After an early look around the small coastal town of Mar Chiquita, I headed off to check out the large cattle estancias, inland from the Mar Chiquita area. I had a number of eBird locations where Red-winged Tinamous has been seen, but it was clearly going to be a hit & miss species and it appeared that some of these sightings had occurred when a Birder had been allowed to drive onto an estancia. In the last Blog Post, I had included the photos of a number of the wet pool species seen on the estancias. In this Blog Post, I will focus on the rest of the species photographed during the drive inland of Mar Chiquita.
Long-winged Harrier: This monotypic species occurs in the grasslands of tropical South America
Long-winged Harrier: They are a great-looking Harrier
Wilson's Phalarope: Another wintering North American Wader
This drive produced two Family photo ticks: the first Tinamou & the first Screamer.
Spotted Tinamou: I saw three Spotted Tinamous (AKA Spotted Nothura), but all were the wrong species of Tinamou. This is the annectens subspecies which occurs in the moist grasslands of East Argentina
Southern Screamer: This is one of three species of Screamers that occur in this South American family
Southern Screamer: This monotypic species occurs from the wet lowlands of South East Peru to South Brazil & North Argentina
There was still a good selection of other dry country species.
Picazuro Pigeon: This was a common Pigeon on the Pampas, especially where there were a few trees. This is nominate picazuro subspecies which occurs from East Brazil to Bolivia & South-central Argentina
Spectacled Tyrant: This is a gorgeous Tyrant Flycatcher. This is the nominate perspicillatus subspecies which occurs from South West Brazil to Uruguay, Paraguay & North Argentina
Correndera Pipit: This is the nominate correndera subspecies which occurs from coastal South East Brazil to Uruguay, Paraguay & North Argentina
Great Pampa-finch: This is the nominate platensis subspecies which occurs from East Paraguay to South East Brazil, Uruguay & central Argentina
Bay-winged Cowbird: The juvenile Screaming Cowbirds look very similar to Bay-winged Cowbirds (AKA Greyish Cowbirds). The bill shape is one of the key features and gives this away as a Bay-winged Cowbird. This is the nominate badius subspecies which occurs from East Bolivia to Paraguay, Uruguay & North Argentina
Chestnut-capped Blackbird: This is the nominate ruficapillus subspecies which occurs from South East Bolivia to Paraguay, South Brazil, Uruguay & North Argentina
Hooded Siskin: This is the nominate magellanicus subspecies which occurs in Uruguay & East Argentina
I had spent the morning & early afternoon driving on a set of sandy dirt tracks alongside large estancias for about thirty miles, before finally reaching a tarmac road on the edge of the small town of Coronel Vidal. From here it was an hour or so of driving back to the city of Mar del Plata and another thirty minutes from there to return to Mar Chiquita.
Mar del Plata beach: As I passed through Mar del Plata, I had a look at the beach in the hope there might be some Seabirds along the shoreline. All I saw was these angry seas
After getting back to the coast at Mar Chiquita, I spent the last few hours of the day having a final look at the fields to the North for a Red-winged Tinamou. I had no joy with the potential Tick, but there was still plenty to look at.
Long-winged Harrier: I saw about a dozen Long-winged Harriers during the day
Brown Hare: Brown Hares have been commonly introduced from Europe by the colonial settlers
Although I hadn't managed to see a Red-winged Tinamou, it had been a great day of Birding with seventy-two species seen & many photographed. I headed back to the Mar Chiquita campsite for another night in the car.
