6s0kmrJ-vTRGcoO4kscDs7q6ueCVUBqELEF4VUAJxdF4uL-pxkl/s2000/_P1A2999-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kO-SYWRtLsWyAsVDFxVPbcqB0vT-2m0N8IxdqaTHEXvC75qP_wRvmNjQhDAZrgOBANJESc-Lpz2WhydQZ1-TWHsloMQXAUIGI-IDLIbChgp7w3E7cT-cAcrlFBHATnRQfHzm5afvw6s0kmrJ-vTRGcoO4kscDs7q6ueCVUBqELEF4VUAJxdF4uL-pxkl/w400-h266/_P1A2999-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6nnLUBSHp_D0Hokapyhy-uxDapjGDoMPfGD-FxrwjmFAkIcBBEvV1fSU2CoRjiaoF_PAMr6UZ5ibumT6stNrrDI9eGzAM3X0laOUrH1JpzaI84x6qBoZiQcBLZ_8JzleoA3JI7bDgLWyguYtHIP3HwIJ6vqDwdQyRU-YgIWnZFZaVocIkFDMCpUmLVfB/s2000/_P1A3078-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6nnLUBSHp_D0Hokapyhy-uxDapjGDoMPfGD-FxrwjmFAkIcBBEvV1fSU2CoRjiaoF_PAMr6UZ5ibumT6stNrrDI9eGzAM3X0laOUrH1JpzaI84x6qBoZiQcBLZ_8JzleoA3JI7bDgLWyguYtHIP3HwIJ6vqDwdQyRU-YgIWnZFZaVocIkFDMCpUmLVfB/w400-h266/_P1A3078-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Eiders</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGP4GmwdO1negNwCmmnIKfPqHiqj3432hzCrkwOFniJyD6mCtO_-as8z7xWMk2fYWmfHEwTmP81DOVUqaWVWtaw8-py1U_agPP1e4j-8TYI5lqh7dA0810gEJMQm6CcJ_keM8Et1gVGiLm910ZLhMH7yWowM2zY4Ec4WvUTqz4nq3AlE794HOdhaoNfVa/s2000/_P1A3179-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGP4GmwdO1negNwCmmnIKfPqHiqj3432hzCrkwOFniJyD6mCtO_-as8z7xWMk2fYWmfHEwTmP81DOVUqaWVWtaw8-py1U_agPP1e4j-8TYI5lqh7dA0810gEJMQm6CcJ_keM8Et1gVGiLm910ZLhMH7yWowM2zY4Ec4WvUTqz4nq3AlE794HOdhaoNfVa/w400-h266/_P1A3179-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-tailed Duck</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROlzwJimbx2svr2ri2whQFDtAwOJirW71t-huGYtdlOIUZQ6cUZwhi-fXx8KcHs8IMlptqUQhVNmW8bFAbsauDqhyuk6YDhXxSODiSyqEiYczzW91y6c7WZjaK7UHNwIilGw6myXPoC5RQefQ19Hnv7MA7lvZbrC971Vq6TqGPshj8KOSUzTjKYuPJh_B/s2000/IMG_6503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROlzwJimbx2svr2ri2whQFDtAwOJirW71t-huGYtdlOIUZQ6cUZwhi-fXx8KcHs8IMlptqUQhVNmW8bFAbsauDqhyuk6YDhXxSODiSyqEiYczzW91y6c7WZjaK7UHNwIilGw6myXPoC5RQefQ19Hnv7MA7lvZbrC971Vq6TqGPshj8KOSUzTjKYuPJh_B/w400-h300/IMG_6503.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from inside the blind</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrhwnkC3SQ5c0AQ7Ecl3whVkawpkSbDP0YO7O-FQqqr1JncK20UaH8BJydiafCXRsy2BF-I_UVhJfJ9TGtp0yM4XYWiCk0HTXmjNJoEhJ27pzhrQvRIWbiiD3Xq_bA04cPwFNNJmRJx1aINB9Mib3ABAnf6cVAgzClPM84MOPIUxMYkf5PuWtCQXsstKm/s2000/IMG_6504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrhwnkC3SQ5c0AQ7Ecl3whVkawpkSbDP0YO7O-FQqqr1JncK20UaH8BJydiafCXRsy2BF-I_UVhJfJ9TGtp0yM4XYWiCk0HTXmjNJoEhJ27pzhrQvRIWbiiD3Xq_bA04cPwFNNJmRJx1aINB9Mib3ABAnf6cVAgzClPM84MOPIUxMYkf5PuWtCQXsstKm/w400-h300/IMG_6504.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blind from the outside</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>After grabbing some hot food in town I birded the harbor from land and then started the drive back to Kirkenes for my flight to Oslo. Two more NORTHERN HAWK-OWLS en route were a great way to end a whirlwind trip to Finnmark. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwi5YTmGNRw4TjWTLgP5yT45XVu3llspzTkDGc87jqh1BplGCxBFL16jUlWRXdlBPoik5-HT0N8D5dOswyiCJ7qDaPsVKgp_iU5Rix-OKnVNRBb72s5LFbssV35xJ1bjhyphenhyphensPTgVJIQnQNlRif4o_a8qsaryp2aBkhGJA-WjOZmOGAQkin_Vk6NHq4TFzDV/s2000/IMG_6533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwi5YTmGNRw4TjWTLgP5yT45XVu3llspzTkDGc87jqh1BplGCxBFL16jUlWRXdlBPoik5-HT0N8D5dOswyiCJ7qDaPsVKgp_iU5Rix-OKnVNRBb72s5LFbssV35xJ1bjhyphenhyphensPTgVJIQnQNlRif4o_a8qsaryp2aBkhGJA-WjOZmOGAQkin_Vk6NHq4TFzDV/w400-h300/IMG_6533.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing but snow-covered tundra for miles</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>As I write this a year and a half later, this might be my favorite post-COVID trip so far and one of the most enjoyable of all time. The arctic tundra is a truly special place, and seeing it for the first time as a winter wonderland put the experience over the top. If I did it again, I would have scheduled at least two more days to explore the area, though limited time off from work did not afford that luxury <i>this </i>time...</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-58638376152790657432023-08-15T20:38:00.000-04:002023-08-15T20:38:35.251-04:00Warblers in Flight: A Photographic Collection<p>While active migration has always been my favorite bird
behavior to observe, my interest in the phenomenon called “morning flight” of
nocturnal migrants had been minimal due to the unfortunate reality that I lived
well over an hour’s drive from the nearest known reliable observation site,
Bluff Point State Park in Groton, CT. In autumn 2020, thanks to improved public
access to Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, CT, I began to explore the
northern tip of Willard’s Island as a morning flight viewpoint and was pleased
to find that under the right conditions a reliable flight could be observed
there. The volume of birds passing through is not large (a small fraction of
what passes through Bluff Point), but the flight line is consistent and can be
observed under good lighting conditions. Between autumns 2020-22 I visited the
site 20 times in total and recorded 27 warbler species in morning flight. All
but a few of these have been photographed, often poorly!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I immediately found myself really struggling with confident
field identifications outside of the most distinctive species. It did not help
that I was without other observers to confirm or correct my IDs, and that work
obligations allow me to observe this phenomenon only a handful of times per
year. Most birds were going unidentified. At that point I decided to focus primarily
on photographing the birds and identifying them from still images. In other
words, walking before running. Even this presented a bit of its own learning
curve as I was just not used to seeing these species in the air. So it made
sense to compile my images into one document that I could review and update as
I went along, in the hopes of improving my field ID skills. So far, I still
find it exceedingly difficult! But this has helped a bit.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Please note that this is certainly not meant to be an
authoritative guide. It is simply my personal collection of images and notes
that I have enjoyed compiling and learning from. The idea here is that other
birders might also find this useful or interesting, so why not post it online
as a living document. At this point, several species are either
underrepresented or are not represented at all. But I think there is enough to
be helpful. There are several birders in the Northeast US and Eastern Canada that
have forgotten more than I will ever know about this subject, and it is
possible that someday a formal guide will be published by someone, even though the
audience is likely to be small. To this point, I am aware only of six pages
towards the end of <u>The Warbler Guide</u> by Stephenson & Whittle, which
is absolutely worth checking out and contains excellent text regarding flight
style and structure. In the absence of a fully-fledged publication/collection,
I am sharing what I have so far. I will update this periodically as I obtain
more images and hope to add non-warblers to the doc at some point.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Enjoy this migration season!</p><p class="MsoNormal">-Nick</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The collection is
available here for download in PDF format for free. However, if you would like to support this effort, you can <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/warblers-in-flight-photos-for-identification?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet" target="_blank">DONATE via GoFundMe</a>.</span></p><br />
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MMo1U-vQ_MlnL1XNVVFZwFfVe4pyARVc/preview?usp=sharing" width="100%" height="800px" >Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-12597621792845843502023-05-22T17:45:00.001-04:002023-05-22T17:45:42.579-04:00Iceland in April<p>April is an exciting time for the nature enthusiast to visit Iceland. While the weather can still be quite cold and snowy, winter's grip is loosening and signs of spring abound. Several minutes of daylight are gained each day, but there is still enough nighttime darkness to observe the aurora borealis through at least mid-month. It turns out that early spring is also an excellent time for whale watching, particularly if you are keen to find Orcas. Spring migrants are beginning to arrive, including flocks of European Golden Plovers and the first Atlantic Puffins of the year.</p><p>Given all that, it made sense to consider a long weekend visit to Iceland in mid-April, especially since it is a direct 5-6 hour flight from the northeast USA.</p><p>Known appropriately as an expensive destination to visit, costs can be considerably reduced by hiring a campervan. Being a super popular mode of transport + lodging in Iceland, there are plenty of companies to choose from. During this shoulder season, I reserved a small van from <a href="https://www.kukucampers.is/" target="_blank">KuKu Campers</a> for USD $90/day. Equipped with a comfy sleeping cushion, small stove, plenty of cookware/utensils, and a separate cabin heater for the nighttime, I was good to go!</p><p>My stay was only four nights, which is not nearly enough time to do the Ring Road and enjoy it (probably want 10+ days for that). Which was no problem. Priorities were 1) auroras 2) orcas 3) birds 4) general scenery. Turned out I could get a taste of all that within a few hours of Reykjavik.</p><p>I spent two nights at a campsite in Olafsvik on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, where one can observe Orcas and other whale species with some luck. It also provides plenty of scenic foreground for aurora photography, though I bet this is true anywhere in the country.</p><p>When you are in the heart of the aurora belt, it doesn't take much solar activity to witness at least a faint display. In these cases the auroras are limited in size, movement, and color intensity. For those who have not witnessed this phenomenon in person, humans' perception of the true colors of the lights is limited by our naturally poor night vision. Colors that pop during the day appear much less saturated at night. This holds true with the aurora borealis. Some folks can see auroral color better than others, but most struggle to observe much color saturation at all. The good news is that camera sensors have no such limitations. A quick shot with even just your cell phone will immediately reveal the colors in the sky. Your eyes will still pick up on the shape and movement of the auroras quite well, so you can enjoy that part of the show if you are lucky to encounter that level of activity.</p><p>Located in the aurora belt, the most limiting viewing factor in a place like Iceland is often cloud cover. And like most high latitude islands, this can be a real issue here. Luck plays a significant role, though knowledge of topography and wind direction will increase your chances of encountering clear skies. <a href="https://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/cloudcover/" target="_blank">Iceland's national cloud coverage forecast map</a> is a great tool for aurora hunters.</p><p>My first night on the Snaefellsnes called for cloudy skies with a chance for a break further east towards the mainland. This was convenient, as the scenic Kirkjufell Mountain was in the area that was forecast to see some clearing. Sure enough as I drove further east the clouds began to break a bit. In those narrow gaps I could see a slowly moving strand of gray that was in fact active aurora. By the time I had set up at Kirkjufell, skies finished clearing and the auroral activity kicked up a bit, to the point where I was seeing some greens, and ribbons of light were steadily progressing across the sky. I had about 45 minutes of on/off activity before the auroras vanished and it was time for bed at 2am.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7WL99measgvYbXLfY1dm-gAV4EA0wABthLdo2Th2L5Piqgwf7Kt4f90WCbw61jQtnBkkBOJ7wtPT5nnEskRaaFdogNA1s8vLJ9209UWy8_6V7evb5UBWg6wkkv58bi1TWY_iHnlDAOgoCCYGgeN5BhYeUltNiuLm15Nsv4MmO6shNvIQODofEwkXVg/s2500/_P1A7046-Edit-Edit%20FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2331" data-original-width="2500" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7WL99measgvYbXLfY1dm-gAV4EA0wABthLdo2Th2L5Piqgwf7Kt4f90WCbw61jQtnBkkBOJ7wtPT5nnEskRaaFdogNA1s8vLJ9209UWy8_6V7evb5UBWg6wkkv58bi1TWY_iHnlDAOgoCCYGgeN5BhYeUltNiuLm15Nsv4MmO6shNvIQODofEwkXVg/w400-h373/_P1A7046-Edit-Edit%20FINAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two exposures stacked onto one another: one for the sky and one for the foreground. Exposing for the sky without ambient moonlight/twilight leaves the foreground very very dark, and even with recent improvements in camera sensors and noise reduction software, merely lifting the exposure of the foreground on a single exposure will result in significant noise.<br /><br />Sky: 15mm, f2, 4 sec, ISO 2000<br />Foreground: 15mm, f2, 30 sec, ISO 1250</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUNdZkr_e-5cx9OyNxFjhXZYwiiX0ReHUm0zbKpAy2pUmYUKYZiepcVjrY_YNIcDYMRG8EGY98aain5UpTXnT63tsLqzFIpsIssDX3ZiHen-2kmolohxdVr2cnP5EvHVzW0Qy9Lex6LCp6RFYeXNFAjHvywNL4Cgaec0FUftEECrPn5rFSw7q9DFhbw/s2500/_P1A6983-Edit-Edit%20FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUNdZkr_e-5cx9OyNxFjhXZYwiiX0ReHUm0zbKpAy2pUmYUKYZiepcVjrY_YNIcDYMRG8EGY98aain5UpTXnT63tsLqzFIpsIssDX3ZiHen-2kmolohxdVr2cnP5EvHVzW0Qy9Lex6LCp6RFYeXNFAjHvywNL4Cgaec0FUftEECrPn5rFSw7q9DFhbw/w400-h268/_P1A6983-Edit-Edit%20FINAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">two exposures stacked as above</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next morning I boarded a boat with <a href="https://lakitours.com/" target="_blank">Laki Tours</a> in hopes of running into some whales in the waters north of the peninsula and repeated the trip the following day. Both trips were hugely successful in finding three species of cetacean: Orca, Sperm Whale, and Humpback Whale.</p><p>As someone who spends most of his ocean time off the coast of the northeast USA, Orca was the big draw here. Encountering this species on both days was pretty awesome. I had only once previously seen Orca, many years ago in Alaska. We saw a couple parties of multiple animals plus one or two singles.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimikV1XAUDygRglIRh3RQ_EwAgLmaqqDMUXn00eIREjRSyORwTTyvdUWmA6r6158VD-62Zuux7wVlDvRPIz98kF167zxjLM1p7x5GQa130NPx4fT5beUovyRf_KyCwP69rrMTm7e6maphAdtpMswdBLpri1SNpc6p6IqA5Xw5-FBNJ9tuKDMCCPwd6PQ/s2500/_P1A0164-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimikV1XAUDygRglIRh3RQ_EwAgLmaqqDMUXn00eIREjRSyORwTTyvdUWmA6r6158VD-62Zuux7wVlDvRPIz98kF167zxjLM1p7x5GQa130NPx4fT5beUovyRf_KyCwP69rrMTm7e6maphAdtpMswdBLpri1SNpc6p6IqA5Xw5-FBNJ9tuKDMCCPwd6PQ/w400-h266/_P1A0164-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpFsh64U_MHcFq98F_b9kWx3G90dYrc8KV_dPU1naMJSD5rt7nG9zE80CpnEIumG3y4N73gdJ_Ud-KMUdCkmXNXXdd6MMM9M_qUCMbsN7jHfJNkXXmierlPeOIg9QQMS5AOI6QcRubvKpADCDQMj5ZWHAgMchKFf5IaUpzNJLkBNYcGZjCe_YB7lzcA/s2500/_P1A7206-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="2500" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpFsh64U_MHcFq98F_b9kWx3G90dYrc8KV_dPU1naMJSD5rt7nG9zE80CpnEIumG3y4N73gdJ_Ud-KMUdCkmXNXXdd6MMM9M_qUCMbsN7jHfJNkXXmierlPeOIg9QQMS5AOI6QcRubvKpADCDQMj5ZWHAgMchKFf5IaUpzNJLkBNYcGZjCe_YB7lzcA/w400-h185/_P1A7206-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIv6gWU3Xz9oTpotuumv640Ri89U-ySAgIpYKmVhaOKD1SDY1nUqosFBabM_vjPL9z8BdR6Gd2GNEu5ETkraQjf-f0tFKUYXzd8htobRYFsC0MecPsIgwk-v8vNMg4nMH4c1AXA6oS9Esiqg0IoQGrnveC15A9G6YLvR0x-fwwVqzZ1dTLTpayYtqp3Q/s2500/_P1A8309-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="2500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIv6gWU3Xz9oTpotuumv640Ri89U-ySAgIpYKmVhaOKD1SDY1nUqosFBabM_vjPL9z8BdR6Gd2GNEu5ETkraQjf-f0tFKUYXzd8htobRYFsC0MecPsIgwk-v8vNMg4nMH4c1AXA6oS9Esiqg0IoQGrnveC15A9G6YLvR0x-fwwVqzZ1dTLTpayYtqp3Q/w400-h200/_P1A8309-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMXRJoMnYoyFtKhu4cZjSu7UoYYq8iuOETg0yhHzeWlo1L1BIK3ZiIaXcTXdoDL7WV_h7i939dMOhrERLi7ZGeVjyXcdGDcwrOk2HL4ksdn58yjCYKuZYBUWGbBKvPC-XeVTBRApf3ZNwEEm6cmxxeM-CAEKtQimBT6_EaRuXDFnJ7rLYjX6sU63lLA/s2500/_P1A8328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2500" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMXRJoMnYoyFtKhu4cZjSu7UoYYq8iuOETg0yhHzeWlo1L1BIK3ZiIaXcTXdoDL7WV_h7i939dMOhrERLi7ZGeVjyXcdGDcwrOk2HL4ksdn58yjCYKuZYBUWGbBKvPC-XeVTBRApf3ZNwEEm6cmxxeM-CAEKtQimBT6_EaRuXDFnJ7rLYjX6sU63lLA/w400-h217/_P1A8328.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWh74-4tWhdwwq2XW4TCt9hOEEGwQ8hpZTBDzYaZbcUHgtN2sTdcV3ljWqEQZ9_iefSsGXjW7VK4bIdv3XmjAKkM996RMFBqoV-Pqho3Od7LRf7TIukQzDCVLbo_nmdv_Q1iLS8XYnEsxJ3zUrvdV7eKO70ZQhxOocwi-6HIF7rS0--kI_Rvgm2-UZA/s2500/_P1A8632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWh74-4tWhdwwq2XW4TCt9hOEEGwQ8hpZTBDzYaZbcUHgtN2sTdcV3ljWqEQZ9_iefSsGXjW7VK4bIdv3XmjAKkM996RMFBqoV-Pqho3Od7LRf7TIukQzDCVLbo_nmdv_Q1iLS8XYnEsxJ3zUrvdV7eKO70ZQhxOocwi-6HIF7rS0--kI_Rvgm2-UZA/w400-h266/_P1A8632.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Equally spectacular was the Sperm Whale show. The unique species that inspired Moby Dick is a rare sight in my home turf, chiefly encountered in deeper waters near the edge of the continental shelf. You're lucky to see them even if you spend time in their preferred habitat. So I was pretty amazed to find our boat surrounded by 20+ Sperm Whales in all directions. The naturalists on board noted that these waters had become a very reliable spring location for them, and they guessed that we were probably in the presence of somewhere around 40-60 animals scattered throughout this rich feeding ground. Wild stuff!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1z_zKrJ_stT4Gbio3HXqqG52785mvTGXalJHfkGYM7qVPVMvyxjUzoIr9oJ7s0Z0S98TKmW74TyH8orQEkvYeQ0P-9HansYq32I6uoM4WhAUDCryyCYP0QEKedXGnimbpRaF0jbkiD-h0SzFmn6Qs2pU7eM-k1IDoiTlC1M9XDq2T5nJpjCn_6xZqng/s2500/_P1A0012-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1z_zKrJ_stT4Gbio3HXqqG52785mvTGXalJHfkGYM7qVPVMvyxjUzoIr9oJ7s0Z0S98TKmW74TyH8orQEkvYeQ0P-9HansYq32I6uoM4WhAUDCryyCYP0QEKedXGnimbpRaF0jbkiD-h0SzFmn6Qs2pU7eM-k1IDoiTlC1M9XDq2T5nJpjCn_6xZqng/w400-h268/_P1A0012-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuuvqQotXGS0V9Azgl5ag7ctSfZRwzVDAh3u5K9VSvpQ2WC9Qnv6Usrvtu2BAt7wocXc2LRi3r_aAI2CQCIWOoF-vzIyh99iAYFcrD1q9_8gFmCaf68M3W-aYi-Km-wgeR_otfgFEu-5MdZbJCJv3-qfuXhkk56upU4yepUF8b_40Ul-ZLMQHqd8szw/s2500/_P1A7684-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="2500" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuuvqQotXGS0V9Azgl5ag7ctSfZRwzVDAh3u5K9VSvpQ2WC9Qnv6Usrvtu2BAt7wocXc2LRi3r_aAI2CQCIWOoF-vzIyh99iAYFcrD1q9_8gFmCaf68M3W-aYi-Km-wgeR_otfgFEu-5MdZbJCJv3-qfuXhkk56upU4yepUF8b_40Ul-ZLMQHqd8szw/w400-h164/_P1A7684-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASM_uhhQo5_rJP6q3C4ppsx-ulGyCYhkoCBGErE-Vc9LYs9HNIcKXo_3NKyKhHjRSTdy8-SFqCqmC1O-vDaQuG8yKS41zQ_weJ5UoIx3nMKBDcKGEVayjYinRPhDFQBtWwHbPP-EaL0fhic2ZMZwCZIqky28cWFE2m1PDiPSs7JwuFYC9c4KRoJNueg/s2500/_P1A7744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASM_uhhQo5_rJP6q3C4ppsx-ulGyCYhkoCBGErE-Vc9LYs9HNIcKXo_3NKyKhHjRSTdy8-SFqCqmC1O-vDaQuG8yKS41zQ_weJ5UoIx3nMKBDcKGEVayjYinRPhDFQBtWwHbPP-EaL0fhic2ZMZwCZIqky28cWFE2m1PDiPSs7JwuFYC9c4KRoJNueg/w400-h266/_P1A7744.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Humpback Whales were feeding on capelin further inshore, and we made sure to swing by for a quick look on our way back towards Olafsvik. A common species back home, I was fine with giving them the least attention of the three whales, though they are arguably the most fun species to watch given their propensity for active and playful behavior.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7QbgY2j5RxtwvXcWJwzmMlBIYuKezTQ8r_0z9HQYWOJ2p3dgB3TQp2nJMP5vxqBL7jintjy4Mxf8z3eTfFPUytM-alawAt8j6xqpSiKRiHXUSoqwEWvNpCo1ornQYPtepfCEYx7kaPsXZW_qBj79Mgpb5vdB105U8Yxo2RxW700IiKiWhxWSi8dp9w/s2500/_P1A0570-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="2500" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7QbgY2j5RxtwvXcWJwzmMlBIYuKezTQ8r_0z9HQYWOJ2p3dgB3TQp2nJMP5vxqBL7jintjy4Mxf8z3eTfFPUytM-alawAt8j6xqpSiKRiHXUSoqwEWvNpCo1ornQYPtepfCEYx7kaPsXZW_qBj79Mgpb5vdB105U8Yxo2RxW700IiKiWhxWSi8dp9w/w400-h228/_P1A0570-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mid-breach, about to crash into the water</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEMKpUsLXLjmN8IcjYIAXAJ7bpWXVUYUV0ESBi8w7nkGpgCNonxOXly_TvpQTcs2A3iO3hu8fMvWaGoAu-hA_5vXcLIUeoFfTC7PaYowUqeXIqnmEzIA3YCoMfztLnMFFX2aocvigsCtn3wUGmRBOt16vo0vgsSKy-JNWjF8yfaDjGCHgrgkTsQrnMw/s2500/_P1A8831-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEMKpUsLXLjmN8IcjYIAXAJ7bpWXVUYUV0ESBi8w7nkGpgCNonxOXly_TvpQTcs2A3iO3hu8fMvWaGoAu-hA_5vXcLIUeoFfTC7PaYowUqeXIqnmEzIA3YCoMfztLnMFFX2aocvigsCtn3wUGmRBOt16vo0vgsSKy-JNWjF8yfaDjGCHgrgkTsQrnMw/w400-h266/_P1A8831-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujid3DWthGplEdx_6oZ6SE_5dehUvJZPB7OLS4ZOPIRzNQVrg11sNC0JOSCbphFkjo2uGdS4FoQlU2TlLrLUEuooujWYZqjKi4SzyPURRvdzh8aZ52fVWE--iGAeO0N9FWvNlphudBAUMblk2bAJ1QM2X5RzznMGxkjmg8aYm39Awqdh6sIdP_n8Wkg/s2000/IMG_8782-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujid3DWthGplEdx_6oZ6SE_5dehUvJZPB7OLS4ZOPIRzNQVrg11sNC0JOSCbphFkjo2uGdS4FoQlU2TlLrLUEuooujWYZqjKi4SzyPURRvdzh8aZ52fVWE--iGAeO0N9FWvNlphudBAUMblk2bAJ1QM2X5RzznMGxkjmg8aYm39Awqdh6sIdP_n8Wkg/w400-h300/IMG_8782-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I enjoyed my time on the peninsula and easily could have stayed here the entire time. The scenery was impressive enough and there were a few birds around as well.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaC_cACVPEF4L65lD3P6BnVSmd94XsXK4AogTZT7lvJssA44JuGKa0yCFh1ddDTTI0NiUQcu-VpF5qJrTQHxbx3qvZkZoqbRFwOfb-M9iy4e5mxIwMmm6G5MyGHR9Hu6QDcapwPJtr77weJ011JEkRhEM7hiTOLa_OlIPmMBYbzY6QN0im9qOSQzXIrw/s2500/_P1A6553-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaC_cACVPEF4L65lD3P6BnVSmd94XsXK4AogTZT7lvJssA44JuGKa0yCFh1ddDTTI0NiUQcu-VpF5qJrTQHxbx3qvZkZoqbRFwOfb-M9iy4e5mxIwMmm6G5MyGHR9Hu6QDcapwPJtr77weJ011JEkRhEM7hiTOLa_OlIPmMBYbzY6QN0im9qOSQzXIrw/w400-h400/_P1A6553-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Redwing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJCUVwRyZzfCpCzpzSPVtheRWJvEYYGYxiLi_PXH5KvAOi5K8khfxQR7_-O6mswjo4TFBiDvQyx93qRjj2INXJRAaJN7vS9nZuV7AB_Ne8QUWvoUdbUpOxULzvsQSA5pJ7sCrXZFN-oc1uwq2QvjXHZvOdIAPdU-SXr0wLkjSPCSgQJG6t3ZrrKIK5A/s2500/_P1A6646-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJCUVwRyZzfCpCzpzSPVtheRWJvEYYGYxiLi_PXH5KvAOi5K8khfxQR7_-O6mswjo4TFBiDvQyx93qRjj2INXJRAaJN7vS9nZuV7AB_Ne8QUWvoUdbUpOxULzvsQSA5pJ7sCrXZFN-oc1uwq2QvjXHZvOdIAPdU-SXr0wLkjSPCSgQJG6t3ZrrKIK5A/w400-h266/_P1A6646-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwTIZzRUvlBKE7sYtHT31qL7JJCBGS1IpqJZyVCV4BLMfZ1IN6e-geOtYL9r8jlkHCq99gniCqVG2GH_s-Whi9SrbKtfwgsSu3H_w2lzIWdN3nxvDZQtS0OMWcBYMdsJqIyPZeVyPxYOkwdQVvmElJ9Xmmre_UQtg2NQdYGGeAK9eVz_Ig4hkA5mUyQ/s2500/_P1A6725-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2500" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwTIZzRUvlBKE7sYtHT31qL7JJCBGS1IpqJZyVCV4BLMfZ1IN6e-geOtYL9r8jlkHCq99gniCqVG2GH_s-Whi9SrbKtfwgsSu3H_w2lzIWdN3nxvDZQtS0OMWcBYMdsJqIyPZeVyPxYOkwdQVvmElJ9Xmmre_UQtg2NQdYGGeAK9eVz_Ig4hkA5mUyQ/w400-h246/_P1A6725-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX01BdUMLQJXezCmxN5KvQHpdrYPvwQ6eFZ8tErMGXCUDQADm24bq6mOx3rVg4lDSzmdWW-5_DhGcEScOB1SAwLFw7sr1pHkOOfDUPJQc4lexEKQx1_43Omvsf6HQcP7VBc56_qNxGiJOy6B0Yn78S_TANdyhM9La7wYbdPdatLlIwDBHbZk4_3R0OSA/s2500/_P1A6728-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1550" data-original-width="2500" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX01BdUMLQJXezCmxN5KvQHpdrYPvwQ6eFZ8tErMGXCUDQADm24bq6mOx3rVg4lDSzmdWW-5_DhGcEScOB1SAwLFw7sr1pHkOOfDUPJQc4lexEKQx1_43Omvsf6HQcP7VBc56_qNxGiJOy6B0Yn78S_TANdyhM9La7wYbdPdatLlIwDBHbZk4_3R0OSA/w400-h248/_P1A6728-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Fulmars</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWHh3X9yXkoME9f1Dox-0YYOkxwuwrTM476nLqC8quF0EKy2inCKJJwEkgMfaOExLC2Tk8U7VB-Dl9-lbBE9JrXYa8bbtSBgOHc8YilCVcp5c-QSITb1wChQ-yNLIUk13axTXncaD2KQnDBma33nuvdv_tS-jtN2jyKZ74r589PnPDQ_E5D1OKBITuQ/s2500/_P1A9008-Pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="2500" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWHh3X9yXkoME9f1Dox-0YYOkxwuwrTM476nLqC8quF0EKy2inCKJJwEkgMfaOExLC2Tk8U7VB-Dl9-lbBE9JrXYa8bbtSBgOHc8YilCVcp5c-QSITb1wChQ-yNLIUk13axTXncaD2KQnDBma33nuvdv_tS-jtN2jyKZ74r589PnPDQ_E5D1OKBITuQ/w400-h110/_P1A9008-Pano.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJXnnnigLBGE0w8__MZdyoHjNwOga_MJVjPkjZNJaSyid-vhJQw0_QiT89ThtYku00k037SknX8GXcVM2nMnasxPLLbLCwo-OyoBz3shdX5QU-Hy2DOSbNCE8bJIOI1kOw89S7NZDqw4uVEYKagz9fsNY5n8-HvYqKrP3c4Jor7p5s9t5I5KIkXoi8A/s2500/_P1A9425-Pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="2500" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJXnnnigLBGE0w8__MZdyoHjNwOga_MJVjPkjZNJaSyid-vhJQw0_QiT89ThtYku00k037SknX8GXcVM2nMnasxPLLbLCwo-OyoBz3shdX5QU-Hy2DOSbNCE8bJIOI1kOw89S7NZDqw4uVEYKagz9fsNY5n8-HvYqKrP3c4Jor7p5s9t5I5KIkXoi8A/w400-h122/_P1A9425-Pano.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDVCTemLT7aMySRkLXL3-khJmF9C1tfZvkiOG_Nvs8_bJbygE8Gp7ePceFkM2Y59z_A9mbfErqXKq4Pp5qAWZ_NHyOKtL0Br7ndmh6oau7rCqraPHk_Nus_Fq5kcxIkuUPlU22wQ_ts8ngOH7S0B3wWrghuHv8ilK4I0JDJllZUYnWRuxZDk0Pw15Ag/s2500/_P1A9444-Pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="2500" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDVCTemLT7aMySRkLXL3-khJmF9C1tfZvkiOG_Nvs8_bJbygE8Gp7ePceFkM2Y59z_A9mbfErqXKq4Pp5qAWZ_NHyOKtL0Br7ndmh6oau7rCqraPHk_Nus_Fq5kcxIkuUPlU22wQ_ts8ngOH7S0B3wWrghuHv8ilK4I0JDJllZUYnWRuxZDk0Pw15Ag/w400-h126/_P1A9444-Pano.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rugged Snaefellsnes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pPNiXwhuBAbu1LnOuz1R1jXbDljuCx2MUfndKKTzKWy2Mtw3nQbnCd-cDBrW5KaEIyaQJSthrXhQq-jR5CLXgGgS38ekPOE57g8n2i5K9IU_ltRNw6pY-ivLVvlC_1efH7KEhUyfF_aiDTY0qrEyXD8qqE5B3-KDVlgRxuJ6WbaQ_jfkihMBGZefwg/s2500/_P1A9581-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pPNiXwhuBAbu1LnOuz1R1jXbDljuCx2MUfndKKTzKWy2Mtw3nQbnCd-cDBrW5KaEIyaQJSthrXhQq-jR5CLXgGgS38ekPOE57g8n2i5K9IU_ltRNw6pY-ivLVvlC_1efH7KEhUyfF_aiDTY0qrEyXD8qqE5B3-KDVlgRxuJ6WbaQ_jfkihMBGZefwg/w400-h268/_P1A9581-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><p style="text-align: left;">Nights three and four were spent at different sites along the southwest coast, west of Vik, for a change of scenery. This stretch of coast was less rugged with far more pastureland. I spent one night at the campground at Skogafoss, which mercifully was equipped with hot showers. The skies were clear and I was geared up for an all-night aurora photo sesh. Things started promisingly with a moderately active aurora in the northern sky, conveniently located over the waterfall. The activity died down after just 5-10 minutes and never regained steam. Still I made the most of the brief show.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0EX0DTHoUfV6n-LJPe7neX2jzu0EvDYzOtfFxpoAdeDeotjoL6QixHm3335RgQp1f3DUFfuN5ADBguWtQ9UKskxijyWMoRcEiv7Sict91KFi1DUijLJeyQGtjl2mMVD7RsV7Cr3VkErykEHXdsUP5OVWaRzZ1M5y3ijJuJ6Kvpu5iZHVjzJ9-lctUA/s2500/_P1A0759-Enhanced-NR%20second-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1801" data-original-width="2500" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0EX0DTHoUfV6n-LJPe7neX2jzu0EvDYzOtfFxpoAdeDeotjoL6QixHm3335RgQp1f3DUFfuN5ADBguWtQ9UKskxijyWMoRcEiv7Sict91KFi1DUijLJeyQGtjl2mMVD7RsV7Cr3VkErykEHXdsUP5OVWaRzZ1M5y3ijJuJ6Kvpu5iZHVjzJ9-lctUA/w400-h289/_P1A0759-Enhanced-NR%20second-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">There were a few birds to see during the day, of course.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfNTRP4e2BSRo2hGNjslprirhahjxGFZOQO--JBMe_ynlEU__WyVtYSIYzRNJr7eiMiMAyq2pilT84tLiNpKImLd_eVhpAndxitJGV35289yixKCp192p7r5dLwjXqOjRYzqMQyBZhbsWjzwXx7ZkNSb_TbSz5gg-F9Bu_SvmqUk6MnM01k5Jhr9mUw/s2500/_P1A0784-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfNTRP4e2BSRo2hGNjslprirhahjxGFZOQO--JBMe_ynlEU__WyVtYSIYzRNJr7eiMiMAyq2pilT84tLiNpKImLd_eVhpAndxitJGV35289yixKCp192p7r5dLwjXqOjRYzqMQyBZhbsWjzwXx7ZkNSb_TbSz5gg-F9Bu_SvmqUk6MnM01k5Jhr9mUw/w400-h266/_P1A0784-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Snipe</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiBIfY06-P3W6SMj-6Hv-dzXxDXq4ZAs0JMRwUYxM5SNnJDkcIjtNenvmaCszwGPjOXkoIaZY2SGKTB5La0e1A2D18c98MTDFkdII5XndcyVmUgN78zk6JjHD8KCRWtdVemye2jX_QDDx1yrlfVYvuZUlz0Sj7SpTD1qYg24EHQWibKz7lOvsl4RX5Q/s2500/_P1A1160-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiBIfY06-P3W6SMj-6Hv-dzXxDXq4ZAs0JMRwUYxM5SNnJDkcIjtNenvmaCszwGPjOXkoIaZY2SGKTB5La0e1A2D18c98MTDFkdII5XndcyVmUgN78zk6JjHD8KCRWtdVemye2jX_QDDx1yrlfVYvuZUlz0Sj7SpTD1qYg24EHQWibKz7lOvsl4RX5Q/w400-h266/_P1A1160-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eurasian Oystercatcher</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAHW549EYrug675wcDj0FnODQCNHlO-XYB9dLiSWv5mvD2qWzPurCGbkyOqBZCScU5CLjMW4FJCv4PP9CYNpcjDZIdUwbs-scsWVyXZw9j2qfj01BpfpTTax_1iHt4z1nfhFRAWqZVLDVW7eRoc0woiZ6GqvzJ_a33WSXofigbao1VLQ1xU1_Nn5muw/s2500/_P1A1382-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="2500" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAHW549EYrug675wcDj0FnODQCNHlO-XYB9dLiSWv5mvD2qWzPurCGbkyOqBZCScU5CLjMW4FJCv4PP9CYNpcjDZIdUwbs-scsWVyXZw9j2qfj01BpfpTTax_1iHt4z1nfhFRAWqZVLDVW7eRoc0woiZ6GqvzJ_a33WSXofigbao1VLQ1xU1_Nn5muw/w400-h158/_P1A1382-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3PshJ11bx3pwxFEGGLXH7w1-jKWLL7KXmQOvQU99JdzaNCZiH0Q4ql5lhC5yyTaN45EnRQmKfxpq1YfUWUkzWaGplPIt3EY-qZOUZZbrVwlDpCLu8t2YbDC54OXWe_3scJNlrEfo2Gur2-9RsuBgE72CoQTycarQGzTF3xLFQiwcCKdbxJVdCN9KDQ/s2500/_P1A1409-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="2500" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3PshJ11bx3pwxFEGGLXH7w1-jKWLL7KXmQOvQU99JdzaNCZiH0Q4ql5lhC5yyTaN45EnRQmKfxpq1YfUWUkzWaGplPIt3EY-qZOUZZbrVwlDpCLu8t2YbDC54OXWe_3scJNlrEfo2Gur2-9RsuBgE72CoQTycarQGzTF3xLFQiwcCKdbxJVdCN9KDQ/w400-h181/_P1A1409-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6H-7U2u9vtzmigUUu-cwMCORLxag9GhTGX8Nb8jawmBIUIqlC2a5dLzeHCQoiHyxoA0iwG4scQ1VQVyTtFCQ_9p-yydFX0JVlsclihKPZa9YSPy5AdSCZDR6-q1cMYOtWamTVjmRnBJPzGki0JyPzRWxA-QqDpRst1jHTkQr6gDNWLcI2vFdOpS2Og/s2500/_P1A1445-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1336" data-original-width="2500" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6H-7U2u9vtzmigUUu-cwMCORLxag9GhTGX8Nb8jawmBIUIqlC2a5dLzeHCQoiHyxoA0iwG4scQ1VQVyTtFCQ_9p-yydFX0JVlsclihKPZa9YSPy5AdSCZDR6-q1cMYOtWamTVjmRnBJPzGki0JyPzRWxA-QqDpRst1jHTkQr6gDNWLcI2vFdOpS2Og/w400-h214/_P1A1445-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlGfL0QdYT_6mJ2p1Gq4XNvlKU3UqLEyn8x4gGCuXk_xiRMaXYufyZ7grRWXSR792U4tMC-3l00Oe6eWEOM2kcpsmDQaWiDjo9yajNvpAx1oVOfxmy8PNUfTlWRajP4Ua76BQrgEgR0xza-frSDYCA4NzIzs2qAY0aWF5Jwf0sZq0Cj1A5AJttmSKrA/s2500/_P1A1486-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1543" data-original-width="2500" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlGfL0QdYT_6mJ2p1Gq4XNvlKU3UqLEyn8x4gGCuXk_xiRMaXYufyZ7grRWXSR792U4tMC-3l00Oe6eWEOM2kcpsmDQaWiDjo9yajNvpAx1oVOfxmy8PNUfTlWRajP4Ua76BQrgEgR0xza-frSDYCA4NzIzs2qAY0aWF5Jwf0sZq0Cj1A5AJttmSKrA/w400-h248/_P1A1486-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNArOq7aOpM2kZ_BR-vmTaLlXbNJ6W0y3SfT6a-LBNwfW6Dod5rH1aLghRV7PupWNVkDNET89h67uSrYvCcAUZzpAFBVC5rs6AzLhR2GBjx6nHaUW3m4puCfLRT3nDozhfnON05B4U4gGDbHnBiajgHPuwyCy5kWs9jqsr16eDH-ahTOgIhV_TXwaBfw/s2358/_P1A1499-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1557" data-original-width="2358" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNArOq7aOpM2kZ_BR-vmTaLlXbNJ6W0y3SfT6a-LBNwfW6Dod5rH1aLghRV7PupWNVkDNET89h67uSrYvCcAUZzpAFBVC5rs6AzLhR2GBjx6nHaUW3m4puCfLRT3nDozhfnON05B4U4gGDbHnBiajgHPuwyCy5kWs9jqsr16eDH-ahTOgIhV_TXwaBfw/w400-h264/_P1A1499-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">European Golden-Plovers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKiSFTZmp_cCijxyN8PmZktapdNxGkkCskGcJKZs-o1BLljs1d6Pr5ghAe7Jgp7alEcZoOJqla7oNEg7VEeP5k3Ose8okAxlsmvYnk4qdKzJf23hGxUZZE1FaiXqwJP2SMQQ9vpWGxY_S8gh5z___W6pkNamRa3bFt3bK2VpcEKkTpLnopeU0dFrpQQ/s2500/_P1A2216-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKiSFTZmp_cCijxyN8PmZktapdNxGkkCskGcJKZs-o1BLljs1d6Pr5ghAe7Jgp7alEcZoOJqla7oNEg7VEeP5k3Ose8okAxlsmvYnk4qdKzJf23hGxUZZE1FaiXqwJP2SMQQ9vpWGxY_S8gh5z___W6pkNamRa3bFt3bK2VpcEKkTpLnopeU0dFrpQQ/w400-h266/_P1A2216-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Skua</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">And it's difficult to ignore the distinctive Icelandic horses...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnf5yJMsv_x44vrmI10AviHpNOfz_m_TBshZanbD4r1rSo7-7ngDjGVDFgaFNfQf4Obzjk6qF7dpfUEUo-y4itPod45fSfOniDmNHUNjDkJdE_OEAanro1R0B6VacrJon3DDUXrU9BEBJSynBBQ1sV6qMGCiodNxjBxEJ4wnIvQsgJTRZbJXlyNh0ysg/s2500/_P1A1312-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnf5yJMsv_x44vrmI10AviHpNOfz_m_TBshZanbD4r1rSo7-7ngDjGVDFgaFNfQf4Obzjk6qF7dpfUEUo-y4itPod45fSfOniDmNHUNjDkJdE_OEAanro1R0B6VacrJon3DDUXrU9BEBJSynBBQ1sV6qMGCiodNxjBxEJ4wnIvQsgJTRZbJXlyNh0ysg/w400-h268/_P1A1312-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKKFzeMpsVTSasS6y6hooggxgUe_heuivwHmenyQr_tMr6v2AVEfLa9Rgx4_M2ZuXwCpaqomyPe1IoCLy-wBW-i-gcoaHddeCr8jGKNJTVxhUebJI8lnesPtQcYreJayyY2sgoWV3Zoezd2okP1O_ORKAsI5iGv2DS896OuRas43dCseKZiv2FR1oQg/s2500/_P1A1350-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2251" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKKFzeMpsVTSasS6y6hooggxgUe_heuivwHmenyQr_tMr6v2AVEfLa9Rgx4_M2ZuXwCpaqomyPe1IoCLy-wBW-i-gcoaHddeCr8jGKNJTVxhUebJI8lnesPtQcYreJayyY2sgoWV3Zoezd2okP1O_ORKAsI5iGv2DS896OuRas43dCseKZiv2FR1oQg/w360-h400/_P1A1350-Edit.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxn86OZ6c92h4ggbD0hBEwQF_BrsiKZFvGSHgzfBMpZ32yA082tc97FIL7fmO8TLLAxcDBDKZS24aePcV913rf7Q2J82w5d2ZyuLmx0WxUwTvxoVdCG5qSawL1mNennQ42FrHXgtDWzd1L8v18bVr_AJdZPs58Z46YWKxe6u1wiopuX1xvwY4QQQu2vA/s2500/_P1A1541-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1581" data-original-width="2500" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxn86OZ6c92h4ggbD0hBEwQF_BrsiKZFvGSHgzfBMpZ32yA082tc97FIL7fmO8TLLAxcDBDKZS24aePcV913rf7Q2J82w5d2ZyuLmx0WxUwTvxoVdCG5qSawL1mNennQ42FrHXgtDWzd1L8v18bVr_AJdZPs58Z46YWKxe6u1wiopuX1xvwY4QQQu2vA/w400-h253/_P1A1541-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ygsiudxp02Fr4G0uPfK04b69FyVMJ0o2HsOl3A97ik-sYHb0yD2TJoG-VqRaK8XzpE4Oyb-KHQjKNoy47xSUca20ZQP0831oc0jVCguX0Yqqux-B0IOpsvGWLSGBYznFgYKiB0lKG5MKRFuxefRYUDBj2DstwWVW3vcgZRvP5R12m8KntvuTqr7FnA/s2500/_P1A1549-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ygsiudxp02Fr4G0uPfK04b69FyVMJ0o2HsOl3A97ik-sYHb0yD2TJoG-VqRaK8XzpE4Oyb-KHQjKNoy47xSUca20ZQP0831oc0jVCguX0Yqqux-B0IOpsvGWLSGBYznFgYKiB0lKG5MKRFuxefRYUDBj2DstwWVW3vcgZRvP5R12m8KntvuTqr7FnA/w400-h400/_P1A1549-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzEhOE8v7DbZP4mHqvft8IDPKIs9AAY4UX1ZvZ_DfTz3qkcafk73bdj56IIDVSj4KP1IELpPjgHphw-4fr1SrVphdHiYj7lV1tONW8soZxAwC6BiVewp56JuUlz6TnZhhqAlIec7OOxlwvFhmTmtiVUpvzNxt6n_6cJmza2TX43cHjQc_O3t4RZIyNA/s2500/_P1A1584-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1667" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzEhOE8v7DbZP4mHqvft8IDPKIs9AAY4UX1ZvZ_DfTz3qkcafk73bdj56IIDVSj4KP1IELpPjgHphw-4fr1SrVphdHiYj7lV1tONW8soZxAwC6BiVewp56JuUlz6TnZhhqAlIec7OOxlwvFhmTmtiVUpvzNxt6n_6cJmza2TX43cHjQc_O3t4RZIyNA/w266-h400/_P1A1584-Edit.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div><br /></div>These few days just scratched the surface of this country that is understandably growing in popularity as a travel destination. There seems to be plenty to offer for those who are looking for an outdoorsy adventure, plus plenty of cushier accommodations for those who just want to take in the scenery or enjoy Reykjavik's restaurant scene. I'll be back for more, no doubt.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMWNbe6Aa7VOnncMJUa_iaw_q5xh_GMac2sRIWZbOre7618LVK0pRoUM-FqtHKtFRJ6hl9KQdodJzfh-sMOW8xDR1cAhlNBWE_NgPy2g0jF8DavOLbhNwI99XSyMMY_VMZvZDuaGN8DWAg5sC12mdGFwOOJ7-rKIc_nudxJcXhIRkILRj8k7AtYFadw/s2000/IMG_8773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMWNbe6Aa7VOnncMJUa_iaw_q5xh_GMac2sRIWZbOre7618LVK0pRoUM-FqtHKtFRJ6hl9KQdodJzfh-sMOW8xDR1cAhlNBWE_NgPy2g0jF8DavOLbhNwI99XSyMMY_VMZvZDuaGN8DWAg5sC12mdGFwOOJ7-rKIc_nudxJcXhIRkILRj8k7AtYFadw/w400-h300/IMG_8773.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvj1B8TX5wJBJwLfbnG8BRdreh4rYJUoJYHK6BMBEVPXCguSZ68HLWWOYydOyJr1ErMFUjkP3s-7CAloKMa6KJyl9pdu1T3sA8dO4sLLBZNXh8JAx6b_B74mnGCHqc7af6r_Kk8Wfzf8wJUJSJOd1bbgq6tiFUiVJaSQWbPGBSnKYU3tKKM2CHZtaAQ/s2000/IMG_8774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvj1B8TX5wJBJwLfbnG8BRdreh4rYJUoJYHK6BMBEVPXCguSZ68HLWWOYydOyJr1ErMFUjkP3s-7CAloKMa6KJyl9pdu1T3sA8dO4sLLBZNXh8JAx6b_B74mnGCHqc7af6r_Kk8Wfzf8wJUJSJOd1bbgq6tiFUiVJaSQWbPGBSnKYU3tKKM2CHZtaAQ/w400-h300/IMG_8774.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ylMZgNLkq1HdFIjSvtGVwR5thiX6tYjgAdtfEuzCyAI5mnxoNwIy3GF8fh8a4cPuVNfOy2z90NXTDPelHTsl8o55hb7fSN3giXlw_4SKSm2gYv7P5G_87VEQrq4D4MT1GfCd0-YSHDrdGOvEplANs9VfSdF4ZJ3d1_bp5i6WRyJSAXokjJ5npzNbvA/s2000/IMG_8775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ylMZgNLkq1HdFIjSvtGVwR5thiX6tYjgAdtfEuzCyAI5mnxoNwIy3GF8fh8a4cPuVNfOy2z90NXTDPelHTsl8o55hb7fSN3giXlw_4SKSm2gYv7P5G_87VEQrq4D4MT1GfCd0-YSHDrdGOvEplANs9VfSdF4ZJ3d1_bp5i6WRyJSAXokjJ5npzNbvA/w400-h300/IMG_8775.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yeah, pretty sure that's Ron Burgundy...stay classy!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWSsqeCLsyiwjHQS2k1g6rb5nOBJNsiid1qHSEy6kGHP9g7gzYqHidyO31-eGoCKDfNH4bq5reaMm59UNqRoYlmD2pt4MwqrLkx7V5jSGbFKcIr1zsmr1fKfc0ubGxuGObelq5jGK_fe7X8FyIeOxM9fZfcy4xuC3-budi9gmDrCJAbUjYqxmOAsCow/s2000/IMG_8793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="2000" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWSsqeCLsyiwjHQS2k1g6rb5nOBJNsiid1qHSEy6kGHP9g7gzYqHidyO31-eGoCKDfNH4bq5reaMm59UNqRoYlmD2pt4MwqrLkx7V5jSGbFKcIr1zsmr1fKfc0ubGxuGObelq5jGK_fe7X8FyIeOxM9fZfcy4xuC3-budi9gmDrCJAbUjYqxmOAsCow/w400-h228/IMG_8793.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmeeVxfXBkFcmt0ZJrtzL9bxCHJnadpCjGFAP3QI-jZMi_Et4iYVi03ulR6UvuL2PNWQi_Poga5sR0GXdVqbSbmSHxjDotXOeGIuTDuTanEp5bZRqP0fANDcZw9I-lFIyYTZ-pGS7FaDTb4KvHZbnGERQ9cPEIWCpIXjU8wbB9XugMoEZbmI-D967wYg/s1935/IMG_8809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="1935" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmeeVxfXBkFcmt0ZJrtzL9bxCHJnadpCjGFAP3QI-jZMi_Et4iYVi03ulR6UvuL2PNWQi_Poga5sR0GXdVqbSbmSHxjDotXOeGIuTDuTanEp5bZRqP0fANDcZw9I-lFIyYTZ-pGS7FaDTb4KvHZbnGERQ9cPEIWCpIXjU8wbB9XugMoEZbmI-D967wYg/w400-h254/IMG_8809.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjSfsswJpC1ye9nT-pBTePWgNu_6WBrQALvy3D5aRxm7wMEirh6Vosp0NWjH6CtgTUXdvqPk-y_rAcnibEDC-NdYEdskMITxoI78bUx2fqGiAXNAiKISZQJJSLdswG5J7tJWBUcZcHBaTy0MRPfFeF2qcXvH9SmA2VFuR_UNU6R00ymkTRaubhyVnvA/s2000/IMG_8815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1214" data-original-width="2000" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjSfsswJpC1ye9nT-pBTePWgNu_6WBrQALvy3D5aRxm7wMEirh6Vosp0NWjH6CtgTUXdvqPk-y_rAcnibEDC-NdYEdskMITxoI78bUx2fqGiAXNAiKISZQJJSLdswG5J7tJWBUcZcHBaTy0MRPfFeF2qcXvH9SmA2VFuR_UNU6R00ymkTRaubhyVnvA/w400-h243/IMG_8815.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Jr9yf4wnCCEg2ma9k9yDs2trps9W9Rj1ItSJSisU1_n-swdm9TSsEFgiu2_9g5qNCzOJFK5ww5V6XA9XBHC4-5henrcxRvtD1t-Bn929GbB1j92jnwyTgIs7koQn1qeQ30ViqSVUaAonsGa2DPnBpm2FlqsS73LJswNd70odeZgo1fQF-LHei0DyMw/s2000/IMG_8829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="2000" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Jr9yf4wnCCEg2ma9k9yDs2trps9W9Rj1ItSJSisU1_n-swdm9TSsEFgiu2_9g5qNCzOJFK5ww5V6XA9XBHC4-5henrcxRvtD1t-Bn929GbB1j92jnwyTgIs7koQn1qeQ30ViqSVUaAonsGa2DPnBpm2FlqsS73LJswNd70odeZgo1fQF-LHei0DyMw/w400-h215/IMG_8829.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div> - Nick</div>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-65489281820247735092023-05-21T17:06:00.005-04:002023-05-21T17:06:55.566-04:00May 16, 2023 Big Day - Last one for a while??<p>When this team of Connecticut birders first assembled back in May 2009, our lofty goal was to someday beat the long-standing state Big Day record of 186 species. That first year <a href="https://www.shorebirder.com/2009/05/24-may-2009-ct-big-day-177-species.html" target="_blank">we tallied 177</a>...a solid effort, but not quite in the ballpark. The following year we came oh-so-close with a <a href="https://www.shorebirder.com/2010/05/big-day-results-185-species.html" target="_blank">total of 185</a>...tantalizing! In 2011 we kept the improvements rolling and crushed the old record with <a href="https://www.shorebirder.com/2011/05/ct-big-day-may-20-2011-192-species.html" target="_blank">192 species</a>.</p><p>We have run dedicated Big Days nearly annually since in hopes of reaching the mythical number of 200, but we have done no better than 193 (2018). It's been quite a ride! Over the years we have improved our route and efficiency to the point where on a normal migration day we know we are likely to hit somewhere in the 188-192 range. Reaching 200 will take a hefty migration event and some luck (luck <i>always </i>plays a part, no matter how prepared you might be).</p><p>Heading into this year, I felt like I soon needed a break from the all-out week-long effort we put into this annually. This might have been my last crazy run for a while. In speaking with teammates, turns out I wasn't the only one feeling it. Nothing has been decided for 2024 or beyond, but there's a chance this was our swan song.</p><p>Which makes it all the more annoying that we had an awful year! By our standards anyway. I'll save the suspense and reveal that we quit at dusk with 184 species. This was our second worst result ever as a full team (a couple years we were missing one or two members for various reasons).</p><p>So, what happened??</p><p>I'll give the full analytic breakdown for old times' sake :)</p><p><b>Scouting: </b>We can't blame ourselves for lack of effort! Dave & Fran meticulously refined the inland route, while Frank, Patrick and I were joined by honorary team member Phil Rusch in scouting the coast. It was clear early in scouting that the coast would be an issue. Lingering waterfowl was scarce to absent. And those we did scout early in the week (Red-breasted Merganser, Long-tailed Duck) had vanished as the Day approached. Did the mid-April heat wave have something to do with it? Or did the preceding mild winter prevent ducks from being forced into Long Island Sound? Who knows.</p><p>The Sound in general was quieter than usual. Even the more common species seemed less abundant than is typical. Still, a few uncommon species concentrated at Milford Point and Hammonasset gave us hope that we could put together a respectable total.</p><p><b>Scheduling and Weather:</b> We blocked off a six-day window this year so that we could pick the date that best gave us a shot at the kind of migration event/fallout it would take to get us to 200. Unfortunately the weather, although objectively beautiful, was way too nice to concentrate migrants. Generally speaking, the best spring migration days in Connecticut are a result of either inclement weather that downs migrating birds OR several days of blocking weather that suddenly clears and opens the migration floodgates. We saw neither of those scenarios. The weather was clear and calm for days, resulting in a scattered trickle of migrants.</p><p>With few migrants in the state to begin with, we decided to roll the dice and go on a day of seasonably warm southwest winds, which would certainly spur nocturnal migration. But there was no inclement weather to ground the birds, and we had no idea where they would land. Best case scenario, the turnover would result in more migrants than were already in place. Worst case, birds would leave and not be replaced.</p><p><b>The Big Day:</b> As expected the radar was lit up with migrants as midnight on the 16th approached. The volume of birds we were hearing wasn't terribly high, perhaps because of their altitude, but there were enough audible flight calls to work with. Soon after midnight struck, we whistled up an Eastern Screech-Owl. Two Soras whinnied in the distance. Virginia Rails were not to be ignored. Swainson's Thrushes peeped from the heavens. This is the magic of a Big Day at work. Nighttime birding is underrated!</p><p>After more Connecticut River Valley birding that netted us a few grassland species, we headed for the [Litchfield] hills, where we found our scouted Northern Saw-whet Owl and spotlit a Broad-winged Hawk on a nest. Both cuckoos, which are often vocal at night, sounded off as well. En route we picked up a calling Pied-billed Grebe. The first night session ended well despite the unexpected miss of Great Horned Owl.</p><p>The dawn chorus began with Hermit Thrush, and the day's list quickly grew from there. A Ruffed Grouse drummed on schedule. We were unable to connect with a pair of locally nesting Sandhill Cranes, a species that continues to give us trouble despite its status as a recently established breeder in the state. Dave and Fran's scouted passerine breeders were generally where they were supposed to be, and the morning hummed along at a healthy pace. We have a couple spruce stands that are reliable for migrant Cape May Warblers, but these were empty, which was our first clue that last night's birds had overflown Connecticut. Despite the lack of migrants early in the morning, we were racking up the breeders. Even some that require a bit of luck, like the two inland mergansers, Green Heron, and Belted Kingfisher, cooperated better than usual.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjez44K3Q6zSufoMrj1HTXIOgEhIn54I9Lauz0gvVW5cv_2M4NMXA0q_gYeCbucvIfDNUlTl720zs7QpCbvKfnrZADks16XXeUYtFBIM3jGVFi3SrJCMsw9VCAegDUKigCLGm3OPW4YNXSYOta3PZilkfFfdoE52Vf9JfiRD87W5FOnJVpFxb29dj7tew/s2000/a3bb7fe4-33c2-48ad-bc6e-aad9e6f10673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="2000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjez44K3Q6zSufoMrj1HTXIOgEhIn54I9Lauz0gvVW5cv_2M4NMXA0q_gYeCbucvIfDNUlTl720zs7QpCbvKfnrZADks16XXeUYtFBIM3jGVFi3SrJCMsw9VCAegDUKigCLGm3OPW4YNXSYOta3PZilkfFfdoE52Vf9JfiRD87W5FOnJVpFxb29dj7tew/w400-h225/a3bb7fe4-33c2-48ad-bc6e-aad9e6f10673.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yours truly in search of Sandhill Cranes</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Mid-morning was approaching and we were entirely missing a key component from the day's list: migrants. Fully aware that we needed above average migration to reach 200, reality began to set in. As we rolled up to Point Folly on Bantam Lake, which is our best and last inland migrant hotspot, the fate of the day seemed to hang in the balance. This place <i>always </i>produces something. What would we hear singing when the vehicle came to a stop?</p><p>Silence.</p><p>It was not lost on us that not only were we lacking the bigtime migration event we were hoping for, but this was easily our worst migration on any Big Day we have ever done. We literally had ZERO migrant warblers to that point, which is damn near impossible on May 16th driving miles of habitat with the windows down for three hours.</p><p>While we knew 200 was out of the question at this point, spirits were still high because, as Patrick had pointed out later, we had run a heck of a breeding bird survey that morning :). Dave kept us to schedule, and we even had time to detour for lingering Snow Goose and breeding Mississippi Kite on our way to the shore. Hey, maybe the coast would deliver a glut of unusual species plus a few migrant songbirds!</p><p>Not quite.</p><p>After bagging a Peregrine Falcon near her nest, we went to Milford Point to catch the end of the tide that is best for shorebirds. We saw most of the expected species, though scouted marsh ducks were conspicuous by their absence. A male Northern Harrier and foraging Caspian Tern coursing the marsh were nice finds, but they were outnumbered by the missing species. Next up, Stratford was quiet, but a pair of Gadwall was clutch.</p><p>Moving east we easily found Purple Sandpipers right where they were supposed to be, and some flyby Sanderlings saved us from an embarrassing miss. Our one remaining Red-throated Loon was still there, thankfully.</p><p>Looking at our list of remaining likely species, it became clear that we might struggle to reach the old record of 186!</p><p>We ran all the way out to the Thames River where we only added Common Eider, notably dipping on White-eyed Vireo. Then it was back west to Hammonasset where we would spend the rest of the day. We connected with expected species like the marsh sparrows and Glossy Ibis. Little Blue Heron was a lucky roadside find, and we were pleased to see a few White-winged Scoters that were new arrivals. However the list of missed birds included scouted Lapland Longspur, White-faced Ibis, Roseate Tern, Tricolored Heron, Brown Thrasher...not to mention the hoped-for surprise shorebirds like Red Knot or Whimbrel, or the odd migrant warbler.</p><p>Our time at Hammo took us all the way to dusk, where we sat at 184 once we finally scoped a few distant Surf Scoters. We could have netted a couple more species after dark if we wanted to try, but after fighting through glare and wind all afternoon without much to show for it, we collectively decided to tip our caps to mother nature and call it a [not so big] day.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19jk0_t6EN928g-cWiKQ7zQ-ry6Ah7fTq0GCqAGTLu95UAXW9-9lTtOxgkresPZGmcDwAdfQi45hbg7_PRsUXXj3X0_XK3zb8I2NtgK9V7lhPfCqW4EBrBYGt5-ZlEkrPjMYMVchjVeFYDxiyX1jw8jOYgOJBvXMADLEvuN2EK0EfV774ODBn2_tW0g/s1600/435c3b72-b623-4dfd-80b1-882870907c19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19jk0_t6EN928g-cWiKQ7zQ-ry6Ah7fTq0GCqAGTLu95UAXW9-9lTtOxgkresPZGmcDwAdfQi45hbg7_PRsUXXj3X0_XK3zb8I2NtgK9V7lhPfCqW4EBrBYGt5-ZlEkrPjMYMVchjVeFYDxiyX1jw8jOYgOJBvXMADLEvuN2EK0EfV774ODBn2_tW0g/w400-h300/435c3b72-b623-4dfd-80b1-882870907c19.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">scanning the Sound at Hammonasset Beach State Park</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Bird of the Day:</b> Caspian Tern, the first one we have seen on a May Big Day.</p><p><b>Misses</b>: Too many to list! Some pretty big ones too. Red-breasted Merganser, Great Horned Owl, Brown Thrasher, White-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, Blackpoll Warbler. The only warblers were encountered were breeding species. Still shaking my head...</p><p><b>Final thoughts:</b> If this is it for the team, this isn't how we wanted to go out. However I will say that the route we ran was once again pretty tight. If we did it again, I would have taken us to Hammonasset before the Thames River rather than doubling back. But we're talking possibly a few more species at best. The combination of migration and good luck that is required to threaten 200 never did materialize. As always, though, I had a blast spending a full day birding with the best teammates anyone could ask for.</p><p>And, most importantly, we <a href="https://www.classy.org/give/476946/#!/donation/checkout" target="_blank">raised money for the New Canaan Nature Center</a>!</p><p> - Nick</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-78778750575421728132023-04-29T16:57:00.004-04:002023-04-29T16:57:45.703-04:00"Naturally Adventurous" podcast interview<p>Hi folks, I was recently interviewed by Charley Hesse of the "Naturally Adventurous" podcast on which we discussed shenanigans from a hectic 2013 trip to the Dominican Republic.</p><p>The show & episode can be found wherever you get your podcasts, such as <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s3e37-dominican-republic-with-nick-bonomo/id1525204132?i=1000609179103" target="_blank">Apple</a>, <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ken-behrens/episodes/S3E37-Dominican-Republic-with-Nick-Bonomo-e20sr5j" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, or right here!</p><p>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ken-behrens/embed/episodes/S3E37-Dominican-Republic-with-Nick-Bonomo-e20sr5j/a-a9llumm" width="400px"></iframe> </p><p> Enjoy!</p><p> - Nick</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-89906125633028084582023-03-04T17:59:00.002-05:002023-03-05T08:49:56.316-05:00Colombia - Western Andes (Cordillera Central & Tatama) - February 4-12, 2023Colombia, the most bird diverse country on earth, is in the midst of a major ecotourism growth phase. This northern South American country was on my short list of new places to visit, so I was thrilled to join four friends for a full week birding Colombia's western Andes. A full <a href="https://www.cloudbirders.com/be/download?filename=HOUGH_Colombia_02_2023.pdf" target="_blank">TRIP REPORT</a> by organizer Julian Hough has all the details you'd need to put together one of your own. Here I'll keep it simple and share a few images from our time there! Per usual, click an image for full resolution.<div><br /></div><div>As a group we tallied 324 species including 42 hummingbirds and 8 antpittas (6 seen, though only one was seen without a feeding station). Ten out of 10 would recommend :)<br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-Orgg2okXfjXia6F_kvY2WDpuhR6MYrzc28hA2C7rexs1EeLP1gIl3AG6pQGt1R-MQPf95Jb0kzLY2AWwFIJj4e8orf6fzXhDzxe4SUXiCO1ahRuan3HJYjneP6jJUzFPFU6K4uAeqwrHru_wBLHH_t7m7qe8FyyvZ_Bzr3gfphFhHwpILOXMQFf9w/s2500/_P1A0015-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1957" data-original-width="2500" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-Orgg2okXfjXia6F_kvY2WDpuhR6MYrzc28hA2C7rexs1EeLP1gIl3AG6pQGt1R-MQPf95Jb0kzLY2AWwFIJj4e8orf6fzXhDzxe4SUXiCO1ahRuan3HJYjneP6jJUzFPFU6K4uAeqwrHru_wBLHH_t7m7qe8FyyvZ_Bzr3gfphFhHwpILOXMQFf9w/w400-h313/_P1A0015-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collared Inca</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirS9q3zOs6jG1249YNMYYpPZ-vzfLSpzDv44t-AIBQPyJ35V_eOSs4-2SeRe2Fu5ZDy_ncoqrjx9ob1TaJZfbkToTBGZXtu3Q2xFJcO_Z1erhkn4T0sOzzDROyEjiRVe0WvNoaTFZGJIRt51_LW3XQqlrWpgVRWg0Mm86-J-lY7lFGZJLngUWl4MJsfQ/s3748/_P1A0028-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3748" data-original-width="2500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirS9q3zOs6jG1249YNMYYpPZ-vzfLSpzDv44t-AIBQPyJ35V_eOSs4-2SeRe2Fu5ZDy_ncoqrjx9ob1TaJZfbkToTBGZXtu3Q2xFJcO_Z1erhkn4T0sOzzDROyEjiRVe0WvNoaTFZGJIRt51_LW3XQqlrWpgVRWg0Mm86-J-lY7lFGZJLngUWl4MJsfQ/w266-h400/_P1A0028-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buff-tailed Coronet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSgO-HekLHPO1q5FnKq4BrHdnLWVxxQIVr3qIDPgoukrhuKMnJq2yCmcVzfbDFVca3cPlcNk-zEdGlINMcAzjlZmmL_cxi5y2fePSUmgU8PJS1Y8HvvU55mn_JFvLBOFnuy6XYP8Bw5t_5_xT5XPEXXNw3wuj3dJtl2xAS-Ko4hetYtytESwzxKS3TA/s2500/_P1A0125-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSgO-HekLHPO1q5FnKq4BrHdnLWVxxQIVr3qIDPgoukrhuKMnJq2yCmcVzfbDFVca3cPlcNk-zEdGlINMcAzjlZmmL_cxi5y2fePSUmgU8PJS1Y8HvvU55mn_JFvLBOFnuy6XYP8Bw5t_5_xT5XPEXXNw3wuj3dJtl2xAS-Ko4hetYtytESwzxKS3TA/w400-h268/_P1A0125-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59kVkDAjBS7KedZkXq9M8WYOTq6F-swoYlBto2yK645LFSSDO8N2DnrhSf-Cx5c_9PXSPmRKqp4xYRZgs5o8YhEXYMF-WdQLN-5Dc73HPwxSHhf15gChhz83cpQsSVu4x1-Q05GAbC2NZIlLuODd7UYuSbVzV6idIYbABoQreA2rtmq8xuuzFT17iSw/s2500/_P1A0299-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1992" data-original-width="2500" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59kVkDAjBS7KedZkXq9M8WYOTq6F-swoYlBto2yK645LFSSDO8N2DnrhSf-Cx5c_9PXSPmRKqp4xYRZgs5o8YhEXYMF-WdQLN-5Dc73HPwxSHhf15gChhz83cpQsSVu4x1-Q05GAbC2NZIlLuODd7UYuSbVzV6idIYbABoQreA2rtmq8xuuzFT17iSw/w400-h319/_P1A0299-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collared Inca</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnmdFGv2ZIYaalrrvJ9ceLqhzDMB4yUxWqjOw9OcPSB7UiP27hiGSs_WTGz9-UDD-IoGYYIsmNkHDhiO4Y4IWiBnMCLPVA46oe3N-g89diurDCxVCyDdKYt4H6dIPWqHAnb_m8Ps2XGCydpHTF-LPw88s7KAQ6-UDIKjvv5k7C0SX5n5np1ZOkW2tDQ/s2500/_P1A0431-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnmdFGv2ZIYaalrrvJ9ceLqhzDMB4yUxWqjOw9OcPSB7UiP27hiGSs_WTGz9-UDD-IoGYYIsmNkHDhiO4Y4IWiBnMCLPVA46oe3N-g89diurDCxVCyDdKYt4H6dIPWqHAnb_m8Ps2XGCydpHTF-LPw88s7KAQ6-UDIKjvv5k7C0SX5n5np1ZOkW2tDQ/w400-h266/_P1A0431-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greenish Puffleg</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5guAMCe1on2nlL6Ijwm3zYe1i2xX5ykHplcgHxFmn0s6--fB0uYBDVF6PnaNL_d2OkDzs17twI1Rq_JwSDDSr7y-Tt8KfEbB_5TWX2DriWCqb0vMpJLTbGeTsK6U1XDeaKyy8KR-rDrtHIdVneMXLWjHA8cTXhJ4XMLfDs_LNF113n4sI_8yo71G9A/s2500/_P1A0535-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5guAMCe1on2nlL6Ijwm3zYe1i2xX5ykHplcgHxFmn0s6--fB0uYBDVF6PnaNL_d2OkDzs17twI1Rq_JwSDDSr7y-Tt8KfEbB_5TWX2DriWCqb0vMpJLTbGeTsK6U1XDeaKyy8KR-rDrtHIdVneMXLWjHA8cTXhJ4XMLfDs_LNF113n4sI_8yo71G9A/w400-h266/_P1A0535-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Velvet-purple Coronet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJipOxcNGsVRaQXBDJgey2-dkRDTGfDv_nw6TqJynOkhcPisK_HtIkDpzMndZ5yigZAb2KaGKa67LYJ8Us6eKHWStE0f7DkGLRBUmnStiWM3GkDizwWJeFhNdPjKr5sOcvVpoaWRH2CefBZG_JqGSNEuidYs-U9iLSY8J7X1uU42XcT7zTG8qf7iXWcw/s2500/_P1A0681-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2260" data-original-width="2500" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJipOxcNGsVRaQXBDJgey2-dkRDTGfDv_nw6TqJynOkhcPisK_HtIkDpzMndZ5yigZAb2KaGKa67LYJ8Us6eKHWStE0f7DkGLRBUmnStiWM3GkDizwWJeFhNdPjKr5sOcvVpoaWRH2CefBZG_JqGSNEuidYs-U9iLSY8J7X1uU42XcT7zTG8qf7iXWcw/w400-h361/_P1A0681-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Velvet-purple Coronet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXUgaG7TMG729RqlpxDoGk9xLRCKxfry8uYptVHXPzUEnun9TCPZ5dCzviMQq5BT2IrA0oWPZ92M17dQxLRpLCfxPSyDd6bl5twhhtt2vF55QmhXDlKFfLNaK_q-r4Mir7y9dGtBMbUrHOUExPjFz6jqGWGHZ0DMMwHW0jp8Ky2wSgXch94mSdosHkQ/s2500/_P1A0702-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXUgaG7TMG729RqlpxDoGk9xLRCKxfry8uYptVHXPzUEnun9TCPZ5dCzviMQq5BT2IrA0oWPZ92M17dQxLRpLCfxPSyDd6bl5twhhtt2vF55QmhXDlKFfLNaK_q-r4Mir7y9dGtBMbUrHOUExPjFz6jqGWGHZ0DMMwHW0jp8Ky2wSgXch94mSdosHkQ/w400-h266/_P1A0702-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Velvet-purple Coronet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRNnc02HNkvDsQ3-zp7SMZ2dbIkYwdTpngcKv8YEuWAaYJlThvjHvyqLNfTQVsPDcYlICyfltvVND_fE9-v1gMJMWIMDGHbDhpOb3a_YHQbtbK91yNY0OLopr8TLsgqy9Td0mB4RFKxgg5vPmJKFW-bI9ze-dYC2R9miTfLlvJtRJwwNqh1Tyg8F28Q/s2500/_P1A0760-Edit-2-Edit-2-2-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRNnc02HNkvDsQ3-zp7SMZ2dbIkYwdTpngcKv8YEuWAaYJlThvjHvyqLNfTQVsPDcYlICyfltvVND_fE9-v1gMJMWIMDGHbDhpOb3a_YHQbtbK91yNY0OLopr8TLsgqy9Td0mB4RFKxgg5vPmJKFW-bI9ze-dYC2R9miTfLlvJtRJwwNqh1Tyg8F28Q/w400-h268/_P1A0760-Edit-2-Edit-2-2-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Velvet-purple Coronet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw_tLCmjQuAtk2zapsvYQJj3C8TqErWuP2qEan5aoXgDdOb1qrpdWqIMrKcRUfiz_XuN_Y7hei7ds1OetSnFvpOFxBG6tgCFi2RqDmvNrN_6vQsfb8rADFP2Rd5oUn1xofwWx0d1H3TzbzDjA-8bMT7lFrcrbjckPmzRfI8-yOr04-RnuSIVscUFbZg/s3748/_P1A0873-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3748" data-original-width="2500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw_tLCmjQuAtk2zapsvYQJj3C8TqErWuP2qEan5aoXgDdOb1qrpdWqIMrKcRUfiz_XuN_Y7hei7ds1OetSnFvpOFxBG6tgCFi2RqDmvNrN_6vQsfb8rADFP2Rd5oUn1xofwWx0d1H3TzbzDjA-8bMT7lFrcrbjckPmzRfI8-yOr04-RnuSIVscUFbZg/w266-h400/_P1A0873-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet-tailed Sylph</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcz4509Uey6AoPgJ5TMEr7w2exxZYz-VFYuevW1s3n6GH1O5FuYep-J8IppuHg0Debpq0RUDXWcqmOJp-XO4ae9V2TUalXBI4WpjZQJiUC009gQMFz-KRYJa_478_MtnuhsV5fGCX7lK24vnVDx7PTyxdGvskEPPN0sUbclhrp9yxXKbvkz888pp1rA/s2500/_P1A1080-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcz4509Uey6AoPgJ5TMEr7w2exxZYz-VFYuevW1s3n6GH1O5FuYep-J8IppuHg0Debpq0RUDXWcqmOJp-XO4ae9V2TUalXBI4WpjZQJiUC009gQMFz-KRYJa_478_MtnuhsV5fGCX7lK24vnVDx7PTyxdGvskEPPN0sUbclhrp9yxXKbvkz888pp1rA/w400-h266/_P1A1080-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold-ringed Tanager</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLfy-zUCq31oUF1-OTOyfh3_ZDCmuW6wZV95lqHILhFVN5E2MwaoxwIYtBa_T_n5jB45dp0RpwPL9AFTgtzPDrLE2DGAaP3LRKpq4u8ZfFUuEXbYajhpCnnCNDVxTXWiIT0AW4MK7-GJlhPmnXSTpwrYIHJV2uCFkXf8vW1SVlhTbNGHLBT7kSl4ElA/s2500/_P1A1432-Edit-Edit-2-2-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLfy-zUCq31oUF1-OTOyfh3_ZDCmuW6wZV95lqHILhFVN5E2MwaoxwIYtBa_T_n5jB45dp0RpwPL9AFTgtzPDrLE2DGAaP3LRKpq4u8ZfFUuEXbYajhpCnnCNDVxTXWiIT0AW4MK7-GJlhPmnXSTpwrYIHJV2uCFkXf8vW1SVlhTbNGHLBT7kSl4ElA/w400-h268/_P1A1432-Edit-Edit-2-2-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold-ringed Tanager</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowv12uf1jDmiLFpzAjy6u0mq2jncewOKFt5AT4LvvjRWsxlK9eXgVfEr2YhK_oo3en8i8LM0jpLbWMhHRbVYk6SdyjHfEyzhzc6oZ6e7-TEeZyLHbBZ6VoO-sJr_AVo1tp7aG3QncDFdSakrg-X0FGwSnT6Lg-cg1kiKW7EPqc2b0pprPfRLzkt52jg/s2500/_P1A2252-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowv12uf1jDmiLFpzAjy6u0mq2jncewOKFt5AT4LvvjRWsxlK9eXgVfEr2YhK_oo3en8i8LM0jpLbWMhHRbVYk6SdyjHfEyzhzc6oZ6e7-TEeZyLHbBZ6VoO-sJr_AVo1tp7aG3QncDFdSakrg-X0FGwSnT6Lg-cg1kiKW7EPqc2b0pprPfRLzkt52jg/w400-h266/_P1A2252-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZECnGvRz7o18wxnY-E5ayh6VEvqAl2zAAgo-C_884hvRgIg4SrVSdCsob4AibwzUtFUWBxcisTpD8qKXuMtyAe0UpN9vKrbRdbJfrICdTlmCoMuqC8C1x62YXOD3reb_81k0J1RJw3nJOksTUQjF1GVXMhy3yvOYlqhsBaSIumHdiFzGeUNWDJk1xuA/s2184/_P1A2562-Edit-2-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="1457" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZECnGvRz7o18wxnY-E5ayh6VEvqAl2zAAgo-C_884hvRgIg4SrVSdCsob4AibwzUtFUWBxcisTpD8qKXuMtyAe0UpN9vKrbRdbJfrICdTlmCoMuqC8C1x62YXOD3reb_81k0J1RJw3nJOksTUQjF1GVXMhy3yvOYlqhsBaSIumHdiFzGeUNWDJk1xuA/w266-h400/_P1A2562-Edit-2-2.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ornate Hawk-Eagle</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOBlXCicEkLqf0a4JMzPpmSmp_k4nwjQrDyCX4bI-tQ8jYccTVqfXVeikeKjzgBeOZeFbBEjaH26pvePmpgAgOqRLPWcST7_AyIuTS_NzpcdhaUrncSVjgX_DYqLUaD9q0ox6MADCcT-ber5oYqzZGks6S5UfurBbfKhLw3EQg8legd7_AVwiNkleBQ/s2500/_P1A3898-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOBlXCicEkLqf0a4JMzPpmSmp_k4nwjQrDyCX4bI-tQ8jYccTVqfXVeikeKjzgBeOZeFbBEjaH26pvePmpgAgOqRLPWcST7_AyIuTS_NzpcdhaUrncSVjgX_DYqLUaD9q0ox6MADCcT-ber5oYqzZGks6S5UfurBbfKhLw3EQg8legd7_AVwiNkleBQ/w400-h268/_P1A3898-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-crowned Antpitta</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj--Ewkh7io1hZQEmSyzMYO3dSmSRooyTpIxdD1IoXUCyuNXwdKdwTMLkgExn_PDISPe8gaPAUeAJ5QkL6WVUmj71QsyOkpCMA_4TwDzJzl9BWLyi7EeDAmOBqSCxh6gPcVFFdJoUdaq-F3WbzL8bgPuemt7kXu5tKuypwN51fgdKqHh-wbn4pUNC5LSg/s2500/_P1A4186-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj--Ewkh7io1hZQEmSyzMYO3dSmSRooyTpIxdD1IoXUCyuNXwdKdwTMLkgExn_PDISPe8gaPAUeAJ5QkL6WVUmj71QsyOkpCMA_4TwDzJzl9BWLyi7EeDAmOBqSCxh6gPcVFFdJoUdaq-F3WbzL8bgPuemt7kXu5tKuypwN51fgdKqHh-wbn4pUNC5LSg/w400-h266/_P1A4186-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking down on Manizales</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xc3mQ-GME18r5hvUatOynTYb4L377mraWYn-NNdXTBfpCwnhcU314vWoIcvPUznFh3spo-eq6cdhPoz2-8NvvXnG-j4xdhBHIYS4TzP4rVCE6Q3CukNOphwwz8vVOa0O5vUWU_S572-0SRhpBwx7Xe0gKMLNloaPq9_58WW69XOgRSCiSR2p_PNPWg/s2500/_P1A4363-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit-2a-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1720" data-original-width="2500" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xc3mQ-GME18r5hvUatOynTYb4L377mraWYn-NNdXTBfpCwnhcU314vWoIcvPUznFh3spo-eq6cdhPoz2-8NvvXnG-j4xdhBHIYS4TzP4rVCE6Q3CukNOphwwz8vVOa0O5vUWU_S572-0SRhpBwx7Xe0gKMLNloaPq9_58WW69XOgRSCiSR2p_PNPWg/w400-h275/_P1A4363-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit-2a-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buff-tailed Coronet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIbBe91CTb_EQATESHie0JW0Z_z_hYNKxqVIGqoA20WHm8pZpYQVnP4csAvvc06OeV1AkMLZ_2tF9Px2hWEcKts5DkRQC0wrPzjcKG3b1JEH6HHLoUhu2KpxrFnZ40-FlrA17QRpfqfng3XAb9oS3jej45LLWwnw1u9awvJbBvJufl7k3TDUWVohOLg/s2382/_P1A4399-Edit-2-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1589" data-original-width="2382" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIbBe91CTb_EQATESHie0JW0Z_z_hYNKxqVIGqoA20WHm8pZpYQVnP4csAvvc06OeV1AkMLZ_2tF9Px2hWEcKts5DkRQC0wrPzjcKG3b1JEH6HHLoUhu2KpxrFnZ40-FlrA17QRpfqfng3XAb9oS3jej45LLWwnw1u9awvJbBvJufl7k3TDUWVohOLg/w400-h266/_P1A4399-Edit-2-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-bellied Woodstar</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLWLrDUp4uNx6Pc9gT-5koXa_jKKPoodZ6Rv-h7ZlEi-bthq9-QmVFpIwKjZJOHE-fbx-TUgbOqsK9XSCOQwdZ_Wjs-v8LKN0K9FW476Vdax3xafWBSsMCOVMYrXE5mrjeoTcfATHxpj_6mZhYYbgDUwqTFctbG_MTM8ojlmdj7UYH1UPZlDN5f_W9w/s2500/_P1A4511-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLWLrDUp4uNx6Pc9gT-5koXa_jKKPoodZ6Rv-h7ZlEi-bthq9-QmVFpIwKjZJOHE-fbx-TUgbOqsK9XSCOQwdZ_Wjs-v8LKN0K9FW476Vdax3xafWBSsMCOVMYrXE5mrjeoTcfATHxpj_6mZhYYbgDUwqTFctbG_MTM8ojlmdj7UYH1UPZlDN5f_W9w/w400-h268/_P1A4511-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tourmaline Sunangel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jVkcjSz7xc29eV2T7swib-HmQ_UEOVTjVbYmyzv2Fv1woO7zzSMh98VYvLzNKaBBAq2sujGipc8KYqmSpHGjXIikE3cv5j9jlbHO1VF5O-bqVnoBSyWZ4W11_b3bdBvPAln3MDZkVirsf56Mz2kUxjE9AyelJvD3xee-R6sz3cGrhJH9WeUL7oN5DA/s2500/_P1A5091-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jVkcjSz7xc29eV2T7swib-HmQ_UEOVTjVbYmyzv2Fv1woO7zzSMh98VYvLzNKaBBAq2sujGipc8KYqmSpHGjXIikE3cv5j9jlbHO1VF5O-bqVnoBSyWZ4W11_b3bdBvPAln3MDZkVirsf56Mz2kUxjE9AyelJvD3xee-R6sz3cGrhJH9WeUL7oN5DA/w400-h266/_P1A5091-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crescent-faced Antpitta</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Afla9N-ci4BREKCoPgNRr7SFTgE2NlYncX4_8dGFCVTb5dif2IhgSHQUVjwDPDuChP-SRQpJ3N4hq2Px_j9B0XBkiKF_gAc9GYTMwT8K6kNDjbLdBekna6B39lrVDglbONadHiH3fU6UTSRumMOUQjybct3_e78YAV0lSe4eidot8a7TuM_jIJQKug/s2500/_P1A5286-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Afla9N-ci4BREKCoPgNRr7SFTgE2NlYncX4_8dGFCVTb5dif2IhgSHQUVjwDPDuChP-SRQpJ3N4hq2Px_j9B0XBkiKF_gAc9GYTMwT8K6kNDjbLdBekna6B39lrVDglbONadHiH3fU6UTSRumMOUQjybct3_e78YAV0lSe4eidot8a7TuM_jIJQKug/w400-h268/_P1A5286-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crescent-faced Antpitta<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCqmngh1veQ7wxkpqwQSOCzy8nFRgFLJarXFsECkxUmDuo3y-jPPgCXMEKmu-IxucrT2uBifAeIcEvJ8mE9T_4PDuZHXcT-cZAnjoNrfw820b_IZhMqmGzj8nsTZs7i7Cg1w5d1kxoKvlnN8Mpqv0a0mB6aeq1BrHzUvQN9BCcvjR-2P3cRHnbW6PKQ/s2500/_P1A5703-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCqmngh1veQ7wxkpqwQSOCzy8nFRgFLJarXFsECkxUmDuo3y-jPPgCXMEKmu-IxucrT2uBifAeIcEvJ8mE9T_4PDuZHXcT-cZAnjoNrfw820b_IZhMqmGzj8nsTZs7i7Cg1w5d1kxoKvlnN8Mpqv0a0mB6aeq1BrHzUvQN9BCcvjR-2P3cRHnbW6PKQ/w400-h268/_P1A5703-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masked Flowerpiercer</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFK1_cGIRolRs3nF34SY8wVdAz2lXl-dsOLh7sLQtD2znZ1EfXMM2D8TqL6CrZjhu1RT3e5D-4cHONK7eBFaMbivmrfKpegsna_1uGeo1e-d899jb4wsIzWdc57mmivVcw2DNObcxFt341dQG09BkmOAe1RGvKnlSj04T3tu1SzFQp83IAW7xVSGt_TA/s2500/_P1A5799-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFK1_cGIRolRs3nF34SY8wVdAz2lXl-dsOLh7sLQtD2znZ1EfXMM2D8TqL6CrZjhu1RT3e5D-4cHONK7eBFaMbivmrfKpegsna_1uGeo1e-d899jb4wsIzWdc57mmivVcw2DNObcxFt341dQG09BkmOAe1RGvKnlSj04T3tu1SzFQp83IAW7xVSGt_TA/w400-h268/_P1A5799-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buff-winged Starfrontlet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQ9HeKpFDhvL8gFRyJ7XpdbD1iPdR9jNVmbW1EgbdKXEizuab8A-q-ODlMvyipxQnUo2ccUVUKZnQfEDZVkzm3jlRk-0cVsEfavrXwDiM7vZsArlLArcIUC7Epjx3Fkb41afjoUsLWFtbRqE183O3ear8NkmAJi-FQHzCy4zJOQt8Odra7GzjVk-CLg/s2500/_P1A6086-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2029" data-original-width="2500" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQ9HeKpFDhvL8gFRyJ7XpdbD1iPdR9jNVmbW1EgbdKXEizuab8A-q-ODlMvyipxQnUo2ccUVUKZnQfEDZVkzm3jlRk-0cVsEfavrXwDiM7vZsArlLArcIUC7Epjx3Fkb41afjoUsLWFtbRqE183O3ear8NkmAJi-FQHzCy4zJOQt8Odra7GzjVk-CLg/w400-h325/_P1A6086-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shining Sunbeam</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQ4TQppM4B32WaquKAl9-dwEd0fNkcz_VhRkYGVe6IRM150i4AzCLxO_BMR8jfDbz3DbsliuO1nFD0FePudmY5qCPE0Q7mQ1dC8geQEkmSxQ7r5ylhGSugawZLxchtnpF_bKFYy9uLIfAkogW2tzcznv3xjlggcohUl94vkIfqMymLUsIDuVolqpG5g/s2783/_P1A6367-Edit-Edit-2-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2783" data-original-width="2500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQ4TQppM4B32WaquKAl9-dwEd0fNkcz_VhRkYGVe6IRM150i4AzCLxO_BMR8jfDbz3DbsliuO1nFD0FePudmY5qCPE0Q7mQ1dC8geQEkmSxQ7r5ylhGSugawZLxchtnpF_bKFYy9uLIfAkogW2tzcznv3xjlggcohUl94vkIfqMymLUsIDuVolqpG5g/w359-h400/_P1A6367-Edit-Edit-2-3.jpg" width="359" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sword-billed Hummingbird</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JGQp2XsQHIbHIuydM-ejEjxqe5X8eceZzlIbopnm6gUMkyj3WZQ5-FsC1ov5UZ9lRGLLdMQ3YlO02zVO89J4AWIq5I93YqkjbY2clLmMoSZXPJpihQ4LsRXmK7lvYCRCcz6uMfVQ7d-SrSWPepOe6Mqqj6iK6qOANBihw5x6OjuEuxp57mBb32aOsA/s2500/_P1A6457-Edit-Edit-3-2-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JGQp2XsQHIbHIuydM-ejEjxqe5X8eceZzlIbopnm6gUMkyj3WZQ5-FsC1ov5UZ9lRGLLdMQ3YlO02zVO89J4AWIq5I93YqkjbY2clLmMoSZXPJpihQ4LsRXmK7lvYCRCcz6uMfVQ7d-SrSWPepOe6Mqqj6iK6qOANBihw5x6OjuEuxp57mBb32aOsA/w400-h268/_P1A6457-Edit-Edit-3-2-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyrian Metaltail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISyimTqY65-d-0gxMqNHo4tnrv1dEcEyw1L84FyuM6jV6pZRoiS8ZMvVwHK_M8eIMvRosWXs5QN2_rhg21l28WK_Zb5Ssh5VwomdbCRrbEwrcfK5SS5k4nWzwNqHQVEdgKGh2oQDbH5yx8DbSP2DEV9qzH3hn6m4gAuhQnsQtDcDbD8xsLUXA0CVpUQ/s2500/_P1A6795-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISyimTqY65-d-0gxMqNHo4tnrv1dEcEyw1L84FyuM6jV6pZRoiS8ZMvVwHK_M8eIMvRosWXs5QN2_rhg21l28WK_Zb5Ssh5VwomdbCRrbEwrcfK5SS5k4nWzwNqHQVEdgKGh2oQDbH5yx8DbSP2DEV9qzH3hn6m4gAuhQnsQtDcDbD8xsLUXA0CVpUQ/w400-h268/_P1A6795-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBHEaqhEfy9GWFoaXhH9oilsrKw5CzQ6uNw9FPY8GO1aJz5DUljsqDqwk3WJRVFNxqnQM6t_2ee-xgAC0nauQcWS6s3mdKAGXAOVoF_wPdBXNqS9CYv5qlkN187awbgbYXVospCOeeBgCImSX1QXgw-jXyo916-14lQ-0v9c3TLDNON112s7jAp8AfQ/s2500/_P1A6944-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBHEaqhEfy9GWFoaXhH9oilsrKw5CzQ6uNw9FPY8GO1aJz5DUljsqDqwk3WJRVFNxqnQM6t_2ee-xgAC0nauQcWS6s3mdKAGXAOVoF_wPdBXNqS9CYv5qlkN187awbgbYXVospCOeeBgCImSX1QXgw-jXyo916-14lQ-0v9c3TLDNON112s7jAp8AfQ/w400-h268/_P1A6944-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barred Fruiteater</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWZ2F_RSXsXkZWPeZlk846dRsc-4XpTVue_sfa_evXqcLlE6cz9xkSqfyIE9jhWiJ568vt6x0AL2TDztPlURHn6AbNQx35qvBWbg-vNlDFJCWIBR58ERXXpLOSlBuWy_8AhY7jY-mPz-1p6MX0osCXjWXh0lzknR6n4vhx6NzYoBo_auPziw1MOVjsA/s2500/_P1A7090-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2108" data-original-width="2500" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWZ2F_RSXsXkZWPeZlk846dRsc-4XpTVue_sfa_evXqcLlE6cz9xkSqfyIE9jhWiJ568vt6x0AL2TDztPlURHn6AbNQx35qvBWbg-vNlDFJCWIBR58ERXXpLOSlBuWy_8AhY7jY-mPz-1p6MX0osCXjWXh0lzknR6n4vhx6NzYoBo_auPziw1MOVjsA/w400-h338/_P1A7090-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Thrush</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6Id62-zKA9XJPguPKizzoOWfkDCofsOwVtwC-gpvUDskjzz9yj7fKHJy2rRE6f1lE5Tb8Qq3sidIQWLcOdt8PRrrmzZZhM8JEAZ7G7T4qfqRyyu3V1ecv8bQrmQ5IDwOc6n3RcUPieVnXluYla4Hdv7IhQrGsO7prBoiSUcF5f2YdqDdvXhF-2f4FQ/s2500/_P1A7613-Edit-Edit-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6Id62-zKA9XJPguPKizzoOWfkDCofsOwVtwC-gpvUDskjzz9yj7fKHJy2rRE6f1lE5Tb8Qq3sidIQWLcOdt8PRrrmzZZhM8JEAZ7G7T4qfqRyyu3V1ecv8bQrmQ5IDwOc6n3RcUPieVnXluYla4Hdv7IhQrGsO7prBoiSUcF5f2YdqDdvXhF-2f4FQ/w400-h266/_P1A7613-Edit-Edit-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZN40AiCPwR0UrOCJCWyhTfcRGbCPuqErclnwTtKtnv9_jEistHCOSHbC_d065blRjyYZLpFPIcqrO1Gv6wL6dLsjuiucsh7pyskMp0ZVkmiAIYMxV8l1yYg0-Fvq_f_RakodAAiZT9feqyicjKTab32bhuDJd6IW1-tQ0TSs-Ol-ulLeo2VYHYrgPw/s2500/_P1A8838-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZN40AiCPwR0UrOCJCWyhTfcRGbCPuqErclnwTtKtnv9_jEistHCOSHbC_d065blRjyYZLpFPIcqrO1Gv6wL6dLsjuiucsh7pyskMp0ZVkmiAIYMxV8l1yYg0-Fvq_f_RakodAAiZT9feqyicjKTab32bhuDJd6IW1-tQ0TSs-Ol-ulLeo2VYHYrgPw/w400-h266/_P1A8838-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue-necked Tanager</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2GsoLUPzZC1FIyDKAVnctZJV0mKTByJgQhnUW0-spSXEqz8Rh2Id03KMZlQCk5Ows5BCR1c3c8eXaL5a2ZAfVLsJ4eVOzRcY-G-sfTCvRe6Aiop66nXlO6uOAfD3IKgThZGCs4JTt_-gikUZPii3hqSU-KfKdj-4tSgnKShrTxKzswirECLjkdczHg/s2500/_P1A9161-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2GsoLUPzZC1FIyDKAVnctZJV0mKTByJgQhnUW0-spSXEqz8Rh2Id03KMZlQCk5Ows5BCR1c3c8eXaL5a2ZAfVLsJ4eVOzRcY-G-sfTCvRe6Aiop66nXlO6uOAfD3IKgThZGCs4JTt_-gikUZPii3hqSU-KfKdj-4tSgnKShrTxKzswirECLjkdczHg/w400-h268/_P1A9161-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet-tailed Sylph</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlPA0_sQC-I0jmsOrT99ET0vzUcvcNl7Mlrb-i6M9dIhjDXwB9CkfzPKwdN4TrzCzCq-ZMpeeNu4G6q6FMchN5Cak_eMkbPH3Lcrnax3y2-6vssltQGiJhPxF2aL5iFhfxpdbLAMg_GqkPKWKNN5EcwwUeT4UydoE4LlzI-UidqFEaNiapT47k50jxQ/s2500/_P1A9241-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlPA0_sQC-I0jmsOrT99ET0vzUcvcNl7Mlrb-i6M9dIhjDXwB9CkfzPKwdN4TrzCzCq-ZMpeeNu4G6q6FMchN5Cak_eMkbPH3Lcrnax3y2-6vssltQGiJhPxF2aL5iFhfxpdbLAMg_GqkPKWKNN5EcwwUeT4UydoE4LlzI-UidqFEaNiapT47k50jxQ/w400-h268/_P1A9241-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-necked Jacobin (male)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdP7T0zCprCK6gBsFu_-82Db-cLF_O5NdOjeZuX-mdK7tb_DruoZQFjHCi0W8n6GRIMzYrBodrL-nD1L2ppl9z090YXSdqZbuvAjlKor6mwnsviOW5vvQFY8SEZcxbEh47Cvfbg7LoxA81kEDwaF7ghigWID5SABP6QJlQsluSUjiYpZgRTyEdb1ifQ/s2500/_P1A9255-Edit-Edit-3-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdP7T0zCprCK6gBsFu_-82Db-cLF_O5NdOjeZuX-mdK7tb_DruoZQFjHCi0W8n6GRIMzYrBodrL-nD1L2ppl9z090YXSdqZbuvAjlKor6mwnsviOW5vvQFY8SEZcxbEh47Cvfbg7LoxA81kEDwaF7ghigWID5SABP6QJlQsluSUjiYpZgRTyEdb1ifQ/w400-h268/_P1A9255-Edit-Edit-3-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-necked Jacobin (female)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUA_B-WqjPrjy4PHlsUEX5p1gLJArn2xTcSDbTSbJHYRW0T1yp5JswyT8wUPFnOnM7Eus5StbduvA3vnw1yOA-ZiwR7xepphIRVk03mSSPGFdBq3Z_xS0sW4mt-rq0WnCzrxXMRvJC5PTFKeo2FgE3jiZBp37rXuwMnL-0ih5-eTt-s1jT7uV26WbvHA/s3748/_P1A9391-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3748" data-original-width="2500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUA_B-WqjPrjy4PHlsUEX5p1gLJArn2xTcSDbTSbJHYRW0T1yp5JswyT8wUPFnOnM7Eus5StbduvA3vnw1yOA-ZiwR7xepphIRVk03mSSPGFdBq3Z_xS0sW4mt-rq0WnCzrxXMRvJC5PTFKeo2FgE3jiZBp37rXuwMnL-0ih5-eTt-s1jT7uV26WbvHA/w266-h400/_P1A9391-Edit-2.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet-tailed Sylph</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwviIyQy_eoKd4Qsp-ERXjdrnxoIn4mLtFafQkI-6Ow3bCwttisqAhSfr-Us6i46auVnukxHEg58thucwffFf6TT4fauKPCuDSAfAVrOG__CdZB9R1KT1OJbX9mlgbqZveWYEHCorG4eQp0gJeZie61MWi4XGh6T_21wjoh11BnTGMK4f3b5sRMB774w/s2958/_P1A9413-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2958" data-original-width="1973" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwviIyQy_eoKd4Qsp-ERXjdrnxoIn4mLtFafQkI-6Ow3bCwttisqAhSfr-Us6i46auVnukxHEg58thucwffFf6TT4fauKPCuDSAfAVrOG__CdZB9R1KT1OJbX9mlgbqZveWYEHCorG4eQp0gJeZie61MWi4XGh6T_21wjoh11BnTGMK4f3b5sRMB774w/w266-h400/_P1A9413-Edit-2.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet-tailed Sylph</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyToERFWk1zVRCFTPqY8bsuuGULhvAH65RWgDI41ipQXWoWEQM-6xQtV5ZN2om4cWf1Cyn5pcprWiwmbUskzbophbkx6JupxUY3GdjO0AP7Z_LZjL-Yp8VQiXSxypAqOpbh3VKMxiAILiOXRUBgruqGUolz9gEVWD1vQwXP3Te7IkoL4tAoDgDUzV1Q/s2500/_P1A9441-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyToERFWk1zVRCFTPqY8bsuuGULhvAH65RWgDI41ipQXWoWEQM-6xQtV5ZN2om4cWf1Cyn5pcprWiwmbUskzbophbkx6JupxUY3GdjO0AP7Z_LZjL-Yp8VQiXSxypAqOpbh3VKMxiAILiOXRUBgruqGUolz9gEVWD1vQwXP3Te7IkoL4tAoDgDUzV1Q/w400-h266/_P1A9441-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Thorntail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80UzlN7yX8cUkEs9oepU9zGKQQ3NsWcqSYc4bHjRCrlrJsaT6qJxdz8K67vQ9UQx6PsFl-VGbcfMOqzPwIgwUa8tvAk1MvBTT9uI745Owi1sKuJSyk0dDCVtDnS-Ax6uocZpl0K94rgYcYDm3mxC6xAULtAQy_78Uv-rx4sfjWCNf6V_fGnOTZO78wA/s2500/_P1A9460-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80UzlN7yX8cUkEs9oepU9zGKQQ3NsWcqSYc4bHjRCrlrJsaT6qJxdz8K67vQ9UQx6PsFl-VGbcfMOqzPwIgwUa8tvAk1MvBTT9uI745Owi1sKuJSyk0dDCVtDnS-Ax6uocZpl0K94rgYcYDm3mxC6xAULtAQy_78Uv-rx4sfjWCNf6V_fGnOTZO78wA/w400-h266/_P1A9460-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rufous-tailed Hummingbird</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfzdl-bk2F-alj2jLutdFBgzLokq-5r98vac3LDSZlaYOUUQJQyOdD6LHYcIaawb5XgGGsVDMFX9H2BtcZMmjMFlaIH3CdmU2sJoNwjf5tsiNUNArd0D7bG0iMXXPhwX2DMoKWWrVhvqS_zKF8R5E3LknBVSzTY36Q6xXcOAH-FGoij1kqMUpUsrKwA/s2500/_P1A9777-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfzdl-bk2F-alj2jLutdFBgzLokq-5r98vac3LDSZlaYOUUQJQyOdD6LHYcIaawb5XgGGsVDMFX9H2BtcZMmjMFlaIH3CdmU2sJoNwjf5tsiNUNArd0D7bG0iMXXPhwX2DMoKWWrVhvqS_zKF8R5E3LknBVSzTY36Q6xXcOAH-FGoij1kqMUpUsrKwA/w400-h266/_P1A9777-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collared Inca</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVfiHMY9avSFEU-hD8NtcKRlt41b96CplhYWZHyDj_vfqigtZu8NF0TVKtJUIq8SepnTpobx6qRmx88I7NIrDmkjo2vugRFixOFelCW-7Bkiw-5gshFl8WTvmOGt81sROnC8FzhawcJQ-qahDGSKaEc7OYqQAjs6fKrgZBh4JUOuH_NoW8_mRSVi6rQ/s2500/_P1A9785-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVfiHMY9avSFEU-hD8NtcKRlt41b96CplhYWZHyDj_vfqigtZu8NF0TVKtJUIq8SepnTpobx6qRmx88I7NIrDmkjo2vugRFixOFelCW-7Bkiw-5gshFl8WTvmOGt81sROnC8FzhawcJQ-qahDGSKaEc7OYqQAjs6fKrgZBh4JUOuH_NoW8_mRSVi6rQ/w400-h266/_P1A9785-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tourmaline Sunangel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div> - NB</div></div>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-80263526819606137132023-02-19T12:30:00.002-05:002024-03-11T20:29:25.331-04:00Argentina: Pampas to Patagonia (Part 8: Final Thoughts)<p>Before officially signing off re: Argentina, I thought I might comment more on the logistics for anyone out there considering a similar trip.</p><p>I mentioned this in the Intro, but right now Argentina is quite cheap due to a healthy exchange rate, at least for North American and European travelers. On-the-ground costs were quite cheap. For instance, we got a great little Airbnb with four separate single beds and a small kitchen setup for USD $247 for five nights. As there were three of us to split the cost, it came to less than $17/person/night. That was generally the going rate throughout the trip, though some places were marginally more expensive. Most deals were found via Airbnb, though we did stay at one or two hotels booked through more traditional means. As per usual in South Ameria, WhatsApp is the messaging service of choice and was used by all the Airbnb hosts and local businesses we dealt with, including the rental cars.</p><p>Speaking of rental cars, this is the domestic expense that will set you back. We rented three vehicles: a sedan for the one-way journey from Buenos Aires to Trelew, an SUV for Ushuaia, and a sedan for the one-day Ceibas visit. Of course we got tagged with a hefty one-way rental fee for the first leg. Prices were in-line with what I expect here in the US, with vehicles in our range going from about $70-110 per day, depending on variables such as size and transmission type, etc. We used Tiger Rent a Car in Ushuaia, which is a local agency that provided rates a bit cheaper than the international companies. We used larger companies for the other two instances.</p><p>I was able to use points to book all my airfare, but in cash the four legs combined would have cost $1500 apiece from New York. So your two big ticket items for Argentinian travel will be airfare (depending on distance, of course) and rental car. Everything else such as lodging and food is quite cheap. This seems typical of South America from what I have experienced recently.</p><p>Road conditions were excellent throughout. The transportation infrastructure is a major traveler's draw to Argentina. The length of road travel we undertook on this trip seemed a tad intimidating during the planning phase given that we didn't leave much wiggle room for mishaps, but all that went beautifully. Driving there did not feel unsafe, and I can attest that driving through Buenos Aires is a much less harrowing experience than driving in Lima, Peru!</p><p>One last bit on the birding. We found it to be pleasant and generally easy, typical of open habitats. Sure the canasteros were a pain, and it seemed like most passerines sang "trill" songs that we struggled to tell apart, but overall it was not difficult to see whatever was around. We found 294 bird species and casually encountered 19 different mammals. As you move south, species diversity drops, but you get into some really unique stuff down south.</p><p>Our first experience in Argentina was a very positive one, and I think all three of us would return in a heartbeat. There sure is plenty of that massive country left to explore.</p><p> - Nick</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-3075686375926215562023-02-03T19:30:00.004-05:002023-02-03T19:30:35.819-05:00Argentina: Pampas to Patagonia (Part 7: Ushuaia cleanup, Ceibas)<p><u>Nov 6</u></p><p>Our final day in Ushuaia left us with only longshot species in play. Aerolineas Argentinas had moved our departing flight up a couple hours, so we had only a half-day to work with. We knew that we wanted to owl in the park predawn, but had to choose between Garibaldi Pass for seedsnipe or the park for Spectacled Duck, Magellanic Tapaculo, and Patagonian Tyrant (all three of which are super tough here). Though we realized that the seedsnipe was the real prize, our lack of familiarity with Garibaldi plus the earlier flight made the decision for us. We will just have to return for an Antarctic cruise and prioritize the seedsnipe then!</p><p>We began owling in the valley just outside the park entrance at 3:45am, and to our disappointment, the eastern sky was already beginning to glow! The spring days are really long here, which is wonderful except when you're searching for nocturnal creatures. Time was short and we had two targets: Rufous-legged Owl and Lesser Horned Owl (AKA Magellanic Horned Owl, recently split from GHOW). Nothing was calling outside the park, so we drove in. Just as the dawn chorus was beginning and we were starting to lose hope, a RUFOUS-LEGGED OWL called from across a bog. A visual encounter would have been preferred, but hearing the bird's classic hoot was pretty neat.</p><p>We were already in prime position to hit the Spectacled Duck spots for the fourth time this week, hoping that an early morning visit would do the trick. Unfortunately we never did connect with that bird. With no recent Tapaculo reports, we knew we'd have to get very lucky, so we were not surprised to dip on that species too. The closest we got to a new bird this morning was the probable calls of a Patagonian Tyrant. However we were never able to view the bird and wondered if one of the Austral Thrush's high-pitched calls could have fooled us.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RjTTPcP4_SE8w7qjcA4O6Q0mj8a2gXSF3qVKqYFxLWFXX_tLMkkO-KftkbpSeREQcnO1NRvVaQKqlQDtob1fZzAuuDzlRWvqn3gvuSfAY82ZUcnhH9L1LA_avR1wD3M_A65LPxsOrXeoKFtt--sOgHgsvWR37swdMRQ3ntk8pHWcbtxUrTUQgKwnMA/s2500/IMG_8031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RjTTPcP4_SE8w7qjcA4O6Q0mj8a2gXSF3qVKqYFxLWFXX_tLMkkO-KftkbpSeREQcnO1NRvVaQKqlQDtob1fZzAuuDzlRWvqn3gvuSfAY82ZUcnhH9L1LA_avR1wD3M_A65LPxsOrXeoKFtt--sOgHgsvWR37swdMRQ3ntk8pHWcbtxUrTUQgKwnMA/w400-h300/IMG_8031.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3ptcFdUyeGj6YcmzTt55Q79uxwVDu_SCDMEoRebO1Wqufl_XtLDyW7u2_fsxyzp4G5yud-Q1-D1ciCljrSIBdvhnAZIsoh3c6QwJ_p-ncpJ255IGYnNLE0Fnh0JbnAwQ5z36wzcfiHSBlEm00UbVgwwFAFlvOBntfQz7knMeZ0nKqIFN77GEbr7oPA/s2500/IMG_8032.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1459" data-original-width="2500" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3ptcFdUyeGj6YcmzTt55Q79uxwVDu_SCDMEoRebO1Wqufl_XtLDyW7u2_fsxyzp4G5yud-Q1-D1ciCljrSIBdvhnAZIsoh3c6QwJ_p-ncpJ255IGYnNLE0Fnh0JbnAwQ5z36wzcfiHSBlEm00UbVgwwFAFlvOBntfQz7knMeZ0nKqIFN77GEbr7oPA/w400-h234/IMG_8032.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3cXHTjiahtXXLIEtuGP53u7g46bgcIgya5LHLJg1YdoJ8rmu5joKj7IqVsKn_lv455YD5PQ6AuipP4vN8kWPLYIzZhBzVURSDyb0m2xN3RcTW-04CB0E9p6gFs_LnTFEDmDrRY5v3fkj7alqV0UfKZHAFGwiVKxciVvxPaxOQmcqFgkgzXuP1-hJWg/s2500/IMG_8033.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="2500" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3cXHTjiahtXXLIEtuGP53u7g46bgcIgya5LHLJg1YdoJ8rmu5joKj7IqVsKn_lv455YD5PQ6AuipP4vN8kWPLYIzZhBzVURSDyb0m2xN3RcTW-04CB0E9p6gFs_LnTFEDmDrRY5v3fkj7alqV0UfKZHAFGwiVKxciVvxPaxOQmcqFgkgzXuP1-hJWg/w400-h259/IMG_8033.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>We really enjoyed our final encounters with <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S121959669" target="_blank">many of the park's signature species</a>, including multiple male MAGELLANIC WOODPECKERS, one of which put on a show below eye level.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvd3u02hMKzVgI13gktO9MSWQmTteSetxUKMubEk9wuTMrs0em2LIPU1dk3lS8IKtj_tWWtdtJCusHN6enRN-ADDoTdvljLjpmtYrtGZl5Fj7UzdlAf6JDFobNMiakSz6W1PKiweGEu6xNgqkehBaFSjsM87RAqnn7sq4lbdgAecPARue3fc02lqkRQ/s2500/_P1A0575-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvd3u02hMKzVgI13gktO9MSWQmTteSetxUKMubEk9wuTMrs0em2LIPU1dk3lS8IKtj_tWWtdtJCusHN6enRN-ADDoTdvljLjpmtYrtGZl5Fj7UzdlAf6JDFobNMiakSz6W1PKiweGEu6xNgqkehBaFSjsM87RAqnn7sq4lbdgAecPARue3fc02lqkRQ/w400-h268/_P1A0575-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwK9XEBVgHlyt9t_YKP6sWZMKUwupTh34HPX7gTkh-gS7X3CdZWmoKOM2x4qOT2gCHM5g32XcvySavngZDoXI5iFnbS2RUr7inp7cDX6hMu3IrJEcXcwxh3kePLO1AcDaCbWvsOqMZMXEMNh8y2ubVsh_bYbrY93r1Sx9EFfT3K1xAgXBz6B_CHB8ow/s2500/_P1A0817-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwK9XEBVgHlyt9t_YKP6sWZMKUwupTh34HPX7gTkh-gS7X3CdZWmoKOM2x4qOT2gCHM5g32XcvySavngZDoXI5iFnbS2RUr7inp7cDX6hMu3IrJEcXcwxh3kePLO1AcDaCbWvsOqMZMXEMNh8y2ubVsh_bYbrY93r1Sx9EFfT3K1xAgXBz6B_CHB8ow/w400-h266/_P1A0817-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">male Magellanic Woodpecker</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We departed that afternoon for Buenos Aires, where we would have a 24-hour layover. The flight went off without a hitch, we collected our rental car and drove to our nearby Airbnb.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>Nov 7</u></p><p>For our final day in Argentina we had options. The famous Costanera Sur, an urban coastal reserve/park, is actually closed on Mondays, so that was out of the question. Not far northwest of the city is Otamendi Reserve, a reliable place to see the furtive Straight-billed and Curve-billed Reedhaunters. But at this point in the trip we were not really moved by the thought of more brown-and-white marsh birds, so we aimed higher and drove two hours north to the town of Ceibas in southern Entre Rios province. Why not go out with a bang, right? Just driving that extra bit towards the northern edge of the Pampas would put into play many more species.</p><p>We began by taking the road heading east from town, which started through a dry, scrubby woodland. <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S122028514" target="_blank">Birds seemed to be everywhere</a>, and immediately we were ticking new species left and right. WHITE-FRONTED and CHECKERED WOODPECKERS were particularly active. We saw several NARROW-BILLED WOODCREEPERS before finally laying eyes on a pair of impressive SCIMITAR-BILLED WOODCREEPERS.</p><p>LITTLE THORNBIRD was a target here, and we managed to find a couple. BROWN CACHALOTE was a species we missed further south, so finding a noisy party of those was a highlight of the morning. Though an ovenbird, these cachalotes were very reminiscent of jays in structure, behavior, and voice.</p><p>Other satisfying finds along this particular stretch of road included BLACK-CAPPED WARBLING FINCH and the very cool LARK-LIKE BRUSHRUNNER. And after a bit of trolling with recordings, we finally had a pair of GIANT WOOD-RAILS respond and make a brief appearance.</p><p>Eventually the dry woodland gave way to wetter habitat that included roadside pools, the first of which held several PANTANAL SNIPE and RINGED and BRAZILIAN TEAL, plus loads of other good stuff.</p><p>We soon took a right-hand turn over a wet culvert that harbored SOLITARY BLACK CACIQUE and RUFOUS-CAPPED ANTSHRIKE. In the adjacent marsh grass were YELLOW-CHINNED SPINETAIL and SOUTHERN YELLOWTHROAT.</p><p>Water levels were rather low, which meant plenty of exposed mud. Migrant shorebirds were scattered throughout. One of my most-wanted birds here was SPOT-FLANKED GALLINULE, and we found several in this particular area.</p><p>The birding in Ceibas was truly fantastic. It was nonstop for six hours just along these two roads. We ended up with a <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S122745595" target="_blank">whopping 112 species</a> for the morning, 39 of which were new for the trip! It would have been difficult to imagine ending our journey in better fashion. Lunch this afternoon was particularly satisfying. We returned to our Airbnb, cleaned up, repacked, and headed to the airport for our redeye flight home!</p><p> - Nick</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-2057925315364245142023-01-31T18:55:00.000-05:002023-01-31T18:55:24.471-05:00Argentina: Pampas to Patagonia (Part 6: Rio Grande)<p><u>Nov 4</u></p><p>Road trip! Though we had an Airbnb in Ushuaia for five nights, we wanted to take an overnight to the Patagonian Steppe around the town of Rio Grande. As you can probably infer from the topo map below, the habitat there is quite different from that of Ushuaia and brings a different selection of birds to the table, including one of the most sought-after Southern Cone species of all.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwKWlAszOtPezr525OjwJFwH0SOVFRH1u2ZF6DKfHh7ffChd5bvo8LdmVAimQNXtlm4qGns3KHTuvMUUmcxrb2__mWL3aP8tokMQgJqKfPLpIpgR0MU5yj6pV68E978j9Lk_OQ7jXJ5Ao1UOQAAy9rX72NaZgtBDIWtRxCPFipTjRjI1zFVSnlyTmoQ/s1959/RG%20map.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1659" data-original-width="1959" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwKWlAszOtPezr525OjwJFwH0SOVFRH1u2ZF6DKfHh7ffChd5bvo8LdmVAimQNXtlm4qGns3KHTuvMUUmcxrb2__mWL3aP8tokMQgJqKfPLpIpgR0MU5yj6pV68E978j9Lk_OQ7jXJ5Ao1UOQAAy9rX72NaZgtBDIWtRxCPFipTjRjI1zFVSnlyTmoQ/w400-h339/RG%20map.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Departure from Ushuaia was in the pitch black, which is quite early at this latitude in November! We began in Rio Grande itself at some salinas on the west side of town in search of Magellanic Plover. We put in a focused couple hours of checking all the stony edges and mixed shorebird flocks for this odd-looking shorebird, but there was no sign of our quarry.</p><p>Satisfied with our efforts, we shifted focus to other species and moved onto a cool little wetland called <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S121862936" target="_blank">Laguna de Los Patos</a>. Right away we noticed a couple MAGELLANIC SNIPE, which we later realized was a common species around town with birds displaying over even the most degraded waterways. Several CHILEAN FLAMINGOS were roosting and feeding in the pond. The north end held a solid selection of common waterfowl including a pair of FLYING STEAMER-DUCKS. Boreal breeding shorebirds were well-represented by BAIRD'S, WHITE-RUMPED and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, WILSON'S PHALAROPES, and both YELLOWLEGS.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TfdkkHuuFhfkIqbKf_Rw40TEVIWLl7eoGrGvFJZ3dcpHOqO7mqZUAHnxPgktgBcq93FVV8MuteHjYdi10Gr3fYgYLAqOvjRfDdwaPgyL1QurG2do7fNwMuhbOy9BQyQMyw89jbW1lsLeDC29xfdPNLuXiig8M_E-xLWtXw_soKgZ25mp6GK0fQloLw/s2500/_P1A8372-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TfdkkHuuFhfkIqbKf_Rw40TEVIWLl7eoGrGvFJZ3dcpHOqO7mqZUAHnxPgktgBcq93FVV8MuteHjYdi10Gr3fYgYLAqOvjRfDdwaPgyL1QurG2do7fNwMuhbOy9BQyQMyw89jbW1lsLeDC29xfdPNLuXiig8M_E-xLWtXw_soKgZ25mp6GK0fQloLw/w400-h268/_P1A8372-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-billed Pintail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzDfTlGqOUG7AovCIq5z7ctnlHDqmHeuHtAxDlcvRXQZk3pdHb_hksTZXJxsB3TsA6F7g--0FUjRV6MU2XlyL0_6kKQRrmiFhi-l0Bb2wth1bI4ZsKjDJFH0-ty8lu80eU5RKmGcTN1q5iJj1f1SbO4aqUBzJ-jFGseIc8azdHd2PnEtabl0bIV5Btg/s2500/_P1A8401-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1427" data-original-width="2500" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzDfTlGqOUG7AovCIq5z7ctnlHDqmHeuHtAxDlcvRXQZk3pdHb_hksTZXJxsB3TsA6F7g--0FUjRV6MU2XlyL0_6kKQRrmiFhi-l0Bb2wth1bI4ZsKjDJFH0-ty8lu80eU5RKmGcTN1q5iJj1f1SbO4aqUBzJ-jFGseIc8azdHd2PnEtabl0bIV5Btg/w400-h229/_P1A8401-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crested Duck</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjpuKBWPpIvjOO6JkA4uIwqs-BWAJR23LeADWRGO8O13d-5sNfdphcu5BlbQwE7UJAeDewKkVoFoQHSgGwpAxKWbptACsT_wBZbBmzVb_uysOehM6sjHp6eI1iPp1KrRRsLzwf1OqohNjjMUwRfjQQBh_ZDNrpmjMPQoPXU2mOB4QKL0Lyy2ygw7j-A/s2500/_P1A8418-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1244" data-original-width="2500" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjpuKBWPpIvjOO6JkA4uIwqs-BWAJR23LeADWRGO8O13d-5sNfdphcu5BlbQwE7UJAeDewKkVoFoQHSgGwpAxKWbptACsT_wBZbBmzVb_uysOehM6sjHp6eI1iPp1KrRRsLzwf1OqohNjjMUwRfjQQBh_ZDNrpmjMPQoPXU2mOB4QKL0Lyy2ygw7j-A/w400-h199/_P1A8418-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the cryptic Magellanic Snipe</td></tr></tbody></table><p>On the paddocks beyond the pond, Provencher spotted a RUFOUS-CHESTED DOTTEREL, our prime target here. We ended up watching at least three individuals out there, sometimes calling and flying around.</p><p>From there we left town and drove northwest through pastureland towards Estancia Los Flamencos, a ranch with salinas that would give us our best shot at Magellanic Plover. En route there were several spots to check for various new species, but we were hampered by our first significant weather obstacle in Tierra del Fuego: wind. Patagonia as a whole is known for windy conditions, and that seemed plenty accurate to us. The strength of the wind was much too strong to keep scopes from vibrating or falling over, which made scanning the open country nearly impossible, even when crouched behind our vehicle.</p><p>We still spent some time searching the fields as best we could for Tawny-throated Dotterel, a low-density breeder in this region. We eventually cut our losses and continued towards Los Flamencos. Not long after we abandoned watch, driving quickly along Route C a pair of TAWNY-THROATED DOTTERELS flew across the road right in front of the vehicle! We got lucky and they landed not too far from the road and allowed us to enjoy this species that lived up to its billing as one of the most beautiful shorebirds in all of South America.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSD2NQNqGeghilv5WwxB8IkPZihFfPlP64wv7QSYfHAOEqjCNCZ-0mGR7SbBRyFwNncXVpzZd0eQsRfoFgtpxykMheVJIJZgcVba8rFpfaZQSuztKX5YD3buD-JU1xx2hIwGD01u06Ir65ZsVInZj9Z6xubEEpSBLdpe88WQFH4cAMv_hHMRStXq74XA/s2500/_P1A8468-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="2500" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSD2NQNqGeghilv5WwxB8IkPZihFfPlP64wv7QSYfHAOEqjCNCZ-0mGR7SbBRyFwNncXVpzZd0eQsRfoFgtpxykMheVJIJZgcVba8rFpfaZQSuztKX5YD3buD-JU1xx2hIwGD01u06Ir65ZsVInZj9Z6xubEEpSBLdpe88WQFH4cAMv_hHMRStXq74XA/w400-h231/_P1A8468-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tawny-throated Dotterel</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As we approached Los Flamencos, we began to encounter more geese. A large flock of UPLAND and ASHY-HEADED just outside the ranch's entrance deserved a closer look. Sure enough, no less than five RUDDY-HEADED GEESE were present in the group. This is the rarest of the <i>Chloephaga </i>geese and completed our sweep of the genus.</p><p>Now inside the ranch property, we began our birding at Laguna Miranda and re-focused on the elusive Magellanic Plover. We were soon approached by a man who was presumably one of the ranch managers. He seemed a bit wary of our presence and calmly spoke to us in Spanish. I figured we had done something wrong. Indeed, the protocol for birding is to first ask permission to enter, which we definitely did not do! Once the misunderstanding was sorted, I asked if we could proceed with the birding, and the gentleman graciously obliged. Truly a good dude. He easily could have lost his patience with us gringos, but he did not.</p><p>OK, back to the task at hand. Laguna Miranda, much like the salinas in Rio Grande, was nearly bone dry. After some time had passed without success, I began to wonder if the lack of water might be hurting us. Perhaps the birds had dispersed to a wetter location?</p><p>Finally Provencher spotted a distant pair in flight over the far end of the "lake," but neither Tripp nor myself were able to get on them. There were plenty of birds scattered about, namely BAIRD'S and WHITE-RUMPS and TWO-BANDED PLOVERS, but no further sign. Frustrated by the conditions, we decided to change our strategy of stationary scoping. Instead, we attempted to circumnavigate the dried salina on foot, focusing on the stony edges but covering as much ground as possible. Over the ensuing couple hours it felt like we laid eyes on every shorebird out there several times, but still no funky "plovers" - note that Magellanic Plovers are not actually plovers, but are the only member of the family <i>Pluvianellidae </i>and are thought to be most closely related to Sheathbills.</p><p>It was not looking good as the afternoon wore on and we had nearly completed our walk. By that point we had spread out quite a bit over the vast lakebed. DP and I reconvened while Tripp did his own thing. Moments later we noticed Tripp waving his arms from about a quarter-mile away. We hopped in the vehicle, which I had just retrieved, and drove towards him. As we approached, a large flock of shorebirds took flight from the same stony shoreline we had scoured earlier. Upon reaching Tripp, he explained that there was a pair of MAGELLANIC PLOVERS in the flock that had just vanished to the west.</p><p>We pulled out the scopes and again assumed the position. There was no sign of that shorebird flock. I began having flashbacks to May 2016, when, near Shanghai, China, Luke Seitz and I missed Spoon-billed Sandpiper while our friend <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S29830537" target="_blank">Ian Davies deftly photographed one in flight</a> within shouting distance of us. The #1 target bird of that trip, Luke and I never did find one of our own. I still have not seen that species to this day.</p><p>Magellanic Plover was not quite in the same tier of "cannot miss" as the Spoonie, but it was close! After a bit of scoping that felt fruitless, I decided that it was time to quit, regroup, and give it another shot in the morning. My slam of the rear gate indicated that I was done. It was a very quiet drive back to town! But we had time and daylight for one scrubby roadside stop that produced a responsive AUSTRAL CANASTERO, our final lifer of a very productive day.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaNyzC0NbiPRM54KLp_aXUopaBPgBuol1fEUHpWId3o5zXQAwQ4jZFG0xmLkSjqxyQKBP3zrNdynV1PCLmFGgXzW2Z-UI2rY-ewKn5a3hRfI_3iwUjRwyK6sKIeHso0h4j004lmx1T8rDVWkYX85-4BrRAfGZ1vD3zyZaWAM_-52-zwhe4hZlzzfJuQ/s2500/_P1A8684-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="2500" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaNyzC0NbiPRM54KLp_aXUopaBPgBuol1fEUHpWId3o5zXQAwQ4jZFG0xmLkSjqxyQKBP3zrNdynV1PCLmFGgXzW2Z-UI2rY-ewKn5a3hRfI_3iwUjRwyK6sKIeHso0h4j004lmx1T8rDVWkYX85-4BrRAfGZ1vD3zyZaWAM_-52-zwhe4hZlzzfJuQ/w400-h235/_P1A8684-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Least Seedsnipe, in the grassy hills surrounding Laguna Miranda</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjZf4AXfugzcvossy8rkogseCibjSvKQeHUZnWXcd6f9hUdan46jjp19CZHQkdhJ_v_7Y7ksY4Rdt82QH7MHoKAJskh9IYb9wObgGILNLM7j80HV7Fs9qxZulQctWZVb_8Y7TZszWXKBAzwJ8B3QaHmce2dl65q4KRNIvjlIfqLpurFXrXO9DwjjVfw/s2500/_P1A8685-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="2500" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjZf4AXfugzcvossy8rkogseCibjSvKQeHUZnWXcd6f9hUdan46jjp19CZHQkdhJ_v_7Y7ksY4Rdt82QH7MHoKAJskh9IYb9wObgGILNLM7j80HV7Fs9qxZulQctWZVb_8Y7TZszWXKBAzwJ8B3QaHmce2dl65q4KRNIvjlIfqLpurFXrXO9DwjjVfw/w400-h226/_P1A8685-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Least Seedsnipe</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijU2CJeSWNBueixk_W71fsf6INd1Ri4Mmq5cb1HZvy5pdSx3adsC8BTPcRI_A0P2ARZrLbqfW6DqyJZZC4HSaDgKRCIwfZ6CrcoMsTqs8CQ8jkQiJUjAl2XDvLaQ974s5SnqqxsC9E8CqonEkA6habtUAmhPYF8K0X79OQ4MPxAjNFDltLRuTaNHZqoQ/s2500/_P1A8819-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1261" data-original-width="2500" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijU2CJeSWNBueixk_W71fsf6INd1Ri4Mmq5cb1HZvy5pdSx3adsC8BTPcRI_A0P2ARZrLbqfW6DqyJZZC4HSaDgKRCIwfZ6CrcoMsTqs8CQ8jkQiJUjAl2XDvLaQ974s5SnqqxsC9E8CqonEkA6habtUAmhPYF8K0X79OQ4MPxAjNFDltLRuTaNHZqoQ/w400-h201/_P1A8819-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Least Seedsnipe</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwk_RaJblzsMSZiZkxnmxJHWzEhEeLjaCkPRW75nOw4Fp-dEfWLJqsegYZYSBRLRGKh_wvLktO1ZGdJzeWfXC14LlfKEdOo2eUlN6RELbWLd6DD1tZeC-IiwYoO5rTCU33SJJFO2EEHEmK38boVSMwJBgSoXe2TnuaRfbhjy9evbsNHYIYMvJ8UGnIA/s2500/_P1A8853-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1556" data-original-width="2500" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwk_RaJblzsMSZiZkxnmxJHWzEhEeLjaCkPRW75nOw4Fp-dEfWLJqsegYZYSBRLRGKh_wvLktO1ZGdJzeWfXC14LlfKEdOo2eUlN6RELbWLd6DD1tZeC-IiwYoO5rTCU33SJJFO2EEHEmK38boVSMwJBgSoXe2TnuaRfbhjy9evbsNHYIYMvJ8UGnIA/w400-h249/_P1A8853-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Correndera Pipit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTdCSzQv1lBHhee_mTpoGYLn2YsYrd915FYaz3YjwNPGtiKGeBl8Mlg1EW_h1tTDMxNRXXgxhtRzyHCcVyKHTM6kJVn3STZgs26zVFHF6vZ5hurttpXQ8dPJOJLuhMnpxH57WrwBwY9FrmdBMl8PnCyxHyfOoJxZSc_jP-ptOWk1536Qs6zG63Z0N4w/s2500/_P1A8867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1099" data-original-width="2500" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTdCSzQv1lBHhee_mTpoGYLn2YsYrd915FYaz3YjwNPGtiKGeBl8Mlg1EW_h1tTDMxNRXXgxhtRzyHCcVyKHTM6kJVn3STZgs26zVFHF6vZ5hurttpXQ8dPJOJLuhMnpxH57WrwBwY9FrmdBMl8PnCyxHyfOoJxZSc_jP-ptOWk1536Qs6zG63Z0N4w/w400-h176/_P1A8867.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORStAYJ5ffwhdzlEwhqRa0puzlLX2jiRKK6xtYDdi9KWnzX93VgkAzKFMcR5fPIbtgFZklDHrP60-8puIFgd8flDaVDijFoNwTVAZZN8e8mJRnUqaJevzNIyGzsMEq6p8juliWXk0tORYpFjsLX2KFZa9z-Vs8eXM9uvjEgUb2bs6mhSCczTJfoYI8g/s2500/IMG_8012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORStAYJ5ffwhdzlEwhqRa0puzlLX2jiRKK6xtYDdi9KWnzX93VgkAzKFMcR5fPIbtgFZklDHrP60-8puIFgd8flDaVDijFoNwTVAZZN8e8mJRnUqaJevzNIyGzsMEq6p8juliWXk0tORYpFjsLX2KFZa9z-Vs8eXM9uvjEgUb2bs6mhSCczTJfoYI8g/w400-h300/IMG_8012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGVXSA5c5d7N54Y1m_69e96M2tJTSKMf3hcFh9CPPSMi3O89ALNAhVwH9ahNq2I51T6QNHaAH4tZZB2lMM3kZ3-DHLn5LiWEfkdKWdpm14ZKLnHuXRJiSRx0ZpWUzU4GoccsiLyCNJ8rGgJo-KmvCr3OXCL4p0FjV-lvrnsnutkSIUxEQVsNbx4kFcw/s2500/IMG_8013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGVXSA5c5d7N54Y1m_69e96M2tJTSKMf3hcFh9CPPSMi3O89ALNAhVwH9ahNq2I51T6QNHaAH4tZZB2lMM3kZ3-DHLn5LiWEfkdKWdpm14ZKLnHuXRJiSRx0ZpWUzU4GoccsiLyCNJ8rGgJo-KmvCr3OXCL4p0FjV-lvrnsnutkSIUxEQVsNbx4kFcw/w400-h300/IMG_8013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hamburgers the size of a small pizza!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><u>Nov 5</u></p><p>Well, today's objective was quite clear. We would spend all day searching for Magellanic Plover - my most wanted bird of the trip - if that's what it took! I felt a bit badly that we were doing this for me, but in reality DP wasn't pleased with his looks and Tripp was game for more.</p><p>The wind intensity was cut in half this morning. Luckily it didn't take long to spot a MAGELLANIC PLOVER all by itself, working that same dry, salty, rocky area on the east side of the laguna. I breathed a sigh of relief and we proceeded to work the bird for photos without disturbing it. Truly a unique beast that deserves its own taxonomic family. I am generally not one for unnecessary common name changes, but if they nixed the word "plover" in this case, I'd be more than OK with it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM28-L5muzfNDio9U9k6LjJq7YjGemmGHTUrBgks3wUBruAqUPKRTnkce3jd68Fw9db4N-0FewLr99FlP4umTeLjvGqWbDhFZH7kkyFiqhTUJOc35aViV6sjsrrHbowFWUdNqLVlh3RhYycGm39-Xv4rKwpN_E-TTNWankKcMT0F5JzFF9tNeknXrCLQ/s2500/_P1A9523-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2500" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM28-L5muzfNDio9U9k6LjJq7YjGemmGHTUrBgks3wUBruAqUPKRTnkce3jd68Fw9db4N-0FewLr99FlP4umTeLjvGqWbDhFZH7kkyFiqhTUJOc35aViV6sjsrrHbowFWUdNqLVlh3RhYycGm39-Xv4rKwpN_E-TTNWankKcMT0F5JzFF9tNeknXrCLQ/w400-h217/_P1A9523-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1h4Aa2bAkTcijNuVNMyFhH_UJSiXrm3c9GX3cxBj-pX3uwM_WctH5B4tgI48f-0F1FdV7Z5aVM0VJmw6gSTGMfm6mpxxQOwNbyTzz9nDS4W1SUvhZW-0Ox4VcBKXIUaaUFFAKjXfcn3YT6B-rgOZqgDCGJw0W-72J54U3xxXFdz3zfIMlqXaqqqktsg/s2500/_P1A9284-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1447" data-original-width="2500" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1h4Aa2bAkTcijNuVNMyFhH_UJSiXrm3c9GX3cxBj-pX3uwM_WctH5B4tgI48f-0F1FdV7Z5aVM0VJmw6gSTGMfm6mpxxQOwNbyTzz9nDS4W1SUvhZW-0Ox4VcBKXIUaaUFFAKjXfcn3YT6B-rgOZqgDCGJw0W-72J54U3xxXFdz3zfIMlqXaqqqktsg/w400-h231/_P1A9284-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMDt9AVX6sjPQbd0azWv1aFuRI6ZB87ovPBIcqxXwApr7k0Y5ZLIaSuU45G1Jxu2y0TcRkLI1-X9RBpMg3xbZB--ZuSGRfro6eF8GGeHHlB2Yyilpo3_JIroRCsmhCF4WbTV3G7G68VPW_fai4GxAB_68UcgRkueQ34dfTqDYW_zg4_pSUM2OjgnQCQ/s2500/_P1A9390-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="2500" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMDt9AVX6sjPQbd0azWv1aFuRI6ZB87ovPBIcqxXwApr7k0Y5ZLIaSuU45G1Jxu2y0TcRkLI1-X9RBpMg3xbZB--ZuSGRfro6eF8GGeHHlB2Yyilpo3_JIroRCsmhCF4WbTV3G7G68VPW_fai4GxAB_68UcgRkueQ34dfTqDYW_zg4_pSUM2OjgnQCQ/w400-h195/_P1A9390-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQz-_MvjFP5Ujt-r4QwDSiN5eqCcgY23pVPeymZaUe9w9Lf4XIBYgIgDraL8Z9MCvaX9WYIa-wdtTiOKTqEHjW_bowdoemHk-ThEnyKi5xktfEVPjD21sHAHyJKMWrS875puu68Fk0E07GtYItZi-ymoVbiGbNlTIsjvfa14eKI-32YWkS9zo5eebig/s2500/_P1A9399-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1570" data-original-width="2500" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQz-_MvjFP5Ujt-r4QwDSiN5eqCcgY23pVPeymZaUe9w9Lf4XIBYgIgDraL8Z9MCvaX9WYIa-wdtTiOKTqEHjW_bowdoemHk-ThEnyKi5xktfEVPjD21sHAHyJKMWrS875puu68Fk0E07GtYItZi-ymoVbiGbNlTIsjvfa14eKI-32YWkS9zo5eebig/w400-h251/_P1A9399-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magellanic Plover</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Now mid-morning, we had the rest of the day to play and look for bonus steppe species that were on the table, and perhaps get a look at the ocean. One of the possible bonus birds was CHOCOLATE-VENTED TYRANT, a species that just about reached the southern limit of its range here. In fact, our nearest lead was yet further north from here, right along Route 3. We had the time to try, so we did. And a bit to our shock, a pair were flying around right as we pulled up to the coordinates. Too easy! Also present here were CINNAMON-BELLIED GROUND-TYRANTS and SHORT-BILLED MINERS. These three species each get more common the further north you go from here, so we were glad to be able to connect <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S121926068" target="_blank">so close to Rio Grande</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWvGfhT3c-cs9cJuEClzl7pOTiPfDL475toq-uFVnqql5d2eKWSO3Bm8BRdYmwtQokA_rkxJPOcn8HAuvNl0-oLdnTOB6VYAq-7nwhfFf19kGIVBjzef_36mM47g3pg9BFp3Iy74s23SyWNfXNC2-AR83bLSU2FrcaBdzPSI0PUuORdyOv12LGrnVxw/s2500/_P1A9603-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWvGfhT3c-cs9cJuEClzl7pOTiPfDL475toq-uFVnqql5d2eKWSO3Bm8BRdYmwtQokA_rkxJPOcn8HAuvNl0-oLdnTOB6VYAq-7nwhfFf19kGIVBjzef_36mM47g3pg9BFp3Iy74s23SyWNfXNC2-AR83bLSU2FrcaBdzPSI0PUuORdyOv12LGrnVxw/w400-h268/_P1A9603-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrant</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Having now swept our Rio Grande targets, we had the rest of the day to mess around and get ourselves back to Ushuaia. My suggestion, a surprise to no one, was to check out the coast. There was also an outside shot at Surfbird, which would have been a lifer for Tripp, so all the more reason to explore a bit. Upon approaching the coast, a marshy roadside pool held a single STILT SANDPIPER amongst many WILSON'S PHALAROPES. The Stilt Sand is a scare bird this far south, so we made sure to document with photos.</p><p>The coast we reached, apparently at low tide, was a huge mudflat that must have stretched well over a half mile from the beach. So we never really got to see the open ocean here. But the mudflats were covered in shorebirds. HUDSONIAN GODWITS were the dominant species here, numbering well over 200 birds. Harsh lighting conditions kept us from working the flock as carefully as we'd have liked. A couple SNOWY SHEATHBILLS were near shore, and we marveled at SOUTHERN GIANT-PETRELS loafing like gulls on the flats. No Surfbird, though.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPn5B4qVzap80Cynqu7bUc0fYS2T1AIqHN8zqpYVPZ9QYzJh0NFv4kOyM-cgNQcg--_5Mr8Jt06tOBxUYOTKceWsjgwIb34IeEZ-_F1_DUjo-YURTLbTWqIXUJm-LeCAASkQb5bMW_dICyUJeZkyl63wHTyDmoxyaQNF_GdOblMplCZBlKZKEfn4FTog/s2500/_P1A9883-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPn5B4qVzap80Cynqu7bUc0fYS2T1AIqHN8zqpYVPZ9QYzJh0NFv4kOyM-cgNQcg--_5Mr8Jt06tOBxUYOTKceWsjgwIb34IeEZ-_F1_DUjo-YURTLbTWqIXUJm-LeCAASkQb5bMW_dICyUJeZkyl63wHTyDmoxyaQNF_GdOblMplCZBlKZKEfn4FTog/w400-h268/_P1A9883-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-tailed Meadowlark; common throughout most of the trip, but not to be taken for granted.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We grabbed a snack in town and embarked for Ushuaia. The drive back over the Andes on this cloudless and unseasonably warm day was gorgeous. We couldn't help but stop at Garibaldi Pass in an attempt to plot our ascent if we had time to try here for White-bellied Seedsnipe tomorrow morning. While up there, a stunning adult ANDEAN CONDOR appeared over one of the peaks. Our best look yet.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdr0QmDKu_O2eVl0oSYYwO9jRtcEouxdiPJz4bYpfSMBdZ1lDlONSLdppWOlHog7kW35O0rzAilQkE46N-MURCrAr3XzA1Udkh0WgPqgUczaI9BC0EQV9skI1y8iyjl7Vu0jbEAclOs2k09gvem3QD54ra35bsVlKSA4qftMuE725aKLGQctItmYrivQ/s2500/IMG_8021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdr0QmDKu_O2eVl0oSYYwO9jRtcEouxdiPJz4bYpfSMBdZ1lDlONSLdppWOlHog7kW35O0rzAilQkE46N-MURCrAr3XzA1Udkh0WgPqgUczaI9BC0EQV9skI1y8iyjl7Vu0jbEAclOs2k09gvem3QD54ra35bsVlKSA4qftMuE725aKLGQctItmYrivQ/w400-h300/IMG_8021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>We had time for one quick stop at the Ushuaia landfill since we would pass it coming back into town. The attendant did not let us enter the property, but we were able to view birds in the air from the dirt road by the entrance. Caracaras of three species were all over the place: CHIMANGO, CRESTED, and WHITE-THROATED. This would have been a must-stop for us to see White-throated if we hadn't found one at Martial Glacier earlier this week.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJLjkZLWn3dFfXyoQuyzBy2Wa2nbW0n8z6fgNfE4jgwYwHXexqbwqkZeqvxI_Ck2je20x-yNMt-IpPwni94x5Bqs8SSbhjaSB2ET8vYFcD4RNzBRY158RZUcULO_ASpzmSySaYcOIA2ZOngfbbBcri31EdJksKHGc_ByupmPBsVintbaOyTCsDO2NBA/s2500/_P1A0069-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJLjkZLWn3dFfXyoQuyzBy2Wa2nbW0n8z6fgNfE4jgwYwHXexqbwqkZeqvxI_Ck2je20x-yNMt-IpPwni94x5Bqs8SSbhjaSB2ET8vYFcD4RNzBRY158RZUcULO_ASpzmSySaYcOIA2ZOngfbbBcri31EdJksKHGc_ByupmPBsVintbaOyTCsDO2NBA/w400-h266/_P1A0069-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-throated Caracara</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTTNqICBZMC2PM--C60j5WDZXf3lD0MhGiLkR-GY-_b4pWsFOmBhf4O8mpq8GFOc7-QIkxxgicHjV6D13l32Wplro6FGNRSfscklhHqhrfKNdHUKLDGVGjVOFvqr_58a0R1KrvNb3bvN91kNUs0qyqkzvhSxUNFooGVdLV-heG0PWjKi1wVyBGtOckQ/s2500/_P1A9964-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTTNqICBZMC2PM--C60j5WDZXf3lD0MhGiLkR-GY-_b4pWsFOmBhf4O8mpq8GFOc7-QIkxxgicHjV6D13l32Wplro6FGNRSfscklhHqhrfKNdHUKLDGVGjVOFvqr_58a0R1KrvNb3bvN91kNUs0qyqkzvhSxUNFooGVdLV-heG0PWjKi1wVyBGtOckQ/w400-h268/_P1A9964-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZOcb0dHLmGUHjJMDyEu11KMQBh_p7m2EonavmoDnV2l-WVDfs1ezTDSeUKSPPVr1PdRsYvCukrd3RqCOmGqGy9edVgxBKSDMo9QzctYLgTYfDew1PBpXhYzuHdqt_EVV8DOBGQpdffvs--woKAK40dXzML24-GyIQQB4X8avieAV31mkFKS4rj3buA/s2500/_P1A9965-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZOcb0dHLmGUHjJMDyEu11KMQBh_p7m2EonavmoDnV2l-WVDfs1ezTDSeUKSPPVr1PdRsYvCukrd3RqCOmGqGy9edVgxBKSDMo9QzctYLgTYfDew1PBpXhYzuHdqt_EVV8DOBGQpdffvs--woKAK40dXzML24-GyIQQB4X8avieAV31mkFKS4rj3buA/w400-h268/_P1A9965-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-throated Caracaras</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRK6rrctGEmsLOUnHHaLDO0qmTKz7QdbUHz7nhK_PBqcDoTlVZASs_Q58574_fES2N_sZKGkfceCMuTC2gapE-p3hPhv0Scq5c_m6KvITW5f5VHf1O8LYFW6AzUdDxwyx8jdbk_VnTUVbZIMC5ArzB_f1FdFGkTWi_CNkAH0-c4NimsiF080SOJLGfQ/s2500/_P1A9945-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRK6rrctGEmsLOUnHHaLDO0qmTKz7QdbUHz7nhK_PBqcDoTlVZASs_Q58574_fES2N_sZKGkfceCMuTC2gapE-p3hPhv0Scq5c_m6KvITW5f5VHf1O8LYFW6AzUdDxwyx8jdbk_VnTUVbZIMC5ArzB_f1FdFGkTWi_CNkAH0-c4NimsiF080SOJLGfQ/w400-h268/_P1A9945-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p> - NB</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-51889296347608423962023-01-27T20:41:00.000-05:002023-01-27T20:41:32.409-05:00Argentina: Pampas to Patagonia (Part 5: Ushuaia)<p><u>Nov 2</u></p><p>We were itching to begin our Tierra del Fuego birding and had no trouble getting out quickly this morning. We began with the mouth of the Rio Pipo and three lifer <i>Chloephaga </i>geese straight away: UPLAND, ASHY-HEADED, and KELP. There was lots more to see. We completed our steamer-duck trifecta with several FLIGHTLESS STEAMER-DUCKS nearly side-by-side with FLYING.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqh8bVOgTB6woRZu5ODfTZvKqV3wVU-LcHxZpXXELXN_-FlIE6-B9bBRi_5fV6NtL2p7YhKC0C-FEIRt_FmTQYmO_0MID0WuZ23I402Yh7qDDXkMdgR7nOdN-d74o3ixBJd_OGnzqc8AyW_8-bZAXVzNZ9Uoqor5xvVrqU5gxmerv8eQhRwwRL55VAg/s2500/_P1A4594-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqh8bVOgTB6woRZu5ODfTZvKqV3wVU-LcHxZpXXELXN_-FlIE6-B9bBRi_5fV6NtL2p7YhKC0C-FEIRt_FmTQYmO_0MID0WuZ23I402Yh7qDDXkMdgR7nOdN-d74o3ixBJd_OGnzqc8AyW_8-bZAXVzNZ9Uoqor5xvVrqU5gxmerv8eQhRwwRL55VAg/w400-h268/_P1A4594-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upland Goose</td></tr></tbody></table><p>To keep the unique waterfowl theme going, CRESTED DUCKS lined the sandbar, and a handful of CHILOE WIGEON were hanging by the channel. Both MAGELLANIC and BLACKISH OYSTERCATCHERS were present and vocal. AUSTRAL NEGRITOS flitted through the weeds. I was particularly distracted by a certain iconic Southern Cone species: DOLPHIN GULL.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MbGiY2f-yAtSIcyfREbm3RLb4MsPTNv4fWbBlzVFGyhgde09UbMoeeJDvgdW1REmQtIMBBRsWvRhrxHTHgH-iyyVe-W-h2rYoB6WAIKo6FIDUu9q9lI7uXG8xPMQE1a2xaEOLS9_LLOULkZojsbUYpIxmDjw2B0zxhfGxHU4behNuP0ZqfLuIM8F8g/s2500/_P1A4570-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MbGiY2f-yAtSIcyfREbm3RLb4MsPTNv4fWbBlzVFGyhgde09UbMoeeJDvgdW1REmQtIMBBRsWvRhrxHTHgH-iyyVe-W-h2rYoB6WAIKo6FIDUu9q9lI7uXG8xPMQE1a2xaEOLS9_LLOULkZojsbUYpIxmDjw2B0zxhfGxHU4behNuP0ZqfLuIM8F8g/w400-h268/_P1A4570-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolphin Gull</td></tr></tbody></table><p>When we allowed our gazes to drift beyond the coastline and into the Beagle Channel beyond, we had our first glimpses of CHILEAN SKUA and SOUTHERN FULMAR. But we would get much better views of those later in the day.</p><p>Surprisingly interesting in real life were the "Dusky" BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, not looking at all like the ones we saw around San Clemente earlier in the trip. Everything is different down here.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1kSrQfYr4zvNRn3WlLbPzJXBNJPo7OLm4Ar8_ezogAeNofTLzt7fPWqbCiUQ4Z3VYpUFF82VZOK8-dKCKmrjF46TXOEvV-bZNnUwKvUoAGqIfN9pDvF1Ia1eiwgNIPlHbsbLiTjbd8RyvOdhPoDWKpMJxC6bCfjaItaaMPy3v8qAb_oh13hoJkRh0Q/s2500/_P1A4642-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1580" data-original-width="2500" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1kSrQfYr4zvNRn3WlLbPzJXBNJPo7OLm4Ar8_ezogAeNofTLzt7fPWqbCiUQ4Z3VYpUFF82VZOK8-dKCKmrjF46TXOEvV-bZNnUwKvUoAGqIfN9pDvF1Ia1eiwgNIPlHbsbLiTjbd8RyvOdhPoDWKpMJxC6bCfjaItaaMPy3v8qAb_oh13hoJkRh0Q/w400-h253/_P1A4642-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbEkJEjlLa67rtgCA3cvjWkqsLlKOiWlaOCbYp0ip7AEdOEoJ2JX6YOKym6olnR_CgRCZ1MGqB5uitOnoTmtvLU-EsvP5_obpS8qyi_o1QTnTn21l1mJvMBAV0Xp3L-lzRiZGQTLjSFXz7Si8FXS0UQX0yn3mtTCzmococsufz6NPZl_YDbeaC9t5ng/s2500/IMG_7916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1351" data-original-width="2500" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbEkJEjlLa67rtgCA3cvjWkqsLlKOiWlaOCbYp0ip7AEdOEoJ2JX6YOKym6olnR_CgRCZ1MGqB5uitOnoTmtvLU-EsvP5_obpS8qyi_o1QTnTn21l1mJvMBAV0Xp3L-lzRiZGQTLjSFXz7Si8FXS0UQX0yn3mtTCzmococsufz6NPZl_YDbeaC9t5ng/w400-h216/IMG_7916.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>This morning's focus, though, would be Tierra del Fuego National Park. So we pulled ourselves away from the coast and drove west. The Old Growth forest inside the park was impressive and certainly felt different from any place I had been before. We worked our way down the main park road to its end, stopping wherever we saw/heard activity.</p><p>Our first mixed flock contained a few locally common passerines including WHITE-CRESTED ELAENIA, THORN-TAILED RAYADITO, and AUSTRAL THRUSH. The standout bird there was a WHITE-THROATED TREERUNNER, which is sorta like a nuthatch on steroids.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8sgFdAxV_2UqyGpjoO8lTIxKnOnb41fQweupIFmjRTJCo-dwkIwwvLTPeQG-Vm8wKG71Wvsdu6wsDoP6vv0k_BzgbPPcLb55tuKhFiEffDwLAzaIhONqNdoE51QkyowS6JROR3WkR8MpRaTSB3gv4kErdQ9T7pFNEN8IJCa5QVZYnDB4-5UPwHjz4g/s2500/_P1A4712-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8sgFdAxV_2UqyGpjoO8lTIxKnOnb41fQweupIFmjRTJCo-dwkIwwvLTPeQG-Vm8wKG71Wvsdu6wsDoP6vv0k_BzgbPPcLb55tuKhFiEffDwLAzaIhONqNdoE51QkyowS6JROR3WkR8MpRaTSB3gv4kErdQ9T7pFNEN8IJCa5QVZYnDB4-5UPwHjz4g/w400-h268/_P1A4712-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-throated Treerunner</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSd2GyzAFPdcGxzRZ8Ngx55hbiIVCfYMu5XjpRqlT20nQVv0L2dPFfIoqUqY99Vt4943ITDNu_gDGfvAI4jMPxI4PKpziP1lGSWsj3vlwr9-xroJXJITYl9jruxrtSGmDUf6u72BgVMEa96yhrFjieFP3YkCPICdU4GNYn8bTK6h9OKc6CBKd8GB9_A/s2500/_P1A4724-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSd2GyzAFPdcGxzRZ8Ngx55hbiIVCfYMu5XjpRqlT20nQVv0L2dPFfIoqUqY99Vt4943ITDNu_gDGfvAI4jMPxI4PKpziP1lGSWsj3vlwr9-xroJXJITYl9jruxrtSGmDUf6u72BgVMEa96yhrFjieFP3YkCPICdU4GNYn8bTK6h9OKc6CBKd8GB9_A/w400-h266/_P1A4724-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-crested Elaenia</td></tr></tbody></table><p>A bit further down we got another flock going, and in swooped a female MAGELLANIC WOODPECKER! We pieced together nice views of her in the depths of the forest. This is a "must see" species for anyone visiting this part of the world and we felt lucky to find one so quickly.</p><p>The habitat opened up and became wetter as we approached the Rio Lapataia, and from a roadside swamp we heard calling our first MAGELLANIC SNIPE. After some scouring of the banks we finally spotted it in the open and watched for quite a while. As we were enjoying the snipe, we were interrupted by PATAGONIAN SIERRA FINCHES, a more vibrant close relative of the Gray-hoodeds we saw further north. And across the road appeared a FIRE-EYED DIUCON, a sharp-looking flycatcher with a bright red iris.</p><p>Perhaps the scarcest bird we were hoping to see in the park is Spectacled Duck, an uncommon southern Andean species that is at the extreme southern limit of its range here. While checking a beaver pond for that bird, an AUSTRAL PYGMY-OWL began calling from across the bog and eventually came in to our whistling.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJg0SgdiiYRUzegcRrC_peMPRfH1ebIiMbbevTNvqfwz-WHbnZH5HVBIPK8zS1SsieUFjuW3kn_EDFezTzwoNAX9twldB1dA9bk27wx56fqovdhbwNkuK_7I1Y-kb0LTonShucLUW7zW6kJHka1VhIApPN9YdG1yc9zKNxbZOvRiufE5BnjRqIdFx_g/s2500/_P1A5048-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1956" data-original-width="2500" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJg0SgdiiYRUzegcRrC_peMPRfH1ebIiMbbevTNvqfwz-WHbnZH5HVBIPK8zS1SsieUFjuW3kn_EDFezTzwoNAX9twldB1dA9bk27wx56fqovdhbwNkuK_7I1Y-kb0LTonShucLUW7zW6kJHka1VhIApPN9YdG1yc9zKNxbZOvRiufE5BnjRqIdFx_g/w400-h313/_P1A5048-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Austral Pygmy-Owl</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9geyZncgdoq8bINzEb1b_orKdQuJynhNABdyQXvxnZh8CEFD76uECTIZlmwO4YidtXBJHZKAatk0lyULKMqK32jbjfwhpa0b6sSIRLVMUYU8_jMzEXnLZf7oL0RVEsieNTHJLZQqwosVbC6kH8dBOTvhQ3-fyFgENLpNBAy0eGCYuojqtNppqqcdZKA/s2500/IMG_7920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9geyZncgdoq8bINzEb1b_orKdQuJynhNABdyQXvxnZh8CEFD76uECTIZlmwO4YidtXBJHZKAatk0lyULKMqK32jbjfwhpa0b6sSIRLVMUYU8_jMzEXnLZf7oL0RVEsieNTHJLZQqwosVbC6kH8dBOTvhQ3-fyFgENLpNBAy0eGCYuojqtNppqqcdZKA/w400-h300/IMG_7920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wIujfWWL5yJTYY5QjFIGYbV9omnmuTiEm0P0reS7wE2dnlBQtz891T8agxdNIl4lAnx0j7jflOcQdzOZDc_Xi39d111itDs35v2QVdz9v6jT2Xkr6kUNvhlVqOpV4WW3TckPjYANv9GTfEdOjrPzf-2nGre9AlLfk9JBwUWnvIZunD9q3B5AndnT8g/s2500/_P1A4935-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wIujfWWL5yJTYY5QjFIGYbV9omnmuTiEm0P0reS7wE2dnlBQtz891T8agxdNIl4lAnx0j7jflOcQdzOZDc_Xi39d111itDs35v2QVdz9v6jT2Xkr6kUNvhlVqOpV4WW3TckPjYANv9GTfEdOjrPzf-2nGre9AlLfk9JBwUWnvIZunD9q3B5AndnT8g/w400-h268/_P1A4935-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upland Geese</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51yByX8Jj4ScqhENXmXyYxXkTbi3hte7HtqdzoMS9Dv2ioXtSelnMYYFQu5viLQoVj4HTLHlMxxMceWk_H_7MLS_1wRBO2iGgu4Yqa-m639jkZZSUbVYv_-n53_4V9TbspbFa7fezE1QXw6qy59KgqbWXeCh3rviOF_lsMcYPCp2kJayAkwbhoVpuxQ/s2500/_P1A5235-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51yByX8Jj4ScqhENXmXyYxXkTbi3hte7HtqdzoMS9Dv2ioXtSelnMYYFQu5viLQoVj4HTLHlMxxMceWk_H_7MLS_1wRBO2iGgu4Yqa-m639jkZZSUbVYv_-n53_4V9TbspbFa7fezE1QXw6qy59KgqbWXeCh3rviOF_lsMcYPCp2kJayAkwbhoVpuxQ/w400-h266/_P1A5235-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chimango Caracara</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGw-UVvYMb5tlc1khIADVKGmZn6TGS1gmdmESP4hl3llcX7J7QGLP0M9JZ4_cwAAEv21P1_aEooOR3-amNKIvQin7MFF7GaBnM_Z-hUGQHxYfZ_dHaV_bhahUCgJPCmA6IcAU0N2hgVXFd3X1JONtCe9qTBSWFeFGO7Bje9mK2hSHD_2jqlxn419fLg/s2500/IMG_7922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGw-UVvYMb5tlc1khIADVKGmZn6TGS1gmdmESP4hl3llcX7J7QGLP0M9JZ4_cwAAEv21P1_aEooOR3-amNKIvQin7MFF7GaBnM_Z-hUGQHxYfZ_dHaV_bhahUCgJPCmA6IcAU0N2hgVXFd3X1JONtCe9qTBSWFeFGO7Bje9mK2hSHD_2jqlxn419fLg/w400-h300/IMG_7922.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Meanwhile the sun was getting higher and one of the Daves spotted an ANDEAN CONDOR soaring high along the ridge line - a long anticipated life bird for yours truly. I missed that bird in <a href="https://www.shorebirder.com/2021/10/whirlwind-peru.html" target="_blank">Peru in 2021</a>.</p><p>Not long after, Provencher picked up an adult BLACK-CHESTED BUZZARD-EAGLE on that very same ridge, a lifer for him that was also high on his list.</p><p>As we worked our way back along the main road, we pulled over to see another female MAGELLANIC WOODPECKER working near her nest hole. We heard a drum further into the forest, presumably from the male, but he remained out of sight.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cHkTWoPc26phJv4xcKw_BBQU1oShVfGBh1f2WvcPBInuo6aA-crLnYu6rltpH5Ar7q9jOxfnAdATzXzeYgdL49OQNpSDyozC2xLxMEuCj7E88l5I1VLRSqC5L7KwYp0LoyFiF3mmwqGx7sNH45mKHKeOYpZ2weFpPgWNe3zEeW9Umor5838sM_Cn6A/s2500/_P1A5202-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2272" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cHkTWoPc26phJv4xcKw_BBQU1oShVfGBh1f2WvcPBInuo6aA-crLnYu6rltpH5Ar7q9jOxfnAdATzXzeYgdL49OQNpSDyozC2xLxMEuCj7E88l5I1VLRSqC5L7KwYp0LoyFiF3mmwqGx7sNH45mKHKeOYpZ2weFpPgWNe3zEeW9Umor5838sM_Cn6A/w364-h400/_P1A5202-Edit-2.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAl4qq9VIl_ScsuINk4aw5E3sFp1PODfEU1fp7T1oDc4yezsvKcP140uS8HXyhpp95DtxmJqEK_2kFFRFa7Xhq1lQC4BC2Rw-UfsXzSM1kQm_A0kqm93y-OwbJn-RB6wqChAFlZFnSiP_R5G-1ZaY2Q16G9pyOim6l0VdC05jzGJfkNCfVbYiAH4_WqQ/s2500/_P1A5218-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2222" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAl4qq9VIl_ScsuINk4aw5E3sFp1PODfEU1fp7T1oDc4yezsvKcP140uS8HXyhpp95DtxmJqEK_2kFFRFa7Xhq1lQC4BC2Rw-UfsXzSM1kQm_A0kqm93y-OwbJn-RB6wqChAFlZFnSiP_R5G-1ZaY2Q16G9pyOim6l0VdC05jzGJfkNCfVbYiAH4_WqQ/w355-h400/_P1A5218-Edit.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magellanic Woodpecker</td></tr></tbody></table><p>While watching the woodpecker, another highly sought-after species announced itself by vocalizing: AUSTRAL PARAKEET. After a bit of maneuvering we located a pair perched on a horizontal branch in the mid-canopy.</p><p>As you can see, we had loads of new birds this morning including a few toughies. This called for a celebratory lunch at the park restaurant overlooking the Rio Lapataia. Soon it would be time for an afternoon on the Beagle Channel!</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGpQmgJg8I14VLF0RZ_GuF9y_l4-bfBDcyacnaAi9kE2HWoGrxCfvnn4XYS_L_Pg7CJMU4cN2Q2YxHxtwl5Q9SXSQem8MdTlIEFuxRORBmywifs9sBE4oRr9pu5kMNUbJBxGs4QitDuTFtLKfJeNXSuTNzy9bQn0VZ-me2yABjD95TCqS5ph9pPSgKQ/s2500/IMG_7926.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1875" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGpQmgJg8I14VLF0RZ_GuF9y_l4-bfBDcyacnaAi9kE2HWoGrxCfvnn4XYS_L_Pg7CJMU4cN2Q2YxHxtwl5Q9SXSQem8MdTlIEFuxRORBmywifs9sBE4oRr9pu5kMNUbJBxGs4QitDuTFtLKfJeNXSuTNzy9bQn0VZ-me2yABjD95TCqS5ph9pPSgKQ/w300-h400/IMG_7926.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>We boarded the "Ana B" for our 6-hour cruise to Isla Martillo and back. A strong west wind had kicked up, enough that we were worried the trip might be canceled, but it did not seem to be a concern for this catamaran designed to cut through the chop.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkQ6ghmQMtV4p4JzvL6zez_XWEPLDyJ_iK6hoiuhtp9Utkd5bWFYcdmwLRk5EsVBMHnpIzWZlsCNcfX310aaOUgn5kDSv5BQKiM63YrmppBuICPNFnE5uiPondY3_JxJ_O-I_jldqH8tl1Vp08BxD6OxTBgbNFa6K6DJ_eOJNeGoQGaSMeYD4r3lEpA/s2500/IMG_7937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkQ6ghmQMtV4p4JzvL6zez_XWEPLDyJ_iK6hoiuhtp9Utkd5bWFYcdmwLRk5EsVBMHnpIzWZlsCNcfX310aaOUgn5kDSv5BQKiM63YrmppBuICPNFnE5uiPondY3_JxJ_O-I_jldqH8tl1Vp08BxD6OxTBgbNFa6K6DJ_eOJNeGoQGaSMeYD4r3lEpA/w400-h300/IMG_7937.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuk-avI6V8yu03rLz7xO3n3alnEiy50ifoy8RQbmOe2BhBeYANeNsDT0FgHNvp1gg7xpKq191XIZmHFnBmGNvhhEXp0nKURoQetdyJQUn1pV7pceY2xH-lShLQjZWoShfrjDKBhOQRi4oSAHorgHW93Xu1R3rUFJE305T0P3j3wF-GUfaJXfM6_Ofrw/s2500/IMG_7927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuk-avI6V8yu03rLz7xO3n3alnEiy50ifoy8RQbmOe2BhBeYANeNsDT0FgHNvp1gg7xpKq191XIZmHFnBmGNvhhEXp0nKURoQetdyJQUn1pV7pceY2xH-lShLQjZWoShfrjDKBhOQRi4oSAHorgHW93Xu1R3rUFJE305T0P3j3wF-GUfaJXfM6_Ofrw/w400-h300/IMG_7927.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCBiQNVw6o9Spxe1MvlINZ56lA9YvHhwcC6hT-itF-fsF1PvzpqQSXnIOYqNQI3imJ7Rd_c-SZkGpUnRRteK7yagtwfPMczp6hj2nv3aeLqMtPDwFsgHQb0zSyBvWweJvjd8ia3EdxjGV3pvG-WPLcchhRvOD0Agz885wGhT6_LiBYDutCLFFaHZYDw/s2500/IMG_7928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2500" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCBiQNVw6o9Spxe1MvlINZ56lA9YvHhwcC6hT-itF-fsF1PvzpqQSXnIOYqNQI3imJ7Rd_c-SZkGpUnRRteK7yagtwfPMczp6hj2nv3aeLqMtPDwFsgHQb0zSyBvWweJvjd8ia3EdxjGV3pvG-WPLcchhRvOD0Agz885wGhT6_LiBYDutCLFFaHZYDw/w400-h219/IMG_7928.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ushuaia</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Soon after departure we had our first CHILEAN SKUAS and SOUTHERN GIANT-PETRELS. These were soon followed by SOUTHERN FULMARS and BLACK-BROWN ALBATROSS. These are the four seabird staples of the Beagle Channel, and each are likely to be seen from land with a scope.</p><p>As we approached a set of islands south of town, a few dapper SOUTH AMERICAN TERNS became more obvious, and IMPERIAL CORMORANTS buzzed around us. One particular rocky islet held a bunch of bright white dots that soon declared themselves as SNOWY SHEATHBILLS, a bizarre and downright ugly bird! One of them apparently took a liking to our vessel and decided to come say hi.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2KIT6CIv3_eGpJDMCS6VJ0oCoesZ-Qvb3hBBLvr0RMq1xgypnVzRV3Q4VLbb7MPqBrLb9H-Kk4vvASPgPrWtg9TDf_lkPVVUdSDUSlwCYDKKjNcepAM-l5OHK-RinjcLxF1PEIto9u0rLc1x5oF8i5MzL6bYTHDkEeRZjvTPlzDFTPQ0Y9DFqvaW7A/s2500/_P1A5514-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2KIT6CIv3_eGpJDMCS6VJ0oCoesZ-Qvb3hBBLvr0RMq1xgypnVzRV3Q4VLbb7MPqBrLb9H-Kk4vvASPgPrWtg9TDf_lkPVVUdSDUSlwCYDKKjNcepAM-l5OHK-RinjcLxF1PEIto9u0rLc1x5oF8i5MzL6bYTHDkEeRZjvTPlzDFTPQ0Y9DFqvaW7A/w400-h266/_P1A5514-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOqUP_ZLK0r6C7cfmrWRjoD0o2IHcnHaBDzxD0rMepEH7tGMDm2O3le3R3XqzAYS8tvXBYI83-ME0bgldT2XpponSFqfIww-HGwMuMh9EWARSnb2eC3qeF27k2rnwhLc-ZOENpwGsIqDrzxModER-Au0L7ExtYmGxJXYuG0k81dPqbYSXXxax4eyIHw/s2500/_P1A5514-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOqUP_ZLK0r6C7cfmrWRjoD0o2IHcnHaBDzxD0rMepEH7tGMDm2O3le3R3XqzAYS8tvXBYI83-ME0bgldT2XpponSFqfIww-HGwMuMh9EWARSnb2eC3qeF27k2rnwhLc-ZOENpwGsIqDrzxModER-Au0L7ExtYmGxJXYuG0k81dPqbYSXXxax4eyIHw/w400-h268/_P1A5514-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Sfu6-IXh4n8OpyifVaug4iz9ZbUwLWbRVLSZcFHCuXcMoxxpkF0wj7Q5BiNK8jnbPJk8LDluUmBCv8GG0E3iXH8pGfuyeNVOjxcrJVC892S_jj6Bi5fK08zqdZCBh-uMX_l1oCBCLlPL8-NaNCfKDMrLfuMmxUstmZ0wDNS3_VmSWWVkb9tvpHTchw/s2500/_P1A5628-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2006" data-original-width="2500" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Sfu6-IXh4n8OpyifVaug4iz9ZbUwLWbRVLSZcFHCuXcMoxxpkF0wj7Q5BiNK8jnbPJk8LDluUmBCv8GG0E3iXH8pGfuyeNVOjxcrJVC892S_jj6Bi5fK08zqdZCBh-uMX_l1oCBCLlPL8-NaNCfKDMrLfuMmxUstmZ0wDNS3_VmSWWVkb9tvpHTchw/w400-h321/_P1A5628-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0YIcx3FDpbzkoncvE-j4R4pK8l2E289JX0q133qKiNa_493gWV-WugZWd8_TpDLFvuE_ndGRhJQdOj_HYnFdmXBM0uuwe3caoJgtbSijzbh8tz3iLFQbHYIi5QyfmNebeqtQq4FjJ-nrzX9PCo8AwgblP_sISFsAry7ystAOJVjZzIawYxDYkgsLTw/s2500/_P1A5444-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0YIcx3FDpbzkoncvE-j4R4pK8l2E289JX0q133qKiNa_493gWV-WugZWd8_TpDLFvuE_ndGRhJQdOj_HYnFdmXBM0uuwe3caoJgtbSijzbh8tz3iLFQbHYIi5QyfmNebeqtQq4FjJ-nrzX9PCo8AwgblP_sISFsAry7ystAOJVjZzIawYxDYkgsLTw/w400-h266/_P1A5444-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>This seemingly random island was our only decent shot at a very hardy passerine that is difficult to see outside the Falkland Islands: BLACKISH CINCLODES. Though its entire range is quite restricted, there are two subspecies. The mainland birds, which we were hoping to see here, show a creamy base to the bill. The Falklands birds, known there as the "Tussacbird," are entirely dark-billed. At first the only small birds we were seeing on the rocks were WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS. Soon, though, we noticed two distant cinclodes bounding from rock to rock in the direction of our boat. One of them was every bit as curious as the Sheathbill and also came aboard without a ticket. A crewmember informed us that the cinclodes board boats in search of freshwater.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVL1HHM0dGEANTr1sfb_sCpSkCP6CUjDjxPOcP8ma9LVgecHpv4f25DPbStKWr8kXY7WJldENxga7SlnqD6BRpq01o1qJZWebYnyB4OlBFu8k-xwRk35qXRhyBmWmTWqWH41ywZbyHUTgMeOJ3tufroGlJt3QyDziiCUdLoROxoDZ8VKbYiD4ILGsiag/s2500/_P1A5586-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVL1HHM0dGEANTr1sfb_sCpSkCP6CUjDjxPOcP8ma9LVgecHpv4f25DPbStKWr8kXY7WJldENxga7SlnqD6BRpq01o1qJZWebYnyB4OlBFu8k-xwRk35qXRhyBmWmTWqWH41ywZbyHUTgMeOJ3tufroGlJt3QyDziiCUdLoROxoDZ8VKbYiD4ILGsiag/w400-h268/_P1A5586-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackish Cinclodes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStPrnosjc9V-2HifVa16Qy50UK7vlDkYfFM6b1lMhRZQzMBasxafP_mqR_bYlyXyWWLqAdMq5WE1zR8KJ72mYnXyYaqpBr6TA1x3Z0Q1AWcuErmBOpEgQupXQko8E1ktrzUtgu4McqUIx-ORMcEjXt1UkxNFTXNVTxa6TOcV1WNm5nbFI2aig50NlxA/s2500/_P1A5650-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1378" data-original-width="2500" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStPrnosjc9V-2HifVa16Qy50UK7vlDkYfFM6b1lMhRZQzMBasxafP_mqR_bYlyXyWWLqAdMq5WE1zR8KJ72mYnXyYaqpBr6TA1x3Z0Q1AWcuErmBOpEgQupXQko8E1ktrzUtgu4McqUIx-ORMcEjXt1UkxNFTXNVTxa6TOcV1WNm5nbFI2aig50NlxA/w400-h220/_P1A5650-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Once we were done island hopping, we continued eastward. With the wind at our backs, the conditions were comfortable and dry. This was not a pelagic birding trip, so we were not detouring for birds en route. We simply saw whatever was in line with our transect. Most of the birds were distant, but we had some really satisfying passes by several individuals.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yfAKbYYNaRwnisc6m8oqJrlkJ2c6JtZZw_wN6NTMUIgtKBP_BN_8PkvZ5DJCE6hAthaut1y-9r7i4-KRpbb9LKr4qyIdWf1FNORO7SaSdXhMw9qm8NJTrI0FOWQ4Yb2UJwCKOa7HstxxBK-EbsCBi7f-VZJgnnJ38c4kjTpLaKV-vAoHum9tqNcMtA/s2500/_P1A5315-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yfAKbYYNaRwnisc6m8oqJrlkJ2c6JtZZw_wN6NTMUIgtKBP_BN_8PkvZ5DJCE6hAthaut1y-9r7i4-KRpbb9LKr4qyIdWf1FNORO7SaSdXhMw9qm8NJTrI0FOWQ4Yb2UJwCKOa7HstxxBK-EbsCBi7f-VZJgnnJ38c4kjTpLaKV-vAoHum9tqNcMtA/w400-h268/_P1A5315-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilean Skua</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcQqAZn3KRNBtPvfphqmGsSZk7lEwvJsBGUTFgS3ONPOrnGwo3Rxd0kxyc7ULgZuliNxJBN3lo5PSwf7fdBvheBLF3X05nInRMzSYrtouIng0bEYzxp3Uu7d6CTLVbKLKma-OYhioaehHSACxbcDGd5ysF_U5i9a9d8PmWQpJG3IwfYJ5map6CdKKEQ/s2500/_P1A5332-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcQqAZn3KRNBtPvfphqmGsSZk7lEwvJsBGUTFgS3ONPOrnGwo3Rxd0kxyc7ULgZuliNxJBN3lo5PSwf7fdBvheBLF3X05nInRMzSYrtouIng0bEYzxp3Uu7d6CTLVbKLKma-OYhioaehHSACxbcDGd5ysF_U5i9a9d8PmWQpJG3IwfYJ5map6CdKKEQ/w400-h268/_P1A5332-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilean Skua</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiffE-Wck6-frHohq_gdI06LxZdby6SWmKwymOLJbMaRvBKY6ovW-w4wmSTwpMgBTxCDrmtFvin_MbeW5_ZMgtOtGw7O6nBBkw4DLlZrp6la-69PeHY2VPP-mgl8OGY7Vj8Yb1qcbwQ-en7iYGkG89KdZgairaZ-YsLHXgll8ko_-9dzy3q8gduwSXA/s2500/_P1A5726-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiffE-Wck6-frHohq_gdI06LxZdby6SWmKwymOLJbMaRvBKY6ovW-w4wmSTwpMgBTxCDrmtFvin_MbeW5_ZMgtOtGw7O6nBBkw4DLlZrp6la-69PeHY2VPP-mgl8OGY7Vj8Yb1qcbwQ-en7iYGkG89KdZgairaZ-YsLHXgll8ko_-9dzy3q8gduwSXA/w400-h266/_P1A5726-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southern Giant-Petrel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraPEqmfQLBHgSPUTT0LE7TNiNydbzcTWnU2o9-_EYspX_wio8ybdR2wAxRzJqUWMoKMHCCpsv-l-h5TAYhLGB8hjV8qzPSzobT7CGzpcAX9j7BjxKHLLIlUxBSAjhzGhrmqboP2FV0PRFO6vg1iMiWyDwWMarr_jJEcIeCQ-GpAdmeuPIx9mDh_h2og/s2500/_P1A6164-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraPEqmfQLBHgSPUTT0LE7TNiNydbzcTWnU2o9-_EYspX_wio8ybdR2wAxRzJqUWMoKMHCCpsv-l-h5TAYhLGB8hjV8qzPSzobT7CGzpcAX9j7BjxKHLLIlUxBSAjhzGhrmqboP2FV0PRFO6vg1iMiWyDwWMarr_jJEcIeCQ-GpAdmeuPIx9mDh_h2og/w400-h268/_P1A6164-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-browed Albatross with Magellanic Penguin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNoPZktZFMD2rCA4eFfJ_Nsuxh5wr87oX9Ndlw-HlZ-1d2cVc-QbtCT2k00-_dgy5BlJV1ElH5qEb47k7HcYFstNYV603OAPRqfPYSsWL_T2e37oNV-QORrqvY2QF3SYEbR_sDFiSC91kpBf2N0OGpBQEL5gHCHu9HGZnYNu2YJeX_p_WZ-4BF_8_GA/s2500/_P1A6281-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1819" data-original-width="2500" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNoPZktZFMD2rCA4eFfJ_Nsuxh5wr87oX9Ndlw-HlZ-1d2cVc-QbtCT2k00-_dgy5BlJV1ElH5qEb47k7HcYFstNYV603OAPRqfPYSsWL_T2e37oNV-QORrqvY2QF3SYEbR_sDFiSC91kpBf2N0OGpBQEL5gHCHu9HGZnYNu2YJeX_p_WZ-4BF_8_GA/w400-h291/_P1A6281-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-browed Albatross</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaJR2X55JMguQ2Ibf6LVseI3zyzDvW2NossNonOdkcJTs5psOmDiyS3xTPjNV8i_Lg8-XFhKnpr5cIO_XwtUopYdoP_byvMk5Mi-_kLmuC9GnYeKHuo9zCi1tElvO7z9jomau8LKhaG3zV7oxkL_4i3RmTpu1NHzvSeeQKn-aibIqJk4-cO5so6dYuQ/s2500/_P1A6464-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaJR2X55JMguQ2Ibf6LVseI3zyzDvW2NossNonOdkcJTs5psOmDiyS3xTPjNV8i_Lg8-XFhKnpr5cIO_XwtUopYdoP_byvMk5Mi-_kLmuC9GnYeKHuo9zCi1tElvO7z9jomau8LKhaG3zV7oxkL_4i3RmTpu1NHzvSeeQKn-aibIqJk4-cO5so6dYuQ/w400-h268/_P1A6464-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-browed Albatross</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwH1c-B5MR4_yujOIDyTCua058kXf3jOC8b7V_ccqmnP5yMbBuqsoDcGzZed6a3TEYI-roTaGThdavkZPhpH2WTCl1VRYYJPzTb1K5qpAM8qu6mMohahq9AwDnxYIZEo72lBoCfHV2pki2v9f1D8O5H9A9U1otjTpqWahZx8QrDo6JEkJlojcFmy57AQ/s2500/_P1A6472-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwH1c-B5MR4_yujOIDyTCua058kXf3jOC8b7V_ccqmnP5yMbBuqsoDcGzZed6a3TEYI-roTaGThdavkZPhpH2WTCl1VRYYJPzTb1K5qpAM8qu6mMohahq9AwDnxYIZEo72lBoCfHV2pki2v9f1D8O5H9A9U1otjTpqWahZx8QrDo6JEkJlojcFmy57AQ/w400-h268/_P1A6472-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southern Fulmar</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjs1YOTfY64DiOI8HMB6XPh5DEki30YpO-lCSCpmsZcXKsPAy-ZGAuuvj7Aog-LHmzBStmfo5XlGbjUATLOdmIV46gxoaXbhTfpX2VuuQ0_nKhgxJt-qAYYXPTh5DQhVtHTX4kWuQqg2BkHH436MhC0EYhQMB_3tRNmdliAJjWNqOq4CNvWTcRFlmkfQ/s2500/_P1A6552-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1329" data-original-width="2500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjs1YOTfY64DiOI8HMB6XPh5DEki30YpO-lCSCpmsZcXKsPAy-ZGAuuvj7Aog-LHmzBStmfo5XlGbjUATLOdmIV46gxoaXbhTfpX2VuuQ0_nKhgxJt-qAYYXPTh5DQhVtHTX4kWuQqg2BkHH436MhC0EYhQMB_3tRNmdliAJjWNqOq4CNvWTcRFlmkfQ/w400-h213/_P1A6552-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-browed Albatross</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0p8igHU3rLwPSGPJRF5PLE7h5k8XOX1jvIcFfpkbfKfb7nXf_-9PvaM0WDzKKGyVFykXQnzl-e3C5EulcasAlohFxTXlRzHfqYsdw23tgSzOAalX_UKEIcgGreeGiFZs5JTSMQ0pv657U_R2XDAF55gW3TO_5nxUG-75NZLoUHJYQtkmENE9FU3KkpA/s2500/_P1A6632-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0p8igHU3rLwPSGPJRF5PLE7h5k8XOX1jvIcFfpkbfKfb7nXf_-9PvaM0WDzKKGyVFykXQnzl-e3C5EulcasAlohFxTXlRzHfqYsdw23tgSzOAalX_UKEIcgGreeGiFZs5JTSMQ0pv657U_R2XDAF55gW3TO_5nxUG-75NZLoUHJYQtkmENE9FU3KkpA/w400-h266/_P1A6632-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-browed Albatross</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6JvCLu_mQmtSgZO0oudb6LQxMvuFZxVuCHnhws7lyqZrTrQZZY0PC3sooF_rMuc6QOAShVJuQSDmWITq0kchPKRYC-etu0BZsiUawfg3qi0rSrL06eRLqQ1nVYSuYhk6eoAKq1GSNUIAD6w-V9oO5qaUe9DZVqYapn5DL20D4yklKWISSiT0-2Kx1w/s2500/_P1A6656-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6JvCLu_mQmtSgZO0oudb6LQxMvuFZxVuCHnhws7lyqZrTrQZZY0PC3sooF_rMuc6QOAShVJuQSDmWITq0kchPKRYC-etu0BZsiUawfg3qi0rSrL06eRLqQ1nVYSuYhk6eoAKq1GSNUIAD6w-V9oO5qaUe9DZVqYapn5DL20D4yklKWISSiT0-2Kx1w/w400-h268/_P1A6656-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-browed Albatross</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYfq6LHDVUAf4yTU7alwhwoZkWokXRatX01nKKmDao8hZlYoVhAggi25pmzGjHheG7cGR7gDiYSEzEjjGnWYwbiShgrqilJNvuCNJRSiOx1O6cj9qr6bJ9_le5XZTZS69TFQ-Nvo9B3z-K_-8Jq6rBoXHpyclSS4ZAe1WNZCqw4h_NimwauY7C_blyQ/s2500/_P1A6739-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYfq6LHDVUAf4yTU7alwhwoZkWokXRatX01nKKmDao8hZlYoVhAggi25pmzGjHheG7cGR7gDiYSEzEjjGnWYwbiShgrqilJNvuCNJRSiOx1O6cj9qr6bJ9_le5XZTZS69TFQ-Nvo9B3z-K_-8Jq6rBoXHpyclSS4ZAe1WNZCqw4h_NimwauY7C_blyQ/w400-h268/_P1A6739-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-browed Albatross</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbP42tk6a9aIRebnfXV04wj4te-iTXpFqsrVUmAW9GzoHVMzaYto-eK6jos_CFVYsL-25mrb8H7e4GNG2-m8xdxjxqYjFrog3QUfJOBIsTUOoT91ccllJEi9AHBo2L1okN59t_31q3MWUJQzpTsWcO8DLqHZRMDBxb-q6EAzourAdNh8IiA12b33lRxA/s2500/_P1A6893-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbP42tk6a9aIRebnfXV04wj4te-iTXpFqsrVUmAW9GzoHVMzaYto-eK6jos_CFVYsL-25mrb8H7e4GNG2-m8xdxjxqYjFrog3QUfJOBIsTUOoT91ccllJEi9AHBo2L1okN59t_31q3MWUJQzpTsWcO8DLqHZRMDBxb-q6EAzourAdNh8IiA12b33lRxA/w400-h268/_P1A6893-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilean Skua</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUWh6OYfZy2U2N9Y1CE9IjaZWJzO_-p1Yszgf5jVtu4yHiA2u1GEcRWKipVPuip8x7velWjJn-YPZYCu6zhc_1lZlA8oMVo5nH2vnxlBQUmxVwt5PVXMOIDEB0tAlWFXQ3UjU9vkk9wc6tSzZHswNUDTz4xNgVn9fqeihwL-jkXnw0I87X3hubIR3kA/s2500/_P1A5652-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUWh6OYfZy2U2N9Y1CE9IjaZWJzO_-p1Yszgf5jVtu4yHiA2u1GEcRWKipVPuip8x7velWjJn-YPZYCu6zhc_1lZlA8oMVo5nH2vnxlBQUmxVwt5PVXMOIDEB0tAlWFXQ3UjU9vkk9wc6tSzZHswNUDTz4xNgVn9fqeihwL-jkXnw0I87X3hubIR3kA/w400-h268/_P1A5652-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GGbQRK0R0T3ktzqVzOyt9htIYY-HpivU6y7iQ1wP7mhgmOXyQEnMe-lxVW6HYMT5N01cwP34Hk5zmx2APh4bFfP43TpL8Xg2ZAQ5UTSZbbl8xS3JOqLFy0gtvCUjbJ6s1q-qotTCkv1EEp7T7yxvlcU5w0xBKXU-uHYNIMHFD-pXneDfbsU06z5S9A/s2500/_P1A6700-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GGbQRK0R0T3ktzqVzOyt9htIYY-HpivU6y7iQ1wP7mhgmOXyQEnMe-lxVW6HYMT5N01cwP34Hk5zmx2APh4bFfP43TpL8Xg2ZAQ5UTSZbbl8xS3JOqLFy0gtvCUjbJ6s1q-qotTCkv1EEp7T7yxvlcU5w0xBKXU-uHYNIMHFD-pXneDfbsU06z5S9A/w400-h268/_P1A6700-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrkAj3TNZMh7hwpJ4P7PU1E510C1aGNxW3le1O0Vmeen17EZsGEfnqANcHggMS1hgAJ-pizhGCnzCSlaENLhMxY73K5ZLRFOYWXshpIpT_dRzefygXo7oqzAOcRGbsHO7ehx4wPWPcxuadTVPD7Q2Y8P1mqe0GoVaU2NmGmUDsfmYLGV2KEEUFRxeCQ/s2500/_P1A6703-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="2500" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrkAj3TNZMh7hwpJ4P7PU1E510C1aGNxW3le1O0Vmeen17EZsGEfnqANcHggMS1hgAJ-pizhGCnzCSlaENLhMxY73K5ZLRFOYWXshpIpT_dRzefygXo7oqzAOcRGbsHO7ehx4wPWPcxuadTVPD7Q2Y8P1mqe0GoVaU2NmGmUDsfmYLGV2KEEUFRxeCQ/w400-h228/_P1A6703-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nRrq5fofqkPM6YhgFisbayS3gODh4dfG8TJK7IjBrbHmHtAbpnFIaiTvSB6OFKM4MdfFRRgUXYEXkWbqHETkSqPLRSAPwqHZNNFhCmlOOPQLIckt0aIv1ZRFH4b-JgtKHJoyXki2urodWb9ryxJMyvV-sKSBDGd4DvYtloY7NdkD9i31uuRN5xV5-Q/s2500/IMG_7931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nRrq5fofqkPM6YhgFisbayS3gODh4dfG8TJK7IjBrbHmHtAbpnFIaiTvSB6OFKM4MdfFRRgUXYEXkWbqHETkSqPLRSAPwqHZNNFhCmlOOPQLIckt0aIv1ZRFH4b-JgtKHJoyXki2urodWb9ryxJMyvV-sKSBDGd4DvYtloY7NdkD9i31uuRN5xV5-Q/w400-h300/IMG_7931.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The Beagle Channel is only about 2-3 miles wide for much of this stretch, so we were also seeing birds in Chilean waters. We technically crossed the border for a brief time.</p><p>As we approached Isla Martillo, the GENTOO PENGUIN colony became visible. Right in the middle of that tight group were two KING PENGUINS (score), an iconic species that has become expected at this site in recent years. The scattered MAGELLANIC PENGUINS made this a three penguin stop!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDR3-LoYi33bFJG3C1aPO9BXWQ3QfW4jznyafPXqFCqC_vzmrKwrTFMMJYGimNrrrYxFiNEybO_3Xt7GBtaxHN0wePA8JG8ZnRT8xTsAZr4ZqJWUw5je-YsmcjPH1nr-LHtjkZ9yqNk74CnLlAY4hrD__0OOBz67YzNtuYZ-VN_hPpqIsPHDlPv58jqg/s2500/_P1A6997-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="2500" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDR3-LoYi33bFJG3C1aPO9BXWQ3QfW4jznyafPXqFCqC_vzmrKwrTFMMJYGimNrrrYxFiNEybO_3Xt7GBtaxHN0wePA8JG8ZnRT8xTsAZr4ZqJWUw5je-YsmcjPH1nr-LHtjkZ9yqNk74CnLlAY4hrD__0OOBz67YzNtuYZ-VN_hPpqIsPHDlPv58jqg/w400-h233/_P1A6997-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmF6Mz7UkJeaCYFKQc0hHo8JJjFvK2vHbvzVFMrKydB65jTjuGmeS3G5ikgA6EMNruX45y2YFfyCfwARJqNQdm1J2KYSa1Ax0xuQXthTJ759k5UGYXL6KyaMsmjuNdqy9g_Nbo2SnzMx-9xwyK0YDLMFe3aL-GZu56z73gFA4Ao9i7BHMYWx4oqGkJQ/s2500/_P1A7012-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1105" data-original-width="2500" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmF6Mz7UkJeaCYFKQc0hHo8JJjFvK2vHbvzVFMrKydB65jTjuGmeS3G5ikgA6EMNruX45y2YFfyCfwARJqNQdm1J2KYSa1Ax0xuQXthTJ759k5UGYXL6KyaMsmjuNdqy9g_Nbo2SnzMx-9xwyK0YDLMFe3aL-GZu56z73gFA4Ao9i7BHMYWx4oqGkJQ/w400-h176/_P1A7012-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEils91C7-havVy6v0mupco7_xO3TtZCfItrRHuSt1yFE9QS24o_kv38yIkOKxwnZ-IHdl2f8DhkwIwQR8jTF49Vl3exmtu6r4IcJXetooTKs6WjWPZNDX3IxACjHdxPX5UxZudt0DzVztc-FQC8Lqt8C7N1rEHAjY8oC_HvPd9lDbaJaXdRKFJ5m9oqqA/s2500/_P1A7012-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="2500" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEils91C7-havVy6v0mupco7_xO3TtZCfItrRHuSt1yFE9QS24o_kv38yIkOKxwnZ-IHdl2f8DhkwIwQR8jTF49Vl3exmtu6r4IcJXetooTKs6WjWPZNDX3IxACjHdxPX5UxZudt0DzVztc-FQC8Lqt8C7N1rEHAjY8oC_HvPd9lDbaJaXdRKFJ5m9oqqA/w400-h176/_P1A7012-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Penguins amongst Gentoos</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>MAGELLANIC CORMORANTS were dominant over IMPERIALS here.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEAPgmJp803ljS4MshcpKN8Rf-fRf6U5YeuBFY5ro_5DV5gsbvHfBkhdXNZcTnT9IO69SpTURmadF4K2stmZOP_BsduKCl5HhSyb_yRFEMl39ag26HCOKxcDR_v_VEJKRgKP_8nafGQrONYbg4XJTaWt3EG9sK8TbCEXtUbhRrxqwU-eYDejbCMiGWQ/s2500/_P1A7057-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEAPgmJp803ljS4MshcpKN8Rf-fRf6U5YeuBFY5ro_5DV5gsbvHfBkhdXNZcTnT9IO69SpTURmadF4K2stmZOP_BsduKCl5HhSyb_yRFEMl39ag26HCOKxcDR_v_VEJKRgKP_8nafGQrONYbg4XJTaWt3EG9sK8TbCEXtUbhRrxqwU-eYDejbCMiGWQ/w400-h268/_P1A7057-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magellanic Cormorant</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The big seabird target on this journey is Magellanic Diving-Petrel, which years ago would have been a guarantee but has become very scarce recently. With that in mind, we scheduled the two-way boat trip instead of the boat-then-bus loop, so we could have twice the time on the water to find this locally rare species. Both options are offered by multiple tour companies that run out of Ushuaia. </p><p>Our return trip was directly into the teeth of the wind, which wasn't a problem as far as stability goes. But as good as this boat was in rough seas, it was about as wet a ride as one could imagine. Even up top we were immediately soaked. It was completely unbirdable. All we could do was retreat to the cabin, where it looked like we were driving through a never-ending car wash.</p><p>We ended up dipping on the diving-petrel which was a bummer, but it was not for lack of trying! Day One in Tierra del Fuego felt like a massive success anyway.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8doJWtGAaNt_CP4M_zoyyjs48xgXtWaRbwEUaV4GTiOP8lAB1mYdp_-5r07MB6IeESyTK2JDoqRHRgK8FU36zgOs650hArUxJrgIRxR8B_zveJtg1W_-4bl-EGGCnbaN3pycPwnPMcHvcasvje8UVLhcQB4QSDO7eR76nC4LssXkrirToJzLo4x7Yuw/s2500/IMG_7934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="2500" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8doJWtGAaNt_CP4M_zoyyjs48xgXtWaRbwEUaV4GTiOP8lAB1mYdp_-5r07MB6IeESyTK2JDoqRHRgK8FU36zgOs650hArUxJrgIRxR8B_zveJtg1W_-4bl-EGGCnbaN3pycPwnPMcHvcasvje8UVLhcQB4QSDO7eR76nC4LssXkrirToJzLo4x7Yuw/w400-h238/IMG_7934.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Nov 3</u></div><div><br /></div><div>There are two spots best-known to harbor White-bellied Seedsnipe during the breeding season: Martial Glacier near town and Garibaldi Pass up Route 3. The latter is more reliable, but the former is much easier to access. As we did not have reliable intel on Garibaldi access, we thought we would try Martial Glacier this morning. The seedsnipe might have been the biggest prize on the table, but there were other high-altitude species we hoped to find too.</div><div><br /></div><div>As we walked the incline trail and broke above tree line, one of the first birds we saw was a WHITE-THROATED CARACARA flying against the mountaintop. This scarce and striking mountain raptor happens to be easy at the Ushuaia landfill, but it was way more fun to find our lifer in natural habitat.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOQ8GZ8o2UD1oGWrtTxqQHRSzRVlF4uYMjB3uzBRZdoGyyCDToBq0qW8KdG680rptV3bvMBOoYu2Utv5JiaMPXBOSfseuhQLfruo1Q4Kt-390V7FViXUVpfR-794j51aOs73InrigcKTAiQstC7_NXfoJmWxpNgvAJ8ibZAlEvPpyNoTNiVEvtbzLAg/s2500/IMG_7940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOQ8GZ8o2UD1oGWrtTxqQHRSzRVlF4uYMjB3uzBRZdoGyyCDToBq0qW8KdG680rptV3bvMBOoYu2Utv5JiaMPXBOSfseuhQLfruo1Q4Kt-390V7FViXUVpfR-794j51aOs73InrigcKTAiQstC7_NXfoJmWxpNgvAJ8ibZAlEvPpyNoTNiVEvtbzLAg/w400-h300/IMG_7940.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>In an attempt to divide and conquer, the three of us scattered and hiked the tundra-like scree in search of a seedsnipe that never materialized. But we did encounter several goodies along the way. OCHRE-NAPED GROUND-TYRANT was, to me, a surprisingly impressive bird. As Tripp put it, the bird's bright rear crown patch shone like a beacon, which is something that cannot be appreciated in illustrations.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcz29-EKVVVqRu6u2xxLPolvK-SaaxgU6Bua8_6uq4wIWlLsS5TCmYKaXBrSMcrSPySvyxpBomx8VsXq0IBv9nFEbIWztZyFnc0wVDp5UyGEGL0Vc40HbgMUgJVMRNPoLn9yw5kyQjVF_lv5GZwg249ySZ-P7vcfVwIfe6ii0Tuj85mTGO6BuYC45Nw/s2500/_P1A7252-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcz29-EKVVVqRu6u2xxLPolvK-SaaxgU6Bua8_6uq4wIWlLsS5TCmYKaXBrSMcrSPySvyxpBomx8VsXq0IBv9nFEbIWztZyFnc0wVDp5UyGEGL0Vc40HbgMUgJVMRNPoLn9yw5kyQjVF_lv5GZwg249ySZ-P7vcfVwIfe6ii0Tuj85mTGO6BuYC45Nw/w400-h268/_P1A7252-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ochre-naped Ground-Tyrant</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Another ground-tyrant, this one DARK-FACED, made an appearance as well, though my views of that bird was never very satisfying.</div><div><br /></div><div>YELLOW-BRIDLED FINCH is another specialty species up this high, and I had a ridiculously close encounter with a pair, one of which was singing from prominent rocks.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYHs296wUjXAagh6KQvyey02_hmnnPi-trlyPtbsZMDQibvbyj-IPSK0kyXo729tUqUAvM6I5IjHaV4BVtJ66JB1uCpsW1xAyH-jx2VxRrtWOSkLSaT9QWnfWX_u3-5nOzVwJkH2BW9g132kKr0KgQIUf8tuv_tbje1fWcxTj3ddBhxHjJtQB-xYDyQ/s2500/_P1A7418-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYHs296wUjXAagh6KQvyey02_hmnnPi-trlyPtbsZMDQibvbyj-IPSK0kyXo729tUqUAvM6I5IjHaV4BVtJ66JB1uCpsW1xAyH-jx2VxRrtWOSkLSaT9QWnfWX_u3-5nOzVwJkH2BW9g132kKr0KgQIUf8tuv_tbje1fWcxTj3ddBhxHjJtQB-xYDyQ/w400-h268/_P1A7418-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXAy6C7Ox_QShgq0b-gmwgfCxNWEbKZ_44nzT5UqL6ZkA__riELUdM5CpHsSwwBKeOdZshmD42yj62t5owzc41eWqn1qB6tig6LywK0w1aSu8BEoFNGlDq2GqQFJXQ5OVLUNm3X-6jrVh6zVxNU5aJFyqP8D62MM9RNaTFREXt_lEn9cBN_qrbuLo9g/s2500/_P1A7622-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXAy6C7Ox_QShgq0b-gmwgfCxNWEbKZ_44nzT5UqL6ZkA__riELUdM5CpHsSwwBKeOdZshmD42yj62t5owzc41eWqn1qB6tig6LywK0w1aSu8BEoFNGlDq2GqQFJXQ5OVLUNm3X-6jrVh6zVxNU5aJFyqP8D62MM9RNaTFREXt_lEn9cBN_qrbuLo9g/w400-h268/_P1A7622-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22ah3U5tQgs_nGx1vN5inInxmJ5dn_W_1ofGJGWmYNBLL9IQzORQbDmQBSlXOS2EupzvhQLpT5oztsMoMs3-YitcJ1bHFgRar2ClW6pq-S3wxT028gR08Z6Qs5lvUM3gciMmWPYJLECBbC_SfnzFGMIgWKOxUt998bYrhs9wiFE8mZFJSR1DeV3eOoQ/s2500/_P1A7638-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22ah3U5tQgs_nGx1vN5inInxmJ5dn_W_1ofGJGWmYNBLL9IQzORQbDmQBSlXOS2EupzvhQLpT5oztsMoMs3-YitcJ1bHFgRar2ClW6pq-S3wxT028gR08Z6Qs5lvUM3gciMmWPYJLECBbC_SfnzFGMIgWKOxUt998bYrhs9wiFE8mZFJSR1DeV3eOoQ/w400-h268/_P1A7638-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-bridled Finch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Rounding out the list of new birds were a couple of BUFF-WINGED CINCLODES. We had a really enjoyable morning up here, even without the seedsnipe.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptCvYh2RuZXEUeriPSf75FS-s1krNvjuSzF6gBvkdGOPZswF81GYxeAVOkhUdL4fxkvKAxxlmuxbRQNNpKwX2OCs5HJH7KD9P5UBIW9q-WYP3gX7uN7xRWZ2SC9ZWJLbnNy4_9X0NpVOHIP3tuqPj5Ab1hH1ucXZ1NdooOtqMrVzxVVak4rTpsT9w6g/s2500/_P1A7723-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptCvYh2RuZXEUeriPSf75FS-s1krNvjuSzF6gBvkdGOPZswF81GYxeAVOkhUdL4fxkvKAxxlmuxbRQNNpKwX2OCs5HJH7KD9P5UBIW9q-WYP3gX7uN7xRWZ2SC9ZWJLbnNy4_9X0NpVOHIP3tuqPj5Ab1hH1ucXZ1NdooOtqMrVzxVVak4rTpsT9w6g/w400-h268/_P1A7723-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buff-winged Cinclodes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6xVMebKMKmqyl5GSTEjdd0fykc7daFRaQK9EK1sSXjmCrxQBH6CXEZBiKTkXQ2-sQxFaSxWbVaO2eAki8wK1TDooWrSTv2r0y8kJpjbqRrsl3DIzjhL5gGJZFSH6OTrEQmxOSOzauXzqEMIAjIkQ_U3XdJnFLt6idbhrt_BNQyeEa_y1XzWFt7Fblw/s2500/_P1A7089-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="2500" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6xVMebKMKmqyl5GSTEjdd0fykc7daFRaQK9EK1sSXjmCrxQBH6CXEZBiKTkXQ2-sQxFaSxWbVaO2eAki8wK1TDooWrSTv2r0y8kJpjbqRrsl3DIzjhL5gGJZFSH6OTrEQmxOSOzauXzqEMIAjIkQ_U3XdJnFLt6idbhrt_BNQyeEa_y1XzWFt7Fblw/w400-h181/_P1A7089-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view of southern Ushuaia, the Beagle Channel, and Chile from the Martial Glacier</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlsDfsZP-qzU9OOV2MdgkzFj7QaD_Qu1DrZEHgpXpH-0ECTo5unIKmGQZm-dV6k1756oGmnGsH7JQaEIfK_zcl4RfqbdOJJHDejGFwCa_OPpwgu7n7GXytD9rvgmB3JnMSKDOjMpsbAyGbIX3tlRiqnW2B01cZO7Qwll06XUF3eb-lxmBUoaDF_4oJw/s2500/_P1A7646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlsDfsZP-qzU9OOV2MdgkzFj7QaD_Qu1DrZEHgpXpH-0ECTo5unIKmGQZm-dV6k1756oGmnGsH7JQaEIfK_zcl4RfqbdOJJHDejGFwCa_OPpwgu7n7GXytD9rvgmB3JnMSKDOjMpsbAyGbIX3tlRiqnW2B01cZO7Qwll06XUF3eb-lxmBUoaDF_4oJw/w400-h266/_P1A7646.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several folks were hiking up the snow fields and then skiing back down. Looked like a blast and a helluva workout...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwLf0NxetqsWKi_wYUXc8cyhI5BsrCluKgKkyRv0oWzzITaY6FxPd4dazw3f7SmbEAIGDNQSJdyz_MDP2FfrwsQDWXVSI58BhYRebWarQ3ykm_7-A1py_DvYGu3RrD0Gs81xFw7D2UmihSiLkjdfffBbx9Q-6Xu2HfaOvPE8dFuHomY1xCRIlWpw6SQ/s2500/_P1A7652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwLf0NxetqsWKi_wYUXc8cyhI5BsrCluKgKkyRv0oWzzITaY6FxPd4dazw3f7SmbEAIGDNQSJdyz_MDP2FfrwsQDWXVSI58BhYRebWarQ3ykm_7-A1py_DvYGu3RrD0Gs81xFw7D2UmihSiLkjdfffBbx9Q-6Xu2HfaOvPE8dFuHomY1xCRIlWpw6SQ/w400-h266/_P1A7652.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lone skier still on the ascent.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLQ2lREKWn7FFamgPpbkiPCJofijSGagTMHc-6nJNdG7-qhddeuh1CR52HCBobxuUM3QJyU0yLc9T9udtwXotyzgMACuxhV9y-6IYaZXbHpMCnjfAF9AYN_jGyaOwCF7QLvkMPNXND3SOobbFw6X1wv3HWYnYR7plRjlznleh3mE4RMtFm6hvQ8-TLA/s2500/IMG_7943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLQ2lREKWn7FFamgPpbkiPCJofijSGagTMHc-6nJNdG7-qhddeuh1CR52HCBobxuUM3QJyU0yLc9T9udtwXotyzgMACuxhV9y-6IYaZXbHpMCnjfAF9AYN_jGyaOwCF7QLvkMPNXND3SOobbFw6X1wv3HWYnYR7plRjlznleh3mE4RMtFm6hvQ8-TLA/w400-h300/IMG_7943.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-bellied Seedsnipe habitat...allegedly!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiolGoqWornOE1xI1nfo6N8mG2pXBWM5L4g_noyZNXd1qWYw35LLB58K8y_5C-EdycaD7Gg56xPgxFxXUr7PVxuPKSaKAqq7wSMGUxZGhJA2xO3SJNXI0tC6GZ3Ynn0XuHm2eX-BOwJtVLAl4J53K_2WPKLWQTa3knE-69xHW4k4umFw8MScHZtPnUIA/s2500/IMG_7945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiolGoqWornOE1xI1nfo6N8mG2pXBWM5L4g_noyZNXd1qWYw35LLB58K8y_5C-EdycaD7Gg56xPgxFxXUr7PVxuPKSaKAqq7wSMGUxZGhJA2xO3SJNXI0tC6GZ3Ynn0XuHm2eX-BOwJtVLAl4J53K_2WPKLWQTa3knE-69xHW4k4umFw8MScHZtPnUIA/w400-h300/IMG_7945.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfW31pRexSS7ZfSgFNb6qMXPMtZwv2-URWZVG9iWJA-I1BM6C6whUHXgYWjj-66zPeU-BfX-Blk5D3FnNA80iSt_PTUM2ynOzJdHdnyGA6fvyWB2RBx5ef80TBtxLi9S9UIXCGk-TAFw_0odhN97cqci2P_MZa0PWxHWoI4Ug-7LTtr_LZInaI_6jh1g/s2500/IMG_7948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfW31pRexSS7ZfSgFNb6qMXPMtZwv2-URWZVG9iWJA-I1BM6C6whUHXgYWjj-66zPeU-BfX-Blk5D3FnNA80iSt_PTUM2ynOzJdHdnyGA6fvyWB2RBx5ef80TBtxLi9S9UIXCGk-TAFw_0odhN97cqci2P_MZa0PWxHWoI4Ug-7LTtr_LZInaI_6jh1g/w400-h300/IMG_7948.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>The next move was to head back into the National Park and give the Spectacled Duck haunts another check, but we came up empty again. It was becoming apparent that we'd have to repeatedly hit the right habitat and get lucky to find them, which was certainly possible but not likely, as a pair had been reported only a couple times in the preceding weeks.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcr1dK_xOwzIUeijchMWhaSLihAcpt_6b9gkZNPqAF16aeXBnD_2y2fGjERfGA-AVm6OUzr_VfKPkAHH6MwUt4PpHIWxy1NZvaY2joNM355i8FPEonv0NXC28jCbgARpQhGpbCEiI240GwlHh0Ae5mey09kPggnquyybeeRoDo39rm5jMhvE6ghPny-A/s2500/IMG_7965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcr1dK_xOwzIUeijchMWhaSLihAcpt_6b9gkZNPqAF16aeXBnD_2y2fGjERfGA-AVm6OUzr_VfKPkAHH6MwUt4PpHIWxy1NZvaY2joNM355i8FPEonv0NXC28jCbgARpQhGpbCEiI240GwlHh0Ae5mey09kPggnquyybeeRoDo39rm5jMhvE6ghPny-A/w400-h300/IMG_7965.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>We did pick up a new bird in the park, a pair of DARK-BELLIED CINCLODES at Bahia Ensenada.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa7hXHdnUYoZTrBI-brMRMdEJeDI0KezG-hfEwsZ0qZLdwhkIKogj1f_h4Ny58Jn3g7ZwqfdLpz3lXxWKQ_kYJPB5_fu0DcKYdJowZUKWjrhWewptMWgclwB13gvrJrSGdKHBqgQm0Fb93rnoujwvybfsqtHzj3ZmdnKoceXP1B-FOlA9lIN023l-JA/s2500/_P1A7906-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa7hXHdnUYoZTrBI-brMRMdEJeDI0KezG-hfEwsZ0qZLdwhkIKogj1f_h4Ny58Jn3g7ZwqfdLpz3lXxWKQ_kYJPB5_fu0DcKYdJowZUKWjrhWewptMWgclwB13gvrJrSGdKHBqgQm0Fb93rnoujwvybfsqtHzj3ZmdnKoceXP1B-FOlA9lIN023l-JA/w400-h266/_P1A7906-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark-bellied Cinclodes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRBAF2SC724I2Iw76b6kCu4kxHNyoLLn74oUuw78WVedWndoeiyhNLBimBquod5gvmC_hsRpL3PztMw_DoRXPfBlxwbf4nfpxk0g585PQnnN3VVUIVf5QJK-LJ0LFtosJUvsL8AsND8Lcc_v5qFpXZCNnxU8X4LiXuEXrwQQfrSlo8ixQ0PNjZ7833Q/s2500/IMG_7980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRBAF2SC724I2Iw76b6kCu4kxHNyoLLn74oUuw78WVedWndoeiyhNLBimBquod5gvmC_hsRpL3PztMw_DoRXPfBlxwbf4nfpxk0g585PQnnN3VVUIVf5QJK-LJ0LFtosJUvsL8AsND8Lcc_v5qFpXZCNnxU8X4LiXuEXrwQQfrSlo8ixQ0PNjZ7833Q/w400-h300/IMG_7980.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>With our remaining Ushuaia target list down to just a few toughies, we spent the afternoon poking along the coast between the park and city, as far east as Rio Pipo. The new bird of the afternoon was AUSTRAL BLACKBIRD, and there were duplicates of many species including our best looks yet at BLACK-FACED IBIS.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtpc8sZHaAha0XjdNmuNoIjZpU1hbxITiBEMkGF9Fib95Nf2IQz_xVi5uFSgqIoCQQvV1JZn6ciwm-1A4KhB9cwQa4kvoTDx-rMOKQgjHRPB5enq2MvJWDEUga8f-JPg9qZhI_dr14rF0Qb3Wx9vWTHYp1U8_loJmpajwb-RZ1GlEBedETbjz3i6_Gg/s2500/_P1A8000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtpc8sZHaAha0XjdNmuNoIjZpU1hbxITiBEMkGF9Fib95Nf2IQz_xVi5uFSgqIoCQQvV1JZn6ciwm-1A4KhB9cwQa4kvoTDx-rMOKQgjHRPB5enq2MvJWDEUga8f-JPg9qZhI_dr14rF0Qb3Wx9vWTHYp1U8_loJmpajwb-RZ1GlEBedETbjz3i6_Gg/w400-h268/_P1A8000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbupDv0a_AR4FK-hjedD2xvKrTAB6tO6S5D9yM5Ua8zxlEQrMlnHvSLg-cXllVoysGPDoWKjzfcNsB65Bhc_nItTfdoLhU22h-7cqRnuppATSQluIL7NBZ6Uq_T5czN-EYsPuuPs4b2Y3iYFjyw4nHui2hRGhjawxCwCdpORYZim8Rq-XR5C2c5mTGkA/s2500/_P1A8136-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbupDv0a_AR4FK-hjedD2xvKrTAB6tO6S5D9yM5Ua8zxlEQrMlnHvSLg-cXllVoysGPDoWKjzfcNsB65Bhc_nItTfdoLhU22h-7cqRnuppATSQluIL7NBZ6Uq_T5czN-EYsPuuPs4b2Y3iYFjyw4nHui2hRGhjawxCwCdpORYZim8Rq-XR5C2c5mTGkA/w400-h266/_P1A8136-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Austral Blackbird</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVU3jSLT9hP2sTqK5qbocO4kSTxbcocdzhF3ET8_zXXAnqrC3MAg9z9uQ1xdaD3VDWI5USwYFO_vHb6h_p0x2tRLBCzwi9pvKlFGyWiMjcuq_Sfsgx9p44WRgeGum0LPOpHafpzhJbbPo2RH4zU26OpxmTNI-8pM8-9MRSnpSZf7-_vzl_6j27BVwbQ/s2500/_P1A8215-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1785" data-original-width="2500" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVU3jSLT9hP2sTqK5qbocO4kSTxbcocdzhF3ET8_zXXAnqrC3MAg9z9uQ1xdaD3VDWI5USwYFO_vHb6h_p0x2tRLBCzwi9pvKlFGyWiMjcuq_Sfsgx9p44WRgeGum0LPOpHafpzhJbbPo2RH4zU26OpxmTNI-8pM8-9MRSnpSZf7-_vzl_6j27BVwbQ/w400-h285/_P1A8215-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-faced Ibis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPXS4wMTQP0iGJugMBi2Ifd-kgsmzL3ExUbkaN6TRtshb_sadjswyZ7ypPRlp7ezUkzJVSkgN3X_qHPMix4BR2G-8yk2EQ2cXbqbwW7RafLoQAFiBPx3gV0v5Xd1fOuvYO2nIG7VcXTMRfRDuucnopWHJ2srdsfiO5rWGP5lGZhgnb8Zjf_1DALzdWg/s2500/_P1A8235-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPXS4wMTQP0iGJugMBi2Ifd-kgsmzL3ExUbkaN6TRtshb_sadjswyZ7ypPRlp7ezUkzJVSkgN3X_qHPMix4BR2G-8yk2EQ2cXbqbwW7RafLoQAFiBPx3gV0v5Xd1fOuvYO2nIG7VcXTMRfRDuucnopWHJ2srdsfiO5rWGP5lGZhgnb8Zjf_1DALzdWg/w400-h266/_P1A8235-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashy-headed Geese</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCinY5_FmrG2neM-BvVmMC643F_nLuoIetJ4KQM9NMRW1PHqoW5zd3hMtB2Rgd6el96BLSwXx5v6T3ccRhFyb9AmqlpSjN7yjP1zr_nBfdVVQsnYy8hQKRaArupTUGaEKTntqh73YjUDgxhzS7QyCrwmP10j2IQhKxrtpQZ3vMJHemmvUvRs-6ieJ32w/s2500/_P1A8285-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCinY5_FmrG2neM-BvVmMC643F_nLuoIetJ4KQM9NMRW1PHqoW5zd3hMtB2Rgd6el96BLSwXx5v6T3ccRhFyb9AmqlpSjN7yjP1zr_nBfdVVQsnYy8hQKRaArupTUGaEKTntqh73YjUDgxhzS7QyCrwmP10j2IQhKxrtpQZ3vMJHemmvUvRs-6ieJ32w/w400-h266/_P1A8285-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-faced Ibis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NoMMyK8aMdUcv-8IxgvHfdQceQf6KdirJ5M7ZkB3RoAS34NtsGsQOoxWJtERaw2TNIdngXD_hyq3YyA2Xg8nBkPFcafMYcCBZ2mHBN0uLgpH63Gb810b07ibR-Ak3tDXV0JW1HZPXNYn_PyXa01VxYtwn_4KeHv9qxFg6h8Ed8PftFjDvCpgi8MOnw/s2500/IMG_7985.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1295" data-original-width="2500" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NoMMyK8aMdUcv-8IxgvHfdQceQf6KdirJ5M7ZkB3RoAS34NtsGsQOoxWJtERaw2TNIdngXD_hyq3YyA2Xg8nBkPFcafMYcCBZ2mHBN0uLgpH63Gb810b07ibR-Ak3tDXV0JW1HZPXNYn_PyXa01VxYtwn_4KeHv9qxFg6h8Ed8PftFjDvCpgi8MOnw/w400-h208/IMG_7985.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSZHYIvbpQmTtJA7mPx5gycQGqJqYQhyhfqutFHovktV__IPr1Ts9sdau-m8-3q8qxXhl3ClobiVCJ9yHlhvVkt39KVihB2ExsHJAL6qnW7UJtDDb_-CpjYjMpd2dbub0NG0eK2oElC8XWjXvUqXtKj2AWq9gWN7NmwrQCrP5bYDxCMegcWsdSJt9Og/s2500/IMG_7989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1713" data-original-width="2500" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSZHYIvbpQmTtJA7mPx5gycQGqJqYQhyhfqutFHovktV__IPr1Ts9sdau-m8-3q8qxXhl3ClobiVCJ9yHlhvVkt39KVihB2ExsHJAL6qnW7UJtDDb_-CpjYjMpd2dbub0NG0eK2oElC8XWjXvUqXtKj2AWq9gWN7NmwrQCrP5bYDxCMegcWsdSJt9Og/w400-h274/IMG_7989.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsTpDoZPMv7hUcAC6PxEmup-umg74hB7Nb_0RAgogJg1RlYmtph21mLj-OocvWrQorjQiWeI4z_zIi-Q2qGOMLVmvR_HUPzAhmfy1FqQSpARqzo2_QUarI-hvpwJ1BfJAdps54pQuSebnBwiobhCfLrSdC7QK6FlxaGLyJvf48nyqpG1mv0NH4yiGlw/s2500/IMG_7993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsTpDoZPMv7hUcAC6PxEmup-umg74hB7Nb_0RAgogJg1RlYmtph21mLj-OocvWrQorjQiWeI4z_zIi-Q2qGOMLVmvR_HUPzAhmfy1FqQSpARqzo2_QUarI-hvpwJ1BfJAdps54pQuSebnBwiobhCfLrSdC7QK6FlxaGLyJvf48nyqpG1mv0NH4yiGlw/w400-h300/IMG_7993.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>The river mouth wasn't quite as birdy as we had anticipated, undoubtedly due to the human disturbance along the water's edge. You might've noticed that I have not mentioned the local weather outside of a windy boat ride. That's because this notoriously wintry location had been anything but. In fact, each day had been warmer than the previous, and the locals had clearly caught spring fever. Temperatures today topped 60 degrees Fahrenheit! It wasn't quite Halter Top Day, but it was close! So much for those insulated ski pants I had packed...</div><div><br /></div><div> - NB</div>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-64061457995561238022023-01-23T15:37:00.000-05:002023-01-23T15:37:16.212-05:00Argentina: Pampas to Patagonia (Part 4: Puerto Madryn to Trelew, flight to Ushuaia)<p><u>Oct 30</u></p><p>Today's weather was forecast to be dreadful from a birder's perspective and somehow managed to be even worse than predicted. Sustained 30-35mph winds meant that whale watch boats would be canceled, and finding passerines would be like pulling teeth. So we decided to not set an alarm for the morning and recuperated a bit. The afternoon would be spent on the Valdes Peninsula. </p><p>The skies were mostly clear until we reached the base of the peninsula where we hit some precipitation. For the next several hours we dealt with squalls that brought rain, sleet, and truly impressive wind gusts. Standing upright became difficult when these weather waves rolled through. Between the squalls were sunny skies but still difficult wind. To be honest, searching for wildlife of any kind seemed entirely futile. Not even the large mammals like guanacos were visible; they too must have been hunkered down in the lee. Through the car windows we managed to spot a grounded RUSTY-BACKED MONJITA and a few TWO-BANDED PLOVERS, but that was about it.</p><p>As one might imagine in these conditions, the peninsula was mostly void of visitors, even though this was a spring weekend during Southern Right Whale season. While attempting to bird along the main perimeter road, a kind passerby asked us if we were alright. Slightly puzzled, he offered "You know you have a flat tire, right?" No we did not. We still don't know when it happened, but the tire was completely out of air.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bwQZ4RBtau-1PT27sUP5SrlEQfEBR8mimkUXoy8teXJf3ZiyoBPCYo4AsgdvBDdB6HmXgb5Y-aE2W7cfsbLW2297qcm-_QQLI2kq1vUSoEOVKJ6sGCbnH8GU_MdB5QI0gwm6K9imX7wDeUwyGoSb8GwTGm9stIXZP1KeGIIjltSoe5PdgTIC8NDLGg/s2500/_P1A1763.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bwQZ4RBtau-1PT27sUP5SrlEQfEBR8mimkUXoy8teXJf3ZiyoBPCYo4AsgdvBDdB6HmXgb5Y-aE2W7cfsbLW2297qcm-_QQLI2kq1vUSoEOVKJ6sGCbnH8GU_MdB5QI0gwm6K9imX7wDeUwyGoSb8GwTGm9stIXZP1KeGIIjltSoe5PdgTIC8NDLGg/w400-h268/_P1A1763.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Miner about to enter its burrow as we changed a flat tire</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We knew where to find the jack and tire because we'd made sure that we had all tire-changing gear before we left Buenos Aires. So the exchange went smoothly and we leapt back into the car just as the skies opened for another downpour.</p><p>As we neared the outer coast DP somehow noticed the head of a DARWIN'S NOTHURA sticking above the blowing grasses. I'm still not sure how he picked it out. After encountering many Spotted Nothuras to the north, this was the only Darwin's we would see all trip.</p><p>At 4pm we reached Punta Cantor just as there were signs the wind might let up. There was no sign of rain at this point. Here we would conduct a <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S121602206" target="_blank">seawatch</a>. As soon as we glimpsed the ocean DP spotted a skua moving southward. Photos revealed it to be a BROWN SKUA, apparently a bird of the expected Falkland Island subspecies.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimI3SkMC9C3QWARH6i6BsoTpCZ3d2X3OnueeEeR_t4SWZmnTRPGGFQbPA-BUE3Oeu2GIGdcutUnBaCZhJ4G_IXhMw2TQO5BJK80T9N8qbVnqatJq3MTBZZs2k8toml-q2-8vFgOm_Wb-oHMaJBtKaG6oYRZqT7KRcS68Nh7fO8Apoby7C18ju1qLD3cw/s2500/_P1A1842.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimI3SkMC9C3QWARH6i6BsoTpCZ3d2X3OnueeEeR_t4SWZmnTRPGGFQbPA-BUE3Oeu2GIGdcutUnBaCZhJ4G_IXhMw2TQO5BJK80T9N8qbVnqatJq3MTBZZs2k8toml-q2-8vFgOm_Wb-oHMaJBtKaG6oYRZqT7KRcS68Nh7fO8Apoby7C18ju1qLD3cw/w400-h266/_P1A1842.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Falkland" Brown Skua</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The outer Valdes Peninsula is known to be an excellent place to view both mammals and birds. A few male ELEPHANT SEALS were hauled out, and further up the coast we could see dozens more.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN-RxBaFCo-R-ddtyB7Y0WlioX_zffK0vs4iqXNw7p_o0hZ8kLDIiUTCmfLRcu-TJhPekFdYQjGXx9ADoPVIg9d-WWBd4TG8OID_84gaVaSqEhcLNb7_2oKCPsgkUK-uKgx5LPC3gFlFvRkrqbqiNATP5KnAL6XujOs92EiX0qKitSobu4abld-yvrA/s2500/_P1A2063.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN-RxBaFCo-R-ddtyB7Y0WlioX_zffK0vs4iqXNw7p_o0hZ8kLDIiUTCmfLRcu-TJhPekFdYQjGXx9ADoPVIg9d-WWBd4TG8OID_84gaVaSqEhcLNb7_2oKCPsgkUK-uKgx5LPC3gFlFvRkrqbqiNATP5KnAL6XujOs92EiX0qKitSobu4abld-yvrA/w400-h266/_P1A2063.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant Seal</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Down the trail we found a lee from which we could watch the water in comfortable fashion with the sun at our backs. Fantastic scope views of both GIANT-PETRELS were had. A second SKUA made a close pass, this one also a Brown. Our first penguins, MAGELLANIC, were spotted in the water. Gulls and terns fed offshore, and a pair of FLYING STEAMER-DUCKS kept shelter in the shallows.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDLlPZmlGhOhaMhnHow9aYPgrVQlTXMuvZMx6iPp5XEGtkPvb5uGT7tmRxGDJPnu27wiWvZAEzlWJgGrgDfSw5ZYd8SOX3H_5FSWVNtDR1IFANm4AaJmBnOXQ7ftJ8-TGZW3JZHsuqAlRYEm-trBMqKwv6n56skpYxrIBsV9TpmAYoyF6v6Yeg9SlXg/s2500/_P1A2288.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDLlPZmlGhOhaMhnHow9aYPgrVQlTXMuvZMx6iPp5XEGtkPvb5uGT7tmRxGDJPnu27wiWvZAEzlWJgGrgDfSw5ZYd8SOX3H_5FSWVNtDR1IFANm4AaJmBnOXQ7ftJ8-TGZW3JZHsuqAlRYEm-trBMqKwv6n56skpYxrIBsV9TpmAYoyF6v6Yeg9SlXg/w400-h266/_P1A2288.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southern Giant-Petrel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SqjLt6I0YnUvcmIUmQ92pHEKQmyqNllfK-lhcRb2lG_2x3EMpKM2ZMGCp61kJ2PYaP3rDv-iqmsQwK5klSwoQJXLV1JouYnb5a5ErwQG1EOHuGpDA3IohRWbzAfLwHHpXsc9-3lvO0q4tmrw7TG5VK_CKHom38n49_U9LijBZ0ddPClfKQkHU4tOTQ/s2500/_P1A2368.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SqjLt6I0YnUvcmIUmQ92pHEKQmyqNllfK-lhcRb2lG_2x3EMpKM2ZMGCp61kJ2PYaP3rDv-iqmsQwK5klSwoQJXLV1JouYnb5a5ErwQG1EOHuGpDA3IohRWbzAfLwHHpXsc9-3lvO0q4tmrw7TG5VK_CKHom38n49_U9LijBZ0ddPClfKQkHU4tOTQ/w400-h268/_P1A2368.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Giant-Petrel (note the reddish bill tip)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The peninsula is a world famous place to view Orcas, especially in March-April when they literally <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s2_qGeLEhQ" target="_blank">pick sea lion pups off the beach</a>! We were not lucky enough to see any, but friend Tom Johnson and his group observed Orcas in the shallows here about a week later.</p><p>By the time we left our watch, the wind had come down considerably, the sun was shining brightly, and suddenly the land birds and mammals came out of hiding. The golden light, the sweeping landscape and the backdrop of the sea combined for a gorgeous setting to enjoy all the Valdes Peninsula had to offer.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhOKMGzmJeTje5iG0yGfINToY6vbOjB0DUtuK6dCsPXF65umbpndYNTjuz1rwEaph6I9E2jgvhLBA9mZsP-d-9IsBg30BuMdaSJMrE3HRhonkkNsqqi25-lYr3MhyG6XGX8l5GJc00PboHqV9u_E9gNlySu6TgJ6h5anxBAVyJBJ441ofucvQoqNPww/s2500/_P1A2381-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhOKMGzmJeTje5iG0yGfINToY6vbOjB0DUtuK6dCsPXF65umbpndYNTjuz1rwEaph6I9E2jgvhLBA9mZsP-d-9IsBg30BuMdaSJMrE3HRhonkkNsqqi25-lYr3MhyG6XGX8l5GJc00PboHqV9u_E9gNlySu6TgJ6h5anxBAVyJBJ441ofucvQoqNPww/w400-h268/_P1A2381-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rufous-collared Sparrow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstFu5azIYcFAZziijmrHf8HgkayQbJagBTdRTrw0nZNaEVz0WVcmWaPxlAjhNuBmOD2Hirm-cVTNJ1A8-rEt4SywfoEc4ilRAO3IzjY-a7Kudt84TJeCQfHZ1nmcaGhPs4LbXg0ofbllq9gkXOEJlGTODakSmhI080ubbNB1BMSskXFFByOXnYWFILA/s2500/_P1A2388-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstFu5azIYcFAZziijmrHf8HgkayQbJagBTdRTrw0nZNaEVz0WVcmWaPxlAjhNuBmOD2Hirm-cVTNJ1A8-rEt4SywfoEc4ilRAO3IzjY-a7Kudt84TJeCQfHZ1nmcaGhPs4LbXg0ofbllq9gkXOEJlGTODakSmhI080ubbNB1BMSskXFFByOXnYWFILA/w400-h268/_P1A2388-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patagonian Mockingbird</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmL1FAZZcLYTOWXzPLIAK2LaOHrZVTE2u8pGhlLhsEhAK1PuesgMLdSiHnfSWFjfuMD_UwssO_v8JXcxkEYFclAM033NKJeLP15QhJ67RchRPhmQMpy-GNCxBWBcIIkFxEN_FxxHcpp-ijhfpJss1dmjNRN8MnCtza2tRBS2fuUdcxKm8AvhKVx-D4Q/s2500/_P1A2498-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1338" data-original-width="2500" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmL1FAZZcLYTOWXzPLIAK2LaOHrZVTE2u8pGhlLhsEhAK1PuesgMLdSiHnfSWFjfuMD_UwssO_v8JXcxkEYFclAM033NKJeLP15QhJ67RchRPhmQMpy-GNCxBWBcIIkFxEN_FxxHcpp-ijhfpJss1dmjNRN8MnCtza2tRBS2fuUdcxKm8AvhKVx-D4Q/w400-h214/_P1A2498-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large Hairy Armadillo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9B8C_qDHmjyg72ZGkdM9bo5OFgueF34hN1DtbiY-1rCSwjkOJf3NLCXTuV9PPMplkOQikKhEB6pozllpJEQJp5zbVk6a5yN-8nRLyQDJXcO70cUsxYreNq1N0PJR7DxxJzrSWKO_DINjKnaGBOOesPSAkd1BlC99thH--CiL8wiyiaDGIwGuq2LgXww/s2500/_P1A2536-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="2500" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9B8C_qDHmjyg72ZGkdM9bo5OFgueF34hN1DtbiY-1rCSwjkOJf3NLCXTuV9PPMplkOQikKhEB6pozllpJEQJp5zbVk6a5yN-8nRLyQDJXcO70cUsxYreNq1N0PJR7DxxJzrSWKO_DINjKnaGBOOesPSAkd1BlC99thH--CiL8wiyiaDGIwGuq2LgXww/w400-h233/_P1A2536-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large Hairy Armadillo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcA2KS2Bl-IcIPvKNZhWgrYH6WLJxIQDTIrWHsRKP4Cp-G1Idj-8-8Sc8okRBiFP03epUXPwf_DH3fu7vJPRgWjEJDTn8wylke3gQ9iArcS0_HeJ-RoDf6nFY_bknp5kW9i0xsDE4ZQnFSI6UDt3E1JckgkKWxSg6KMySctnIf4EOXqvnsYB0f3C06Q/s2500/_P1A2593-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcA2KS2Bl-IcIPvKNZhWgrYH6WLJxIQDTIrWHsRKP4Cp-G1Idj-8-8Sc8okRBiFP03epUXPwf_DH3fu7vJPRgWjEJDTn8wylke3gQ9iArcS0_HeJ-RoDf6nFY_bknp5kW9i0xsDE4ZQnFSI6UDt3E1JckgkKWxSg6KMySctnIf4EOXqvnsYB0f3C06Q/w400-h266/_P1A2593-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guanacos</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofT1vR-OnIBdCMpSMaCE_q-L2rYjZHCX6ZT50gjXUk0PEva0mNC77H0syc3ry1U70OD_-Gw7Az9A9tHUib3vgLeHPJJZrytgWAHR1QKqTcmTU8YqtnR-O5cDGWqMSC6XAOQBguxdWfvwBqr8PQnX7nOnsaLbD4yepZ0sYi2f4TMLYaETwANPMr65F_w/s2500/_P1A2622-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofT1vR-OnIBdCMpSMaCE_q-L2rYjZHCX6ZT50gjXUk0PEva0mNC77H0syc3ry1U70OD_-Gw7Az9A9tHUib3vgLeHPJJZrytgWAHR1QKqTcmTU8YqtnR-O5cDGWqMSC6XAOQBguxdWfvwBqr8PQnX7nOnsaLbD4yepZ0sYi2f4TMLYaETwANPMr65F_w/w400-h266/_P1A2622-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guanacos</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirE2yYf_YW9y-g7yKLTRsc3qq-wNUVkgdbxgPKnR9rGS72LcDn6n9yCom7OJcom7dQWVGGKvy4Jkn2gUAbyNtxdik2Sl6b23iJjvaNftC64NLADJXiiwFc5Fm51xoO-01m7bDVgXBej9sWL6HDvJAE8eF0u0kFjSBU7ardnMEGQdx4qBHnYDLWXwNjZQ/s2500/_P1A2635-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1517" data-original-width="2500" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirE2yYf_YW9y-g7yKLTRsc3qq-wNUVkgdbxgPKnR9rGS72LcDn6n9yCom7OJcom7dQWVGGKvy4Jkn2gUAbyNtxdik2Sl6b23iJjvaNftC64NLADJXiiwFc5Fm51xoO-01m7bDVgXBej9sWL6HDvJAE8eF0u0kFjSBU7ardnMEGQdx4qBHnYDLWXwNjZQ/w400-h243/_P1A2635-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">domestic sheep</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndKkd7f3r1IK3hyaNH3lZyP7PgblCK76tAQnOZySBdfEJbQx9U3QMRmfLT1pjPJtZmpAanJ36_S9kvdDjj1cvOdStHXGDg1GYAPVt5KCBYMjwqDHxnF0UFEKfnQ98fohw5s_veFLPzGFU9XpC1B9oLb3uctO49FOuS96_eeqSHYrW5DTLzZUbo7btsA/s2500/_P1A2659-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1576" data-original-width="2500" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndKkd7f3r1IK3hyaNH3lZyP7PgblCK76tAQnOZySBdfEJbQx9U3QMRmfLT1pjPJtZmpAanJ36_S9kvdDjj1cvOdStHXGDg1GYAPVt5KCBYMjwqDHxnF0UFEKfnQ98fohw5s_veFLPzGFU9XpC1B9oLb3uctO49FOuS96_eeqSHYrW5DTLzZUbo7btsA/w400-h253/_P1A2659-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guanacos</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAY63yDePJy7H6gfuctj8XFB3Ran8ScHVsESa24lBcT2-8HdanymQnvCtz_t5xXBt2VtQ7GOIX7v9j0J-4pgCFUq54vyaDJQrmSmfpdz-OaOUbyop_xrGl_pGKl3KGPAo8vBg73bcU76qVL8YLrBem9HpxYSQCw6136v1FkS61T0G4wFPPtK1dQfjeA/s2500/_P1A2752-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAY63yDePJy7H6gfuctj8XFB3Ran8ScHVsESa24lBcT2-8HdanymQnvCtz_t5xXBt2VtQ7GOIX7v9j0J-4pgCFUq54vyaDJQrmSmfpdz-OaOUbyop_xrGl_pGKl3KGPAo8vBg73bcU76qVL8YLrBem9HpxYSQCw6136v1FkS61T0G4wFPPtK1dQfjeA/w400-h268/_P1A2752-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patagonian Mara</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjax1LlaPYxMyQ4LrpF9NHAljPPlG3ntUN7_VjfjoWnzzZm0Qpgs2bUByKwIpkDtMTBdyZILksdqXH3O4Y58DeJE44vY9qgcqTLJU0-v0DYz73ukQ1iNCvPYgYc82Y7QPDlU_F9Zukt-bFS92hFOj5OU_KDjsbl4MwUDSBkRDPNJ421VLnK4jTionsQYw/s2500/_P1A2772-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjax1LlaPYxMyQ4LrpF9NHAljPPlG3ntUN7_VjfjoWnzzZm0Qpgs2bUByKwIpkDtMTBdyZILksdqXH3O4Y58DeJE44vY9qgcqTLJU0-v0DYz73ukQ1iNCvPYgYc82Y7QPDlU_F9Zukt-bFS92hFOj5OU_KDjsbl4MwUDSBkRDPNJ421VLnK4jTionsQYw/w400-h268/_P1A2772-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patagonian Mara</td></tr></tbody></table><p>GUANACOS were everywhere all at once. The peculiar PATAGONIAN MARA made a few appearances. LESSER RHEAS were finally found. Small parties of ELEGANT CRESTED-TINAMOU crossed the roads with reckless abandon. We accidentally flushed one off its roadside nest and were amazed to see a bundle of mirror-like emerald green eggs.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhMZuits2X9ox_UcKwVYGy8De4kwFSi7Pp0QmNQ16gljVwEBoKdX2Y2oX1l3Vo24ORqXSwsdIt9WctKw3Tb0aw-mRCtFVfVB1YJjbNfMNgnikbJvIhdc0s0ZmOHmxhicWdzwXC_A8mZLEFRNuKKSubkMNRJ9Rviw9VRPkdQ9F_2K_Wk0OgyL2dtERSw/s2500/_P1A1803-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhMZuits2X9ox_UcKwVYGy8De4kwFSi7Pp0QmNQ16gljVwEBoKdX2Y2oX1l3Vo24ORqXSwsdIt9WctKw3Tb0aw-mRCtFVfVB1YJjbNfMNgnikbJvIhdc0s0ZmOHmxhicWdzwXC_A8mZLEFRNuKKSubkMNRJ9Rviw9VRPkdQ9F_2K_Wk0OgyL2dtERSw/w400-h266/_P1A1803-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elegant Crested-Tinamou</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFUmtD59X4-y58VknW7LKaF7Rl1wmzNBB75doKeSyfQKEqUKKjNs3O7cOW1YmjCM6Shyfs8cNuK7oMFcoz3VwX5UAMXdjdtbT9QacWC2tvqcu2z9kSDFJB8Xnn-wxVbUX4vbtSRDNAJnxIIYTaACl-wlP7bNRjDVsuKYJEXSg2W0vCOWX8Jr2Ha01ew/s2500/IMG_7870.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1875" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFUmtD59X4-y58VknW7LKaF7Rl1wmzNBB75doKeSyfQKEqUKKjNs3O7cOW1YmjCM6Shyfs8cNuK7oMFcoz3VwX5UAMXdjdtbT9QacWC2tvqcu2z9kSDFJB8Xnn-wxVbUX4vbtSRDNAJnxIIYTaACl-wlP7bNRjDVsuKYJEXSg2W0vCOWX8Jr2Ha01ew/w300-h400/IMG_7870.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elegant Crested-Tinamou nest</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The day's constant crosswinds had taken a toll on our vehicle's fuel economy, and we just about rolled into the gas station at Puerto Piramides on fumes. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner there and returned to Puerto Madryn.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>Oct 31</u></p><p>This morning we <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S121624596" target="_blank">spent a few hours</a> along the coast east of Puerto Madryn as far as Cerro Avanzado. We found two new flycatchers, neither of which we were expecting at this location: SPOT-BILLED GROUND-TYRANT and WHITE-WINGED BLACK-TYRANT. My personal highlight of the morning was another experience viewing SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES, this time a bit closer and for a longer period of time than the other day.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfY4iYRZrO5Hcy10zVfOmjFnAAv2OFSGxAMSKAsCA1vNIHQy7es_-CrpXlSLSfdetGVEVyEibcVLVhTacgZANyCeBbKQw8sgvqIFxZDUzkb7uUSQjzD4lJ_f_Ssx2R_sv4damdCPeEpdR0i9Xlwb0EL4owy0DgnyG-d5KK_Nwb-iic5uHOLN4GFAUZfQ/s2500/_P1A2810-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfY4iYRZrO5Hcy10zVfOmjFnAAv2OFSGxAMSKAsCA1vNIHQy7es_-CrpXlSLSfdetGVEVyEibcVLVhTacgZANyCeBbKQw8sgvqIFxZDUzkb7uUSQjzD4lJ_f_Ssx2R_sv4damdCPeEpdR0i9Xlwb0EL4owy0DgnyG-d5KK_Nwb-iic5uHOLN4GFAUZfQ/w400-h268/_P1A2810-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patagonian Mockingbird</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgdEruTyC0Nm43fRigeluwfWrCtjUKzTpPeQ09F10P7QG7VCdy3dGBFrfxL-DbcEqlLAnOTJs46UN0cy9SdfIeophyaO46bulBPWImVzDH3GQtyOilZjkkLNIDY0skwKe3uqJB0Jd7PRVx3JPsDkxME16ZlPG8KutwmGKQEV6RmvauvjpRRcuz2hxAw/s2500/_P1A2846-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgdEruTyC0Nm43fRigeluwfWrCtjUKzTpPeQ09F10P7QG7VCdy3dGBFrfxL-DbcEqlLAnOTJs46UN0cy9SdfIeophyaO46bulBPWImVzDH3GQtyOilZjkkLNIDY0skwKe3uqJB0Jd7PRVx3JPsDkxME16ZlPG8KutwmGKQEV6RmvauvjpRRcuz2hxAw/w400-h266/_P1A2846-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu31uIOPunRiLS_DEFqsC52p32APf18vd2HvXnEfRh_puitQ1hctY3srE-Fcmmt9aqahK4x-dmhVIQEh2YZ5zqy1HADn4d4uf50609Koo6-IIvLoMhahCNGyFvhPon2Qj0neF_JFSCoCoLt0S_5sPbh_U5-hBXVk2oUUoJa9qpsdHelP1tvNPOkU196A/s2500/_P1A2860-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1667" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu31uIOPunRiLS_DEFqsC52p32APf18vd2HvXnEfRh_puitQ1hctY3srE-Fcmmt9aqahK4x-dmhVIQEh2YZ5zqy1HADn4d4uf50609Koo6-IIvLoMhahCNGyFvhPon2Qj0neF_JFSCoCoLt0S_5sPbh_U5-hBXVk2oUUoJa9qpsdHelP1tvNPOkU196A/w266-h400/_P1A2860-Edit.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diuca Finch with nesting material</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZOYOLZ4nOmte2N9NTUar89d1y7jlk6v1l3_ww0wAEyfXdWA-AXaaqdaep5MCbL3QmZhxg9plW6tkO2PR5NlSQxLFxypvIfL1AdS2P6rrkmtJhqWkWZshQzwkUgCJW-1G0qYjErvbxtcqpVLK9V9EKRhN-XPvnEp4RJMuiS2PrPnAMISiJrn9bGT4KA/s2500/_P1A2959-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZOYOLZ4nOmte2N9NTUar89d1y7jlk6v1l3_ww0wAEyfXdWA-AXaaqdaep5MCbL3QmZhxg9plW6tkO2PR5NlSQxLFxypvIfL1AdS2P6rrkmtJhqWkWZshQzwkUgCJW-1G0qYjErvbxtcqpVLK9V9EKRhN-XPvnEp4RJMuiS2PrPnAMISiJrn9bGT4KA/w320-h400/_P1A2959-Edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-winged Black-Tyrant</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Since we had done so well in the preceding days, leaving very little on the bone, we again found ourselves a bit ahead of schedule. This was ideal because we really wanted to repair or replace our damaged tire in case we got stuck with another flat. We set off for Trelew, arrived late morning, and found a tire shop straight away that was able to fix the damage rather quickly!</p><p>Laguna Chiquichano, located across the street from the tire shop, seemed too convenient to ignore. Loaded with birds, Tripp got his waterfowl fix for the week. Diversity wasn't amazing, but the views were solid. Triple-digit counts of RED SHOVELER and LAKE DUCK were impressive, and we finally found our first SILVERY GREBES of the tour.</p><p>This afternoon, in the absence of important plans, we decided to head east towards Rawson and act on a couple random eBird leads for Least Seedsnipe and Tawny-throated Dotterel, both major trip targets. Sadly the pins were dead ends on private land and we had little to show for our efforts other than a bunch more SILVERY GREBES. Things got a bit interesting on our drive back to Trelew when traffic suddenly came to a standstill heading out of Rawson. We deftly maneuvered our way to another artery out of town only to find the same completely still traffic jam. I messaged our Airbnb host who informed us that this was the result of a coordinated political protest. Such disruptions have become more common in recent months as Argentina's economy continues to slide in the face of political corruption. After a couple hours of sitting around, the cars began to slowly move. By the time we reached the site of blockade, the flaming tires had been removed from the roadway and the protestors had either scattered or been arrested or some combination of the two!</p><p>At this point, after a mostly wasted afternoon, we called it a day. Luckily, since we had been a bit ahead of schedule, this was nothing more than an inconvenience for us.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>Nov 1</u></p><p>Our final day on the road would be an active one! The plan was to drive south to Punta Tombo and back, birding en route, before our afternoon flight to Ushuaia.</p><p>We set out very early and made sure we were at our first roadside stop for sunrise. One of the first sounds we heard getting out of the car was that of singing LEAST SEEDSNIPE. Two pairs seemed to be sharing the area around this water hole. They were not very approachable, but scope views were excellent. A RUSTY-BACKED MONJITA made a brief appearance on the fence line.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oOCX12tzPMX6llokcwLw5LdXk4QcV0sIq1zELim96yjIG9grhdYt4q_vzZf2NWOFxT-T8XHuOphiTZFL5qjivi1U1U49G--tAWFSZlWdMpaM72mVedDD71FGr6dzW99iYLoAKqk5xMMx0NFl_KBCJsMzDOsDGFQRwpJzNbf_MZScLqD9N18LNXMmrg/s2500/_P1A3099-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oOCX12tzPMX6llokcwLw5LdXk4QcV0sIq1zELim96yjIG9grhdYt4q_vzZf2NWOFxT-T8XHuOphiTZFL5qjivi1U1U49G--tAWFSZlWdMpaM72mVedDD71FGr6dzW99iYLoAKqk5xMMx0NFl_KBCJsMzDOsDGFQRwpJzNbf_MZScLqD9N18LNXMmrg/w400-h266/_P1A3099-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rusty-backed Monjita</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVl1k3Uf1Mv3CsGjkHdXJ1QcfJ8DoSCgk22Oz0SKNzYBCpWPJ9Df_uY_5YnWOa49iu-rBwF4FmSFzzGTDBIS3JRI7T04Oz235q-THOvXLQVbDMVFS1oy914DpXt3lG1yOFpGYU1RgvfUOtNP8WKLsiKq6j16Q1W25A1zUrD4k7c6ppt06KbszKmXMsYw/s2500/IMG_7876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVl1k3Uf1Mv3CsGjkHdXJ1QcfJ8DoSCgk22Oz0SKNzYBCpWPJ9Df_uY_5YnWOa49iu-rBwF4FmSFzzGTDBIS3JRI7T04Oz235q-THOvXLQVbDMVFS1oy914DpXt3lG1yOFpGYU1RgvfUOtNP8WKLsiKq6j16Q1W25A1zUrD4k7c6ppt06KbszKmXMsYw/w400-h300/IMG_7876.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Least Seedsnipe habitat</td></tr></tbody></table><p>A passerine species that had eluded us to this point was BAND-TAILED EARTHCREEPER. We had tried a few spots further north, but we were now getting into more favorable territory. Our first couple stops this morning were fruitless, but persistence paid off and we finally found a spot that held three of them.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyduQs5cxDh4NpLyYy9seI9Gew_iurvSCsP_SXn8cETu7gOi_G9tNfA400w2UWI0Mdnspl0o050_EjSsAm0MWFUNymXqtR47GiZJfNMv7hYsAvFbtfry2kc9UAUpZmq2kXVAJjcLg718IU_eSRcs7w9yxO5ynGwFOmnVh-oku2Mhr2-8PLDrVaLWYJjw/s2500/_P1A3302-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyduQs5cxDh4NpLyYy9seI9Gew_iurvSCsP_SXn8cETu7gOi_G9tNfA400w2UWI0Mdnspl0o050_EjSsAm0MWFUNymXqtR47GiZJfNMv7hYsAvFbtfry2kc9UAUpZmq2kXVAJjcLg718IU_eSRcs7w9yxO5ynGwFOmnVh-oku2Mhr2-8PLDrVaLWYJjw/w400-h268/_P1A3302-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Band-tailed Earthcreeper</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtTnSfFQC-8gOyNeP3_v-eDgJOdfxKkjGpZyb6Kz0b-0vERI_aNI_SndSkHAnTL0mdQdBo3_UABBl58xtPRKyFxslpTaOdZfZjxR40RUcvf9AjTxodk1p9tBlmsUeV7m4_7NPfTgOs7tpGvyZ29N8DT1CdJJYG52fQaWzb-mTzDb0AFad-brkJuxRrg/s2500/_P1A3491-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtTnSfFQC-8gOyNeP3_v-eDgJOdfxKkjGpZyb6Kz0b-0vERI_aNI_SndSkHAnTL0mdQdBo3_UABBl58xtPRKyFxslpTaOdZfZjxR40RUcvf9AjTxodk1p9tBlmsUeV7m4_7NPfTgOs7tpGvyZ29N8DT1CdJJYG52fQaWzb-mTzDb0AFad-brkJuxRrg/w320-h400/_P1A3491-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Variable Hawk</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As we approached Punta Tombo we passed a small ranch with lush vegetation and a water source, so no surprise that <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S121701425" target="_blank">it was birdy</a>. New for us were GRAY-HOODED SIERRA FINCH and BLACK-CHINNED SISKIN, plus quality repeats like WHITE-TIPPED PLANTCUTTER, WHITE-WINGED BLACK-TYRANT, SCALE-THROATED EARTHCREEPER and CHIGUANCO THRUSH.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-SENaU4OR3cvDVmyAihJ5Ygb-sWLfTahCJZVpOvYoFIOwyatxuCmjk-M8b2JvMZ9SJa8IKV5WpBGKWNzlOFGm1BYt0tbzkCe4yZHJ7V1d0AyyDDS9uCKVHluy6ElKehC1uZ_ooHtr0cCBW0X_Ayd0BlYFyKLmaloFiHhiiUeMc_mf3cyBIvzkRz-VA/s2500/IMG_7877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-SENaU4OR3cvDVmyAihJ5Ygb-sWLfTahCJZVpOvYoFIOwyatxuCmjk-M8b2JvMZ9SJa8IKV5WpBGKWNzlOFGm1BYt0tbzkCe4yZHJ7V1d0AyyDDS9uCKVHluy6ElKehC1uZ_ooHtr0cCBW0X_Ayd0BlYFyKLmaloFiHhiiUeMc_mf3cyBIvzkRz-VA/w400-h300/IMG_7877.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tripp in action</td></tr></tbody></table><p>At the reserve itself there are two main parking areas, one for ticket purchases and one for trail access. We were greeted at both lots by more GRAY-HOODED SIERRA FINCHES that were literally picking insects off cars and scavenging scraps by the restaurant.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvTYbXznjZrXZopV8y5bLBzlDpsOjFlqAn0X-2toES5YqkqFWPkCg7wpys04qbxI8DbjDUhRhOelZLbxNCb7rhwJpYAtoA7O_YqfFCiGZZGuEx2y97Lw3wWCubOR8jZ8ueJta8IyBC-rhQ7ZXcC5R7BVQ8qsaPJxrjrTmxvker6wJ_l-IgeW34VbIzQ/s2500/_P1A3749-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvTYbXznjZrXZopV8y5bLBzlDpsOjFlqAn0X-2toES5YqkqFWPkCg7wpys04qbxI8DbjDUhRhOelZLbxNCb7rhwJpYAtoA7O_YqfFCiGZZGuEx2y97Lw3wWCubOR8jZ8ueJta8IyBC-rhQ7ZXcC5R7BVQ8qsaPJxrjrTmxvker6wJ_l-IgeW34VbIzQ/w400-h266/_P1A3749-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gray-hooded Sierra Finch longingly peeking into the restaurant</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The MAGELLANIC PENGUIN colony at Punta Tombo is a major tourist magnet. We're talking bus tours and the like. The key is to get in early before the hoardes arrive. While we weren't quite there for opening, we were one of the first to arrive and had the path largely to ourselves for a while. The sun was already high and harsh, which made photography difficult, but the experience was still very enjoyable. The penguins are scattered though a large area, some of which are quite close to the trail. These are charming birds and it is absolutely worth the trip to see them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprqK7xc3XQ1O-iIqdfQXPwcgLlehaCIRE08zX-ju8HYH0YbrF3XwPOnw-4AB1XMOs2yMW9SjWoHPxGta1SuG32EoZsLZXtoGqan30czBI519DtbbUS7PPlwpqK-9l8oSfGMPFetGDqyOhzFTnGUDv3edPAV2XDrFm6kEoErMHLkPik2fT1IfUq6ljqw/s2500/_P1A3783-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprqK7xc3XQ1O-iIqdfQXPwcgLlehaCIRE08zX-ju8HYH0YbrF3XwPOnw-4AB1XMOs2yMW9SjWoHPxGta1SuG32EoZsLZXtoGqan30czBI519DtbbUS7PPlwpqK-9l8oSfGMPFetGDqyOhzFTnGUDv3edPAV2XDrFm6kEoErMHLkPik2fT1IfUq6ljqw/w400-h268/_P1A3783-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Za87mmem4LY2Ffs7F3FICjJ6KgPmwLMGwDS5LZiOjuWdI8VoYVaKsK-x1YOqMNvhnS964AFhxZIRQyArMtzFYVFs4fPoB1KiGrzaKDZKYT6KipBhD2jWu69wtpb8JI1f7o2QR84I5PMwTY6bZs4aQMreNFqjqrbaJc8HrU4oyTb3rKHh4hHbE-altw/s2500/_P1A3793-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Za87mmem4LY2Ffs7F3FICjJ6KgPmwLMGwDS5LZiOjuWdI8VoYVaKsK-x1YOqMNvhnS964AFhxZIRQyArMtzFYVFs4fPoB1KiGrzaKDZKYT6KipBhD2jWu69wtpb8JI1f7o2QR84I5PMwTY6bZs4aQMreNFqjqrbaJc8HrU4oyTb3rKHh4hHbE-altw/w400-h320/_P1A3793-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidExx8UUAvj5ZI14tV6W6R_Ji7T2zN1UZ-WPyCbHzp01wZVSRrDPs0-gfbj-FaQVswy2x7PtmzScs7cY3F1Jb8ZHQI-_VfquQwp0jZnttyrYQ7OWy5FuS8eAPhOuqLUu7uaDlw4_y1UIpuOkrzgPmC-UASjDEUp9rNC-Wf7N38XKBWfMHSAMBZ2KVHJg/s2500/_P1A3801-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidExx8UUAvj5ZI14tV6W6R_Ji7T2zN1UZ-WPyCbHzp01wZVSRrDPs0-gfbj-FaQVswy2x7PtmzScs7cY3F1Jb8ZHQI-_VfquQwp0jZnttyrYQ7OWy5FuS8eAPhOuqLUu7uaDlw4_y1UIpuOkrzgPmC-UASjDEUp9rNC-Wf7N38XKBWfMHSAMBZ2KVHJg/w400-h268/_P1A3801-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZG_7KnctfkmezjvDfWsrzQ16O36v81pAEGQAiHVd_ff3vtAdNtuB5eKEaVa2v0bDyuy8dnmFmv-bZQLQ_RgpNdgid87DY18kqTjC57vgoTKpCG0R4m0pZBik0z-V2fxekFc6H8tDqwi4TUj9hEXoiaYhMswQvc5pryuCQq9LM16WXfF05qFGuXvURA/s2500/_P1A3853-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="2500" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZG_7KnctfkmezjvDfWsrzQ16O36v81pAEGQAiHVd_ff3vtAdNtuB5eKEaVa2v0bDyuy8dnmFmv-bZQLQ_RgpNdgid87DY18kqTjC57vgoTKpCG0R4m0pZBik0z-V2fxekFc6H8tDqwi4TUj9hEXoiaYhMswQvc5pryuCQq9LM16WXfF05qFGuXvURA/w400-h173/_P1A3853-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XrtR0AdwQm3TawzxMUpPby-pGiF5JRtbCQMHKEVTQUbrlM29n-iCELliK8eky28JGgQLGtbwJT2nG4zVMyRyktvijAa9uuT9WlKPjH8Pbt3NbojiADppM-HhKFd_rhO2rNbCJ9Wsh_ySNU3JOwhlOmHiKM1mtj7gc7rGlmjdbVa0aD2OUqQvyDsTvg/s2500/_P1A3914-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XrtR0AdwQm3TawzxMUpPby-pGiF5JRtbCQMHKEVTQUbrlM29n-iCELliK8eky28JGgQLGtbwJT2nG4zVMyRyktvijAa9uuT9WlKPjH8Pbt3NbojiADppM-HhKFd_rhO2rNbCJ9Wsh_ySNU3JOwhlOmHiKM1mtj7gc7rGlmjdbVa0aD2OUqQvyDsTvg/w400-h268/_P1A3914-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-NPiAExqKdJZUUWlImLsH_soSyl2E0StIXnvdN40Feh8-lyooE1eySVYOF4tox0Fgkkmdbn0JVcOqlfjw0BE9pK8Jjt7EyA8IiGHlzv_O-fgK7UnvgIFwQyGHIyiGdymkfu9LPH7C_ANGtRIVnzxz-h_PiMQm14fugubH1gC-KItp8sZIQYH7HMVMg/s2500/_P1A3958-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1490" data-original-width="2500" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-NPiAExqKdJZUUWlImLsH_soSyl2E0StIXnvdN40Feh8-lyooE1eySVYOF4tox0Fgkkmdbn0JVcOqlfjw0BE9pK8Jjt7EyA8IiGHlzv_O-fgK7UnvgIFwQyGHIyiGdymkfu9LPH7C_ANGtRIVnzxz-h_PiMQm14fugubH1gC-KItp8sZIQYH7HMVMg/w400-h239/_P1A3958-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bEr7ZrsGXKERXII2z_xVadq6aEP_MjpjskzNVMnojL3RInPtD1avkzEqUQv1eVBqUkln6iCY2Cvora52MPEP-cr9TR8XgU0WGhZg3_78GZA_ahQZUktvcbLH_dNmAzz5PSAtAN-gd2_e1Q7sUxRDfC2aMuTPUJKXJGy6yAAASO0fUWsnKRgqweRcWw/s2500/_P1A3839-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bEr7ZrsGXKERXII2z_xVadq6aEP_MjpjskzNVMnojL3RInPtD1avkzEqUQv1eVBqUkln6iCY2Cvora52MPEP-cr9TR8XgU0WGhZg3_78GZA_ahQZUktvcbLH_dNmAzz5PSAtAN-gd2_e1Q7sUxRDfC2aMuTPUJKXJGy6yAAASO0fUWsnKRgqweRcWw/w400-h268/_P1A3839-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CTzU_R__numh_9Y45fLuaXdd_vJQGQVBDIubvN65nk6dRvHwrxtSxZxAqebaPJORYqOtMKhtg7wllgrYxHCQc245RsuZd7jeOYECcbC_glVnxxfHxy2MRiafNsvcnrKKgUl1iXhY993XP4OancBWfMHiwOh4MnD6FCfRpBWQMgI7aohNaSR58hjTgA/s2500/IMG_7880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CTzU_R__numh_9Y45fLuaXdd_vJQGQVBDIubvN65nk6dRvHwrxtSxZxAqebaPJORYqOtMKhtg7wllgrYxHCQc245RsuZd7jeOYECcbC_glVnxxfHxy2MRiafNsvcnrKKgUl1iXhY993XP4OancBWfMHiwOh4MnD6FCfRpBWQMgI7aohNaSR58hjTgA/w400-h300/IMG_7880.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The A-#1 bird target here was actually the endemic WHITE-HEADED STEAMER-DUCK, which we found without any trouble. We had nice scope views of a male from the first lookout point, plus another few further out. Luckily we had scored those Brown Skuas at the Valdes Peninsula, so we did not have to continue further to look for that species...which was a good thing because the harsh light would not have made skua identification terribly easy.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBHuTtLgXDcwA75fh0H90BtZPwnF0Pz2evag8Y87p_jFwsUNayFNzwI2z27y9r8kQMhM_MVGQKtyEGl_YA3dHMhGkwnd2ffdtjNBpHQdTLT-vsOu1INQ9XVKXrsL_XrNZJmIsMob3LM_rBRiPPVSpqmeDPJyChv_26iWBi0ML5wC4m7EkkMqU1O41YA/s2500/IMG_7882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBHuTtLgXDcwA75fh0H90BtZPwnF0Pz2evag8Y87p_jFwsUNayFNzwI2z27y9r8kQMhM_MVGQKtyEGl_YA3dHMhGkwnd2ffdtjNBpHQdTLT-vsOu1INQ9XVKXrsL_XrNZJmIsMob3LM_rBRiPPVSpqmeDPJyChv_26iWBi0ML5wC4m7EkkMqU1O41YA/w400-h300/IMG_7882.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">scoping steamer-ducks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8t7DTPnKydoowlY2ZWHlPebTf3jy2dMJkN7vdUotdBDhr_-c5kIZtsSkYXZKNCJJBuLs7FsOx8myXZngT7NvIWAi73ukqYzH7thHJ-Td-muQbiXq4528xnXVQFSY_AXI7WYo1riHi5VyAyduEpBeHPjaGfRcXipX1TnAWORvkL607iI0fA-4Ng1s0RQ/s2500/_P1A3860-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1464" data-original-width="2500" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8t7DTPnKydoowlY2ZWHlPebTf3jy2dMJkN7vdUotdBDhr_-c5kIZtsSkYXZKNCJJBuLs7FsOx8myXZngT7NvIWAi73ukqYzH7thHJ-Td-muQbiXq4528xnXVQFSY_AXI7WYo1riHi5VyAyduEpBeHPjaGfRcXipX1TnAWORvkL607iI0fA-4Ng1s0RQ/w400-h234/_P1A3860-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelp Gull devouring a Penguin egg</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We then boogied back to Trelew, not having to stop for anything along the way thanks to our successful morning. We gave ourselves enough time to return to Laguna Chiquichano while we repacked our luggage and headed to the airport.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilN2z_2N01xKvr1s4chM778ePtreCW7e--vDHtO2LCIJK88-5di0WxcgZHFedEjOGwSGko1AEIgvGQBTpkOWrfDSb63Qz73JAwLTxzJHODTbU_xyM2Dr82WhKLL5wjWg_UBhfwHQabTUdKZhDT9DxseHVtVL6-7KRAXgO5gSIvpYL8kAYQy2CUhUuPyg/s2500/_P1A4076-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1303" data-original-width="2500" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilN2z_2N01xKvr1s4chM778ePtreCW7e--vDHtO2LCIJK88-5di0WxcgZHFedEjOGwSGko1AEIgvGQBTpkOWrfDSb63Qz73JAwLTxzJHODTbU_xyM2Dr82WhKLL5wjWg_UBhfwHQabTUdKZhDT9DxseHVtVL6-7KRAXgO5gSIvpYL8kAYQy2CUhUuPyg/w400-h209/_P1A4076-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Shoveler</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirATgufi_xNNesOsxWB303Zf9EKddMBLQEMKffq-vxlq4g8umYZcoE-r6G7ScJy7OlclIk5yWLzFEpGrf3a2rCSvHrtWS0xMMvDt-eYURE-UUXcpROYW7qNL15HOApVkttAF79LLHjel72v9G_Q-nlE9saurMNRkx43tZNqKtqcztH7J-gyjvCSMvfKg/s2500/_P1A4213-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1342" data-original-width="2500" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirATgufi_xNNesOsxWB303Zf9EKddMBLQEMKffq-vxlq4g8umYZcoE-r6G7ScJy7OlclIk5yWLzFEpGrf3a2rCSvHrtWS0xMMvDt-eYURE-UUXcpROYW7qNL15HOApVkttAF79LLHjel72v9G_Q-nlE9saurMNRkx43tZNqKtqcztH7J-gyjvCSMvfKg/w400-h215/_P1A4213-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Duck</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKR9TtFy1CWwOWtUlMhJnkT_OD5mXrTLi6gJCEPIoxuMXd0GXeIRfa5I0vWNqmdcT1CmkHSUmGV9GWorVXPdPMwklAY7gL16EFqev1yVCL6_hQnVtJtl8fPE1_ff3ueJ9_6g29pJXDFaMb9j6Usas4QX21nKgGFblbKqhMJHzgphJ7RuXIqvNPpZ6vw/s2500/_P1A4386-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKR9TtFy1CWwOWtUlMhJnkT_OD5mXrTLi6gJCEPIoxuMXd0GXeIRfa5I0vWNqmdcT1CmkHSUmGV9GWorVXPdPMwklAY7gL16EFqev1yVCL6_hQnVtJtl8fPE1_ff3ueJ9_6g29pJXDFaMb9j6Usas4QX21nKgGFblbKqhMJHzgphJ7RuXIqvNPpZ6vw/w400-h268/_P1A4386-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Shoveler</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHCa_a69lbr7HlT3gRs40m1_yptnsSHlDPCbCVe3ZBxeDe-1oepJJJwlbuQJzlweRhK3kCRBQNe2Mv3pjrs5jq3qfAx8kUYE_bs7lrTHuIPGrUyRdaOf6mFyAUIlZ5ZbewSmgz7o4vuIPFe1NI5YXH1cUNXIhv2Mg5EdaLTTBSqdZ-ac0QGaCxMH1VQ/s2500/_P1A4422-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHCa_a69lbr7HlT3gRs40m1_yptnsSHlDPCbCVe3ZBxeDe-1oepJJJwlbuQJzlweRhK3kCRBQNe2Mv3pjrs5jq3qfAx8kUYE_bs7lrTHuIPGrUyRdaOf6mFyAUIlZ5ZbewSmgz7o4vuIPFe1NI5YXH1cUNXIhv2Mg5EdaLTTBSqdZ-ac0QGaCxMH1VQ/w400-h268/_P1A4422-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-tufted Grebe</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The whirlwind road trip had come to an end, and to be honest it couldn't have worked out much better. A couple tough species gave us the miss early on (Dot-winged Crake and Stripe-backed Bittern), but otherwise we nearly swept all of our target birds and logged some excellent mammals as well.</p><p>We were excited to move on to the next leg of the trip. Our 800 mile flight to Ushuaia was uneventful and got us there before dark. The views of the southern Andes were spectacular from the air. Though the urge to hit the ground running was strong, we only took a quick glance at some habitat by the airport before checking into our Airbnb and grabbing empanadas for dinner.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMUM0PAkEemKRkJolZJ0DfyU3kHGWzwN7AN2giVpk0WNLX6RCSFY7-PvzH2ucPG6sJQtHWivNhf1h1IiaB2aLi-SXR5FhVBaUniS_VyEsrmE2Jivw-Mi4LtLRRcnQA8aEBVZyZj5NOabpqvNDEGadzbU5M8JWOwvvrOC3IPnygpgwa-cPp_4FuxxLUQ/s2500/IMG_7901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMUM0PAkEemKRkJolZJ0DfyU3kHGWzwN7AN2giVpk0WNLX6RCSFY7-PvzH2ucPG6sJQtHWivNhf1h1IiaB2aLi-SXR5FhVBaUniS_VyEsrmE2Jivw-Mi4LtLRRcnQA8aEBVZyZj5NOabpqvNDEGadzbU5M8JWOwvvrOC3IPnygpgwa-cPp_4FuxxLUQ/w400-h300/IMG_7901.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1A9Z_dcAisbi7LnFxyMXOB4Knt9XQQh8-W13KA03xRyB_II9vfVTnnsAm_Br0WPjAEdBIYMI-bBAycNUhJnqxVAywOL45TjE4-H2AQsMkf0kd0rqbRomXXQdP6cyk3HDU56E8g_xBnAijO_eYiDcVajNEktKa2g_QB92tdhZ1Ef2CrF3g7goiBHhbMQ/s2500/IMG_7903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1A9Z_dcAisbi7LnFxyMXOB4Knt9XQQh8-W13KA03xRyB_II9vfVTnnsAm_Br0WPjAEdBIYMI-bBAycNUhJnqxVAywOL45TjE4-H2AQsMkf0kd0rqbRomXXQdP6cyk3HDU56E8g_xBnAijO_eYiDcVajNEktKa2g_QB92tdhZ1Ef2CrF3g7goiBHhbMQ/w400-h300/IMG_7903.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p> - NB</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-8306097377720142422023-01-20T20:42:00.002-05:002023-01-20T20:42:42.920-05:00Argentina: Pampas to Patagonia (Part 3: Bahia Blanca to Las Grutas to Puerto Madryn)<p><u>Oct 28</u></p><p>We completed the entire drive to Bahia Blanca the day before, so all we had was a short ride northwest of town to the pastures that PAMPAS MEADOWLARKS call home. Just a bit past the turnoff for Chasico we parked the car and focused on fields looking west. It didn't take long for a skylarking meadowlark with dark underwings to declare itself as a Pampas, though we had to take great care to separate these birds from the numerous LONG-TAILED MEADOWLARKS and scattered WHITE-BROWED MEADOWLARKS that also reside here. We spent a while soaking in this rare species that the three of us are unlikely to ever see again. Most of the time the Pampas kept their distance from the road, unlike the Long-taileds which had no such aversion.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaB0w--XyFuXkZDxSaQu7LDy2GVmQ5s2tYe6LaCqek7ehzKKiSztBy8jTvp4euEktkKqvXrd2iZAvQz0y2CgnGavCr9qeNtO7441P2LvCzrc3uqcHyk6PiI7ITFsjBu3fAV3cLQMgd1cKkMbHEXp1q5g_mzRBne4AnICo6qbouTwmF-Q8n9bizjaDNg/s2500/_P1A9566-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaB0w--XyFuXkZDxSaQu7LDy2GVmQ5s2tYe6LaCqek7ehzKKiSztBy8jTvp4euEktkKqvXrd2iZAvQz0y2CgnGavCr9qeNtO7441P2LvCzrc3uqcHyk6PiI7ITFsjBu3fAV3cLQMgd1cKkMbHEXp1q5g_mzRBne4AnICo6qbouTwmF-Q8n9bizjaDNg/w400-h266/_P1A9566-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5iFUjN2bTSC65-D4Hdwv9_e9ia922BE-Zi-DbrHasEcafV1zTSE3N6iMDNjNOn_03RTVDvTReBqeHOByweGO-BePO2i9QVfx4hFYno2ujApWFQh3INgtCvAHq1RED5ku9qpa50LuPAJfuEA0VVeIEPHKRRdfj3XSN78y2y2ykzEEQm0IPfUaVDIcQg/s2500/_P1A9697-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2029" data-original-width="2500" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5iFUjN2bTSC65-D4Hdwv9_e9ia922BE-Zi-DbrHasEcafV1zTSE3N6iMDNjNOn_03RTVDvTReBqeHOByweGO-BePO2i9QVfx4hFYno2ujApWFQh3INgtCvAHq1RED5ku9qpa50LuPAJfuEA0VVeIEPHKRRdfj3XSN78y2y2ykzEEQm0IPfUaVDIcQg/w400-h325/_P1A9697-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfMqPIUJU_bsILMjBaUYXxKSXwySx0s2Qym65Hlzo103CzEldBQpa1M6H230rxqbj5jPlv-GLnz_zSTJw8mg3yI1l6c1K0eCzegB9W7wg-jq9YQ5Q_7n3FtFCAr-ZKpEXMFvLcGOAp6jKwwKSx07pxpCrSBq8WkwCiJhyf0iYRaofjSUy8rk5UHp69Q/s2500/_P1A9705-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfMqPIUJU_bsILMjBaUYXxKSXwySx0s2Qym65Hlzo103CzEldBQpa1M6H230rxqbj5jPlv-GLnz_zSTJw8mg3yI1l6c1K0eCzegB9W7wg-jq9YQ5Q_7n3FtFCAr-ZKpEXMFvLcGOAp6jKwwKSx07pxpCrSBq8WkwCiJhyf0iYRaofjSUy8rk5UHp69Q/w400-h268/_P1A9705-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nhlUNHdr7WT3AhguMzjeF5VHByBg5G0BUAVxl1teCuE92MTWVHTgHL1haI2CKpk3MIOcNa-C668JxYwTqRI7sWvkpKhtUiPT5LPn2BCuj-o6leeju5YSrDHd87AJCjViPaFLK8y9-fE8U9JD5sJHx1_ogs-ZAzKKDgVPUOB3bm2B0qzIn3uL8GVwzA/s2500/_P1A9872-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nhlUNHdr7WT3AhguMzjeF5VHByBg5G0BUAVxl1teCuE92MTWVHTgHL1haI2CKpk3MIOcNa-C668JxYwTqRI7sWvkpKhtUiPT5LPn2BCuj-o6leeju5YSrDHd87AJCjViPaFLK8y9-fE8U9JD5sJHx1_ogs-ZAzKKDgVPUOB3bm2B0qzIn3uL8GVwzA/w400-h268/_P1A9872-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pampas Meadowlarks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3oGpHkAZVOgeCKinCYc7G2wPo4iv1kih8Z4dXGCJwghlIBmCBWZY-25qODtEP2_k1KG-Ch4SooH3NmxlM8UIK1k7m-racYQtqTLK36LZ5wCeNUE0_3le0Ag77Y7bU-aQe1zcxb2iQFQ8DAWVN-cqBZn-KPXerZbIYvFQrCzDOdjZurPAoHrro3RtXg/s2500/_P1A9963-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3oGpHkAZVOgeCKinCYc7G2wPo4iv1kih8Z4dXGCJwghlIBmCBWZY-25qODtEP2_k1KG-Ch4SooH3NmxlM8UIK1k7m-racYQtqTLK36LZ5wCeNUE0_3le0Ag77Y7bU-aQe1zcxb2iQFQ8DAWVN-cqBZn-KPXerZbIYvFQrCzDOdjZurPAoHrro3RtXg/w400-h268/_P1A9963-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-tailed Meadowlark, for comparison</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Our second and final BEARDED TACHURI made a brief appearance along the fence line here. A pair of BURROWING PARAKEETS was a sign of many more to come over the next two days. GRASSLAND SPARROWS sang from the fenceposts.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTRnDEeCO50nxfUOwPafpgi2LmlmjDSDL3t7G9RIlBo0mgo_NKCiF3H9I6eUBSq2UT1d-uDvSk4sOOtE3l5hvYZdPMhb3dyYIwsFZE-DTzhqn2R8x6Dd85EzU5Vtj6vXetPtJM4_OX9a8txLGRhVaZ37StH_OwXgXkyDfOFD6XRYMASgO-EQCuh7BZg/s2500/_P1A0036-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTRnDEeCO50nxfUOwPafpgi2LmlmjDSDL3t7G9RIlBo0mgo_NKCiF3H9I6eUBSq2UT1d-uDvSk4sOOtE3l5hvYZdPMhb3dyYIwsFZE-DTzhqn2R8x6Dd85EzU5Vtj6vXetPtJM4_OX9a8txLGRhVaZ37StH_OwXgXkyDfOFD6XRYMASgO-EQCuh7BZg/w400-h268/_P1A0036-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burrowing Parakeet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithV5gQ5RzHHOU2Pjj6V49CpzH31uR6qU7sE_LQWccju9iPUAEif-WgHcNhvuzXblVRUanTIj9wZPhEf9OY1UPR14MSfgc7XVGDx5tOPhw6NEWzkXm7Y19qe8ktS_VZy7VxnlsDfC5ekm8FqLUOfDxghz7IqvcvGumBjaH3S1P-TyE2ljFpzQZHAEUrg/s2500/_P1A8929-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithV5gQ5RzHHOU2Pjj6V49CpzH31uR6qU7sE_LQWccju9iPUAEif-WgHcNhvuzXblVRUanTIj9wZPhEf9OY1UPR14MSfgc7XVGDx5tOPhw6NEWzkXm7Y19qe8ktS_VZy7VxnlsDfC5ekm8FqLUOfDxghz7IqvcvGumBjaH3S1P-TyE2ljFpzQZHAEUrg/w400-h268/_P1A8929-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grassland Sparrow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxQ4uKD2h4tfuDnqLO3w0uhHYHJvkEeF95yH-72gEH8Mo0v_viWvBiLPGIneqmnhXsG1GCldgIwzDeSizGMpf7iNQfrJKOByOliujfeD8la65KOZMP8GXL1bMM6hC8K0zeZgkaybhaNJmD5dTfMchERgZ2sq8E63mJlFYDv29hdDWQimwvxFm0isApQ/s2500/_P1A9829-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxQ4uKD2h4tfuDnqLO3w0uhHYHJvkEeF95yH-72gEH8Mo0v_viWvBiLPGIneqmnhXsG1GCldgIwzDeSizGMpf7iNQfrJKOByOliujfeD8la65KOZMP8GXL1bMM6hC8K0zeZgkaybhaNJmD5dTfMchERgZ2sq8E63mJlFYDv29hdDWQimwvxFm0isApQ/w400-h268/_P1A9829-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burrowing Parakeets</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPTBkW9h28K2YptmkbwkFTPCUxA2Gxx2ekHTMfmdORr4w8GQoOKHhnTbVpY_bw-ULueyXSkn9ivZoxFi2q_7vDkDAIZSyV2KyNu41JOxkKUdjEo5SygvDxo-lGyCFk21T7dyQLin4FmFAw6PMmJy2XNaBMZ58ClxY7HZgCirCjDMeFevnkA5qBBeRjw/s2500/_P1A9927-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPTBkW9h28K2YptmkbwkFTPCUxA2Gxx2ekHTMfmdORr4w8GQoOKHhnTbVpY_bw-ULueyXSkn9ivZoxFi2q_7vDkDAIZSyV2KyNu41JOxkKUdjEo5SygvDxo-lGyCFk21T7dyQLin4FmFAw6PMmJy2XNaBMZ58ClxY7HZgCirCjDMeFevnkA5qBBeRjw/w268-h400/_P1A9927-Edit.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burrowing Owl</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Once we were satisfied with our meadowlark experience, we headed towards Chasico in search of Pampas Pipit. I had two sets of coordinates I thought might be reliable, but there was no sign of them at either location. On our way back towards Route 35 we pulled over at what looked like suitable habitat, and Boom...displaying PAMPAS PIPITS could be heard over the wheat fields.</p><p>Pleased with our results through mid-morning, we attempted to bird side roads west of Route 35, where we officially left the Pampas and entered our second ecoregion: Espinal Woodland. Here the habitat transitions from grassland to dry thorny trees and scrub, and the birdlife significantly changes. </p><p>Access here proved more difficult than anticipated thanks to unexpectedly muddy conditions. We actually were able to barrel our poor car through the first couple patches of mud, but we eventually reached an impassable section and had to find alternate routes. Even the local authorities warned us not to proceed. But persistence pays off, and we found one particular road that looked good 'n safe.</p><p>This backroad gradually descended through a dry scrubby <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S121469975" target="_blank">hillside that was incredibly birdy</a>. The road started with a few singing FIREWOOD-GATHERERS tending to the large stick nests that give themselves their name. Deeper into the scrub we began to encounter WHITE-TIPPED PLANTCUTTERS, at least one of which always seemed within sight or earshot. This open-country cotinga's bizarre "song " would be played on loop for the next two hours.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-TrHgnYjhWSqsoz1mMhuE1Czh90JImnFTyEge305MALB2fhpi3UE_idDUUhfeZM-vgAQrL0MzxRlVEXdt6Sxlk9tRI7YmqOnUnhRV8GoP6QJN-6a9TORQr8BmbBaD_J8E8oQfiVZp9cgkJSdKbVM40fZY6eOi8MUaGwsyQoad-nycjv7WUP-bupGdQ/s2500/_P1A0048-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-TrHgnYjhWSqsoz1mMhuE1Czh90JImnFTyEge305MALB2fhpi3UE_idDUUhfeZM-vgAQrL0MzxRlVEXdt6Sxlk9tRI7YmqOnUnhRV8GoP6QJN-6a9TORQr8BmbBaD_J8E8oQfiVZp9cgkJSdKbVM40fZY6eOi8MUaGwsyQoad-nycjv7WUP-bupGdQ/w400-h268/_P1A0048-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Firewood-Gatherer</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Nd53ink2HDjVwKELQ36RDDfLLe7793rtDSVFPcLOH6nchUHEWFeNZRmyGWT6JlurgvnZgY3M0AuROLnf6HCc2ozbnwc69Zomz2fyhdNyQ7h7T0JzhdXMdITDHHS3Ew6lP6Elkr6SuXudOsnEiB9lCyYYAg_Y5zOeaUw-i_LqrsDM4rfLtgR1umFtRQ/s2500/_P1A3526-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Nd53ink2HDjVwKELQ36RDDfLLe7793rtDSVFPcLOH6nchUHEWFeNZRmyGWT6JlurgvnZgY3M0AuROLnf6HCc2ozbnwc69Zomz2fyhdNyQ7h7T0JzhdXMdITDHHS3Ew6lP6Elkr6SuXudOsnEiB9lCyYYAg_Y5zOeaUw-i_LqrsDM4rfLtgR1umFtRQ/w400-h266/_P1A3526-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-tipped Plantcutter</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We became acquainted with a whole new suite of landbirds. CHACO EARTHCREEPER, TUFTED TIT-SPINETAIL, PALE-BREASTED SPINETAIL, STRANECK'S TYRANNULET and WHITE-CRESTED TYRANNULET were all present. Monjitas are a favorite of mine, so our first WHITE MONJITA was pretty sweet and looked entirely out of place, like a snowball in the desert.</p><p>We only scratched the surface of this habitat and easily could have spent a full day or more working our way through the network of dirt roads toward nearby lagunas and salinas. But we had an appointment to meet new friends who were caretakers of private land that would give us a shot at one of our most wanted targets.</p><p>Our Argentine friends were thrilled to show off their gem of a property. The pride they displayed for the wildlife on their land was refreshing, and their enthusiasm to share it was contagious. As we walked the trails in search of our quarry, we continued to pick up new birds. Two species we hoped to encounter along the road trip were Crested and Sandy Gallitos, dry country tapaculos that spend their lives on or near the ground. Fully prepped today for CRESTED GALLITO, we all perked up when we heard one calling from a trailside hedgerow. After some coaxing we nabbed decent views of a couple, and we estimated a half dozen on this walk.</p><p>A bit further down the path we heard a sweet emphatic warble that resembled the song of a Diuca Finch but was less emphatic with a slur and could only be one thing - YELLOW CARDINAL. We followed the song to find a pair of cardinals in the open across a lightly wooded area.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi734Asfz7AKuQjMVorEBz68LSIxUVY4jzpSWY9ztO7yLE8wb0JYAcTg7P58wjAXdLsRTkg95sBg_rh1nQEeCknt4YjAngt3IPbrLpEQU4XCQ40DHvYOTSvnCGbFxvbTBNoFxfnW26vYfYpZKxeJRl51AizR585875TBFngEPTlfhLPiEuq4AN2LMQNEA/s2500/_P1A0305-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi734Asfz7AKuQjMVorEBz68LSIxUVY4jzpSWY9ztO7yLE8wb0JYAcTg7P58wjAXdLsRTkg95sBg_rh1nQEeCknt4YjAngt3IPbrLpEQU4XCQ40DHvYOTSvnCGbFxvbTBNoFxfnW26vYfYpZKxeJRl51AizR585875TBFngEPTlfhLPiEuq4AN2LMQNEA/w400-h268/_P1A0305-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">male</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZkJDVxPjsqOBF8TLBKSlu3l8MrrZf-AsCaly-JodTF4Rqqmx9kyv_LTmrdwLh94ClSZr-H_j9o2pYKnvv38duB6uR9BbYcL6xc17C-p9WzjCJHlQz7qY-t-Y_4A7XXODlmOZ5il26Dz_LoeKufr1XNCY7v4Y4FsHqAPikhQIWH90ThIOj9shD_0asw/s2500/_P1A0349-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZkJDVxPjsqOBF8TLBKSlu3l8MrrZf-AsCaly-JodTF4Rqqmx9kyv_LTmrdwLh94ClSZr-H_j9o2pYKnvv38duB6uR9BbYcL6xc17C-p9WzjCJHlQz7qY-t-Y_4A7XXODlmOZ5il26Dz_LoeKufr1XNCY7v4Y4FsHqAPikhQIWH90ThIOj9shD_0asw/w400-h268/_P1A0349-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">male</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlnuwDmiD9YAfppP1G1K6rNndERhxYdf8aM9zRe8N_SJqg1H3ic8W1DRXv39PwXcmbXK6m6GucyADmJgewiI0KHv40JaYHaQuPnuTWzrraF-Q1Mmp71iPhEuWwEPI4rKkFmv2fnyI7-lbBX5Lf3HwFwwasAfGZUtblyu4GPebYWnOuYNTwi4fyh4ZWA/s2500/_P1A0165-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlnuwDmiD9YAfppP1G1K6rNndERhxYdf8aM9zRe8N_SJqg1H3ic8W1DRXv39PwXcmbXK6m6GucyADmJgewiI0KHv40JaYHaQuPnuTWzrraF-Q1Mmp71iPhEuWwEPI4rKkFmv2fnyI7-lbBX5Lf3HwFwwasAfGZUtblyu4GPebYWnOuYNTwi4fyh4ZWA/w400-h268/_P1A0165-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">female</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This species is quite endangered, partially by habitat loss but mostly due to trapping for the illegal caged bird trade. Seeing and hearing the male in real life, one could understand the desire to keep this species as a pet. The disheartening story of their rapid demise is a reminder of how human greed and ignorance can put a common species on a path towards extinction. However there is hope in the form of conservationists and researchers who dedicate their lives to saving this species through a combination of habitat restoration, captive breeding, returning trapped birds to the wild, and public education regarding the issue at hand. Hats off to these wonderful human beings.</p><p>On our way out, we encountered multiple WHITE MONJITAS and our first BLACK-CROWNED MONJITAS as well. Needless to say, this place was a highlight of the tour.</p><p>After another productive stop further south, we hit the road again, this time bound for Las Grutas. Taking a look back, experiencing both Pampas Meadowlark and Yellow Cardinal in the same day was quite a feat. At this point we were feeling pretty good about choosing the road trip instead of flying over this part of the country.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>Oct 29</u></p><p>After just one day spent in Espinal Woodland, we had entered yet another new biome: Monte Desert. Endemic to Argentina, this dry, sandy steppe holds yet another cohort of new species to seek.</p><p>At our first stop today, just north of Las Grutas town, we were hoping to find our second gallito species in as many days. The dry sagebrush-like habitat was home to the well-named Sandy Gallito, though it took some effort to locate a pair. In the meantime, we worked on other targets. Right away we spotted a WHITE-THROATED CACHALOTE teed up while our first GOLDEN-BILLED SALTATOR was singing away.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-d_CgPOvZ4Sl3gElXZ2Vvezsa3wRPde9MHymRhT9WnpS3XVmqnqOPsrmASswv88TDsAXDC1WMIKYW-VToJZ6YG0YPfmbNRqjFSzLAwcP3pdVx269MK6SXYsm3hTpey1SwSH00EWDhc2Zq-Ikdx4RgC8Kqro611BvAQEUTaqd0rCl92kwnvnsp6AtjA/s2500/_P1A0422-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-d_CgPOvZ4Sl3gElXZ2Vvezsa3wRPde9MHymRhT9WnpS3XVmqnqOPsrmASswv88TDsAXDC1WMIKYW-VToJZ6YG0YPfmbNRqjFSzLAwcP3pdVx269MK6SXYsm3hTpey1SwSH00EWDhc2Zq-Ikdx4RgC8Kqro611BvAQEUTaqd0rCl92kwnvnsp6AtjA/w400-h268/_P1A0422-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-throated Cachalote</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H2ibl_prHBugMRlbVwmmeTA21xy6jJpJiCM5GAI2kVUC1RgHaImScGV-HOvH_QOdxoErmB_aJuv5ee2Nx1p2iHAYjs1_WMgSVx9zRAAAUcmm3KyENXovyrSXvdopwIg3PvgBXlBrN7VcWVZAD7boE0vq_JUgRsHV0n70ScBVp8SDYC3Z5D3wym4xeQ/s2500/_P1A0919-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H2ibl_prHBugMRlbVwmmeTA21xy6jJpJiCM5GAI2kVUC1RgHaImScGV-HOvH_QOdxoErmB_aJuv5ee2Nx1p2iHAYjs1_WMgSVx9zRAAAUcmm3KyENXovyrSXvdopwIg3PvgBXlBrN7VcWVZAD7boE0vq_JUgRsHV0n70ScBVp8SDYC3Z5D3wym4xeQ/w400-h268/_P1A0919-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden-billed Saltator</td></tr></tbody></table><p>SHARP-BILLED CANASTERO was our introduction the <i>Asthenes </i>and <i>Pseudasthenes </i>canasteros which look painfully alike. This ID problem, while not easy, wasn't quite as rough as feared as long as good looks and/or listens were involved. At least I <i>think </i>we didn't screw them up too much...!</p><p>We were also entering into arguably the finchiest portion of the journey, though we use the word "finch" very loosely given that I'm pretty sure the warbling finches and sierra finches are technically tanagers...but I digress! Our introduction to the sierra finches came in the form of a couple of CARBONATED SIERRA FINCHES here. While admiring this species at close range, we finally heard a SANDY GALLITO begin calling from a distance, where we eventually tracked down a cooperative pair.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNjqZkn5cOOBf5EQZZG1Y7CXFnwijj--07sR7oaDNwtv2hmmwJoCsTSth13lB13VgAA7GG49_hndigbniJLq9QnzwgtssbKI1mVLa8SFb74JAZhxdVDlcmBKCYve4-fC1UCp4u4O_qHv_Zm275-rN6xXNsdZZtH4Q5h48Ie0S51u7MMtJNZUhSKUjNQ/s2500/_P1A0485-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNjqZkn5cOOBf5EQZZG1Y7CXFnwijj--07sR7oaDNwtv2hmmwJoCsTSth13lB13VgAA7GG49_hndigbniJLq9QnzwgtssbKI1mVLa8SFb74JAZhxdVDlcmBKCYve4-fC1UCp4u4O_qHv_Zm275-rN6xXNsdZZtH4Q5h48Ie0S51u7MMtJNZUhSKUjNQ/w400-h268/_P1A0485-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carbonated Sierra Finch</td></tr></tbody></table><p>With the gallito under our belts at a reasonable hour, and actually <i>ahead </i>of schedule against all odds, we decided to jog back north up Route 251 to a few roadside pins. At our first stop we were hoping for HUDSON'S BLACK-TYRANTS and boy did we find them. We had five individuals that were separable from the identical White-winged Black-Tyrant, plus another three that were very likely this species. All were males, perhaps recently arrived and setting up territories before the females appear.</p><p>The "finches" kept coming, as we encountered RINGED WARBLING FINCH, MOURNING SIERRA FINCH, and CINNAMON WARBLING FINCH, all new for us.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrAY9PwyKzsCDyVTRMbpd506ku1zhE_UzwYy6I-cwJXPTVGlNBCVSG-S-eybAwe3O9VCN9bOr12mtjbMGyIef8lv05E7OxA3NrEMnfCBPNZUDJNLaIIbw3CLndLgO9QqDOqtQ8uaL7dH8RYGN_izIDL1yEhaLyizSjaZ78bYRq59qK1ZmQUegtZX98A/s2500/_P1A1053-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrAY9PwyKzsCDyVTRMbpd506ku1zhE_UzwYy6I-cwJXPTVGlNBCVSG-S-eybAwe3O9VCN9bOr12mtjbMGyIef8lv05E7OxA3NrEMnfCBPNZUDJNLaIIbw3CLndLgO9QqDOqtQ8uaL7dH8RYGN_izIDL1yEhaLyizSjaZ78bYRq59qK1ZmQUegtZX98A/w400-h268/_P1A1053-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stripe-crowned Spinetail</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Roadside stop #2 yielded SCALE-THROATED EARTHCREEPER, PALE-BREASTED SPINETAIL, and three more stunning WHITE MONJITAS.</p><p>Back near town on a dirt road near the gas station we were thrilled to find our only YELLOW-BILLED TIT-TYRANT of the trip and an impressive number of displaying CARBONATED SIERRA FINCHES.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPY0PED5eGDykJUcVkIlA15ALK1tkyD_DflGHZOxmLEbhlm4lr5JI9cuFM_sDGAEz_N8wT-AAI7376_HkBtPE2nhmZpjiXvXfOOTTbIATceJoGsLQF6jboGZBF-liIorROCCasou-8NtUi2xn5DicbCJFrvfH7fSI-mG4orWjMyY9utZMto9R9KMAs9A/s2500/_P1A1186-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPY0PED5eGDykJUcVkIlA15ALK1tkyD_DflGHZOxmLEbhlm4lr5JI9cuFM_sDGAEz_N8wT-AAI7376_HkBtPE2nhmZpjiXvXfOOTTbIATceJoGsLQF6jboGZBF-liIorROCCasou-8NtUi2xn5DicbCJFrvfH7fSI-mG4orWjMyY9utZMto9R9KMAs9A/w400-h266/_P1A1186-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EYDbMDcfyvh6DHZhF22lpqdhx6rQpvVsxQeFn9z806Bkx1VQjMGS24MP2bSw8d66_h7SumDzZVYEOXFaRPcxo1QttnjUOI7ZTCyPI3fbPHl_bfL_XY5JiT4sUNWfg4XktGMgASSCjQVgu5hXxyXk476wJjJbkaLMgeVORAZa7iB6j9DmolpbBHY7SA/s2500/_P1A1241-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1306" data-original-width="2500" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EYDbMDcfyvh6DHZhF22lpqdhx6rQpvVsxQeFn9z806Bkx1VQjMGS24MP2bSw8d66_h7SumDzZVYEOXFaRPcxo1QttnjUOI7ZTCyPI3fbPHl_bfL_XY5JiT4sUNWfg4XktGMgASSCjQVgu5hXxyXk476wJjJbkaLMgeVORAZa7iB6j9DmolpbBHY7SA/w400-h209/_P1A1241-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fork-tailed Flycatcher</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil94rxlxajU9i91UkYKtVk-X4XWMsyWHxfKhU6Z2NfT9FHnas5RTMwxdp_mUjg1aXyW2X6TKcLY0VWdUqSgHeSzTx6SpMz4LC8qZmNyxGIHlnvcLr-ognauu9XVU14D_ZVmQAbN8GxPqvrLA8AwuRKU3WEbQKBApCpQI9_6rnLxg1GYurrwt-0ee_hYw/s2500/_P1A1331-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil94rxlxajU9i91UkYKtVk-X4XWMsyWHxfKhU6Z2NfT9FHnas5RTMwxdp_mUjg1aXyW2X6TKcLY0VWdUqSgHeSzTx6SpMz4LC8qZmNyxGIHlnvcLr-ognauu9XVU14D_ZVmQAbN8GxPqvrLA8AwuRKU3WEbQKBApCpQI9_6rnLxg1GYurrwt-0ee_hYw/w400-h266/_P1A1331-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fork-tailed Flycatcher</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We did so well north of town that we never even had to visit the arroyos south of town that most birders end up hitting for many of the species listed above. With a bit of extra time and no big rush to continue to the next region, we thought a seawatch from the beach could be fun. We found ourselves a nice dune with enough elevation to boost our visibility. The feature of our 15-minute vigil was a light movement of MANX SHEARWATERS well offshore. This was actually a lifer for landlubber Tripp!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTunLtInwyRBUNPJMTf4U5vqspPkb0J1uoqL8LNtp2GsE9hz1KyNdbnYjX-81m6nj12IluTuVH4-wW1D9PL1QZBw0PSEGbJn68wkB-Y6Xck74EO3Z9Fma_t3is3R23H_GKrL1JKj44v1q72FzTZCmB0zLD0wT7SufowOoXdDOl11RniRK8u5_XEiEfJw/s2500/IMG_7842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTunLtInwyRBUNPJMTf4U5vqspPkb0J1uoqL8LNtp2GsE9hz1KyNdbnYjX-81m6nj12IluTuVH4-wW1D9PL1QZBw0PSEGbJn68wkB-Y6Xck74EO3Z9Fma_t3is3R23H_GKrL1JKj44v1q72FzTZCmB0zLD0wT7SufowOoXdDOl11RniRK8u5_XEiEfJw/w400-h300/IMG_7842.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After lunch with a Chimango Caracara and a three-legged dog (long story), we said goodbye to Las Grutas and embarked on another few hour drive south to the edge of true Patagonian Steppe! We arrived at Puerto Madryn, our base for the next two nights, early enough to sneak in some evening birding. PATAGONIAN CANASTERO was too easy at a known location, and we kept the passerine roll going with LESSER SHRIKE-TYRANT.<p>We also had our first looks at Golfo Nuevo, a sneak peek at the coastal experience we would enjoy during our stay here. Those first glimpses of water revealed a reasonably close fly-by GIANT-PETREL. And another. And another. And so it went. A slow trickle of giant-petrels, most SOUTHERN but one or two NORTHERN as well. With these results far from the open ocean, we were looking forward to what we might see from the Valdes Peninsula tomorrow.</p><p>We spent dusk at Punta Loma in hopes of spotting or hearing a Lesser Horned Owl. No dice there, but we did scope a couple of distant SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES! By the time we left the park, it was dark. As we were about to hop into the car we heard the distant song of a BAND-WINGED NIGHTJAR (Austral subspecies). We tracked the bird as best we could but never viewed it. A second began calling from much closer but still managed to elude our line of sight. Running on fumes, we eventually gave up and headed for the barn.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xgs1X9uZWBDcU8tXkEfwFEbaWMo2IHUETBFfBSIEiKX_FbgRTcTfkUzqOAdErrAcfOl-tzPD6ijHM5H_bhYLlB5-i6GjdajDGo8aInBlRauPU83IAh37qa1mK8HXdcQB2x9yv9ii_egtvZd7K1Eu-eENzMJWLPzB-U7U8mUdH0vHtbtSznzzmTLZQQ/s2500/_P1A1603-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xgs1X9uZWBDcU8tXkEfwFEbaWMo2IHUETBFfBSIEiKX_FbgRTcTfkUzqOAdErrAcfOl-tzPD6ijHM5H_bhYLlB5-i6GjdajDGo8aInBlRauPU83IAh37qa1mK8HXdcQB2x9yv9ii_egtvZd7K1Eu-eENzMJWLPzB-U7U8mUdH0vHtbtSznzzmTLZQQ/w400-h266/_P1A1603-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFONq4MWRxZ-9rbiEyzJkDUZlQbuqoz4hB-PZygq4rNNCzALoAYp4qML46FkcjpjCycHEogXdV_NvyqojDsqALVop3SF0lC8zQxCnL3kGFQJqdMijBxK6d71_YMJdbDfBzgCnLqVM1N1trLpOO5WAoBA6cKXW8WsSBubtqvqlZ3qwXpD814Qwzr8VOA/s2500/IMG_7859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="2500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFONq4MWRxZ-9rbiEyzJkDUZlQbuqoz4hB-PZygq4rNNCzALoAYp4qML46FkcjpjCycHEogXdV_NvyqojDsqALVop3SF0lC8zQxCnL3kGFQJqdMijBxK6d71_YMJdbDfBzgCnLqVM1N1trLpOO5WAoBA6cKXW8WsSBubtqvqlZ3qwXpD814Qwzr8VOA/w400-h240/IMG_7859.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYZrCfbqQMpsSyA77EDJtkvV-25K4Kfd4lyc1myoDvWtZ7HA4CLthrndUzMcMZWLFihv06Q_NGRMuCd22rGDPd3VMynz0gy6slGWFZtdtpY358Z7jgE9PRF2_UFCx63e14-vALfzeFjL5QuyKIeU6Wk69B-V_zH4Ws824TTyL7bjG-8TA2G9vJ9Dpsw/s2500/IMG_7860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="2500" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYZrCfbqQMpsSyA77EDJtkvV-25K4Kfd4lyc1myoDvWtZ7HA4CLthrndUzMcMZWLFihv06Q_NGRMuCd22rGDPd3VMynz0gy6slGWFZtdtpY358Z7jgE9PRF2_UFCx63e14-vALfzeFjL5QuyKIeU6Wk69B-V_zH4Ws824TTyL7bjG-8TA2G9vJ9Dpsw/w400-h191/IMG_7860.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8vsSUTHZQbrhcZnACjOsHpuYKvrHD6zWElyQMSp9X5_Vm9rbFBFlZ2mf95BOiIyqDshJqTtMNfOU-Nk_kIE-YcusB5kprKGOnpsNSvWO-xIurW4expKMVfame3Hu2FkX-CqjX1xN2kpL8xi9h4uTuBKm0Z3Ehs5pHkHU57b_1-oIYVHhrZXzc0f_pg/s2500/IMG_7861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="2500" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8vsSUTHZQbrhcZnACjOsHpuYKvrHD6zWElyQMSp9X5_Vm9rbFBFlZ2mf95BOiIyqDshJqTtMNfOU-Nk_kIE-YcusB5kprKGOnpsNSvWO-xIurW4expKMVfame3Hu2FkX-CqjX1xN2kpL8xi9h4uTuBKm0Z3Ehs5pHkHU57b_1-oIYVHhrZXzc0f_pg/w400-h204/IMG_7861.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patagonian sunset</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p> - NB</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-20109397903416698722023-01-19T12:43:00.033-05:002023-01-19T13:49:15.873-05:00Argentina: Pampas to Patagonia (Part 2: San Clemente)<p><u>Oct 25</u></p><p>Our direct redeye from JFK to Buenos Aires landed mid-morning. We passed through immigration, collected our bags and picked up our one-way rental car, a Fiat Cronos, without much trouble. Dave & Dave apparently missed the "pack light" memo, but we were able to squeeze all of our gear into that little sedan! It was hard to believe a vehicle that size would take us from Buenos Aires all the way to northern Patagonia, but we trusted our research that the main roads in that part of Argentina would be passable in a sedan.</p><p>The plan was to head directly to the coastal community of San Clemente del Tuyu, a four hour drive, after picking up supplies for the road. On our way out of town we encountered our first roadside SOUTHERN SCREAMERS and HARRIS'S HAWK. CHIMANGO CARACARAS whipped overhead, a sign of things to come, as they would remain a constant throughout the trip, all the way to the tip of the continent.</p><p>Further along, in the pampas now, we picked up GREATER RHEA and our first LONG-WINGED HARRIER, which proved to be reasonably common on this first leg of the trip. The dark morphs of this species are particularly striking.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81XthhB3ns-1TB6T87J0xeKNQ-d2jIWavbHHL9eCcssJVtqjtxZqCTF9A0QEmZvK7x2zbVzpBxyxFdWloeutDAXIIiSLIz2Qbu-Gd-v92N1WuWMa4xNZ6usITKCGOYwzRAx07mLxS7km32jbl5SJSP-TkCVkXipuVoSqqVFhm1uif9ec4I0VZEnw1nQ/s2500/_P1A8149-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81XthhB3ns-1TB6T87J0xeKNQ-d2jIWavbHHL9eCcssJVtqjtxZqCTF9A0QEmZvK7x2zbVzpBxyxFdWloeutDAXIIiSLIz2Qbu-Gd-v92N1WuWMa4xNZ6usITKCGOYwzRAx07mLxS7km32jbl5SJSP-TkCVkXipuVoSqqVFhm1uif9ec4I0VZEnw1nQ/w400-h266/_P1A8149-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOjab4flRGdr2HZ2NBk-RAEEoZ-DlbjEEKXC--u3ng-8Spt6mpd6o4jbqdlQXI_VNyZk0ZOPw6BgzRMxVqdJaEe-B7sPz70egMMSiT5Ym1qPRFlQcxPbvWjATMlv2ZdQFHfbEkGJBvMRaKzHrdgMLy2rDzMfhaI_otA2_L8ZAynqIBWYYCwqpE-O-kg/s2500/_P1A8154-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOjab4flRGdr2HZ2NBk-RAEEoZ-DlbjEEKXC--u3ng-8Spt6mpd6o4jbqdlQXI_VNyZk0ZOPw6BgzRMxVqdJaEe-B7sPz70egMMSiT5Ym1qPRFlQcxPbvWjATMlv2ZdQFHfbEkGJBvMRaKzHrdgMLy2rDzMfhaI_otA2_L8ZAynqIBWYYCwqpE-O-kg/w400-h268/_P1A8154-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirPF-uwFfb1x7hpE04thdT_eIvo8-PlGlzU7SMjA45ElZGUtubmak_A_96oBtv71yMzIXbCqkbAd8Bwq6UmEy-S7cXyLUG-ioNli-ayPJUuf5ILQBu0U5seUllopE1f2QOsyL4FtkC9eor6WozgR-NlLvNR_vJB_Pbj_8cUh88ya4m7A6dCIP4-OHoA/s2500/_P1A8173-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirPF-uwFfb1x7hpE04thdT_eIvo8-PlGlzU7SMjA45ElZGUtubmak_A_96oBtv71yMzIXbCqkbAd8Bwq6UmEy-S7cXyLUG-ioNli-ayPJUuf5ILQBu0U5seUllopE1f2QOsyL4FtkC9eor6WozgR-NlLvNR_vJB_Pbj_8cUh88ya4m7A6dCIP4-OHoA/w400-h266/_P1A8173-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-winged Harrier</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Further southeast along Route 2 we started to see pools of water. It had been a looong night/day, and we were aiming for a reasonable arrival time at our accommodations in San Clem, but we couldn't help but pull over a few times to scan. It's a good thing we checked out the gulls, because among the dozens of BROWN-HOODEDS we had our only decent looks at GRAY-HOODED GULLS of the trip. Our final roadside pond delivered 44 BLACK-HEADED DUCKS, a species we thought we might have to work for.</p><p>While cutting eastward on Route 63, Tripp spotted a WHITE-BROWED MEADOWLARK while we were blowing by at ludicrous speed. Turning around as quickly as we could, the bird remained in position for nice views from the car! Meanwhile, two MAGUARI STORKS flew across the road. For not having reached our first "birding spot," we were doing alright!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0UcdJLGNq768lJ2zKkIpQBOR7VZIhrVX3WBHsmIUhYSwxYK9-GRUlJbqvpuTER_FYmPsjSKgTh8aCljiNarlY_8tJQX-V-qvFh8Q7lIXYuBih69OGMPA3ZHGF2Ilp92HkqSGWkG_vG0q5p0E9uMMna_b5tkQ4zKSsb423NXdfX9uz-R2djhG7_iKTA/s2500/_P1A9574-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1477" data-original-width="2500" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0UcdJLGNq768lJ2zKkIpQBOR7VZIhrVX3WBHsmIUhYSwxYK9-GRUlJbqvpuTER_FYmPsjSKgTh8aCljiNarlY_8tJQX-V-qvFh8Q7lIXYuBih69OGMPA3ZHGF2Ilp92HkqSGWkG_vG0q5p0E9uMMna_b5tkQ4zKSsb423NXdfX9uz-R2djhG7_iKTA/w400-h236/_P1A9574-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-browed Meadowlark</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Around 6pm we finally reached Canal #2, a productive freshwater wetland en route to the coast. Now less than a half hour from town, we decided to bird the place until dusk. Over that 90 minutes we tallied a quick <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S121327717" target="_blank">55 species</a> including PLUMBEOUS RAIL, BARE-FACED IBIS, WREN-LIKE RUSHBIRD, MANY-COLORED RUSH-TYRANT (wow), WARBLING DORADITO, many SPECTACLED TYRANT, BROWN-AND-YELLOW MARSHBIRD, and BLACK-AND-RUFOUS WARBLING FINCH. Since none of us had previously been to this part of South America, lifers abound.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhj7pejdZKIo4mtPOHJiBZEw3L8OJEJRSFx1bfnMJlK_yFyg8JIZViKVV6gl1qqjCzoa13pc8Kau7ns4WZlxMYvpeDxFCI1ImLF5-SPc52mYJjiOlUEIAqda3-dCFtbr8qf-nqTVD4Sd0CSKimnnyOeRnlxVAziWW-vpzezOqOSNv8fDChU2SPS5Z1_g/s2500/_P1A9677-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2353" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhj7pejdZKIo4mtPOHJiBZEw3L8OJEJRSFx1bfnMJlK_yFyg8JIZViKVV6gl1qqjCzoa13pc8Kau7ns4WZlxMYvpeDxFCI1ImLF5-SPc52mYJjiOlUEIAqda3-dCFtbr8qf-nqTVD4Sd0CSKimnnyOeRnlxVAziWW-vpzezOqOSNv8fDChU2SPS5Z1_g/w376-h400/_P1A9677-Edit.jpg" width="376" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-and-rufous Warbling Finch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLXaYe99K0YCV213v4f86PVukEVwvNUrizUsgdUdcQSGaT8A557z-mXGbrus4xmFIk5Q601r4B3tjh3Co5Ls7Y8WX3FjkUxRuzzo4_U9B_XOyxKbJsKEZBozJFT3S9o2VAIb3hm1tQCAsjvmUzHwtzvSel7j0GICUc-x8XxBix0YF5kbVMzJmUN-Apg/s2500/_P1A9723-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLXaYe99K0YCV213v4f86PVukEVwvNUrizUsgdUdcQSGaT8A557z-mXGbrus4xmFIk5Q601r4B3tjh3Co5Ls7Y8WX3FjkUxRuzzo4_U9B_XOyxKbJsKEZBozJFT3S9o2VAIb3hm1tQCAsjvmUzHwtzvSel7j0GICUc-x8XxBix0YF5kbVMzJmUN-Apg/w400-h268/_P1A9723-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warbling Doradito</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNj5eZL6Kv95N5SVTAiycxQq2bOh7acgd07kR1fy00AdaEFN-2ISLKEga-GGRGEO6_JYfJRnBvkeSH6FmszzS1PERnoseyn_nFE8_XTQ3hzfMvPJFDGV2DjJ7TNwUiKj8JEf1pirHtGM9WlEIP99JMMeqW2ykUEPSLwRNU-XJD98KP7Aa9QEOpeXbW2A/s2500/_P1A9725-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2205" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNj5eZL6Kv95N5SVTAiycxQq2bOh7acgd07kR1fy00AdaEFN-2ISLKEga-GGRGEO6_JYfJRnBvkeSH6FmszzS1PERnoseyn_nFE8_XTQ3hzfMvPJFDGV2DjJ7TNwUiKj8JEf1pirHtGM9WlEIP99JMMeqW2ykUEPSLwRNU-XJD98KP7Aa9QEOpeXbW2A/w353-h400/_P1A9725-Edit.jpg" width="353" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rufous-collared Sparrow</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>On our way out, as dark was falling, we spotted a melanistic GEOFFROY'S CAT stalking through the reeds - total surprise and early candidate for mammal of the trip.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPX_DOHC4Z8yp0gmkM3sCCa3_-iOPhw9xqdQwZ22e8pg1wVfsuw93ED0Hs87ZnRpbQM_BWq_xRnXempAZJx4VHldcBQpEm3xdjXHiq8iJtLAYxkS4qqkFCHYM6dq8ynryKAZFuaMFRpP00tjOyVjDgcHIQ_IbtzbIRUCFPfTdixtPsL4BGdYq33UcJQ/s2500/_P1A9824-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPX_DOHC4Z8yp0gmkM3sCCa3_-iOPhw9xqdQwZ22e8pg1wVfsuw93ED0Hs87ZnRpbQM_BWq_xRnXempAZJx4VHldcBQpEm3xdjXHiq8iJtLAYxkS4qqkFCHYM6dq8ynryKAZFuaMFRpP00tjOyVjDgcHIQ_IbtzbIRUCFPfTdixtPsL4BGdYq33UcJQ/w400-h268/_P1A9824-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavonqh6Yk1FiakN__pxM5xmu5QQP2nhcTDMyWDm71YHFuA1FfHSanBoMX4p4hivbuhxqm2vZl0EYjLTZUCMvmmjaqI5VuNAt0JIy_NqYiaHuBCfF-ZGGB83rUL7ivDzbqiw-soJKv6wL2meLIuW-WeZl4z77pvuHYHwTIBGo-brhnMaJHQqkk7enFDg/s2500/_P1A9830-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavonqh6Yk1FiakN__pxM5xmu5QQP2nhcTDMyWDm71YHFuA1FfHSanBoMX4p4hivbuhxqm2vZl0EYjLTZUCMvmmjaqI5VuNAt0JIy_NqYiaHuBCfF-ZGGB83rUL7ivDzbqiw-soJKv6wL2meLIuW-WeZl4z77pvuHYHwTIBGo-brhnMaJHQqkk7enFDg/w400-h268/_P1A9830-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2M4tMH-BlBlaXC8Gea3kT_guDbdmud08ClnfduY-slow4pLb1A1lWtThte3l7Ku59mLng9w3p09UZ4dqJPlrr4A2_1H3EkYQ5K6EP_MpLX5SZjv47ooPUX41RrgwoIkIyyp1k-EDxHjweXYAzvXD7BR7AK60JhHnFuKAA6rPsk2EinzkEwfYm5CsUA/s2500/_P1A9968-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2M4tMH-BlBlaXC8Gea3kT_guDbdmud08ClnfduY-slow4pLb1A1lWtThte3l7Ku59mLng9w3p09UZ4dqJPlrr4A2_1H3EkYQ5K6EP_MpLX5SZjv47ooPUX41RrgwoIkIyyp1k-EDxHjweXYAzvXD7BR7AK60JhHnFuKAA6rPsk2EinzkEwfYm5CsUA/w400-h266/_P1A9968-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geoffroy's Cat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>After check-in at Hotel VIP and a sit-down dinner, despite being completely knackered, we headed to a nearby town park where two STRIPED OWLS were found calling. One bird cooperatively perched low and in the open for stellar spot-lit views of this locally scarce species.</p><p>We crashed hard that first night, but not for long. This was something we would have to get used to given our ambitious itinerary!</p><p><br /></p><p><u>Oct 26</u></p><p>Up and out at Punta Rasa in hopes of turning up a Dot-winged Crake in the marshes there. We were greeted by a cool, raw wind from the northeast in advance of a storm that was due to deliver a whole lot of wind and rain. If the crakes were there, they were not digging the weather any more than we were.</p><p>There were many other targets here, and we saw just about all of them. On our way out the sandy road, between attempts at the crake, we connected with several key passerines such as FRECKLE-BREASTED THORNBIRD, SULPHUR-BEARDED REEDHAUNTER, BAY-CAPPED WREN-SPINETAIL, GRASS WREN, LONG-TAILED REED FINCH, and GREAT PAMPA-FINCH.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNonFn5gj0LpDOKCRrbyR7yWBx50aVUd05OEm5EIk95QDrrKQIXakYCogTeQfK-sdEMiofFnbRMSUJiO2RqvvH0X59xWzlF5IzZ4KTSuqij-gOdMS8ONEpcTg5G81gT_YIIBLLVvV5nhZRSB6jkpzG2QXcm3u0pIMeIMsDaqjinWN5uicrtz2zz2DTw/s2500/_P1A0117-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2353" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNonFn5gj0LpDOKCRrbyR7yWBx50aVUd05OEm5EIk95QDrrKQIXakYCogTeQfK-sdEMiofFnbRMSUJiO2RqvvH0X59xWzlF5IzZ4KTSuqij-gOdMS8ONEpcTg5G81gT_YIIBLLVvV5nhZRSB6jkpzG2QXcm3u0pIMeIMsDaqjinWN5uicrtz2zz2DTw/w376-h400/_P1A0117-Edit.jpg" width="376" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Pampa-Finch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0WhMgRs5JVSNmXFKl_l7Y8vxBXc4_jQlN8EG2XYeNn5vAyzFqxabA76Odpnq_5dN9ePEuWbvzn4F3FyMazISJTFY6mc-EAg291cXqLUcsJdLQC9i8pT40NtrpoCpTxPvHjKjCLmJYn0i9BsyNB4hAUMu1flZ02brzvdUT0DhPgb5UDwOLRM_NGrC1w/s2500/_P1A0297-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0WhMgRs5JVSNmXFKl_l7Y8vxBXc4_jQlN8EG2XYeNn5vAyzFqxabA76Odpnq_5dN9ePEuWbvzn4F3FyMazISJTFY6mc-EAg291cXqLUcsJdLQC9i8pT40NtrpoCpTxPvHjKjCLmJYn0i9BsyNB4hAUMu1flZ02brzvdUT0DhPgb5UDwOLRM_NGrC1w/w400-h266/_P1A0297-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grass Wren</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfiml0SaFHAOheL1fWns2GFmH1qgijSwID0OUiKykAqhcLbIDEc9rcsyufEtPyTvZp1--cOYcxGXqXM4SydmLJkvj91IfXxGuKFDaJzdkY7jNBFSCe9ocVPcyqIlq0Je7969M-O57NzzEXR89nS9cLYiPFbLpZooAfl6F3GWbNXWaQJfM_gyvMAfKsQ/s2500/_P1A0496-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1805" data-original-width="2500" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfiml0SaFHAOheL1fWns2GFmH1qgijSwID0OUiKykAqhcLbIDEc9rcsyufEtPyTvZp1--cOYcxGXqXM4SydmLJkvj91IfXxGuKFDaJzdkY7jNBFSCe9ocVPcyqIlq0Je7969M-O57NzzEXR89nS9cLYiPFbLpZooAfl6F3GWbNXWaQJfM_gyvMAfKsQ/w400-h289/_P1A0496-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tripp</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The mudflats and beach held quite a few shorebirds, too. We took particular pleasure in seeing several AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and HUDSONIAN GODWIT. Both species are scarce in our neck of the woods back home, especially the godwit.</p><p>The focus of the beach, however, was the gull and tern show. This is a reliable location to see the range-restricted OLROG'S GULL, which we found with ease. We tallied 91 individuals, though all were ratty immatures. Presumably the adults were further south, closer to the breeding grounds.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxn0N4LyWTRkiMhDd4DKFFSdO69YFo4gpzQOzfu0xJCOPjQQDDP5vfA5Y2Z_KPW2-W1BqJzoz4I6BTXntydopFhoLS-AWYe0rVpHFeLUETceKxMPtF-V5w5StnvMap8p-sx2gj21_rm1Eje2_fUyFfodImSUHA9Kzz_3CE9bfMTWgOPiHhNjL88UPgQ/s2500/_P1A0583-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2500" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxn0N4LyWTRkiMhDd4DKFFSdO69YFo4gpzQOzfu0xJCOPjQQDDP5vfA5Y2Z_KPW2-W1BqJzoz4I6BTXntydopFhoLS-AWYe0rVpHFeLUETceKxMPtF-V5w5StnvMap8p-sx2gj21_rm1Eje2_fUyFfodImSUHA9Kzz_3CE9bfMTWgOPiHhNjL88UPgQ/w400-h214/_P1A0583-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">immature Olrog's Gulls in flight</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0xKwxzLk1Qj8_qqiVNF1o957NrN7L5hymtW2xqThMas1dPN1bEieM90zKe9Q95_npPMLzx20zMj6zfBOv_SqdghamPGBKbW9HeR11qTNJsrSoSX0gDPQQBPuR8s_EVoB_2Hbl3wnfpTc9KGpuKrfm3DFFXSu1P2kTvbhhOUGNzsnOKazfOm6gh0_Qg/s2500/IMG_7812.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1761" data-original-width="2500" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0xKwxzLk1Qj8_qqiVNF1o957NrN7L5hymtW2xqThMas1dPN1bEieM90zKe9Q95_npPMLzx20zMj6zfBOv_SqdghamPGBKbW9HeR11qTNJsrSoSX0gDPQQBPuR8s_EVoB_2Hbl3wnfpTc9KGpuKrfm3DFFXSu1P2kTvbhhOUGNzsnOKazfOm6gh0_Qg/w400-h281/IMG_7812.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The wind had really picked up by this point. Sand was blowing and our scopes had no chance of staying upright. The water's edge was littered with hundreds of terns of six species. COMMON TERNS were particularly abundant, numbering ~1,200. The birds were not terribly approachable, but we carefully crept as close as we could. The star of the show here, and one of my favs of the trip, was SNOWY-CROWNED TERN. I could have watched and photographed them all day. Sorting through tern flocks is one of my favorite pastimes at baseline, so adding this species to the mix made it particularly difficult to leave. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5T6NYxUBI1101ajzBCjxlyYIxqrn80exmirmoOupivhx2h7--JZtm5F1pDvOpE29yZ5-88qupG-9WZhG3ZU_aFCWYoPl2fhKLjEuhKa_YCmS0YEOS4kaOFdt2figinHppKbVGmjCXTji4RlIWA9-9igPLbhdwJGTW_q4paApSup8PB3JrVXELQhlrg/s2500/_P1A0757-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1301" data-original-width="2500" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5T6NYxUBI1101ajzBCjxlyYIxqrn80exmirmoOupivhx2h7--JZtm5F1pDvOpE29yZ5-88qupG-9WZhG3ZU_aFCWYoPl2fhKLjEuhKa_YCmS0YEOS4kaOFdt2figinHppKbVGmjCXTji4RlIWA9-9igPLbhdwJGTW_q4paApSup8PB3JrVXELQhlrg/w400-h209/_P1A0757-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktTIERQlbsx5O8k5Xt8YRB0ez8hXRJz-ll3B5BTfXYhsaUDaHsHSUNgLIxq9jmR58JghQBU0CwxwNSHjhaJfKpaJ1zIFbL6d797K56Nwp4H-E09GiOX7erG1hCMuvzBodyYf7jZm0x4tgVrKBOC-z7CWVAf3ZuqwcyEquEROk_5UCOeP9fvXeY7cF9w/s2500/_P1A0960-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktTIERQlbsx5O8k5Xt8YRB0ez8hXRJz-ll3B5BTfXYhsaUDaHsHSUNgLIxq9jmR58JghQBU0CwxwNSHjhaJfKpaJ1zIFbL6d797K56Nwp4H-E09GiOX7erG1hCMuvzBodyYf7jZm0x4tgVrKBOC-z7CWVAf3ZuqwcyEquEROk_5UCOeP9fvXeY7cF9w/w400-h268/_P1A0960-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOCW_QsoOlGAH_2_bBlrYTLftBy8pBOi0zo9YP6g0DYOgRsBZqec9u7KZkeoRrcYqKR_TiIjtymYhM0yzEDRjTOYy1mCYHzmiuLaAjjD-TxQPkDV0eq0Lb-9tAil4Pi2FY5n1Yl0SYqoqPewwxO7cm6WbwShC4e_93TxE4JngLNQAnrXCoEegzzOTkQ/s2500/_P1A0973-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOCW_QsoOlGAH_2_bBlrYTLftBy8pBOi0zo9YP6g0DYOgRsBZqec9u7KZkeoRrcYqKR_TiIjtymYhM0yzEDRjTOYy1mCYHzmiuLaAjjD-TxQPkDV0eq0Lb-9tAil4Pi2FY5n1Yl0SYqoqPewwxO7cm6WbwShC4e_93TxE4JngLNQAnrXCoEegzzOTkQ/w400-h268/_P1A0973-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy-crowned Terns</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>We were also quite interested in the local SANDWICH TERNS of the "Cayenne" subspecies, most of which were intensely yellow-billed. A few birds had black in the bill, one or two with quite a bit.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCxJhgcLkRPKujXcP2AqUz1Ch01KrNA5DhsBkdsd10nzdTvFYWUUV1WwInMeLrSnXzf9xWu9E0bYUKOkSUa9YUbu30l1Z2GC5Q7vq5qsmmO85diDntXZ3Qb2K9fnIYsdbOhaokg3W_Kpd_LcIsWXagn-4-9TxhFvC7en6iSzuQZKXdFHWoLcmJ1a4cw/s2500/_P1A1167-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1338" data-original-width="2500" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCxJhgcLkRPKujXcP2AqUz1Ch01KrNA5DhsBkdsd10nzdTvFYWUUV1WwInMeLrSnXzf9xWu9E0bYUKOkSUa9YUbu30l1Z2GC5Q7vq5qsmmO85diDntXZ3Qb2K9fnIYsdbOhaokg3W_Kpd_LcIsWXagn-4-9TxhFvC7en6iSzuQZKXdFHWoLcmJ1a4cw/w400-h214/_P1A1167-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cayenne Terns (with Common Tern and Brown-hooded Gull at rear)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ2g-xI-JdpK8iOGBlkKzE0fiuGfCDLXbYatEm56nKwwN-sOzUUh52n8-qAISsrK2dph7Hbm0cZfDXjOLzTlaaIJnHDoiPjT97zTh82mgJMCOv91Dzgzy5oeHkP5MJqGUfa93c1vYWc3F-y1WoV-6BVtnN_y-DnSpyvJ6a5iVj4TTrHRFl4Ek_sdC9A/s2500/_P1A1279-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ2g-xI-JdpK8iOGBlkKzE0fiuGfCDLXbYatEm56nKwwN-sOzUUh52n8-qAISsrK2dph7Hbm0cZfDXjOLzTlaaIJnHDoiPjT97zTh82mgJMCOv91Dzgzy5oeHkP5MJqGUfa93c1vYWc3F-y1WoV-6BVtnN_y-DnSpyvJ6a5iVj4TTrHRFl4Ek_sdC9A/w400-h268/_P1A1279-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cayenne Tern with black on the bill</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qyH2MtqZeXdthba6YfrvHktckicLXEScFxLYwtmsaVE1deCq4s4oFzF5zon8uckX8WZE2vysSnUyCgtOFkltNOLJu1LiiGbbgDt7SkzwtglBtWOPEjP3ylh8AntUYEN8OXNGCortSv4Nj3DEyctG3X6DLPiSNr-H97S2lXppnvwG8PG5NXYoeIsDmA/s2500/_P1A1335-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="2500" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qyH2MtqZeXdthba6YfrvHktckicLXEScFxLYwtmsaVE1deCq4s4oFzF5zon8uckX8WZE2vysSnUyCgtOFkltNOLJu1LiiGbbgDt7SkzwtglBtWOPEjP3ylh8AntUYEN8OXNGCortSv4Nj3DEyctG3X6DLPiSNr-H97S2lXppnvwG8PG5NXYoeIsDmA/w400-h211/_P1A1335-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cayenne Terns</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvds9qMIroC1UXm_0WujqLUz0mTRgZHPRlcvEFKCWn6mf9Vzgan7QRBL7HciIxyZnAe5AmmJTTd5tINNeE510rkebwwdTyPAiaJa-gl1xNG7JgF4Myo8e6WXEoqI4KrA5L1pv7HAb0q22mM81JWU8KmU9y0AkkCP04ZBH_dd7C3UxNpN3jZMymEdawTQ/s2500/_P1A1378-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvds9qMIroC1UXm_0WujqLUz0mTRgZHPRlcvEFKCWn6mf9Vzgan7QRBL7HciIxyZnAe5AmmJTTd5tINNeE510rkebwwdTyPAiaJa-gl1xNG7JgF4Myo8e6WXEoqI4KrA5L1pv7HAb0q22mM81JWU8KmU9y0AkkCP04ZBH_dd7C3UxNpN3jZMymEdawTQ/w400-h268/_P1A1378-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cayenne Tern</td></tr></tbody></table><p>All too soon it was time to move on, and just as we were packing up a jaeger ripped down the beach. I called it probably a Parasitic in the field but photos revealed it to be a POMARINE, a pretty good bird from shore here and perhaps a product of those howling NE winds.</p><p>Our next stop would be focused on hummingbirds at the nearby Termas Marinas park. Specifically we were seeking WHITE-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, which was the first hummingbird we saw coming to red flowers in the parking lot just as the skies opened up. We also had nice perched views of a very wet GILDED HUMMINGBIRD. The grounds of the park were birdy enough to keep our interest for a while, and we really would have enjoyed exploring it more during nicer weather. We remarked that this must serve as a productive migrant trap when conditions permit. Passerine species we did record included SMALL-BILLED ELAENIA, RUFOUS-BELLIED THRUSH, CREAMY-BELLIED THRUSH, TROPICAL PARULA, and BLUE-AND-YELLOW TANAGER.</p><p>Eventually we got really soaked and were forced to move on. We struggled to find productive birding while the rain fell, though we lucked into roadside SPOTTED NOTHURA and SCARLET-HEADED BLACKBIRD.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUwCMhT-rATo8qLgNC4eIOlc1sGc-r3sAhh8d-OSnBgFveT0ITB7NR8mDZU2BbTNXB9XLBF6OMgjisyLFiRnQg3o-9GJ30zsb0Cg9ITr4izXhZ0igK_9gdMw80ZG0QF5v4_jkjvE1tBJaYOa6Mz6V-l_PzsQoc4macrPqGzFtANBJnkMan-FRrHRvHw/s2500/_P1A8094-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUwCMhT-rATo8qLgNC4eIOlc1sGc-r3sAhh8d-OSnBgFveT0ITB7NR8mDZU2BbTNXB9XLBF6OMgjisyLFiRnQg3o-9GJ30zsb0Cg9ITr4izXhZ0igK_9gdMw80ZG0QF5v4_jkjvE1tBJaYOa6Mz6V-l_PzsQoc4macrPqGzFtANBJnkMan-FRrHRvHw/w400-h268/_P1A8094-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted Nothura</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The steady rain trickled to scattered showers though the afternoon, but our plans to bird El Palenque were thwarted by impassable muddy roads. In fact, we were not even allowed to enter the property in those conditions. We made the best of the situation by audibling to La Corvina. Though muddy too, this road was at least walkable. About a half mile down the road we encountered two HUDSON'S CANASTEROS, one of the area's specialty landbirds. And while we were watching a canastero, out of nowhere a BEARDED TACHURI appeared and began displaying over the road. Looking back I wish I had made an effort to photograph the bird in flight. The Tachuri was a bit of a bonus and was a species I thought we might have to make an effort to see later in the week.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXhaIrLf_4gF1gNUM3ppXxgsyTlYXs1edOTubPamU7dq5uJCJyFmgmfsjNds0xGDks6I2-bUKqsjXmYgzcZz3oWl02ocNAt7vj_EHZrE1_HvEFPl1C0nGtGRvHmOZ0oVS9mDqoQtCnVnkyrGIn-3vkwta5DYxQlmMb6AJZLOVIF-wBhcpGaDISa8z7A/s2500/_P1A8189-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2281" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXhaIrLf_4gF1gNUM3ppXxgsyTlYXs1edOTubPamU7dq5uJCJyFmgmfsjNds0xGDks6I2-bUKqsjXmYgzcZz3oWl02ocNAt7vj_EHZrE1_HvEFPl1C0nGtGRvHmOZ0oVS9mDqoQtCnVnkyrGIn-3vkwta5DYxQlmMb6AJZLOVIF-wBhcpGaDISa8z7A/w365-h400/_P1A8189-Edit.jpg" width="365" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hudson's Canastero</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCNd66nGa044bP2EhKUGqgtwBrRF2zE608twhuBDCGwJOW2HuSgarzrhnTATgTOop5XLvcAu5AJpIQDGNg0ieVmF-Ppb9gfDHJ3mOFEKZ5wpCLBQYaksoF9R9g53vnEfDKGMkvsz2j3LH_WFGkJRE3fKWuwtem_BrSVgSgUevspdsAvRIHHgy5LBJ1g/s2500/_P1A8410-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCNd66nGa044bP2EhKUGqgtwBrRF2zE608twhuBDCGwJOW2HuSgarzrhnTATgTOop5XLvcAu5AJpIQDGNg0ieVmF-Ppb9gfDHJ3mOFEKZ5wpCLBQYaksoF9R9g53vnEfDKGMkvsz2j3LH_WFGkJRE3fKWuwtem_BrSVgSgUevspdsAvRIHHgy5LBJ1g/w400-h268/_P1A8410-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bearded Tachuri</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFOFwGHVs9KcHDOiAvC5UD_dfe7N8XODx2Cqi4ye4gXzbe0yy8II6gYt5WCdmq03zEvgBzJjAo6an_mDwUxEjFeMHWmq3KRkqX4H8LukDTdXNR0KJqoC2FDigRcZZecM8VYaJXduUSToXHowMJqQTdQGclmaFQ-yOCwamUGOW1ji9Rj1zTELSf6kmGw/s2500/_P1A8487-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFOFwGHVs9KcHDOiAvC5UD_dfe7N8XODx2Cqi4ye4gXzbe0yy8II6gYt5WCdmq03zEvgBzJjAo6an_mDwUxEjFeMHWmq3KRkqX4H8LukDTdXNR0KJqoC2FDigRcZZecM8VYaJXduUSToXHowMJqQTdQGclmaFQ-yOCwamUGOW1ji9Rj1zTELSf6kmGw/w400-h266/_P1A8487-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bearded Tachuri</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Wz0RgxbM5JTn-na3KP5IMknxt1KoMG32HsLjsC6fmL6xXZfwBQYzZIsZtLt5BPO1ztKXC3F0-xO8FCIJUCCfHuBBwYaFcJt0-vG0FJqwM20ln253YZOqK3oyY5-CsrWijAWgejmLvDxO1GeB5yYTELQFvPbNKGXhh5WjoRLtg_9Q-yyjQcxLoJf43Q/s2500/IMG_7820.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Wz0RgxbM5JTn-na3KP5IMknxt1KoMG32HsLjsC6fmL6xXZfwBQYzZIsZtLt5BPO1ztKXC3F0-xO8FCIJUCCfHuBBwYaFcJt0-vG0FJqwM20ln253YZOqK3oyY5-CsrWijAWgejmLvDxO1GeB5yYTELQFvPbNKGXhh5WjoRLtg_9Q-yyjQcxLoJf43Q/w400-h300/IMG_7820.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_sqJsqacmaRiIrX4Ef5MJqqLZE58biKQajXhFI8vqWD8ydquWqieXdjl_nkCf_5bdCWX70O8nEAgqh2N-fzWJ2L2HCgDnOE2T4cyTJ4z2a5udZDaNhRUjUIb6jD-rDxEm54oOn-p9QI7E1M1DpAAXC_IuZojLIMtszLDAPSUT2AxxvKa3MQHahC2Ag/s2500/IMG_7823.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="2500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_sqJsqacmaRiIrX4Ef5MJqqLZE58biKQajXhFI8vqWD8ydquWqieXdjl_nkCf_5bdCWX70O8nEAgqh2N-fzWJ2L2HCgDnOE2T4cyTJ4z2a5udZDaNhRUjUIb6jD-rDxEm54oOn-p9QI7E1M1DpAAXC_IuZojLIMtszLDAPSUT2AxxvKa3MQHahC2Ag/w400-h213/IMG_7823.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>By this point the sun had broken through the clouds and we thought we might be able to navigate the road at Canal 2. But it was a slippery mess, so we were limited to the portion near the main road, which did not produce anything new of note. We returned to last night's restaurant in town, enjoyed more local food and wine, and discussed the next day's plan of attack.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoO0HdxipR2HLAJH2Jft6KZGvQy-hfTG78C3QMTyg4H3XVvUvTfowcyZLRZfP48J-5MQksxBxQFNFHU2bAIQFMRaTX8s9mRzPkH5bqPUKoTmSCKHAjrDdsCyY0XKnHa2jAGBYD54sijy-J0ZAxSogVjojV1Uov-zPPQI6OkW6VwzOpcOVKohxBlKkHw/s2500/IMG_7824.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1567" data-original-width="2500" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoO0HdxipR2HLAJH2Jft6KZGvQy-hfTG78C3QMTyg4H3XVvUvTfowcyZLRZfP48J-5MQksxBxQFNFHU2bAIQFMRaTX8s9mRzPkH5bqPUKoTmSCKHAjrDdsCyY0XKnHa2jAGBYD54sijy-J0ZAxSogVjojV1Uov-zPPQI6OkW6VwzOpcOVKohxBlKkHw/w400-h251/IMG_7824.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canal 2 in the evening</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><u>Oct 27</u></p>This morning we returned to Punta Rasa marshes at first light for one last try at Dot-winged Crake, which again eluded us. The unseasonably cold wind probably did not help us any. On our way out we did catch a migrating flock of 50+ SNAIL KITES working their way out towards the point.<div><br /></div><div>It did not rain overnight, and the mud had dried, so El Palenque was back in play. We had two big targets here: Stripe-backed Bittern and South American Painted-Snipe, though we had high hopes for this property in general, with or without target acquisition.</div><div><br /></div><div>Over four hours we tallied <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S121416951" target="_blank">84 species</a> despite a brutal wind that was keeping birds down. It was beginning to look like we might dip on two more difficult sought-after species when Provencher spotted a PAINTED-SNIPE that disappeared before either of us could get on it. Moments later Tripp re-found the bird which held long enough for all of us to enjoy scope views. This was particularly thrilling for me as I had previously missed the local painted-snipe species in Africa and Australia, so this was very high on my list!</div><div><br /></div><div>The bitterns did not cooperate, unsurprisingly given that everything was really hunkered down as the wind worsened. But the diversity was fantastic. The shorebird highlight here was a handful of BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, arguably my favorite North American shorebird. Flocks at this locale can apparently number in the dozens. Raptors were highlighted by multiples of both CINEREOUS and LONG-WINGED HARRIERS. Six species of hirundines included a couple each of CHILEAN and BANK. Two SHORT-BILLED PIPITS came as a bit of a surprise to us.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was nearly time for us to leave the San Clemente region, but on our way out we returned to La Corvina and scored displaying HELLMAYR'S PIPIT further down the road.</div><div><br /></div><div>By this time it was nearly 2pm and we had upwards of 7 hours of driving ahead of us. This would be the longest single drive of the road trip and we were leaving a bit later than I had hoped. We had a date with Pampas Meadowlark scheduled for the following morning. En route we added a few new species like ROADSIDE HAWK and SHORT-EARED OWL.</div><div><br /></div><div>To break up the drive we decided to stop at a roadside "wetland" at sunset that was actually dry. We were buzzed by an APLOMADO FALCON as several RED-WINGED TINAMOUS scurried through the fields.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvmUdsEIyua3XBsqZSqAuH4TUQ3jEUoNnnltPHyBW_J2q_LWlgQjJL98Tgqi-RhXvvMTxuEmxvoE2WqR6tMKZjognrWUSWNsFRvPFKpjWdJWBQVfa_XgO11Qzw3z7XsWAZLw3dXeJfMdcN2qXC0MQRdbBpm7X14a9rliyq03IHrvMI1JI-GS79ed_Mg/s2500/IMG_7830.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="2500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvmUdsEIyua3XBsqZSqAuH4TUQ3jEUoNnnltPHyBW_J2q_LWlgQjJL98Tgqi-RhXvvMTxuEmxvoE2WqR6tMKZjognrWUSWNsFRvPFKpjWdJWBQVfa_XgO11Qzw3z7XsWAZLw3dXeJfMdcN2qXC0MQRdbBpm7X14a9rliyq03IHrvMI1JI-GS79ed_Mg/w400-h300/IMG_7830.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">watching a perched Aplomado Falcon</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Next stop: Bahia Blanca.</div><div><br /></div><div> - Nick</div>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-17620318534693236462023-01-15T13:24:00.008-05:002023-01-19T13:43:49.455-05:00Argentina: Pampas to Patagonia (Part 1: Intro)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgDzho9HyXl92kYv3GwAVeOwYfQMmu5p1j4j7_Obxh7IzKJOOv0eN7ESiBeMb1Kk9AKqVW_Uk2wsCOjz1ZCpAViCJGdiD5NMu31Ruszwkvo_oYaC3uUnaSe1C1mJ8M8P1zqzsNSLwALfvoyMdqJYIirNEv-_ebvNu9QV_CZOdvVf1bgcQsnwuhJI_Aw/s2500/_P1A5650-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1378" data-original-width="2500" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgDzho9HyXl92kYv3GwAVeOwYfQMmu5p1j4j7_Obxh7IzKJOOv0eN7ESiBeMb1Kk9AKqVW_Uk2wsCOjz1ZCpAViCJGdiD5NMu31Ruszwkvo_oYaC3uUnaSe1C1mJ8M8P1zqzsNSLwALfvoyMdqJYIirNEv-_ebvNu9QV_CZOdvVf1bgcQsnwuhJI_Aw/w640-h352/_P1A5650-Edit-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Over the years I have made it no secret that my favorite natural habitats are wide open spaces. We're talking grasslands, tundra, fields, coastlines and oceans, etc. The farther I can see, the better. No knock on the woods, but I'll take a teeming mudflat over a crawling rainforest most days. A few of my favorite trips of all time have been to such open places as Alaska, Namibia, Japan, and Arctic Norway. So when I was toying around with the idea of a birding trip to South America, Patagonia immediately jumped to mind. Not knowing a ton about the region, I soon learned that the part of the world called Patagonia is a massive part of southern South America, occupying some 400,000 square miles.</p><p>Obviously with a two-week window, there would be decisions to make. First, Chile or Argentina? Either would have been fantastic, but Argentina seemed a fine choice because 1) the infrastructure is known to be superb, and 2) Argentina is currently the cheaper country to visit thanks in large part to runaway inflation happening there. With the value of the Argentine peso declining, the US Dollar currently receives a very favorable exchange rate. These are tough economic times for the country, and hopefully the government can get their act together and reverse the trend ASAP. In the meantime, it made sense for us to capitalize on a cheap vacation and contribute our little bit to their tourism industry at the same time.</p><p>Narrowing the region down to Argentine Patagonia still kept quite a bit on the table. We could have done a full "highlights" tour exclusively in Patagonia, but since all flight itineraries seemed to route through Buenos Aires to the north, this opened up another expansive habitat to consider: the Pampas. Further logistical research indicated that we could do a few days in the Pampas, a few days in Northern Patagonia, and a few days in Southern Patagonia (Tierra del Fuego). This itinerary would include internal flights between these three regions.</p><p>But after thumbing through the field guide and its range maps, it became clear that driving that first leg of the trip would put into play new habitats and birds along the way, including a few such highly sought-after species as Pampas Meadowlark and Yellow Cardinal. This would mean an ambitious breakneck road trip of about 1,000 miles by car in less than a week. After some discussion with compatriots Dave Tripp and Dave Provencher, we decided to go for it.</p><p>So we would fly into Buenos Aires, rent a sedan (gulp!) and set off on our journey, first eastward and then southwest, returning the vehicle at Trelew a week later. From Trelew we would fly to Ushuaia where we'd rent a small SUV and spend a handful of days birding the southern tip of the continent. Then on our way back home we would have a 24-hour layover in Buenos Aires, allowing one morning to bird Ceibas, which would give us a taste of warmer weather and a suite of new birds.</p><p>It was a total whirlwind and probably the fastest-paced birding trip I have ever been on. Thanks to a lack of major unforeseen obstacles, we hit all the targeted sites and successfully tracked down most of our desired species. While I think we all would have preferred to have a few extra days to perhaps sleep more and drive less, the trip was a massive success, and we thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to this must-see country.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ctE26SLaw7CDwIyc_u_A-xpFtooWji0fhDQhKA9-PUgsch8l40FU1Y1zNiqQJL5r0o9KAfoZa3g2YW4gkZ2kUFtkIzIaPt-BAm-7nlIYXsQsZ8d5Vo3bq4HCz2pNvIYpnMRUsBS-OA1XQTkLd6W5v61nRLMPo4_BI3Bwxz-wz2g9MyFDPfP18ZrgIQ/s1533/arg%20map%20blog.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1509" data-original-width="1533" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ctE26SLaw7CDwIyc_u_A-xpFtooWji0fhDQhKA9-PUgsch8l40FU1Y1zNiqQJL5r0o9KAfoZa3g2YW4gkZ2kUFtkIzIaPt-BAm-7nlIYXsQsZ8d5Vo3bq4HCz2pNvIYpnMRUsBS-OA1XQTkLd6W5v61nRLMPo4_BI3Bwxz-wz2g9MyFDPfP18ZrgIQ/w640-h630/arg%20map%20blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pins galore!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p> - NB</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-80537958958127073152023-01-11T20:35:00.001-05:002023-01-15T14:04:14.502-05:002022 Big Sit! The Great Islanders' second year - 104+ species<span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;">Following our hugely successful inaugural "Big Sit" effort at Great Island in 2021, our team was champing at the bit for the 2022 edition. Check out <a href="https://www.shorebirder.com/2021/11/big-sit-in-old-lyme-ct-oct-9-2021.html" target="_blank">last year's post</a> for the full story on our location!</span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;">This year's Big Sit took place on the weekend of October 8-9, 2022. A team's count could take place on either day. Our decision, based on weather, was for Saturday the 8th. A moderate/strong cold front had passed the evening before and left clear skies with a light northwest wind for the overnight period - theoretically perfect for migration. Unfortunately, an unexpected shortwave kicked up a line of rain that moved through the state in the predawn hours, effectively shutting down active migration locally.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;">This did not stop Phil Rusch from arriving on-site at 0245 to get us started with calling Great Horned Owl and American Bittern before the rain started. From 4-7am, it was wet. Not much was vocalizing overhead. We were able to tally a single Swainson's Thrush, and a more distant thrush, either a Veery or Gray-cheeked, was left unidentified. A very vocal American Golden-Plover was tallied in the dark, and a good thing it was, because we never did see one during the day. So the nighttime period did provide us with a few good birds despite the poor conditions.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="color: #232323;">The rain stopped around sunrise, and it didn't take long for the skies to completely clear for the remainder of the day. We were hoping for a solid diurnal passerine migration once the rain passed, but that didn't really materialize. Dribs and drabs, though, so it was not totally quiet. We did enjoy a brief warbler morning flight that was overwhelmingly Yellow-rumped but included Tennessee, Nashville, Black-throated Blue and a couple others. We ended up with seven warbler species on the day. Though it wasn't the heavy movement we were hoping for, diversity was just fine, and we were steadily putting together an impressive list.</span><span style="color: #232323;"> The varied habitat at this location undoubtedly helped.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;">In fact, having reached 87 species before 0930, a triple-digit total seemed well within reach. But by this point in the day we had already tallied most of the "easy" birds. Three hours later, at 1230, we were sitting at 95 species. We figured that with the entire afternoon ahead of us, we were bound to eventually topple 100. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: trebuchet;">Around this time I took my second paddle of the day to the beach/marsh. Writing this piece three months after the fact, I can't recall the exact sequence of events, but Nelson's Sparrow and Marsh Wren were successfully kicked out of the marsh and added to the list. The crew back on land picked up a couple new landbirds plus a flyby White-rumped Sandpiper. By the time I dragged the kayak back up the boat ramp, we had hit the 100 species mark!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Over the last few hours of daylight we only added a few species and finished with 104 for the day. Much of the crew hung in until dusk; nobody was in a hurry to leave that stunning location on a bright autumn afternoon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #232323; font-family: trebuchet;">Of course there were misses, the biggest of which were Rock Pigeon, Fish Crow, and Common Raven. Pigeon seems tough here, as we only barely got it last year. Fish Crow we have missed both years, though we *know* there are a few within sight line across the river on the Old Saybrook side. Perhaps we should have had someone drive over there and kick one up!</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #232323; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #232323; font-family: trebuchet;">Our full eBird list can be found <a href="https://ebird.org/checklist/S120360892" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">In October 2023 we will undoubtedly be back at this location for our third consecutive year. And I promise to deliver a more timely and complete report!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> - NB</span></div>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-44598048115130374452022-12-06T16:27:00.006-05:002022-12-06T16:27:52.195-05:00Greenland Canada GeeseDanish researcher Tony Fox has been studying geese in Greenland for many years. Canada Geese have been increasing in west Greenland since his research began in 1979, and further study has revealed that these birds mostly winter in the northeastern United States. This past July he and his team tagged several Canada Geese in the area of Isunngua, an upland plateau located near 67.12 N, 50.59 W.<div><br /></div><div>On November 19th I spotted one of Tony's Canada Geese, labeled "GYH," at the Greenbacker Pond in Durham, CT. It was the only neck-banded goose in the flock, but it makes one wonder how many of the 290 birds present came from the same part of the world. Around here, Canada Geese are often eschewed by the general public as year-round pests that soil golf courses and lawns. However, several populations of this species are impressive long-distance migrants that travel 2,000+ miles to their wintering grounds. Look for these far-flung members of this familiar species starting in mid-October and continuing through March, when they head back north toward their breeding grounds.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlrFOjGsYlTKSt9D-WyyM1IWwEL4N4VFTC6cDc2l2x2n-9blKxBDkhz1Nxt1LwhrWgCG11JofO5zdXLDunnvGR5DTPUFrlkHIqeZN_vIbj5vdem67aDTtsbzJUbFV9Ks_DvGfeykhDCsx41f4nRV9o8mpEEVzhL9ghNGvGU_bFg0i68TnExun-iyEOA/s2500/_P1A1607-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="2500" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlrFOjGsYlTKSt9D-WyyM1IWwEL4N4VFTC6cDc2l2x2n-9blKxBDkhz1Nxt1LwhrWgCG11JofO5zdXLDunnvGR5DTPUFrlkHIqeZN_vIbj5vdem67aDTtsbzJUbFV9Ks_DvGfeykhDCsx41f4nRV9o8mpEEVzhL9ghNGvGU_bFg0i68TnExun-iyEOA/w400-h156/_P1A1607-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div> - NB</div>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-62070122502897150332022-11-28T17:25:00.006-05:002022-11-28T17:25:30.587-05:00400th Connecticut bird - Smith's Longspur<p>Birders are, by nature, collectors. When we observe a species new to us, we add it to our collection AKA list. Some birders are obsessive listers and need to know how many species they have seen on cloudy Tuesdays during October while the moon is in waxing gibbous. Others may not keep an official list at all, only mentally recalling if a particular species is new or not. Most of us lie somewhere in between.</p><p>In this part of the world, one of the most commonly kept lists is the state/provincial list. This is especially true for a small state like Connecticut in which one can chase pretty much any rare bird in a half day or less, no matter which corner of the state you inhabit.</p><p>When I began birding some 25 years ago, I was mentored by several birders who were very serious about their Connecticut state lists, so I picked up the habit straight away.</p><p>The first to "400 before 40," I am the youngest to 400 species in the state by a reasonably wide margin thanks to the era in which I have grown up. Information now travels faster than it ever has. Gone are the days of coming home to an answering machine full of messages about a rarity that had spent all day just a few miles from where you had just been birding! Now birders expect to hear about a rarity the minute it is found (an unreasonable expectation, but true). Certainly, the current crop of younger CT birders will hit milestones like 350, 375 and 400 at an even faster rate.</p><p>In recent years this traditional state list has become less and less important to me. While there is quite a bit of hard work buried in those 400 species, it generally lies with the birds I have found myself or with friends. In other words, not the ones found by others that I have shamelessly chased. For every self-found rare gull is a twitched Black-bellied Whistling-Duck standing in a puddle beside the road.</p><p>Part of me is still proud of this milestone, but most of me realizes that, really, it is nothing special. Just about anyone can do this. As long as you are willing to commit the time and energy, most people are physically capable of receiving a text message, driving to the correct location, and looking at a bird that a dozen people are already staring at. These days, that is how it often happens.</p><p>So while I am very pleased to have reached 400 species in Connecticut in the traditional sense, I feel that a shift towards "Self-Found" lists is the future of bird listing for those who take great pride in their craft.</p><p>That being said, my twitching days are not over, and I might just see you at Connecticut's next Ivory Gull!</p><p>I was obviously just fine with walking out to the tip of Sandy Point in West Haven on October 18th, where Bill Rankin's superb find, a SMITH'S LONGSPUR, had been hunkered in the grasses all day. This species had been seen in CT a few times before, though never long-staying. To nobody's surprise, the bird was not refound the following day. The only other one I had seen was an individual in similar plumage at Jones Beach, NY in February 2007. This evening's views were much closer and more prolonged than my life bird, thus well worth the effort. Very well done, Bill. Congrats on the wonderful find.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxabgVy8DX-jlRARCsbFOyoljsi2E6VpSLJ8jKhU0S5L36eqP4NXMqkKWsLKFkvWwCSSTI7UEXS5oHkBSJUPCXKaI0eH2EPHA612LHxZnUMGGfzV6RZUfpzgweItcVniiOhNqXlRSAZ0X83wiovXOvq6MKUwjTS0OCZadwDENuVg5N9PF5szUgsUW2Ag/s2500/_P1A9295-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxabgVy8DX-jlRARCsbFOyoljsi2E6VpSLJ8jKhU0S5L36eqP4NXMqkKWsLKFkvWwCSSTI7UEXS5oHkBSJUPCXKaI0eH2EPHA612LHxZnUMGGfzV6RZUfpzgweItcVniiOhNqXlRSAZ0X83wiovXOvq6MKUwjTS0OCZadwDENuVg5N9PF5szUgsUW2Ag/w400-h268/_P1A9295-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1_4Uu9oywuOHa3qCvDSJZ93gYsQuZlp7rc_f4xG_RzUime2p--vQorCVFKBDeWkRdwoeEoHRQ7do9AWDv8ywmXyeIh3pxd7_x1WkGtx3t1sqjLEsEaw2iMdF1OjSXtJN5PUpPJ-621yePQmPKVTLboUd-G101NB5x7SMyTqn3mmJIaHktRf8iy6w9Q/s2500/_P1A9402-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1_4Uu9oywuOHa3qCvDSJZ93gYsQuZlp7rc_f4xG_RzUime2p--vQorCVFKBDeWkRdwoeEoHRQ7do9AWDv8ywmXyeIh3pxd7_x1WkGtx3t1sqjLEsEaw2iMdF1OjSXtJN5PUpPJ-621yePQmPKVTLboUd-G101NB5x7SMyTqn3mmJIaHktRf8iy6w9Q/w400-h268/_P1A9402-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tg7xyuMvQfhhl-I49gf6hwLniEZ-dg0SEh-Btl5NMPIOTvkK2RkNn-6Eng2_AqCLNFIFvnfnDrJUsenJEDay9JJjjFoN_cZIeaSkQYgvw4sCxAX9oZt0Ls8EwmZMpTgdLut11-wb0lXjJcmufB-tWNAInPscBINJvCkanpg2LtbPRuQ177yLIaVD9w/s2500/_P1A9448-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tg7xyuMvQfhhl-I49gf6hwLniEZ-dg0SEh-Btl5NMPIOTvkK2RkNn-6Eng2_AqCLNFIFvnfnDrJUsenJEDay9JJjjFoN_cZIeaSkQYgvw4sCxAX9oZt0Ls8EwmZMpTgdLut11-wb0lXjJcmufB-tWNAInPscBINJvCkanpg2LtbPRuQ177yLIaVD9w/w400-h266/_P1A9448-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smith's Longspur</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p> - Nick</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-79531250332042282982022-09-08T19:25:00.008-04:002022-09-08T19:25:56.286-04:00"Ivory" Common TernLast weekend was busy with family matters as my brother was married in Old Saybrook, CT on Friday night. The day after the wedding a few of us hopped on his best friend Rob's boat for a ride across the Sound to Long Island. As we were departing the mouth of the Connecticut River, I scanned the flock of Common Terns that frequents the breakwaters at this time of year. One shockingly white bird stuck out like a sore thumb, and Rob was kind enough to double back for a closer look. The bird appears to be a leucistic Common Tern with fully white plumage and bright orange bare parts. We could not linger for long, so I did not see it fly, but I don't see a trace of pigment in the feathers at rest. I've never seen a tern of any species like this, and after a bit of research this appears to be a rare abnormality among terns.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xn7whI03Zy5fuOrnjWNAyxaWHpQJzrY4CHs5Vt78ct7RxgCN1RMjckhBFTb1QfXGwM5ehTtdo3_30-7FFX-exD8zaeyFUFQbij3XcxcJz6OzhhnQNkvlmB_rm8OID_lSgf6_cJaJ_Rlo2NtvqQRHfGMHSlT8QeYFxgaaXt5OEgLk9nDDz0RrWdtjvg/s2011/_P1A8233-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1341" data-original-width="2011" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xn7whI03Zy5fuOrnjWNAyxaWHpQJzrY4CHs5Vt78ct7RxgCN1RMjckhBFTb1QfXGwM5ehTtdo3_30-7FFX-exD8zaeyFUFQbij3XcxcJz6OzhhnQNkvlmB_rm8OID_lSgf6_cJaJ_Rlo2NtvqQRHfGMHSlT8QeYFxgaaXt5OEgLk9nDDz0RrWdtjvg/w400-h266/_P1A8233-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSM8oQDQvQdmM-dtu2e7NuP3gCFfyJrKUWt_kUsmtwN1mzgXSJ9kexoxhZncP0ZwWfuMZEfD0JRYJRgS5ZBcutCecVWYzbkunrV0U3fisqaF0q_P9GIgkvN-S4LMSFrp0WafpbrmrWTgg1EFgPQUp7qPz-V6eybuP8qoxkp_B4zKy3VvcEcTZ1KAHlA/s1788/_P1A8177-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="1788" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSM8oQDQvQdmM-dtu2e7NuP3gCFfyJrKUWt_kUsmtwN1mzgXSJ9kexoxhZncP0ZwWfuMZEfD0JRYJRgS5ZBcutCecVWYzbkunrV0U3fisqaF0q_P9GIgkvN-S4LMSFrp0WafpbrmrWTgg1EFgPQUp7qPz-V6eybuP8qoxkp_B4zKy3VvcEcTZ1KAHlA/w400-h268/_P1A8177-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtx4s85Er1emeGSlJtal_-4np6v3gHPU1SUMrS4MdG2L3NeUwSLza7BsfepqlvOPi0_QcSi6MKJh9O1jgs1zsRtgQhbOgwoEYx40e95-qdTfH9rlYGSofzmrjFf7aysNUD_f5nuVmFMK_SJd47IqieTO56hpoxuJzdJtifaRE8C4F7lBv4-lL2PkvSHw/s2087/_P1A8178-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1392" data-original-width="2087" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtx4s85Er1emeGSlJtal_-4np6v3gHPU1SUMrS4MdG2L3NeUwSLza7BsfepqlvOPi0_QcSi6MKJh9O1jgs1zsRtgQhbOgwoEYx40e95-qdTfH9rlYGSofzmrjFf7aysNUD_f5nuVmFMK_SJd47IqieTO56hpoxuJzdJtifaRE8C4F7lBv4-lL2PkvSHw/w400-h266/_P1A8178-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdMTXnPRg4LW0WlLcB6sSkkK6-LIAQQ9oxLW6jaWsQzzaVkNcrLUH1HQHX2wvJZyvm_w47H7DPVOWOu0L2x7AYH9uE33qOMVJY6OU0E2qgrt9Evm2MV35gVBkM3QLdrWZN-Tdx1JIMNVAQ6Hmf0R5cgfTHEbZZiTe5vcGwBefJrLJLums-mZtpdPCRg/s1830/_P1A8204-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="1830" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdMTXnPRg4LW0WlLcB6sSkkK6-LIAQQ9oxLW6jaWsQzzaVkNcrLUH1HQHX2wvJZyvm_w47H7DPVOWOu0L2x7AYH9uE33qOMVJY6OU0E2qgrt9Evm2MV35gVBkM3QLdrWZN-Tdx1JIMNVAQ6Hmf0R5cgfTHEbZZiTe5vcGwBefJrLJLums-mZtpdPCRg/w400-h266/_P1A8204-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucLeNBiJbve3D1cp4LqGo2IOx-53E-ziigcRwk6pTMRayVVHOtAp5hHDih_wif9SEJ-vUZr9yPdmooe8fICRw4eR6jEHfgUvoAGflEdNA4QcTqY31jVB3-37c_MGvI_2Z6nhVBVwW7pJThY7IcB78alZFvkGwghvDeWq4uodv_n41CDM9N07R6IExcQ/s1764/_P1A8206-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1177" data-original-width="1764" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucLeNBiJbve3D1cp4LqGo2IOx-53E-ziigcRwk6pTMRayVVHOtAp5hHDih_wif9SEJ-vUZr9yPdmooe8fICRw4eR6jEHfgUvoAGflEdNA4QcTqY31jVB3-37c_MGvI_2Z6nhVBVwW7pJThY7IcB78alZFvkGwghvDeWq4uodv_n41CDM9N07R6IExcQ/w400-h268/_P1A8206-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div> - NB</div>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-6224368252415463532022-08-13T20:34:00.004-04:002022-08-15T18:47:21.432-04:00CAPE VERDE SHEARWATER off Cape Cod, MA - August 12, 2022<p>For the past couple months, Ian Davies and I had been eyeing this week for a little summer Cape Cod birding adventure. The feasibility of this plan would depend largely on the weather, as I wanted to trailer the boat to the Cape for access to pelagic waters and Monomoy NWR. After a rather uncertain and oft-changing forecast thanks to a stationary front passage, a brief weather window opened for the second half of the week. Julian Hough was free to join me for the mini vacation, so we left CT on Tuesday evening. Wednesday was spent shorebirding; Ian had to work that day, but Pete Trimble and Phil Rusch filled out the boat. Thursday found us rained out, but we regrouped for a full Friday on the water.</p><p>At sunrise on Friday the 12th, Ian, Julian, and Pete & Jeremiah Trimble and I left the harbor and headed around the tip of Monomoy to the productive waters east of Chatham. I had been out there a handful of times prior between my boat and a friend's, and there has always been at least something to see between pelagic birds and cetaceans. At their best, these waters are teeming with marine life. Friday's experience was very bird-centric. Hundreds of shearwaters, storm-petrels, gulls and terns were scattered over a broad piece of water about 3-5 miles offshore. There were no massive tight flocks. Rather, the tubenoses were following scattered topwater feeding fish. Based on what I was seeing, I suspected most of the predatory fish were Striped Bass, though I did see a schoolie Bluefin Tuna leap out of the water at one point. The calm waters were perfect for spotting whales, dolphins, or sharks, but surprisingly we had none of those. Just one Mola Mola.</p><p>As we were pulling out of the harbor earlier that morning, we threw together a wish list of rarities we could find out there. Some more outrageous than others, though all were incredibly unlikely. Jeremiah's request for the day was Cape Verde Shearwater - a lofty goal! Well wouldn't you know it if Jeremiah didn't point out a small, dark Cory's-type shearwater with a dull bill around 7:20 am. Wow. That's double points for calling your own shot.</p><p>The fun part about observing pelagics from a small boat is that you can get quite close to the birds, as the spectre of a 20-foot boat is nothing compared to the large vessels we charter for typical pelagic trips. We were already quite close to this individual, which was in a loosely scattered line of Great Shearwaters.</p><p>Once Jeremiah pointed it out, bins and cameras were raised. Unfortunately our time with the bird was all too brief. One by one the Great Shearwaters and the Cape Verde Shearwater lifted off the water and flew dead away. We gunned the boat in pursuit as best we could, but the birds effortlessly motored away from us, which is saying something since we were doing 30mph.</p><p>Following a group huddle and back-of-camera photo sharing, we quickly came to a consensus on the ID, though it did take a few moments to shake off the shock. Cape Verde Shearwater is a species that has been recorded off the East Coast at least once before (a well-documented August 2004 record by Patteson et al. off Hatteras, NC), so we had all been geared up for this ID for years. Despite nobody on board having field experience with the species, this bird clearly checked all the boxes in textbook fashion with good views and photos to boot. A life bird for everyone on board.</p><p>Description:</p><p>Initially seen sitting on the water near a few scattered Great Shearwaters, naked eye this bird appeared small and dark for a Cory's type. Similar in size to the nearby GRSH. After changing the path of the boat slightly to put the bird more broadly on the port side, I got bins on it briefly, and a thin, anemic grayish bill with a darker tip was apparent; certainly not the clear yellow bill you see on Cory's/Scopoli's. Then pulling up the camera, I got only two frames with the bird on the water before it picked up, started towards us, then turned away and continued in this fashion until out of view while we pursued. Its flight style seemed much less deliberate/lumbering than Cory's to me, not surprising given the bird's apparent size and narrow wings. Photo review revealed a lack of any white bleeding onto the under-primaries. Thin white eye arcs stood out against a subtly dark face/cap.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVYjZZBZdAd2mXt0v5UjNpQOlRu0DW2Blv9ZwozuQO2ni-4jZ1UMR-sRZ2xbFFpDeiItWyQCh811-tVfvrXu5o3DrE6xoYaU0FagPxbpjOYjiZZgESQI5HG2fKUstlPjjKWVJs8Y9lRWTyLVJG2MbTu-tFQu2f7UI1QgzQgBt__TUOpVCvEcCRGO_Hw/s2500/_P1A4011-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVYjZZBZdAd2mXt0v5UjNpQOlRu0DW2Blv9ZwozuQO2ni-4jZ1UMR-sRZ2xbFFpDeiItWyQCh811-tVfvrXu5o3DrE6xoYaU0FagPxbpjOYjiZZgESQI5HG2fKUstlPjjKWVJs8Y9lRWTyLVJG2MbTu-tFQu2f7UI1QgzQgBt__TUOpVCvEcCRGO_Hw/w400-h268/_P1A4011-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTqPYp-TR4KLNNuA4cuSMZI2i7rmdl3ADT--EiD-k1lGE4AfsyzAGaN0PJHz04vJuzBrJwu8VVaMJefDWNrfDoYQrKfGSS4Riuj3No-H_RNvu2eSqkOevhc1iCd2jNZjwffa-VPSvSad1qoRFrtFzEJ5lMrt42xhBGNmjhaeHpn9drF5feMFks0l7OA/s2500/_P1A4013-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTqPYp-TR4KLNNuA4cuSMZI2i7rmdl3ADT--EiD-k1lGE4AfsyzAGaN0PJHz04vJuzBrJwu8VVaMJefDWNrfDoYQrKfGSS4Riuj3No-H_RNvu2eSqkOevhc1iCd2jNZjwffa-VPSvSad1qoRFrtFzEJ5lMrt42xhBGNmjhaeHpn9drF5feMFks0l7OA/w400-h266/_P1A4013-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wJfAud41Ttao3Om3esFTfDldh1X1fo1kMwFPK7TuPCy_ukDyvW2eJSn0WRpozeJXXcH_GndoUiKYPNTZj3RtN_nd6qPkkcZW2LlBaoTHB6Dapplms5iZpRWlgccSwO_m1qOX41T_QBa2SJgCSer2CwZuw37H3gkarOmMiEvhKod3hPbdO0n4VVy5Yw/s2500/_P1A4017-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wJfAud41Ttao3Om3esFTfDldh1X1fo1kMwFPK7TuPCy_ukDyvW2eJSn0WRpozeJXXcH_GndoUiKYPNTZj3RtN_nd6qPkkcZW2LlBaoTHB6Dapplms5iZpRWlgccSwO_m1qOX41T_QBa2SJgCSer2CwZuw37H3gkarOmMiEvhKod3hPbdO0n4VVy5Yw/w400-h266/_P1A4017-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJk3Y7IDUQQznPZgQuJrwvvWEBiizh0xID7BLF9MdrMJG7nKWYKAz9EzM7ZiaoQHVRAy5P4LRw1g0P6Gk0KKjv_e2RSTTQsmIW-gtNcTtriY5REx9ZcwELWV7fOwRPT2Ow6dkV6eUzwlHsln8Mpa7dkp4NUj0h8sdAiqQ0qPQ4_HLS8O_faCSsFq7Kw/s2500/_P1A4019-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJk3Y7IDUQQznPZgQuJrwvvWEBiizh0xID7BLF9MdrMJG7nKWYKAz9EzM7ZiaoQHVRAy5P4LRw1g0P6Gk0KKjv_e2RSTTQsmIW-gtNcTtriY5REx9ZcwELWV7fOwRPT2Ow6dkV6eUzwlHsln8Mpa7dkp4NUj0h8sdAiqQ0qPQ4_HLS8O_faCSsFq7Kw/w400-h266/_P1A4019-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0KDqlGyP3nVphvCTA4t9kWfUZfpIIpQTbE4O3x9ZrxwTlfncNHRyOJdAI1K454mAEK9zvR9EvMeyURiRun_0O3SDT4XKuq8qpTXy6ienx4UQp1F9g-ofJniUoLbEBHHnqBZADkxc04wKhWbBSq3Z12YP6HPWRWUgf45HsgtJXxU2z05XYjGtB7asPg/s2500/_P1A4026-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0KDqlGyP3nVphvCTA4t9kWfUZfpIIpQTbE4O3x9ZrxwTlfncNHRyOJdAI1K454mAEK9zvR9EvMeyURiRun_0O3SDT4XKuq8qpTXy6ienx4UQp1F9g-ofJniUoLbEBHHnqBZADkxc04wKhWbBSq3Z12YP6HPWRWUgf45HsgtJXxU2z05XYjGtB7asPg/w400-h268/_P1A4026-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Per usual, click any of the above images for a higher resolution version.</p><p>Cape Cod is well-known as a seabirder's paradise, and this bird's occurrence only reinforces that fact. Given how many birds work this area on a regular basis, perhaps it should come as no real surprise that a mega rarity like this would pop up just a few miles offshore.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdr-ejlDP9DepMCM8rvlSYA5LGl1ImE9eS3yq3xE_U4SbXYpgdb6OTFRVLq_DPQG-Au2Syzj9GQyrGj5r9H0dkjf3SqkVidzGCPvaqUckqzf6t69-xGfkGLDK4NNtEodHcMeOl5mTmmxElkqvRv6Ezvqz1hgPOh1w8s7Z6OPZHxV-PoIV-Huu14JAGhA/s1024/imagejpeg_0.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1024" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdr-ejlDP9DepMCM8rvlSYA5LGl1ImE9eS3yq3xE_U4SbXYpgdb6OTFRVLq_DPQG-Au2Syzj9GQyrGj5r9H0dkjf3SqkVidzGCPvaqUckqzf6t69-xGfkGLDK4NNtEodHcMeOl5mTmmxElkqvRv6Ezvqz1hgPOh1w8s7Z6OPZHxV-PoIV-Huu14JAGhA/w400-h272/imagejpeg_0.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy Jeremiah Trimble</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1yslhpk_Ut542mPIhJjtRaaBZxOaBfTBAcB87tgMP_kxYnizEBePivvYhKsN92xxtEvzBtrTEWr46ML29eReGV8STyZ_JcvUb_-WBb0y01-f0xskrZhgKlNkjh3peUkFv1rWmhJvS74xK8IWKrT4-kMtOY0DfDkTiUXjYf0ZCsP9X55G-w0cEEEhYw/s1600/IMG_3831.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1yslhpk_Ut542mPIhJjtRaaBZxOaBfTBAcB87tgMP_kxYnizEBePivvYhKsN92xxtEvzBtrTEWr46ML29eReGV8STyZ_JcvUb_-WBb0y01-f0xskrZhgKlNkjh3peUkFv1rWmhJvS74xK8IWKrT4-kMtOY0DfDkTiUXjYf0ZCsP9X55G-w0cEEEhYw/w400-h300/IMG_3831.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy Jeremiah Trimble</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIE8FQU-Rqq3oLUgt1cEVQAPm5VVMuCpXK-jZfmXIPYQikN3wFUh1q_tJ9gab86MlZoBgMX2oQ3RmEAIDYmO5qFP2qJkraRHO5gwPaKLGz2ku93DFkDrJZLvEwmpGT-ljw7cUsS6Wg6LCWgs0cFkJtSuXddTMs9_q2oNq9enZIimLs55zieSH9BkpSFg/s3924/IMG_7329.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2943" data-original-width="3924" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIE8FQU-Rqq3oLUgt1cEVQAPm5VVMuCpXK-jZfmXIPYQikN3wFUh1q_tJ9gab86MlZoBgMX2oQ3RmEAIDYmO5qFP2qJkraRHO5gwPaKLGz2ku93DFkDrJZLvEwmpGT-ljw7cUsS6Wg6LCWgs0cFkJtSuXddTMs9_q2oNq9enZIimLs55zieSH9BkpSFg/w400-h300/IMG_7329.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2A5s03SQ3vja0iAFS4XJXbRpjNShRzA29fTVkPM3D8dsFTY9ikBmHpi1p-CSNVTg40XaeXWY_XJLTpHCsFCp_Olt_CRrcCq7Yye4nJTFgE3KyYNlrdgUO8qH0ozXqr55utCPLAF_RZp57JIpEZHn2PhcCOuo6ArcXxujsbMBVM4IAeN_Z50AAHUQNQ/s3151/Untitled.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1918" data-original-width="3151" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2A5s03SQ3vja0iAFS4XJXbRpjNShRzA29fTVkPM3D8dsFTY9ikBmHpi1p-CSNVTg40XaeXWY_XJLTpHCsFCp_Olt_CRrcCq7Yye4nJTFgE3KyYNlrdgUO8qH0ozXqr55utCPLAF_RZp57JIpEZHn2PhcCOuo6ArcXxujsbMBVM4IAeN_Z50AAHUQNQ/w400-h244/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">red pin marks the location of the CVSH, 4.5 miles due east of Chatham Light</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Just an awesome day on the water with great people among one of the region's finest wildlife spectacles. It is tough to beat late summer birding on Cape Cod!</p><p>- Nick</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-84685728553486971632022-08-07T20:20:00.006-04:002022-08-07T20:23:58.128-04:00Madeira...finally! Early June 2022<p>After three years of trying, Dave Provencher and I finally made it to Madeira in search of Zino's Petrel. The pandemic had postponed our 2020 and 2021 bookings, but we were not denied this time around. We spent about 5 days on the island, three afternoons of which were at sea. The rest of the time was spent casually exploring from sea level to 6,000+ ft peaks. We connected reasonably easily with the island's few endemic species and subspecies, plus a few other target birds.</p><p>Madeira is a small island whose jagged peaks jut out of the ocean like the tip of an iceberg. Information about the island is readily available online, so I will spare the repetition here. Though I will add one thing that surprised me...Madeira is very affordable. Cheap, even. At least once you get there. Flights seemed to run $650-800 return from the northeast US, but once on-island, our stay did not set us back much. The rental car cost $215 for the duration, our downtown Machico hotel room was $55/night, and dining ran cheaper than back home. Our getaway was brief, and there was more island to explore for sure, but I do recommend Madeira as a destination if you like yourself some rare Pterodromas.</p><p>*Click on thumbnails below for high resolution.</p><p>The stars of the show...ZINO'S PETREL. We encountered at least 7 individuals over our three afternoons at sea.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuuwN4dx7hq1_iCer2xwKCCxq2KI37hHtGfXjcw4EVVATZKQkw5bk-KBO8nRsTDYXe_3nZorAzeBcFYTgDnY-GtSrAC872_1FE4DWFVbTyt_M3e59QKTGo2qLU7IYAbMQnnJNwopOhq7gCCv3CLlPfqxtnPJBmDrm-20lISimwFxmmvfmrWrw1b1vzw/s2500/_P1A6573.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuuwN4dx7hq1_iCer2xwKCCxq2KI37hHtGfXjcw4EVVATZKQkw5bk-KBO8nRsTDYXe_3nZorAzeBcFYTgDnY-GtSrAC872_1FE4DWFVbTyt_M3e59QKTGo2qLU7IYAbMQnnJNwopOhq7gCCv3CLlPfqxtnPJBmDrm-20lISimwFxmmvfmrWrw1b1vzw/w400-h266/_P1A6573.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10OLLKIR8MYrkDlr3gEzxnlr-6lECBfWyagfBwGRMZPk6o0SAFnn6MjHx-mE5YBW7akqqxKgVOpIbPvo9UfGmHEopdp1KqADy7R2JyWIuMo5fJsxZeJua70PuHwcNTQocLV2oS2qRtKf6xwNCW7PsMTZjKiPBRE7OwCygHrntCoOuGXkvnnf6LptNAA/s2500/_P1A6378-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1569" data-original-width="2500" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10OLLKIR8MYrkDlr3gEzxnlr-6lECBfWyagfBwGRMZPk6o0SAFnn6MjHx-mE5YBW7akqqxKgVOpIbPvo9UfGmHEopdp1KqADy7R2JyWIuMo5fJsxZeJua70PuHwcNTQocLV2oS2qRtKf6xwNCW7PsMTZjKiPBRE7OwCygHrntCoOuGXkvnnf6LptNAA/w400-h251/_P1A6378-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKGcvzPi8DGfEyl64wFM_ow-95_rnSxqZ0djro0WfrYYXTGifHXGZeETLQZz2Ja-PMztqevxAr8cBJHmpwl01yiXuyrwWJo16RdNfBUIxNZfrXHJWtjv2FIWi5D-mb7i4fcs0igyybINs-7fE109Q3nOjtHZKNnpeffAbsJtD5Wrq47KKzgQxiMkOew/s2500/_P1A6410-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKGcvzPi8DGfEyl64wFM_ow-95_rnSxqZ0djro0WfrYYXTGifHXGZeETLQZz2Ja-PMztqevxAr8cBJHmpwl01yiXuyrwWJo16RdNfBUIxNZfrXHJWtjv2FIWi5D-mb7i4fcs0igyybINs-7fE109Q3nOjtHZKNnpeffAbsJtD5Wrq47KKzgQxiMkOew/w400-h268/_P1A6410-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSxNIpGLLfoDjGU6wU5xxgJ7WtmDIK_Hy0WBX4L8EOTgYBycvpacRlxqrMzVl3nykkuMignWqXFJ5qLLSuL5a6QMxssa24wC-KgOj_0IUHKAHiHXOZ6w5H--wbHfdebJAdwDyzKFCfjxc2aOIdnNSDPbrmQWH57BKvgYbpvZvZcusHacHo9njMgBIuA/s2500/_P1A6517.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSxNIpGLLfoDjGU6wU5xxgJ7WtmDIK_Hy0WBX4L8EOTgYBycvpacRlxqrMzVl3nykkuMignWqXFJ5qLLSuL5a6QMxssa24wC-KgOj_0IUHKAHiHXOZ6w5H--wbHfdebJAdwDyzKFCfjxc2aOIdnNSDPbrmQWH57BKvgYbpvZvZcusHacHo9njMgBIuA/w400-h268/_P1A6517.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YhOvtjclLUXVFAqRgMRuPPUjKAk6cmwvPGXDo7FGpVwCf5LPLEfvNcEUglv8_RfynK3crmNKzLVcAloVlswj29MufO77M9Y0jJFwEbC4iH0L_7X27B9Y-7kz8vUtKJ0oTibd_5qepLyf8MdnEj27ZPFM4sfKp-ZUK1ws5AfU-FuhURJnbF6OXk3FOg/s2500/_P1A4310-3-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YhOvtjclLUXVFAqRgMRuPPUjKAk6cmwvPGXDo7FGpVwCf5LPLEfvNcEUglv8_RfynK3crmNKzLVcAloVlswj29MufO77M9Y0jJFwEbC4iH0L_7X27B9Y-7kz8vUtKJ0oTibd_5qepLyf8MdnEj27ZPFM4sfKp-ZUK1ws5AfU-FuhURJnbF6OXk3FOg/w400-h266/_P1A4310-3-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The closely related "Desertas" FEA'S PETREL breeds on adjacent Bugio of the Desertas chain. We definitively saw only one of these:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikI01dggYe9VRVPJqx8ALLV_FkajxDXLEoHpcZrht4RZkdMPUEuUgz7ser4a0YVZUwEvkDmcA-pA-XDirdim07eF2hMREpzVOjulw2_fHol5SLf9ZGL6peM7zV1OOilY2ACD5uotur4Ol3q6uIs3zUVJlAS3v3161M0xn1ZEM2XWGkdAhygkxZk08Qw/s2500/_P1A4511-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikI01dggYe9VRVPJqx8ALLV_FkajxDXLEoHpcZrht4RZkdMPUEuUgz7ser4a0YVZUwEvkDmcA-pA-XDirdim07eF2hMREpzVOjulw2_fHol5SLf9ZGL6peM7zV1OOilY2ACD5uotur4Ol3q6uIs3zUVJlAS3v3161M0xn1ZEM2XWGkdAhygkxZk08Qw/w400-h268/_P1A4511-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Outside of the <i>Pterodromas</i>, the BULWER'S PETRELS were the most entertaining seabird out there. Very common, there always seemed to be several of these in view:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMJEHbBHqXW5RGN9m2EHIbIGxEWvru5-34ZIbrV1Qg-Yer1Hk1xQ0YdhjygEbd5GUKq42GcRrA_-x8_eAznxcpRnUgGr1alcvOOOOkSWu8BAxV0cBBeqkdXo3fr8pLwP9MCYMAkeFNXjW6bHiZ90JVqS7Mt1PLmnKFWGVs5Jj86JU7EZ6vuO5Qt-kPg/s2500/_P1A4744-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMJEHbBHqXW5RGN9m2EHIbIGxEWvru5-34ZIbrV1Qg-Yer1Hk1xQ0YdhjygEbd5GUKq42GcRrA_-x8_eAznxcpRnUgGr1alcvOOOOkSWu8BAxV0cBBeqkdXo3fr8pLwP9MCYMAkeFNXjW6bHiZ90JVqS7Mt1PLmnKFWGVs5Jj86JU7EZ6vuO5Qt-kPg/w400-h268/_P1A4744-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU_qK3A_mxDWXO1g9sQDDHg3ilcL3jGkWycBSOfqNufrOwg0cR6QQ1wlpOSWDfo8rifFowg0pNDDdOL1fbJn79hLIeRjymJ8JisIlFWLsqwa8PqIU05bc2EB9RBgmXWL-k8frQ9gs8eFO-daWvXA7iRu63y6-hCKi8dOXUNcWc7cSDyZ3CdEkwNsQpQ/s2500/_P1A4784-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU_qK3A_mxDWXO1g9sQDDHg3ilcL3jGkWycBSOfqNufrOwg0cR6QQ1wlpOSWDfo8rifFowg0pNDDdOL1fbJn79hLIeRjymJ8JisIlFWLsqwa8PqIU05bc2EB9RBgmXWL-k8frQ9gs8eFO-daWvXA7iRu63y6-hCKi8dOXUNcWc7cSDyZ3CdEkwNsQpQ/w400-h268/_P1A4784-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj7cCUCLdnmljQpiS5qJWNLt6Wb3nIf1pDoHonkPJbAnmxBse_NirReixeBWvry1bgkopFneQoUM-u3kmHD_Z0WZOYViD7F7GPlLq7UK3nztnLbYsFQnNRW8qNeUA45Nzcu3iBQ4L35F7Jhf43RbXUb5XrTsKwkL65OuTjbxiuFFCpeVK1BnEX4eckw/s2500/_P1A4838.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="2500" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj7cCUCLdnmljQpiS5qJWNLt6Wb3nIf1pDoHonkPJbAnmxBse_NirReixeBWvry1bgkopFneQoUM-u3kmHD_Z0WZOYViD7F7GPlLq7UK3nztnLbYsFQnNRW8qNeUA45Nzcu3iBQ4L35F7Jhf43RbXUb5XrTsKwkL65OuTjbxiuFFCpeVK1BnEX4eckw/w400-h130/_P1A4838.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Jdl-a0VUWiX5jdJuGddDTjUyUcsCfV3eKANgU9-m-7LGggQbINVn3FhjwdVlrjwTly_CoErO3VoGUcBesZc7S1Kux1wfz1X94wcdOPRkfCFct2uZ3Fjs1S6uEavu4sRDkSD82DEhFnNJMsfx24UVP5gYLtzxuHgOtVdIR_WytnyEDOV6fXV595bQ_w/s2500/_P1A6826-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Jdl-a0VUWiX5jdJuGddDTjUyUcsCfV3eKANgU9-m-7LGggQbINVn3FhjwdVlrjwTly_CoErO3VoGUcBesZc7S1Kux1wfz1X94wcdOPRkfCFct2uZ3Fjs1S6uEavu4sRDkSD82DEhFnNJMsfx24UVP5gYLtzxuHgOtVdIR_WytnyEDOV6fXV595bQ_w/w400-h266/_P1A6826-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5K8n-zzmlihwW60_jj807-2GY16VCxqt9EXImq457yK6D6T0avFNgYrC_8Cow9YmQTFb_aUxIgWapvx9eEutnh2W1JOG2cm6z4rC3fmucIbkkaBUVajl06HSRbIizAu62CtE0gJZkN6sp1pZsmO3aEP5xXLLhKSUOyx1M2lyPlW7UK5vJbx0tgLsRKw/s2500/_P1A6899-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5K8n-zzmlihwW60_jj807-2GY16VCxqt9EXImq457yK6D6T0avFNgYrC_8Cow9YmQTFb_aUxIgWapvx9eEutnh2W1JOG2cm6z4rC3fmucIbkkaBUVajl06HSRbIizAu62CtE0gJZkN6sp1pZsmO3aEP5xXLLhKSUOyx1M2lyPlW7UK5vJbx0tgLsRKw/w400-h268/_P1A6899-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Another specialty of these waters is the "Madeiran" form of BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL. They are scarce, but we did have prolonged views of one feeding in our chum slick:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7MGjhakUjRdE4QrfdkzXwWKws88i4yN-L03JaVRBHCwtUuNmTwR8DC9NbApXRV6GA3mtWKIvVowyvYxEQaJ6wAr42M1IAV0ptluPMao6y-YEWMoTvDLiPRoTNBBlD6bVXpxuhZMJOBijylX8k4hBlv25v9Q-Hbp0Lfxa_PjaoH_JPssOkYL7tPia7Q/s2500/_P1A5365-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7MGjhakUjRdE4QrfdkzXwWKws88i4yN-L03JaVRBHCwtUuNmTwR8DC9NbApXRV6GA3mtWKIvVowyvYxEQaJ6wAr42M1IAV0ptluPMao6y-YEWMoTvDLiPRoTNBBlD6bVXpxuhZMJOBijylX8k4hBlv25v9Q-Hbp0Lfxa_PjaoH_JPssOkYL7tPia7Q/w400-h268/_P1A5365-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Zj5-cc3bkn2oyt1x6tShGSQ08c3LJZOgnIZhoH-qsCqeFaXmqbhWSgYaih6Cu-Wn-VwpadGW2LdnStXcVfIAGz-GT49dAMTRfBoY18BP1m6MZl2YqGD_WP3DZ2AQR93_rgyjox7D77Oog-s-qWF9bGpXVNHKxTHazx7G9nPw8u2sjpOTnUIk3kiX_Q/s2500/_P1A5747-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Zj5-cc3bkn2oyt1x6tShGSQ08c3LJZOgnIZhoH-qsCqeFaXmqbhWSgYaih6Cu-Wn-VwpadGW2LdnStXcVfIAGz-GT49dAMTRfBoY18BP1m6MZl2YqGD_WP3DZ2AQR93_rgyjox7D77Oog-s-qWF9bGpXVNHKxTHazx7G9nPw8u2sjpOTnUIk3kiX_Q/w400-h268/_P1A5747-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgxvnO5oQzv8tglM2OVYDYqKjD0qf1v66OZCDQWbw41oI3RV80-wDWPaFMAYVZS_SQhp1noTwm8pot_IJb0VIyPRw8n1eKAcpvCxrtv8jvkuWh_oy8Xx3EVznlswYlfYiO_Q9oPSFOfzWNumWpFOO4mviL76eXEt2tofvLGEX1o6oCaHLVOtwCUhXlw/s2500/_P1A5749-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgxvnO5oQzv8tglM2OVYDYqKjD0qf1v66OZCDQWbw41oI3RV80-wDWPaFMAYVZS_SQhp1noTwm8pot_IJb0VIyPRw8n1eKAcpvCxrtv8jvkuWh_oy8Xx3EVznlswYlfYiO_Q9oPSFOfzWNumWpFOO4mviL76eXEt2tofvLGEX1o6oCaHLVOtwCUhXlw/w400-h266/_P1A5749-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Unexpected for this time of year was a single GREAT SHEARWATER:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBi7UoD5SLN4PxMtWGMZD5eq7GUxpQJKQz2H6JNRM02hZlB4oYamuay8exvgzbI3Pl-NfKu_P-sPYwaFToK83Dz3I9u0JGztwzVhfXxSrMp8yUJUztp_mULPEP1II7j5AaF3Bw6ptGoxpqqXEleVcsrXM3KizyuRiB6pk70CUPe9RUhWp3QW9oG9e_DQ/s2500/_P1A5999.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBi7UoD5SLN4PxMtWGMZD5eq7GUxpQJKQz2H6JNRM02hZlB4oYamuay8exvgzbI3Pl-NfKu_P-sPYwaFToK83Dz3I9u0JGztwzVhfXxSrMp8yUJUztp_mULPEP1II7j5AaF3Bw6ptGoxpqqXEleVcsrXM3KizyuRiB6pk70CUPe9RUhWp3QW9oG9e_DQ/w400-h268/_P1A5999.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The most abundant seabird out there was CORY'S SHEARWATER, all of which seen well enough to scrutinize were clearly of the Atlantic-breeding population <i>borealis</i>, as told by the essential lack of white bleeding into the under-primaries.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQltrNvJM9HjDnBtj07FFChcRSGLBeSC0VkmkHDj4opllDJHOfx5n_BZ3F6p7Dc64hjF2UICX6zwsmWuegV5X6E2g-p-qB2rK45S8BmaEU6mtgHAXvCZUl9UDyf9ydQ0OaJp_Y8y9H_u7YGgrW0rq7qoZv_ZB5RHcz51KDkqoB5QX9rKho88gLvNGbLg/s2500/_P1A6045.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQltrNvJM9HjDnBtj07FFChcRSGLBeSC0VkmkHDj4opllDJHOfx5n_BZ3F6p7Dc64hjF2UICX6zwsmWuegV5X6E2g-p-qB2rK45S8BmaEU6mtgHAXvCZUl9UDyf9ydQ0OaJp_Y8y9H_u7YGgrW0rq7qoZv_ZB5RHcz51KDkqoB5QX9rKho88gLvNGbLg/w400-h268/_P1A6045.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICC86PBtI83ump0w0bHFrJYYT0UnW9XqzbaiLwCfhQ3gAkqUwD3LuET8W0Ki0WG1gBGIj_qtLET4GLY5bM3Xsh_kUWypsljBKWSPijcnKQ0_cUGKTF9U3qD7F0dByWBNu3VJ4x-l6v0IOOH_cD-qYsIDfQPWp2NEJxghmGdD2-HeyuyCJh_QTMTugYQ/s2500/_P1A6641-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICC86PBtI83ump0w0bHFrJYYT0UnW9XqzbaiLwCfhQ3gAkqUwD3LuET8W0Ki0WG1gBGIj_qtLET4GLY5bM3Xsh_kUWypsljBKWSPijcnKQ0_cUGKTF9U3qD7F0dByWBNu3VJ4x-l6v0IOOH_cD-qYsIDfQPWp2NEJxghmGdD2-HeyuyCJh_QTMTugYQ/w400-h266/_P1A6641-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>While commuting to sea one afternoon we came across a group of 4 SPERM WHALES that seemed to be spy-hopping when we first came across them:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoS1-StFhpsCnnwePIK8O7WsWmhcsDhZYaygYRNBxMg_gvqWWqrB-xdHecKYJSJ3mMH0uJ8aIX4YYs9l6MV-Hhs5lkBRufFZiDrgvQ-cYnlvg0ZKs12ukkhAwUxyvWSfSxNWgpTIqQphkHAKrMUndslefc13RPo1lGS6XWEqd5puPnzr4qhdtQBNIVXA/s2500/_P1A4496.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoS1-StFhpsCnnwePIK8O7WsWmhcsDhZYaygYRNBxMg_gvqWWqrB-xdHecKYJSJ3mMH0uJ8aIX4YYs9l6MV-Hhs5lkBRufFZiDrgvQ-cYnlvg0ZKs12ukkhAwUxyvWSfSxNWgpTIqQphkHAKrMUndslefc13RPo1lGS6XWEqd5puPnzr4qhdtQBNIVXA/w400-h268/_P1A4496.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVvu68ILwv9Ntgxud-Xv6t-kChueW70K35xkmG5DbZbPARicOtNozzAE8e0rwFlZIC1hGbfVa_BaZEh8WjtiFOReTt89IcEeg9OfEZ77loWNO8437cR-vhenqNK4LYIcaUI5lK1AJ6DakxRiXMpmeHwBLY1Zs3Yb3xMheWXElKeSIAMg_75WZ10SUvg/s2500/_P1A4548.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1533" data-original-width="2500" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVvu68ILwv9Ntgxud-Xv6t-kChueW70K35xkmG5DbZbPARicOtNozzAE8e0rwFlZIC1hGbfVa_BaZEh8WjtiFOReTt89IcEeg9OfEZ77loWNO8437cR-vhenqNK4LYIcaUI5lK1AJ6DakxRiXMpmeHwBLY1Zs3Yb3xMheWXElKeSIAMg_75WZ10SUvg/w400-h245/_P1A4548.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The stark beauty of the island cannot be overstated, and we enjoyed the scenery both from land and sea. Several landbird species were also worth seeing.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-20fFa76N-lnV2NSbVGddIQuphc6gPXjTlW80lYtDdqej_V9ft5j42ObvCqCdGVIXDACZ4uUZqIHGcL_tiy3QOOyWMvHprkq7LW9o7J6JYdASHDkaEY_RAGiw9hVsLemKJrr529XU5hbt7x_jb0FzSqJ1XBpKM4jDAYu0jZd87EOZACjC8sYsLxOgA/s2500/_P1A6052-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2500" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-20fFa76N-lnV2NSbVGddIQuphc6gPXjTlW80lYtDdqej_V9ft5j42ObvCqCdGVIXDACZ4uUZqIHGcL_tiy3QOOyWMvHprkq7LW9o7J6JYdASHDkaEY_RAGiw9hVsLemKJrr529XU5hbt7x_jb0FzSqJ1XBpKM4jDAYu0jZd87EOZACjC8sYsLxOgA/w400-h243/_P1A6052-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bugio</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8QADwfL4weUkSK1VvBGty15YEEcCelwTtdSfErAoDRj2-gXELgTYl0XP1gjsiQe2X46bpi7Fp0zFKbQorQzmec2swgtXjb0pAO4mgnwW5tFLmPycP6bRyIrN5u78Y0H-Q5bROkaDzlgSLrq7L-fg1XL5nHy6QI0ivdOF3ioeroY2IyBJKms1BVFm1w/s2500/_P1A6053.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8QADwfL4weUkSK1VvBGty15YEEcCelwTtdSfErAoDRj2-gXELgTYl0XP1gjsiQe2X46bpi7Fp0zFKbQorQzmec2swgtXjb0pAO4mgnwW5tFLmPycP6bRyIrN5u78Y0H-Q5bROkaDzlgSLrq7L-fg1XL5nHy6QI0ivdOF3ioeroY2IyBJKms1BVFm1w/w400-h268/_P1A6053.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madeira</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiLc8Ezcfaltk33oJL6UdfuQa3olZ36I2SqYvNzGldWAIxRxE0wsV2LCc2qAOLeZ62w8uNBvtU8rVrhOHrM7sqdCz2anObVWbC1vhybuF9XFRJ5tnLCz5s7QKA8eJ1IORxozpdD-ZyOGkeOXxS4LYRniIml9IzBqPk4wTgF6MxHI29DjhzGztGEItzA/s2500/_P1A3829-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1570" data-original-width="2500" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiLc8Ezcfaltk33oJL6UdfuQa3olZ36I2SqYvNzGldWAIxRxE0wsV2LCc2qAOLeZ62w8uNBvtU8rVrhOHrM7sqdCz2anObVWbC1vhybuF9XFRJ5tnLCz5s7QKA8eJ1IORxozpdD-ZyOGkeOXxS4LYRniIml9IzBqPk4wTgF6MxHI29DjhzGztGEItzA/w400-h251/_P1A3829-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madeira</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gLsvciWK_sinZZb94lQgIlz5G8M4ssRx2sufYM2StAIwD0AM5pAMFZ1_iG7qQ6-l1fqO-d8_a773r3ThvynpU7Yil4tD34l6lEkxZ9Q3MpAqeqSTRO9dip-Cgo3WA8IwZ919D46cuyouHoUMV7Jb3x91t0ZM_A_A1EGP9nZQQvwwiUohDNp974pkog/s2500/_P1A6083-Edit-Recovered.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gLsvciWK_sinZZb94lQgIlz5G8M4ssRx2sufYM2StAIwD0AM5pAMFZ1_iG7qQ6-l1fqO-d8_a773r3ThvynpU7Yil4tD34l6lEkxZ9Q3MpAqeqSTRO9dip-Cgo3WA8IwZ919D46cuyouHoUMV7Jb3x91t0ZM_A_A1EGP9nZQQvwwiUohDNp974pkog/w400-h266/_P1A6083-Edit-Recovered.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berthelot's Pipit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzIjaKY96-dbYyjW1Pr6dvZPhLSPnmpWI4CUI1KgKy6R2lvSBeJ7-5gVZ6iubhkuRgYidz0a7NUD77mmpEIQX9FMw45sFfC3lPJV4qpDAuj_aXsEIvypGv6ipAmbdwK1_nf5CG5KmRompTbeCPZyeYN0Swlafya2eWwbTdN35EfVgeJrrrQhqR1ZfpA/s2500/_P1A6253-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzIjaKY96-dbYyjW1Pr6dvZPhLSPnmpWI4CUI1KgKy6R2lvSBeJ7-5gVZ6iubhkuRgYidz0a7NUD77mmpEIQX9FMw45sFfC3lPJV4qpDAuj_aXsEIvypGv6ipAmbdwK1_nf5CG5KmRompTbeCPZyeYN0Swlafya2eWwbTdN35EfVgeJrrrQhqR1ZfpA/w400-h266/_P1A6253-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spectacled Warbler</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAp7Aoeptv1Wy7Nq5JhOwqZ7mpQKnp2xz3CamVcj-sdHY2PNNr3WBUzojN83-P0De-33UPOwvcGq5Bo9UV9VTYHDF4g1trQbftsxhUKznBIfb9vn_QB1V5FVLGXUT3Wx98wzifhnMIviFbTOcJRp41I_Gydqr4kBsQUkPKNgFoMtGttaDe45UXSFRC4A/s2500/_P1A4337-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAp7Aoeptv1Wy7Nq5JhOwqZ7mpQKnp2xz3CamVcj-sdHY2PNNr3WBUzojN83-P0De-33UPOwvcGq5Bo9UV9VTYHDF4g1trQbftsxhUKznBIfb9vn_QB1V5FVLGXUT3Wx98wzifhnMIviFbTOcJRp41I_Gydqr4kBsQUkPKNgFoMtGttaDe45UXSFRC4A/w400-h268/_P1A4337-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trocaz Pigeon (endemic)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLN0xiX_88CDU6II8DpEKyoxDgdjYvuVQaRXgvl1xBpMnY-GElQsBoWTm1_VXQU46N7nEeRiz30QFm6zJE1it2TRcrVvtzh-FWO7gV2SxAQhQdWym7DPeQdK_I1uTqRdQWTMr0gszWlulFghHPkRrseTB7wu1j7pP9vkNwNT9_5jPabANG3Ucbzuov8A/s2500/_P1A4384ps.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLN0xiX_88CDU6II8DpEKyoxDgdjYvuVQaRXgvl1xBpMnY-GElQsBoWTm1_VXQU46N7nEeRiz30QFm6zJE1it2TRcrVvtzh-FWO7gV2SxAQhQdWym7DPeQdK_I1uTqRdQWTMr0gszWlulFghHPkRrseTB7wu1j7pP9vkNwNT9_5jPabANG3Ucbzuov8A/w400-h266/_P1A4384ps.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Madeiran" Common Chaffinch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUTtMq1P-XffesoK-oNjn4Elie9F6Dymc2mo44Xxmg-nRPWe7br46pmfKPWZqIjl9RA7JqYKw_OO9q4YE5kRLFea_t2ETq53bBijxBCVrKjMVIBgj96V_z6HDuCQ-jKB0PXbqdCVh5nF9LvxD4dZ6aefJwyk1ceYN0yU8dGqDd987LaZgGmD10bkq5Q/s2500/_P1A4475-Edit-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUTtMq1P-XffesoK-oNjn4Elie9F6Dymc2mo44Xxmg-nRPWe7br46pmfKPWZqIjl9RA7JqYKw_OO9q4YE5kRLFea_t2ETq53bBijxBCVrKjMVIBgj96V_z6HDuCQ-jKB0PXbqdCVh5nF9LvxD4dZ6aefJwyk1ceYN0yU8dGqDd987LaZgGmD10bkq5Q/w400-h266/_P1A4475-Edit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madeira Firecrest (endemic)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabApP3ngdn2IfpGVPEPkKv8qLqHAgWRDGvwCn5fWrpFtcyyIZvxoqQjKJEJlv2Zrs50T3gFX9BwhPIudZuJedr7wdF5JiUlNPGQVwyYc8RLENTV1EUWHgYbYSc8EDCFgMUY2XU0Ii2gFH0oux97AskqovKI2okdqPKIEFcjIiggbTDgAFN7WVK3usBw/s2500/_P1A7433-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1668" data-original-width="2500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabApP3ngdn2IfpGVPEPkKv8qLqHAgWRDGvwCn5fWrpFtcyyIZvxoqQjKJEJlv2Zrs50T3gFX9BwhPIudZuJedr7wdF5JiUlNPGQVwyYc8RLENTV1EUWHgYbYSc8EDCFgMUY2XU0Ii2gFH0oux97AskqovKI2okdqPKIEFcjIiggbTDgAFN7WVK3usBw/w400-h268/_P1A7433-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plain Swift</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLAGKO0wCNNz9eCDlVPRi9yee7U-Q-hFs7Pd0VxB-ddS4UetwhyFEhBFP0HnTSYwkR7tx2NT5QtmDjk7GQMUFhX6cbKnZo3FYppqeYaO5PGqZkDi3oksnrL2WwrSjbpUfQX7-QXZ_PgM0bW1apELfJgZa02kKYr-avf3d3XYgUuC03Do6Sfzr1H7mcQ/s2500/9P1A7885.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1406" data-original-width="2500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLAGKO0wCNNz9eCDlVPRi9yee7U-Q-hFs7Pd0VxB-ddS4UetwhyFEhBFP0HnTSYwkR7tx2NT5QtmDjk7GQMUFhX6cbKnZo3FYppqeYaO5PGqZkDi3oksnrL2WwrSjbpUfQX7-QXZ_PgM0bW1apELfJgZa02kKYr-avf3d3XYgUuC03Do6Sfzr1H7mcQ/w400-h225/9P1A7885.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pico do Arieiro</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OmnZHUdh1L4OjFKnLWc_1lWa5wmz5-tdSO7FjreNhIucXWIRvAZFo8qd1BzcBsJ5GzJ2mL18ieMSrMgDO9GrV3EHapw0hRRuWbPlCWA1frQk_L5spWMotMTO-DUBB-kKsEUi8SAXg2v9b71U8VQuRirHc5wWvE1K4ShlJyV7uarM1S543B6XU8gJ_w/s1927/IMG_6863a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1927" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OmnZHUdh1L4OjFKnLWc_1lWa5wmz5-tdSO7FjreNhIucXWIRvAZFo8qd1BzcBsJ5GzJ2mL18ieMSrMgDO9GrV3EHapw0hRRuWbPlCWA1frQk_L5spWMotMTO-DUBB-kKsEUi8SAXg2v9b71U8VQuRirHc5wWvE1K4ShlJyV7uarM1S543B6XU8gJ_w/w400-h184/IMG_6863a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madeira</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjz1YJDTQzzDPVykgXi1mRgGHMajXuo-ON-oUnxViDVj8k4gd7-Jjw9f2KG0L1qIhKJ_bAoWLL9NTNHyIwBRMN-qkJRiGl80emGqDOyWFgcRPJQdL5QhlkZUQaIlAH2hE-iKJZ0eg0jQAhgILAdMNNJj_7FC8iysgq9W7fvJo3Ry_RFWYSDnftUvouA/s2048/IMG_6873a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjz1YJDTQzzDPVykgXi1mRgGHMajXuo-ON-oUnxViDVj8k4gd7-Jjw9f2KG0L1qIhKJ_bAoWLL9NTNHyIwBRMN-qkJRiGl80emGqDOyWFgcRPJQdL5QhlkZUQaIlAH2hE-iKJZ0eg0jQAhgILAdMNNJj_7FC8iysgq9W7fvJo3Ry_RFWYSDnftUvouA/w400-h300/IMG_6873a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJVJTUWGMTrq-GU9v9JFV9jeckIPG7rK8s9oFkApqH2xgv-HBOMBTr2ziPnd_X-weve6Yh_SCI_S-NsLXwl3vbo3w-XgZeWHZ9soeIxwsFowW8PY-7F2qePNd8gOXaLR7O6qcsY1f8iLYqWhQrtjruzyCIhrLaetHpWMAu7fWAGzxLJ2Ps5whoJSMJQ/s2048/IMG_6878a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJVJTUWGMTrq-GU9v9JFV9jeckIPG7rK8s9oFkApqH2xgv-HBOMBTr2ziPnd_X-weve6Yh_SCI_S-NsLXwl3vbo3w-XgZeWHZ9soeIxwsFowW8PY-7F2qePNd8gOXaLR7O6qcsY1f8iLYqWhQrtjruzyCIhrLaetHpWMAu7fWAGzxLJ2Ps5whoJSMJQ/w400-h300/IMG_6878a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4S3bw1XrMVevMyUBbCzFUc6nhOo88BS5--iWLLNaqHW_9KZzG8ePVcSgh3GmE7w0iMMM-NYb7_boqOGxEiYzsZruPjCnK-mVsgWaiTbLJqUQW-BqCi31DZzmJ4ePSMrNYVQN29sUQQb3Cd4xU5lk1PFsrqbZ-VEcUatsPTpCdwmU4N2vJEemtkKQwQ/s2048/IMG_6886a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4S3bw1XrMVevMyUBbCzFUc6nhOo88BS5--iWLLNaqHW_9KZzG8ePVcSgh3GmE7w0iMMM-NYb7_boqOGxEiYzsZruPjCnK-mVsgWaiTbLJqUQW-BqCi31DZzmJ4ePSMrNYVQN29sUQQb3Cd4xU5lk1PFsrqbZ-VEcUatsPTpCdwmU4N2vJEemtkKQwQ/w400-h300/IMG_6886a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our vessel, captained by Catarina and Hugo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLlQOy6gwtk3EC4iB6b8Hv-4OkTWM2x0g1WHqlxnixeuMijXZ7HRN_2ge0X5EYWyfVA0UpPh_t9KbgBkA3eTMk8pqmvx-T0Hnp-HZJ5hOSjSJ4UxTYpYU5c2NWM9TyGmBCch8bqtuHLYMa7CYG5b8ukC4wdA5qyexm4tkXrT6JpylQlmBe4XqSzhxwMA/s2014/IMG_6889a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="2014" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLlQOy6gwtk3EC4iB6b8Hv-4OkTWM2x0g1WHqlxnixeuMijXZ7HRN_2ge0X5EYWyfVA0UpPh_t9KbgBkA3eTMk8pqmvx-T0Hnp-HZJ5hOSjSJ4UxTYpYU5c2NWM9TyGmBCch8bqtuHLYMa7CYG5b8ukC4wdA5qyexm4tkXrT6JpylQlmBe4XqSzhxwMA/w400-h259/IMG_6889a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madeira</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kXBN6pxTRHGduGSYT5fzYIwHuHlz_3dpJpUkqaTeD0RVymYwZ7L6OesU-2ZylCaBXTlNIjdwa3CL16peH0vhYsaC4p9U4bz_ONdBLw4Jlq2a0_HLKg71f5DWOCLiQBgZxng_crURWoBSSg5Aj9ZCNIxJOVkVUFLNxMdCxQl6lvoyZB45amU6wQkpNQ/s2048/IMG_6900a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kXBN6pxTRHGduGSYT5fzYIwHuHlz_3dpJpUkqaTeD0RVymYwZ7L6OesU-2ZylCaBXTlNIjdwa3CL16peH0vhYsaC4p9U4bz_ONdBLw4Jlq2a0_HLKg71f5DWOCLiQBgZxng_crURWoBSSg5Aj9ZCNIxJOVkVUFLNxMdCxQl6lvoyZB45amU6wQkpNQ/w400-h300/IMG_6900a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking back west from Ponta de Sao Lourenco</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lf0Fgncqi-iN-LpHPPaGKVdM7uJBPNueOCTQnD_u8x_hxdxuyUpaPKlSKQ4t2TsipaFsLIiY7PsWvY4Qcx4wiw0ATopMwdyEyv8V8rJ0JR7xvWjTDB3ubC_nCK0C2yf8aHGxMQOwcLP3yu0p-kZEukYG8JulWrN9HCwYkLp_5998cDleU95N0nfrow/s2044/IMG_6917a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="2044" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lf0Fgncqi-iN-LpHPPaGKVdM7uJBPNueOCTQnD_u8x_hxdxuyUpaPKlSKQ4t2TsipaFsLIiY7PsWvY4Qcx4wiw0ATopMwdyEyv8V8rJ0JR7xvWjTDB3ubC_nCK0C2yf8aHGxMQOwcLP3yu0p-kZEukYG8JulWrN9HCwYkLp_5998cDleU95N0nfrow/w400-h245/IMG_6917a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">breaking above the clouds at 5500 feet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5vQJOSMkYyYTDKg86rnf7xNIgTR-s1jh1-QqJaPXAxJkxi2bwolYiiCog-oZrMpGJM_QOAtqAbmqdk1XYt2ah4YIkRloYSXaU6GsBeGRsH165uuGEuFiFCkYrcEhhrIcukaVIVPHQYJEw_yDhEqk44yFhs9ntkqLN4rd939vpmyMb1_r43SAO2yfZA/s2048/IMG_6921a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5vQJOSMkYyYTDKg86rnf7xNIgTR-s1jh1-QqJaPXAxJkxi2bwolYiiCog-oZrMpGJM_QOAtqAbmqdk1XYt2ah4YIkRloYSXaU6GsBeGRsH165uuGEuFiFCkYrcEhhrIcukaVIVPHQYJEw_yDhEqk44yFhs9ntkqLN4rd939vpmyMb1_r43SAO2yfZA/w400-h300/IMG_6921a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pico do Arieiro</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAur8LAYxM9kf1D3zrcyc3hY0ak7l40e7rZCuKPZNCZu4Jq-dH7v1mHWkIyDTgzNTqHG_dsGzb6iW7622AM-hq49_lpmUfvTSiFh7R1kxUqg-auBvwFrWDg8DGXQyjN-R_DlQ4EKAvxsliP-Y4bZPBR5Kv3XN6G7pyW23KyXd6-Vb_ZxQZ3KBqgBY5yA/s2500/Stacked-final%20small.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1371" data-original-width="2500" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAur8LAYxM9kf1D3zrcyc3hY0ak7l40e7rZCuKPZNCZu4Jq-dH7v1mHWkIyDTgzNTqHG_dsGzb6iW7622AM-hq49_lpmUfvTSiFh7R1kxUqg-auBvwFrWDg8DGXQyjN-R_DlQ4EKAvxsliP-Y4bZPBR5Kv3XN6G7pyW23KyXd6-Vb_ZxQZ3KBqgBY5yA/w400-h219/Stacked-final%20small.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Milky Way from 6000 feet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div> - Nick</div>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-33923389822965840812022-07-19T21:31:00.004-04:002022-07-20T10:58:17.395-04:00CURLEW SANDPIPER - Stratford, CT<p>Frank Mantlik struck again yesterday by finding a bright adult CURLEW SANDPIPER in a small golf course pond along the Stratford, CT coast. This was the first chaseable Curlew Sand in the state in over 20 years, thus unblocking this species for an entire generation of birders. Out of town and unable to partake in the twitch, I was hoping the bird would stick another day. This morning's negative reports were discouraging. The only reasonable play was to wait for the afternoon high tide and hit the local roosts.</p><p>I started on the rising tide at Milford Point, where some 150 birds came to roost but could not settle thanks to foot traffic. Even with more tide to come, this felt like a lost cause, so I drove across the estuary to Stratford Point. The roost here held ~500 birds, and the Curlew Sand was smack in the middle. Better late than never! Thanks, Frank!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAakT_CHWvJpAqWNrmkNj-JcSgDcXSEm7xuc_uNOYeJLkhSBHTAytNVKEnojLMlX07dIK55KFNQK1dPchrT0p7QYy86y5xMsFxK0Vzxq-AY0gomUUnthXHbvKGWSzF8HSeh92E_fz2z_IvZNjCEktInrYnaTSf6LyHNxBFGhuCWaGnwnENQ7Lhosudng/s3247/_P1A9841ps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1788" data-original-width="3247" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAakT_CHWvJpAqWNrmkNj-JcSgDcXSEm7xuc_uNOYeJLkhSBHTAytNVKEnojLMlX07dIK55KFNQK1dPchrT0p7QYy86y5xMsFxK0Vzxq-AY0gomUUnthXHbvKGWSzF8HSeh92E_fz2z_IvZNjCEktInrYnaTSf6LyHNxBFGhuCWaGnwnENQ7Lhosudng/w400-h220/_P1A9841ps.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>(click image for higher res viewing)</p><p> - NB</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-966329187699506484.post-70288775674433865292022-07-06T12:29:00.000-04:002022-07-06T12:29:13.617-04:002022 BIG DAY results - May 16 - 191 species<p>Well, we are nothing if not consistent!</p><p>Our previous five years had totaled 191>193>189>187>192...for an average of 190.4 species. We did not deviate from that range this year. While we continue to refine the route annually, sometimes significantly based on tides, there isn't much outside of luck that needs to change for us to challenge that mythical 200 number. I say that because we have successfully reduced our "big misses" down to just a couple per year. The inland route is tighter than ever, and we rarely leave the north with much on the table. Our coastal path is less predictable, but we have still established patterns and reliable locations to the point where it takes significant fog or heat shimmer to significantly hamper our total. The result is that we have a relatively high floor to our total, barring, like I said, anything truly unlucky like fog or vehicle issues.</p><p>The issue now is raising the ceiling, and while this would certainly be inched higher with better scouting, we are essentially counting on "the perfect day" to push us over the top. Try as we might to play the weather patterns, much of it is out of our hands. We are awaiting that massive migration day that will give us the 5+ extra species it will take to reach 200. We think we are close!</p><p>This year looked for a minute like it might be THAT year. Migrants had been held back by poor weather, meaning that a significant push would occur when that pattern broke. We had excellent migration conditions heading into May 16th, so we crossed our fingers and went for it.</p><p>The night started out very promising, as not only did we bag most of our expected nocturnal species, but we had an impressive aural show from those nocturnal migrants that we needed. Thrushes and cuckoos were tallied as they called overhead in the dark. But would these migrants put down to feed along our route, or would they continue their journey northward without stopping in Connecticut for a feed?</p><p>When dawn broke and one of our first daytime birds was an out-of-habitat ACADIAN FLYCATCHER, a scarce breeder that we often have to work for, we smiled and took note. Not much later we spotted an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER atop a snag while a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER sang just across the street. To be completely honest, at that point I thought the perfect day might actually be happening.</p><p>We continued to rack up the scouted inland breeders as we proceeded along the route. We came to our first spruce stand that often serves as a migrant trap specializing in Cape May and Bay-breasted Warblers. But it was empty. A little while later we reached the second such spruce stand...also devoid of migrants.</p><p>Uh oh.</p><p>The general lack of random singing migrant warblers was notable. Still, we had not yet hit our best inland deciduous migrant spots. Though upon arrival to those we also found relative quiet outside of the expected breeders.</p><p>We left the north without many migrants to show, struggling even for Parula, so it was decided we would route in one or two coastal migrant traps in hopes of a better result. Of course, playing by ABA rules, we were not allowed to check others' reports to see what was happening elsewhere, so we were going in blind. Our first coastal migrant trap was dead, and the second and final held a few birds including our only BAY-BREASTED of the day. But overall we were snubbed by several possible species...birds we would need to threaten 200.</p><p>As far as the stuff that WAS under our control, we did quite well! Sound logistical decisions were made on the fly (not always a guarantee when you are short on sleep and in a massive rush). Coastal birds were like pulling teeth at times, but that is par for the course along the Connecticut shoreline.</p><p>Overall we walked away from this year's effort rather pleased. It would have been tougher to swallow if we had ourselves to blame for logistical mistakes throughout the day, but even during those inevitable stretches when the birds are not cooperating we were able to keep cool and stick to the schedule.</p><p>The team of four this year included Patrick Dugan, Frank Gallo, Dave Tripp and myself. Fran Zygmont and Dave Provencher were sorely missed.</p><p>Highlights - Red Knot, Black Skimmer, Great Cormorant, American Bittern, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Kentucky Warbler</p><p>Notable Misses - Little Blue Heron, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Tennessee Warbler</p><p>Here's hoping for better migration conditions in 2023!</p><p> - Nick</p>Nick Bonomohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07036401219361026741noreply@blogger.com0