Argentina – Patagonia & Ibera Marshes
with optional pre-tour extension to Iguazu Falls
Saturday 17th October to Monday 2nd November 2009
AA9035
A
real South American adventure, offering the opportunity to experience
some of Argentina’s breathtaking scenery, it’s immense environmental
diversity and the stunning variety of birds and other wildlife that can
be found there. Our itinerary will take us through the rugged
Sub-Antarctic landscape of Southern Patagonia, fantastic wetlands in
Misiones Province and finally to tropical rainforest magnificent
waterfalls on the Brazilian border, Along the way we’ll be looking for a
wealth of birdlife whose beauty and fascination almost defy description,
with the possibility of seeing some of the world’s most sought-after
species. The colony of one million penguins at Punta Tombo in Peninsula
Valdes, breathtaking mountains in Tierra del Fuego, the awesome Perito
Merino Glacier in the Los Glaciares National Park, the multitude of
birds in the superb wetland of Ibera Marsh and the staggering beauty of
Iguazu Falls - one of the world’s most mesmerizing spectacles, are just
some of the amazing sights that await us in Argentina! Visiting such a
variety of geographic locations and habitats will allow us to experience
a huge variety of birds as well as some superb marine life along the
rugged coastline. Black-browed Albatrosses, Giant Petrels, Condors,
Imperial Cormorants, Tawny-throated Dotterels, Magellanic Plovers, Brown
Skuas, Magellanic Woodpecker, Austral Pygmy-Owl, earthcreepers,
cinclodes, monjitas and canasteros are all present in the wonderful
Patagonian environment, whilst a boat trip in the Beagle Channel could
bring us closer to whales, albatrosses, sheathbills and Sea Lions and
Iguazu Falls will provide a mesmerising backdrop as we observe a myriad
of colourful species such as Surucua Trogon, Blue Dacnis, Swallow
Tanager, Bluenaped Chlorophonia and Toco Toucan amidst the sub-tropical
forests.Day 1: An evening flight from London to Buenos Aires, arriving next day.
Day 2: Morning arrival in Buenos
Aires. In the afternoon we will visit Costanera Sur Nature Reserve, a
marvellous birding site, where we hope to see Bare-faced Ibis, Silver
Teal, Spotflanked Gallinule, Whistling Heron, Rosy-billed Pochard,
Wattled Jacana, Picui Ground-Dove, Eared Dove, Many-coloured
Rush-Tyrant, Masked Gnatcatcher, Rufous-collared Sparrow and Great
Pampa-Finch plus a host of other species.
Overnight - Buenos Aires
Day 3: We fly to Pasadas and
transfer to the famed Ibera Marshes. The whole area is simply teeming
with birds, with hordes of Ibis, storks and herons.
Overnight – Ibera Marshes
Days 4 & 5: The Ibera swamp and
lagoons (‘Ibera’ meaning ‘brilliant waters’) occupy a massive lowland
area of grassland, rainforest and marsh - the largest in Argentina. It
is a tremendous place for birdwatching and our stay will be most
rewarding. This haven for nature has an extremely rich birdlife and is
also home to many other interesting creatures such as turtles, frogs,
caimans, monkeys, deer and the enigmatic Maned Wolf. Amongst the
multitude of birds will be: Greater Rhea, Red-winged Tinamou, Pinnated
Bittern, Rufescent Tiger-heron, Jabiru, Cinereous Harrier, Savanna Hawk,
Pearl Kite, Little Woodpecker, White-barred Piculet,
Peach-fronted Parakeet, Southern Screamer, Strange-tailed Tyrant,
Greater Thornbird, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Donacobius, Scarlet-headed
Blackbird and Rusty-collared Seedeater.
Overnights - Ibera Marshes
Day 6: Drive to Posadas and then catch a flight to Buenos Aires for an overnight stay.
Day 7: We’ll take an early
morning flight to Ushaia, gateway to the spectacular Tierra del Fuego
National Park. After checking into our hotel we will take a trip to the
Martial Glacier.
Overnight – Ushaia
Day 8: Today we visit Tierra del
Fuego National Park. Here in a wonderful environment of snow-capped
mountains, glaciers and beech forests, the birdlife is superb:
Buff-necked Ibis, Torrent Duck, Andean Condor, Magellanic Woodpecker,
White-throated Treerunner, Fire-eyedDiucon, Austral Thrush, Patagonian
Sierra-Finch and Black-chinned Siskin. A visit to Ushaia Harbour should
allow good views of Kelp Goose, Flightless Steamer-Duck, Kelp & Dolphin
Gulls, shorebirds and possibly Chilean Skuas. At the town refuse tip, we
may see White-throated Caracara.
Overnight – Ushaia
Day 9: A special excursion by
boat on the Beagle Channel will take us closer to Sea Lion, Magellanic
Penguin and seabird colonies. The wealth of birdlife includes Magellanic
& Gentoo Penguins, Sooty Shearwater, Black-browed Albatross, Southern
Giant Petrel, Magellanic Diving-Petrel, Snowy Sheathbills, Rock
Cormorant, South American Tern and Dolphin Gull. The Magellanic Penguin
colonies have previously had Gentoo Penguins nesting as well.
Overnight – Ushaia
Days 10 & 11: Morning flight to
El Calafate. After checking in at our hotel we will drive to Laguna
Nimes, which is an excellent site for Magellanic Plover and Cinereous
Harrier and we will also look for Ruddy-headed & Ashy-headed Geese,
Southern Wigeon, Chilean Flamingo, Tawny-throated Dotterel and
Two-banded Plover. Our next venue will be the Los Glaciares National
Park and it’s awesome glaciers, which will provide a magnificent
backdrop for observing the area’s excellent birdlife. Species present
include: Spectacled Duck, Andean Condor, Bicolored Hawk, Chilean
Flicker, Austral Parakeet, Long-tailed Meadowlark, Whitecrested Elaenia
and Rufous-tailed Plantcutter.
Overnights - El Calafate
Day 12: Today we’ll fly to
Trelew which is set amidst more dramatic Patagonian scenery. Local
lagoons are excellent for Chilean Flamingo, Southern Wigeon,
Yellow-billed Pintail, Red Shoveler, Cinereous Harrier, Baird’s
Sandpiper, Hudsonian Godwit and Many-colored Rush Tyrant.
Overnight - Puerto Piramides
Day 13: The whole day will be
spent on Peninsula Valdes, which supports an impressive array of marine
and terrestrial wildlife, from whales to sheathbills. In a rugged
landscape extending into the Atlantic Ocean, we hope to observe
Black-browed Albatross, Snowy Sheathbill, Rock Cormorant, Dolphin Gull,
Blackish Oystercatcher, Elegant-crested Tinamou & Darwin’s Tinamou,
Rusty-backed Monjita, Band-tailed Earthcreeper and Patagonian Canastero.
Mammals here could include: Orca, Elephant Seal and Southern Sea Lion.
We will have a boat trip into the bay to observe Southern Right Wales -
a fantastic experience and we may also see Imperial Cormorant,
White-headed Steamer-Duck, Magellanic Oystercatcher, South American Tern
and Brown Skua.
Overnight - Puerto Piramides
Day 14: After further exploration of Valdes our destination will be the famed Punta Tombo Magellanic Penguin colony to experience the multitude of birds gathered there. We should see other seabirds – perhaps Giant Petrels and possibly Lesser Rheas. We will then drive back to Trelew and time permitting, visit the lagoons and other nearby locations. Overnight - Trelew.
Day 15: After a morning birdwatching around Trelew, we’ll catch a flight to Buenos Aires and connect with the return flight to UK, arriving on Day 16.
Optional Pre-tour Extension to Iguazu
Day P1: An evening flight from London to Buenos Aires, arriving next day.
Days P2 - P5: After arriving in
Buenos Aires, we will catch a flight to the spectacular Iguazu Falls. In
the subtropical forest of the National Park we will birdwatch
extensively on both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides of the Falls,
expecting to see a great variety of species including many fruit-eating
birds: toucans, araçaris, fruitcrows, tanagers and trogons. Amongst a
fine selection of avian gems are: Great Dusky Swift, Tufted Antshrike,
Solitary Tinamou, Plumbeous Kite, Black-fronted Piping Guan, Surucua
Trogon, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Southern Ant Pipit, Streamside Warbler,
Sirystes, Rusty-barred Owl, Toco Toucan, Helmeted & Blondcrested
Woodpeckers, Squirrel Cuckoo, Violaceous Quail-Dove, Plush-crested Jay,
Tropical Parula, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Black-goggled & Swallow
Tanagers, Blue Dacnis and Redrumped Cacique. A fantastic addition to
wonderfully diverse tour.
Overnights - Iguazu Falls
Day P5: Transfer to Posadas to meet participants going on the main tour only. We will then drive to the Ibera Marshes for a three night stay.