November 2025

Since attending the Great Yarmouth bird club meeting that Steve Smith gave about the Santa Marta mountains in Colombia, which brought back many happy memories of my trip there, I have been in bed or slumped on the sofa with yet another bout of flu which has wiped me out once again. This is the third bout this year and I am completely fed up with it! All of the bouts have left me coughing, bad headaches, sore throats and zero energy and recovery has taken weeks. One of my sons is similarly affected. What is ironic is that I only had the flu jab just before this recent bout!

As you can imagine I am fed up with staring at four walls, although I have managed many emails organising future trips, so not all this week was a waste of time!

A couple of Long-tailed Ducks have been on the pits at Snettisham for a few days and as a volunteer I can drive up to the reserve, so I thought a short outing and some fresh air would do me good. After a quick phone call to Les and help from Nathan (thanks both) I parked up and took a short walk along the crossbank, where the wind nearly blew me away, as I had very little energy to fight against it. One of the Long-tailed Ducks was spending most of its time under the water on pit two and did not make it easy, however with a little patience I managed a few photographs before heading back home. Nathan had located the other Long-tailed Duck right down the other end of the pit as I drove back along the track.

John, Stew and I started our day at Walsey Hills at Cley where we walked up behind the NOA reserve to access the path to give us some height over-looking Pope’s Pool. It took a few scans through our scopes before we located the Grey Phalarope spinning around a Shoveler picking up food from the surface. It accompanied the Shoveler wherever it went!

We walked along East Bank where Wigeon were glowing in the sunlight. We stopped to search through a small patch of longer grass that Stu Buck showed us, where he had seen a Jack Snipe two hours earlier. John got out the thermal imager but despite our best efforts we could not find it. We could not find any Water Pipits either! Further along the bank I watched a Stonechat perched at the end of one of the channels as a couple of Skylarks were cavorting on the mud where the Water Pipits has been reported. We walked back to the car and watched a pair of Pied Wagtails flitting around.

We returned to the visitor centre and walked to the Bishop Hide, which was packed with birders. I managed to sneak into a front seat and took a few photos of a Whinchat perched on top of the Reed Mace. A Stonechat was causing some confusion for a few birders present. A Common Snipe emerged from the pool in front of me but soon hid itself again in the long vegetation. Out on the scrape there were many Lapwing, Ruff and Black-tailed Godwits. Chris kindly directed me to where he had seen the Spotted Redshank as the hide was so packed it was difficult to manoeuvre a scope onto it, especially as the Bishop Hide had a wooden bar across right in line where most birders would position a scope to view from. You need to be seven foot tall to birdwatch with a scope in this hide. Why do they never consult birders when designing a bird hide?

We drove down to the beach where we had our lunch watching three Red-throated Divers and a Guillemot as well as a few gulls passing by. After lunch we stopped by the gate along Beach Road where John and I found the Ruddy Shelduck in amongst the Brent Geese but it did not want its photo taken as it walked down into one if the ditches!

At Cley Spy it was good to see Simon as John picked up his repaired binoculars. Hopefully we will all be set now for our trip as we have both had our ageing binoculars repaired recently and are lost without them.

After a lively Snettisham volunteers meeting at Briarfields this morning, I drove to Titchwell where I had intended to try and see and photograph one of the five Firecrests that were on site. However after meeting Freya she told me about a Water Vole that was showing well in one of the pools so I walked round to the Meadow Trail and took a photograph of it as it climbed the reeds and then swam in the water. Here I met up with Jim Lawrence who told me that an American Golden Plover had just been found on the Freshmarsh with the Golden Plover flock.

I scurried down West Bank path with Jim and Daniel and met up with Mike Rimmell who had been watching the bird a few minutes earlier, when visitors in the Parrinder Hide had alerted him to it. Sadly something had put the whole flock up and the flock had re-positioned to the far eastern edge of the Freshmarsh, with a third of the flock hidden behind the bank and most of the birds tucked up very near to the bank, not making life very easy for us. It wasn’t long before the flock took flight again and landed once again in the same position on the far edge. After working through them, Jim managed to locate the greyer American Golden Plover (well done Jim) but I have to say it was not the best view I have ever had of one and getting a photo was going to be a challenge to say the least for all of us with cameras!

I walked back up the West Bank path and onto the Old Tank Road. I stopped at the gate by the horse paddock to admire some of the newly arrived thrushes. Flocks of thrushes had been flying over the reserve all day, some of which were drinking out of one of the muddy puddles.  I took a few photos of Redwings, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds before joining Phill and Chrissy at Patsy’s Pool, where we watched two Great White Egrets and three Marsh Harriers as the Cormorants were flying into roost in the dead trees. However this was not what we were there for, because at the moment there is an amazing Starling murmuration to be seen just before dusk as 10,000 plus Starlings roost in the reedbed. We watched in awe as the arriving flocks flew over our heads and dropped out of the sky after performing some wonderful shapes as the sun set. The bushes were heaving with Starlings before they set off once again for the reedbed. I never did get a photograph of one of the Firecrests. Hey ho!

After spending yet more time down at Curry’s trying to sort out yet more issues with my laptop and doing some shopping, I drove to the Abbey Farm hide at Flitcham just before dusk. I joined two delightful people in the hide and together we watched a couple of Jays before a Common Buzzard appeared and sat on a post before flying off.

A few minutes later a Barn Owl appeared and started quartering the rough grass when all of a sudden the Buzzard started chasing it. It got nearer and nearer to the Barn Owl and made its attack forcing the Bran Owl down to the ground as it struck it. We worried for the plight of the barn Owl as it sat cowering in the grass with its wings spread. We wondered if it had some prey in its talons that the Buzzard wanted, but we don’t think so. Fortunately the Buzzard lost interest and flew off leaving the Barn Owl to recuperate before it too flew off. It was dark as we all left the hide!

My day started down at Thornham Harbour as embarrassingly I had not seen a Rock Pipit this year and this is one of the best places in winter to see one in Norfolk. High tide had only just been and gone and so there was very little exposed mud with the channels still full of seawater. The road had obviously been covered with seawater as there were still many puddles and the grass on the marsh leading to the boats very squishy indeed. The Rock Pipits had taken to sitting on the wooden posts as I crept nearer trying to take one of their photographs. Once the tide had fallen a little further, exposing some mud, I took photographs of Curlew, Redshank and a Black-tailed Godwit that were feeding in the channel. A pair of Reed Buntings sat and posed as I walked towards the bench looking towards the beach. The Rock Pipits were now flying down to the mud for me to admire.

Andy Brown had sent a message saying that he was watching Slavonian Grebes during his WeBS count.  I gave him a ring and he suggested walking over the golf course at Holme to the sea. John arrived and we met up with Andy and together we watched three Slavonian Grebes (Andy had seen four earlier on) Black-throated Diver, several Red-throated Divers, three Eider, several Great Crested Grebes and eight Red-breasted Mergansers.

At Titchwell John wandered down to the Freshmarsh to see the American Golden Plover, whilst I walked around in vain along the Fen and Meadow Trail looking for the Yellow-browed Warbler. A small flock of Long-tailed Tits and two Chiffchaffs were all I had seen when John came back and joined me. Another flock of Long-tailed Tits appeared as we were walking along the Meadow Trail. I looked up and suddenly realised that there swift species in the air. Any swift in November needs looking at. I yelled to all the birders present and luckily John, two others and I had brief but good views of a Pallid Swift as it flew towards the Freshmarsh. I tried to ring Trevor in the Visitor Centre but my signal dropped out. I sent a message to the Norfolk and the NorthwestNorfolk Birders WhatsApp groups but once again the message would not send meaning that I had to run down the West Bank Path to get a signal. Luckily the messages went and a few people received them and managed to see the bird either over the West Bank Path or over the Freshmarsh. As we walked back to the Visitor Centre we watched a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

After all the excitement we drove to Hunstanton cliff top where Dave, Mandy, Andy and his wife were standing not far from the old lighthouse hoping to see the Pallid Swift after it had been spotted flying over Thornham towards Hunstanton. We watched a Fulmar gliding around as John and I set our scopes up and found another Black-throated Diver and another couple of Red-throated Divers. The sea was flat calm with good visibility but it was time to go home after an excellent days birding!

It was the monthly WeBS count at Nar Valley Fisheries today. It was a glorious morning as the regular counters met at the side of the River Nar. After a bit of a natter we set off and walked up the middle of the lakes counting Coot, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebes, Black-headed Gulls, listening to Cetti’s Warblers calling. It didn’t take long as the number of birds were low for the time of year. Stewart explained that there had been a shoot the day before which had possibly scared some of the birds off.

We walked back to the cars alongside the River Nar and watched a Great White Egret and a Grey Heron. We started to drive to the other lakes when we noticed a flock of Goldfinches feeding at the side. I asked Alan to stop as I felt I had seen something different in the flock. There were two Redpoll perched on the weeds feeding. I alerted the others as I knew Trevor needed Redpoll for a year tick.

We carried on with the count on the other lakes before driving up top Priory Lake. Stewart drew the short straw and counted 257 Greylag Geese on the newly sculpted lake whilst I was given the Coot to count. I managed a total of one, which is most unusual on this lake. I watched a female Marsh Harrier fly along the tree-line before it disappeared from view. At the bridge there was nothing of note but Sandra was pleased to see her Kestrel perched in its usual spot.

We drove back to the start after bidding Stewart and Trevor goodbye. Graham and Sandra left and John, Alan and I had a drink by the river. I noticed a small flock of birds arrive in a nearby tree and after getting my camera managed to take some photographs of six Crossbills that had landed.

My day started in the sun, back down on the beach from the access at Holme Golf Cousre. The tide was almost at its highest but the sea looked almost empty save for a few Great Crested Grebes scattered around. After about twenty minutes of scanning I found three male Eider and a lone Red-breasted Merganser. Eventually it livened up with quite a few Red-throated Divers flying by and two sitting relatively close for me to examine. A Great Northern Diver lifted off from somewhere that I had not noticed and flew a circuit quite close before it eventually disappeared towards the wind farm.

I noticed another birder further along the beach towards Hunstanton pointing his scope into the dune edge, which out of curiosity I followed suite. I wondered if he had found some Snow Buntings or perhaps a Shore Lark. I moved a bit closer and kept watch. Eventually a Purple Sandpiper emerged from the debris of the high tide as it looked for something to gobble.

I drove to Titchwell and spent yet more time doing circuits of the Fen and Meadow trail without success of any birds at all! Knowing that the American Golden Plover was on the Freshmarsh, I joined Ryan who kindly let me look through his scope at the bird on the nearest island. It was a much better view than I had had the other day as well as being a good comparison to the European Golden Plovers present.

John and Stew joined me walking back up the West Bank Path and together we saw two Firecrests and Stew and I saw the Yellow-browed Warbler that certainly did not want its photograph taken!

Needing to pick up a part for my camera at ACS cameras in Watton late in the afternoon I met up with an ACS employee and a wildlife photographer. Using a drone we watched over 50 Pied Wagtails arriving on the roof of the nearby buildings as a pre-roost meeting point. However the Pied Wagtails were not keen on the drone and flew off to roost somewhere nearby.

I joined a few local Norfolk birders standing at the side of the A149 where the gated access road to the paddocks by Titchwell RSPB is at 3.30pm. We stood and faced up towards Choseley Barns as we chatted amongst ourselves but keeping an eye on the sky above the hedgeline in the distance. After a while Jim spotted the Hoopoe flying along above the hedge quite high up. We gasped as a Sparrowhawk pursued it as it flew closer. For a while it circled around but then made its way towards us all once again before passing over the field in front of the RSPB reserve and over the trees where it went to roost somewhere in the trees. Daylight was fading fast as I drove to the car park at Titchwell but after searching none of the birders present as I arrived, had seen the bird at all and so did not know which tree it had gone to roost in.

After a delightful pub lunch with Carrie I went for a late afternoon walk on Roydon Common. It was nice to see Matt and Ashley here. I wandered through the trees where Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Fieldfare flocks were lurking. Further on I watched a few Red Kites before walking along the ridgeline until I could see over the whole common. A Kestrel sat and posed for me. More Red Kites flew over as dusk approached. All of a sudden a ghostly large white bird glided in front of me in the fading light. My heart was filled with joy as a wonderful male Hen Harrier flew around. I stopped to admire it for a while as it headed for Grimston Warren. It disappeared below the ridgeline as I edged forward a bit through the heather when it suddenly reappeared and flew back again. I attempted a few photos but the light had gone as I frantically adjusted my settings on the camera.

I walked back towards my car and saw several more Red Kites on my return to the car park.

Today many Norfolk and Essex birders met up at Cromer Crematorium to say their last farewell to Greg Bond who sadly passed way at the end of last month. Greg was a very keen birder with an excellent knowledge of butterflies, dragonflies and moths too. After volunteering at Titchwell RSPB for a while he transferred to volunteering at NWT’s reserve at Cley as it was much nearer for him. For years he was the fount of knowledge at the weekly Cley moth group that met at the Cley Visitor Centre. It was good to see so many birders in attendance at the gathering in Overstrand afterwards, some of which I haven’t seen for many years! It was a fitting tribute to Greg. He will be missed by us all. R.I.P. Greg

After a couple of days having a wonderful pub lunch with some of our world-travelling friends and then being an ice-queen at the Sandringham Christmas Craft Fair, it was back to Roydon Common this morning for a walk. I debated whether to drive up to the coast to try and see one of the Pallas’s Warblers but didn’t fancy the drive after a very late night and decided to have a lie in. (Us retirees have the option of these when we like!)

A very tired Fieldfare was trying to shelter in one of the berry-laden trees and was still there upon my return walk. The common seemed bird-less as I walked along the ridge. I reached Sandy Lane where there were many gulls swirling above the farm land a hovering Kestrel that did not want to be photographed today. A Red Kite flew above me as I walked down the sandy track. I stopped to talk to some NarVOS members who were walking with some friends who had enjoyed the birds that they had seen.

I walked to Grimston Warren but a big black cloud was heading my way and I turned around to walk back over the common. A few rain drops luckily amounted to nothing much as I scanned over the common. I was surprised to see a Peregrine standing down by one of pools. I watched it for sometime as it hopped along the ground. I could not make out what it was up to, as it didn’t seem to have anything in its claws. It seemed to be trying to catch something, that is until a Kestrel dive-bombed it!

Further along the track three Stonechats popped up out of the Heather. One of the males sat and posed on one of the bushes. Back in the woods the Fieldfare was still there joined by a few Blackbirds, Great Tits and Blue Tits.

After a morning of final packing of my suitcase and camera bag, I had a quick bite to eat and went for a walk for some fresh air. I did not take my camera as it was all packed and took my second pair of binoculars. The track at West Newton was muddier than usual after all the rain and there had obviously been some farming operations.

I stopped half way along the track as one of the trees was full of birds. I was surprised to see that most of them were Meadow Pipits mixed in with a few Goldfinches. I walked down to the pool where three Teal and a pair of Mute Swans were still with the cygnet, now growing quite big. I took their photo with my phone. A Mallard flew off as I walked a bit further and 40 plus Teal alighted from behind the trees and flew around. A Common Buzzard was sat in a distant tree.

My walk was cut short when it started to rain. A few Goldfinches flew over but the birds in a distant tree went unidentified as they were just too distant in the gloom.

As John’s car was sickly, I drove us to Heathrow in my car. As is usual we got delayed in several hold-ups en route but luckily had allowed enough time to catch our night flight to Santiago in Chile. This will be my third visit to this spectacular country.

With no screaming babies on board John and I had a good night’s sleep on our 14 hour direct flight to Santiago in Chile. Daniel was waiting for us after a big delay in retrieving our suitcases, which was a shame after passing through immigration really quickly. He drove us to Plaza El Bosque Hotel  in the east of the city. En route we saw Austral Thrush, Eared Dove, Chilean Swallow and Shiny Cowbird. As we were too early for our room to be ready for us, we made good use of our time and had some lunch whilst we went through our ‘wants’ birding checklist. It was nice to get to know him during this time.

We left the hotel at 6am and Daniel drove us to El Yeso, high up in the Andean Mountains. I was really looking forward to the day as this would be my third visit to this wonderfully spectacular valley, with the mountain scenery of the Andes and the very special chance of seeing the iconic Diademed Sandpiper Plover. My first visit was in 1998 when I visited on my way back from Antarctica and my last visit was in 2010 as part of my round-the-world trip with my ex-partner.

The weather could not have been better with a clear blue sky and was very warm. We stopped on the way up and watched Chilean Mockingbird, Mourning Sierra Finch, Duica Finch as we got out of the car and climbed up a steep bank where there were several Austral Blackbirds and a pair of Tufted Tit-Tyrants that sat and posed beautifully. A Southern House Wren sang, before we drove on and stopped by a more open area that was covered in birds feeding on the short grass. We added Black-winged Ground Dove, California Quail and Grassland Yellow Finch. We motored on and nearly ran a Moustached Turca over as it ran across the road in front of us. Blue and White Swallows flew around as we drove further up the valley.

An American Kestrel sat and posed on a wire before another grassy area. Here we added Rufous-banded Miner, White-browed Ground-Tyrant, Grey-hooded Sierra Finch and Plumbeous Sierra Finch. A little further on we stopped once more and looked over the river valley where we saw some distant Yellow-rumped Siskins and a singing Rufous-collared Sparrow. On the other side of the road we met another birder and together we saw a Sharp-billed Canastero.

We finally arrived at the dam wall at the El Yeso Embalse where we took a few photographs. I was eager to get to the spot to see the Diademed Sandpiper Plover as a headache had started. I suffer very badly from altitude sickness and at 8000 feet up I needed some puffs from my little oxygen cylinder. With my usual migraine medication, I was hopeful that I would still be able to stand without my legs buckling as they have in the past when I have been at altitude. I was disappointed to know that the spot where I had seen  the Diademed Sandpiper Plover before was now mostly dried up and we would have to drive much further up the valley into a private area. We stopped to pay a man some money and he lifted up the barrier and let us through.

The scenery was just stunning as we admired the snow-topped mountains. We stopped to watch a pair of Upland Geese on a small pool and noted a pair of Creamy-rumped Miners, Ochre-naped Ground-Tyrant and a Scale-throated Earthcreeper. A Buff-winged Cinclodes was also photographed. We had reached the end of the road and crossed through a river over the wide river-bed.

We parked up and after a quick comfort stop, John called me over as the other driver of the birder that we had met earlier, had found a Diademed Sandpiper Plover right next to the vehicles. It allowed us to approach it down to six feet. We took far too many photographs and enjoyed watching the bird very much in the heat of the day. What an amazing little bird!

An Andean Condor flew overhead as we took photographs of Greater Yellow Finch and Grey-hooded Sierra Fiches that were after our crumbs. Sadly it was time to leave. On the way back down, we stopped to watch Yellow-billed Teal, Red-gartered Coot and Monk Parakeets sitting on some wires.

After a breakfast at the hotel Daniel drove John and I to Parque Humedal at the Rio Maipo mouth. Here we watched a Harris Hawk and a Cinereous Harrier as Black-chinned Siskins flew around. In the reedbed a Many-coloured Rush Tyrant did not want its photograph taken as we watched a Spectacled Tyrant and a White-crested Elaenia in the bushes. We walked to the beach where it was cool and windy adding American Oystercatcher, Hudsonian Whimbrel and Franklin’s Gulls as well as a few Peruvian Boobies and Red-legged Cormorants sat on a distant rock. Down at the river mouth we watched hundreds of Black Skimmers as Black Vultures sat on the beach along with Chimango Caracaras. A family of Peruvian Pelicans sat amongst Elegant and South American Terns surrounded by hundreds of Franklin’s Gulls as well as Brown-hooded Gulls and a couple of Grey Gulls. Waders included Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, American Golden Plover and Baird’s Sandpiper.

We drove to the Cartegena Lagoon where a Red-gartered Coot was giving a pair of Coscoroba Swans some grief as a Copyu swam across to us. Black-necked Stilts were not happy at our presence  as we watched Red Shoveler, Chiloe Wigeon on the island and a Lake Duck diving in front of us. We added Austral Negrito, Snowy Egret and Wren-like Rush Bird to our lists too.

We had lunch at Las Crucres and walked along the beach front where we admired Seaside Cinclodes, White-banded Mockingbird and Blackish Oystercatcher.

We were up early to be down in the harbour at Valparaiso, Chile for a morning’s pelagic. Although Santiago was due to be another very hot and sunny day the coastal murk and low cloud was due to linger for most of the day with the Andes acting as a barrier. We met up with a group of four from the U.K in the car park and joined a few others in the harbour by the boat. Our guide Daniel was one of the seabird guides on the boat with two other guides helping. Having been to Antarctica, I had already seen most of the species on offer for the pelagic, but was hopeful that at least one of the rarer seabirds might put in an appearance but Daniel said that the chances were slim as even he had not seen one of them!

We set sail and were soon watching South American Terns and Inca Terns in the harbour fishing and as we left harbour Humboldt Penguins soon appeared along with a few Peruvian Pelicans. Wilson’s Petrels were abundant but getting a photograph was another matter as my camera and the chap’s camera next to me refused to focus. We put it down to the murk as cameras hate misty days. I gave up and just watched them flutter by. Sooty Shearwaters and Pink-footed Shearwaters appeared as we went further out and John was soon very excited when the first Black-browed Albatross appeared. More appeared and we soon had several Salvin’s Albatrosses too. Peruvian Diving Petrels flew by as a line of Guanay Cormorants overtook us.

The light did not improve much but I gave photography another go and found it was challenging in the gloom. Some excitement suddenly occurred as a pterodroma petrel was called by a young French man. I raced to the back of the boat but missed it (as did most others) Grrrr However I was a bit quicker with the next one he called and was lucky to pick it up very quickly as he got a photograph of it. The guides studied it and it was a Juan Fernandez Petrel. A lifer for me. I also saw the next one he found too! Sadly John didn’t manage to see it.

A while later another pterodroma petrel was called. The Frenchman once again managed a good photograph of it. The birders amongst us all saw it too. Upon examination of the photograph, it was a Masatierra Petrel, another lifer for me. Later on I found my own and managed a photograph of it too! A few Buller’s Albatrosses caused some excitement as we took some photographs but not as much as the sighting of a Chatham’s Albatross did. I jostled for a view and Daniel and I both saw it before it flew off into the distance.

During the trip we added Westland Petrel and White-chinned Petrel but I think we all enjoyed the Northern Royal Albatross that came close to the boat and gave us all excellent views of it. I ended the day with three lifers, three more than I dared hope for!

This morning we set off up the Vispudava Road on the way to Farellones and stopped to try and find Moustached Turca and Crag Chillia. It took a while. We saw a Moustached Turca from the roadside perched up high on a rock but we wanted a photograph. We walked a steep small gully where we heard a Moustached Turca calling. We watched a pair of Giant Hummingbirds and Daniel spotted a Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle perched on a rock. We eventually saw a Moustached Turca perched up on a rock above us. A little later a Crag Chilia appeared and with a bit of patience we saw it again, long enough to get a quick photograph perched in a bush.

We drove onto Yerba Loca, a mountain nature reserve and campsite that I had visited back in 2010. After paying our entrance fee, the receptionist showed us a pair of roosting Lesser Horned Owls behind the visitor entrance office. A Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail also sat and posed for us. We motored onto the campsite where we ate our brunch picnic after watching a Band-tailed Sierra Finch.

With our brunch consumed we started the Zona Curvas, a series of many hairpin bends to get up to Farellones, nearly ten thousand feet up in the mountains. The scenery was stunning on the way up. Just before we arrived in the village we stopped in the horse grassy area where we watched a Long-tailed Meadowlark as well as several species that we saw on our way up to El Yeso. A Variable Hawk gave a Black-chested Eagle some grief in the sky over our heads as we watched several Andean Condors in the sky flying around.

We eventually reached Valle Nevado one of the biggest areas in the world for ski-ing. Except for some workers doing maintenance, the place was deserted and we started to walk. I had my little oxygen bottle with me, which is necessary for my altitude sickness that renders me into a heap if I don’t take some oxygen at this altitude and took a few swigs of it as I walked slowly up the hill to a watch point where we added White-sided Hillstar, Mountain Caracara and Black-faced Ground-Tyrant to our lists.

On the way back down the hairpin bends we could admire the stunning scenery, that is when our eyes were open as all the fresh air had had its effect on us!

After a hotel breakfast we drove north of the city of Santiago to Laguna de Batuco, where we had gained special permission to be let in early to the wetland before the opening of the reserve to the general public. It was wonderful to have the reserve to ourselves in the peace and quiet of the early morning mist.

We watched Great Grebes and White-tufted Grebes as well as Cinnamon Teal, Red Shoveler, Lake Duck and a lifer for me in the shape of Black-headed Duck. Night Herons and Cocoi Herons flew around with Cattle Egret, Great Egret and Snowy Egrets. I spent a while trying to find a Many-coloured Rush Tyrant that would stay still enough to get a photograph whilst John and Daniel searched for a Stripe-backed Bittern, which we eventually flushed from a board walk as John and I were passing by. Overhead we watched Cinereous Harriers carrying nesting material for their nest in the reeds. Wrenlike Rushbirds had already built their nest and Red-fronted Coots were feeding chicks. On the way out we stopped to admire a Burrowing Owl sat on a post.

All too soon it was time to leave as John had left his fleece in the hotel and we had to return to the city to collect it. We started our journey south down route five and called into fields near a lake where we saw two Chilean Tinamous before driving further south to our hotel for the night deep in a forest.

We had a later start this morning so that we could have our breakfast at Picamenderos Hotel in the forest at Altos de Lircay. After breakfast we drove through the buffer zone where we had special permission to pass through the reserve gate and drive up the steep forest track to the beginning of one of the trails. We watched Thorn-tailed Rayaditos which were very mobile and White-throated Treerunners. We heard an Austral Parakeet but it took us a while to find it perched high up in one of the trees. A Green-backed Firecrown zipped through but did not stay long enough to get a good view.

We stopped to admire the stunning views on a lookout in the sun and took a few photographs of the valley below and the mountain scenery of the Andean mountains. It is a very beautiful country and we are lucky to be here in the spring.

We walked another trail and saw more of the same species and listened to a Chestnut-throated Huet-huet calling but try as we might we didn’t see it. We had poor views of Striped Woodpecker which was too high up in the tree to see it well before it flew. At the top of the trail we stopped to admire a pair of White-throated Hawks which were displaying above our heads.

After a picnic lunch Daniel drove us back down the steep track. We stopped to admire five Chilean Flickers, some of which posed for us.

We had a pre-breakfast walk in the forest at Altos de Lircay where we heard Black-throated Huet-huet calling, but failed to see any. After a problem with one of the car tyres we needed to visit a garage to get some air pumped into one. At breakfast, I had managed to persuade Daniel to visit the nearby Colbun Lake where after much searching I managed to find my wanted Spectacled Duck in the hot and sunny weather. With only one available pair it took some time as we watched Black-faced Ibis, White-winged Coot and Pied-billed Grebe as well as lots of other water birds that we had seen previously in the trip. Some Burrowing Parakeets flew over and we added Fire-eyed Diucon sitting in one of the lakeside bushes.

Daniel then drove for four and a half hours down route five to Nielol Cerro Park in Temuco where we watched Rufous-tailed Hawk from a road in the suburbs before entering the park where we watched Ochre-flanked Tapaculo whilst listening to Chuaco Tapaculo, Black-throated Huet-huet and Magallenic Tapaculo. It took a while before all three of us saw De Murs’s Wiretail but we managed it in the end deep in the Bamboo.

We had a lovely evening meal in some style to celebrate all our lifers today.

After a hotel breakfast we made our way to Parque Nacional Conguillio. At first we were in forest where we watched a Crested Caracara sitting on a low branch before stopping again and watching White-crested Eleania, Green-backed Firecrown, Blue and White Swallows, Chilean Swallows and some Black-chinned Siskins. Further on we took photographs of Fire-eyed Diucons whilst admiring all the Monkey Puzzle trees. Daniel drove on further up the mountain. We started to lose the trees and volcanic ash meant that we could drive no further.

We parked the car and walked up over the volcanic ash and admired the Llaima volcano dominating the skyline. It was covered in snow and against the clear-blue sky made a stunning scene. We started our search for the bird we had come to see. After a short walk a bit further up the mountain we sat down and watched the rocks across a gully where a pair of Patagonia Forest Earthcreepers were sitting on a rock. They soon flew across and over our heads to a feeding area behind some trees at the back of us. It didn’t take long before they flew over us again and over the rocks out of our sight, returning a few minutes later with a faecal sac. This was repeated several times. We had good flight views but they did not perch again for a photograph.

We wandered around watching Buff-winged Cinclodes and White-browed Ground-Tyrant as well as admiring all the pretty spring flowers and butterflies. John was in his element whilst I was busy taking scenic photographs. Daniel and I heard a Magellanic Woodpecker but did not see it as well as a Magellanic Tapaculo and a Chucao Tapaculo from somewhere down in the forest below us.

After several hours of wandering in the bright sunlight a mist enveloped us and we could not see anything and retreated to the car where Daniel treated us to a hot tea and coffee. We drove slowly to the Temuco Airport stopping to watch a White-tailed Kite sitting in a dead tree along with several Chimango Caracaras. We also found some Slender-billed Parakeets posing for us in a roadside tree.

We spent the afternoon sitting in the airport before flying back to Santiago where we spent the night in the airport hotel at Santiago.

Daniel, John and I flew from Santiago to Punta Arenas at the southern tip of mainland Chile. The only trouble was that once I was on the plane I  discovered that I had left my laptop in the hotel room. Curses! I realised that it was now too late to retrieve it. Daniel phoned his office and the hotel immediately and before we took off, we got a message that it had been retrieved from the room. The company Albatross that the tour has been organised through, luckily have guides coming to Torres del Paine in a few days time, where we will be, so hopefully I can be reunited with it then. Fingers crossed!

The view of the Andes was stunning as we flew over the mountains, glistening in the sunlight with a blue sky as well. Once we had landed and collected the car, Daniel drove is along the coastline following the Magellan Strait where we watched Magellanic Oystercatchers, Imperial Shags, Crested Duck, Correnderra Pipit, Chilean Skua, Southern Fulmar, Dark-bellied Cinclodes, Flying Steamer Duck, Ashy-headed Goose, Ruddy-headed Foose and Upland Geese.

We eventually arrived in Punta Arenas where we had an amazing views from out hotel overlooking the harbour. We all enjoyed a meal in the hotel before retiring to gaze out of our room window out at sea as it was still light at 10pm!

It was another wonderful day as I opened the curtains in our hotel, just after sunrise overlooking the Magellan Straits in Punta Arenas. After a delicious breakfast we headed for the ferry after spotting a Dolphin Gull in the harbour and once on board we set off and made our way to one of the upper decks on the ferry along with several other birders. Here whilst crossing the Magelllan Straits on a calm day, we watched Black-browed Albatross, White-chinned Petrel, Wilson’s Petrels, Magellanic Diving Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Magellanic Penguin, South American Tern, Kelp Gull, Imperial Shag and a nesting Magellanic Cormorant as we came into harbour at Bahia Chilota on Tierra Del Fuego.

Daniel then drove us around the coastline where we saw a Common Miner as well as lots of Upland Geese. I was eager to get to see the Magellanic Plover so Daniel drove us strait to the area where back in October he had scouted around to find a spot for one. E-bird is now very helpful for this as it shows where they have been seen historically and in the last 30 days. After admiring a few more geese for John to photograph we stopped to see some Guanacos that were grazing and jumping fences we arrived at the beach. We walked down the cliff edge and walked along the beach. It was a beautifully calm day as we walked along the sand and small rocks.We crossed over a wetter area to a promontory where there were some waders running along the shore line. We saw Baird’s Sandpipers and Two-banded Plovers. John and Daniel had scopes and soon found a Magellanic Plover whilst I searched with my camera. The plover was very camouflaged and very difficult to pick out amongst the grey -coloured rocks. Daniel kindly let me look through his scope and I was thrilled to see it. John and I took lots of photographs whilst Daniel had a few words with the landowner whose land surrounded the beach. It was very remote and he was not too pleased to see us on his beach! Daniel managed to placate him but we decided to leave as we had a long drive to the King Penguin colony at Bahia Inutel after we had had some lunch in a delightful little café.

We arrived at the King Penguin colony and joined the tourist group and listened to the guide who gave us information about the penguins. We walked along the board walk, took a few photographs of the penguins but then made our way to a hide where we watched a Muskrat swimming in the river. We started the drive back to Cerro Sombrero to stay at the Tunkelen Hosteria but stopped en route to admire a Chilean Flamingo in one of the pools.