Laguna Nimez Bird Reserve, El Calafate

Still 14 November

We spent several hours in the delightful presence of the denizens of this bird reserve, involving about a 7 km circular walk from our base at America del Sur Hostel.

It was a perfect way to spend a day with no particular agenda before returning to the luxury of the hostel.

The Reserve was created in 1986 to preserve:

• wetlands with reeds that offer protection for nesting and breeding of many species, 
• swamped grasslands where ducks and shore birds feed and rest, 
• and shrubby Patagonian steppe that provides food and home to birds and small vertebrates.

(Add the usual blurb for such places.)

A list of 77 bird species presented something of a challenge. "You could see between 20 and 30" said the wardens, "we counted 23 when we walked round the other day".

We were up for that challenge on an otherwise lazy day. Just for the record, we spotted the following:

Black-faced Ibis (ubiquitous and noisy)
Chilean Flamingoes (lots)
Coscoroba Swan
Upland Goose
Crested Duck
Chiloe Wigeon
Andean Ruddy Duck
Red Shoveler
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle
Cinereous Harrier
Chimango Caracara (with many spectacular fly past/bombing raids)
White-winged Coot
Southern Lapwing
Wilson's Phalarope
Kelp Gull
Scale-throated Earthcreeper
Austral Canastero
Spectacled Tyrant
Austral Negrito
Grass Wren
Patagonian Mockingbird
Correndera Pipit
Rufuos-collared Sparrow
Austral Blackbird
Long-tailed Meadowlark

plus others we aren't sure about...

The pictures were taken in the reserve. The birds are the Upland Goose and the Southern Lapwing. 

Happy Days...