Chile. Naturetrek Tour Itinerary. Outline itinerary

Transcription

1 Naturetrek Tour Itinerary Outline itinerary Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6/7 Day 8 Day 9/10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14/15 Day 16 Day 17 Departs November Dates and Prices See website (tour code CHL01) or brochure Grading B. Birdwatching walks only but at some locations altitude may cause walks to feel more strenuous than normal Focus Birds Fly Arica Putre Lauca National Park Quinteros Puyehue National Park Punta Arenas Porvenir Punta Arenas Depart Arrive London Highlights Enjoy a spectacular range of scenery Large birdlist includes Chilean endemics and high altitude specialists Many interesting mammals include Guanaco and Vicuna in the Andes Pelagic excursion into the Pacific Ocean in search of seabirds Enjoy penguins and sub-antarctic specialities in Tierra del Fuego Unique flora Spectacular coastal and Andean scenery Excellent cuisine and Chilean wines Guanaco South American Grey Fox Mountain Scenery Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf s Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

2 Tour Itinerary NB. Please note that the itinerary below offers our planned programme of excursions. However, adverse weather & other local considerations can necessitate some re-ordering of the programme during the course of the tour, though this will always be done to maximise best use of the time and weather conditions available. Introduction Chile is a country of great contrasts, snaking from the hot Atacama desert in the north, along over 4,000 kilometres of Pacific Ocean to the sub-antarctic islands of the south. Nowhere more than 180 kilometres wide, the patchwork of cultivations in the central valleys are overlooked by the towering peaks of the Andes mountains which form an unbroken spine along the western boundaries with Argentina and Bolivia. An efficient network of domestic flights connect the major cities making it relatively easy to move from one habitat to another, exchanging high Andean páramo for Pacific Ocean seabirds, and desert oases for the frozen wilderness of Tierra del Fuego. There is a corresponding diversity of birdlife which includes representatives from most Neotropical bird families. Wandering herds of Llama, the remains of Inca culture, and an ever-present backdrop of the high mountains present an image that is unmistakably South American and yet the sight of pretty green valleys surrounded by snow-capped peaks have prompted some travellers to compare Chile with Switzerland! Day 1 Saturday In Flight We leave London Heathrow on a scheduled service flight to de Chile. Day 2 Sunday After a long overnight flight, a period of relaxation at our city hotel may be popular but for anyone eager to sample the new avifauna we will be arranging a visit to El Peral Reserve. With its lake and reedbeds it is in some respects similar to the famous Costenera Del Sur reserve in Buenos Aires (although much further from the city centre) and offers a fine selection of Neotropical waterbirds. Black-necked Swan, Chiloe Wigeon, Red Shoveler, Lake and Blackheaded Ducks are all possibilities here and the reeds provide shelter for one of the most delightful of South American flycatchers, the stunning little Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant. Other birds to anticipate include Spot-flanked Gallinule, Red-gartered, White-winged and Red-fronted Coots, Rufous-tailed Plantcutter, Austral Blackbird, the ubiquitous Rufous-naped Sparrow and our first endemic, the Chilean Mockingbird. Day 3 Monday Arica We leave on a morning flight north to the seaside town of Arica where we stay overnight. First stop after checking in at our hotel will be the rocky coastline near the town where we should be greeted by a host of seabirds and shorebirds including Peruvian Booby, Peruvian (Brown) Pelican, Guanay and Red-footed Cormorants, Surfbird, American and Blackish Oystercatchers. The very local Band-tailed Gull is another bird we may find here and there is a good chance of finding the attractive Inca Tern. Turning our attention to the city gardens and Azapa Valley in the outskirts of Arica we should find an abundance of flowering plants which are often a magnet for hummingbirds. Naturetrek May 17 1

3 Tour Itinerary Chile Chilean Woodstar and Oasis Hummingbird are two of the potential species feasting on the nectar, and some of the other birds to look out for during our 'Arica tour' include White-winged Dove, Croaking Ground-Dove, Whitecrested Elaenia, Vermilion Flycatcher, Cinereous Conebill, Chestnut-throated Seedeater and Slender-billed Finch. Day 4 Tuesday Putre Most of the day will be spent in a slow drive from Arica to Putre enjoying an unfolding change of scenery and birds as we climb into the Andes foothills. Initially the habitat is arid and sterile in appearance with sparse vegetation but cacti and other succulents become more prominent as the road twists through a region of curiously-shaped rocks before reaching the higher elevations around Putre. Here, various Sierra-Finches abound and the greater rainfall encourages a diversity of bushes and shrubs. We will be in no hurry to complete the journey making frequent stops along the way to investigate each habitat and look for target birds. Species to anticipate include Andean Tinamou, Andean Hillstar, Mountain Parakeet, Black-winged Ground-Dove, Groove-billed Ani, Andean Swift, Straight-billed and White-throated Earthcreeper, Greyish Miner, Chiguanco Thrush, Red-breasted Meadowlark, Hooded Siskin and at least four species of Sierra-Finch. Day 5 Wednesday Putre The immensely scenic Lauca National Park will be our destination for the day: 140,000 hectares of puna habitats at an elevation of between 3,200 and 6,300 metres on the Bolivian border. Included in the park is Lake Chungara, one of the highest lakes in the world which is full of birds including Silvery Grebe, Giant Coot, Crested and Andean Ruddy Ducks, Puna Teal, Puna Ibis, Puna Plover, Andean, Chilean and Puna Flamingoes. As we travel around the park we will not only be rewarded by spectacular mountain scenery but a superb selection of high altitude birds including Torrent Duck, Puna Rhea, Puna Tinamou, Andean Lapwing, Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Andean Avocet, Andean Gull, Andean Flicker, Peruvian Martin, Puna Miner, White-winged Cinclodes, and five species of Ground- Tyrant. Some highly adapted mammals manage to exist in this harsh terrain. Domestic herds of Alpaca and Llama roam the National Park competing for grazing with hundreds of Vicuna and smaller numbers of Guanaco. The scarce Chinchillon or Mountain Viscacha also occurs here and we may find an endearing little Degu, a cross between a Vole and a Guinea-Pig! After sampling the birdlife of Lake Chungara and the more accessible areas of the National Park we could try searching the wetter grasslands and bogs for the rare Diademed Sandpiper-Plover. This peculiar wader is never easy to locate but we may be lucky and whilst looking in this damper habitat could find other montane birds such as Puna Snipe, White-winged Diuca-Finch and Red-backed Sierra-Finch. Day 6 Thursday Quinteros There will be time for a second look at the scenery and birds as we descend from the foothills to Arica. Three species to particularly look for will be the majestic Andean Condor soaring over roadside crags, the largest hummingbird in the world, the Giant Hummingbird, and the Peruvian Thick-knee, a new world equivalent of our European Stone-Curlew. 2 Naturetrek May 17

4 Tour Itinerary Later in the day we catch a flight from Arica to and on arrival in the capital drive north to the small town of Quiteros which is a short distance along the coast from the historic port of Valparaiso. Day 7 Friday Quinteros The ocean waters off Valparaiso, and in particular the less spoiled waters of Quinteros Bay, are rich in nutrients upwelling from the Humboldt current which passes close to the coastline. This creates ideal feeding grounds for seabirds and we plan a morning pelagic trip to discover which species are loitering offshore. The list of potentials include Royal, Grey-headed, Salvin's, Buller's, Shy and Light-mantled Albatrosses, plus a miscellany of petrels, shearwaters, skuas and terns. Like all such sea trips, the results cannot be guaranteed or even predicted but similar outings on previous occasions have recorded an astonishing variety of birds and we are hopeful of equal success. The sea is not always tranquil however and the packed breakfasts we take on board the vessel may be superfluous! Back on dry land we will drive along the coast for a short distance to scan a muddy estuary and various rocky headlands. The former might produce Black Skimmer and Brown-hooded Gull whilst the promontories could yield Humboldt Penguin, Surfbird and Southern Sealions hauled out on the rocks. Another endemic, the Chilean Seaside Cinclodes is found along this stretch of coast along with its dark-bellied cousin, Fire-eyed Diucon, Black-chinned Siskin and various other small-fry. Day 8 Saturday After yesterday s emphasis on seabirds we explore oak woodlands today in La Campana National Park east of Quinteros. The other vegetation in this reserve is of particular interest, the upper slopes embracing a valley filled with rare Ocoa Palms whilst at lower elevations there is extensive Chaparral style scrub hiding some of the more secretive skulkers. Six of the nine mainland endemics of Chile inhabit the park: Crag Chilia, Moustached Turca, Chilean Mockingbird, Dusky-tailed Canastero, Dusky and White-throated Tapaculos. We can expect to see at least four of these during our visit and other birds found in La Campana include Chilean Tinamou, Chilean Pigeon, Green-backed Firecrown, and Great Shrike-Tyrant. In the afternoon we drive towards along the Alvarado Canyon pausing along the way for birdwatching stops and to admire the magnificent mountain landscape. We stop overnight in. Day 9 Sunday Antillanca Lodge After an early breakfast we transfer to the airport for a morning flight to the southern town of Orsono. From here we drive east across a superb landscape of blue lakes and volcanoes to the humid Valdiviana forest of Puyehue National Park. Our base for two nights is the dramatically named Antillanca Ski-Lodge, which, as its name suggests, is popular with skiers trying out their skills on these high windy slopes bordering Argentina. The drive from Orsono takes about two hours and we will probably arrive after nightfall but earlier in the journey the distinctive honking of Black-faced Ibis will more than likely proclaim the presence of these handsome birds at the roadside and we may see a few more species from our vehicle before dusk settles. Naturetrek May 17 3

5 Tour Itinerary Chile Day 10 Monday Antillanca Lodge A fascinating day braving the often cold and windy conditions for the rewards of some top quality Andean birding. Our activities will take us into tracts of beech forest near the lodge and along trails through dense bamboo forest where the enigmatic Pudu Dwarf-Deer may be glimpsed before it rushes off into cover. Representatives of the Andean avi-fauna inhabiting the reserve include Bicolored Hawk, Austral Parakeet, Austral Pygmy-Owl, Greenbacked Firecrown, Magellanic and Striped Woodpeckers, Chilean Flicker, Thorn-tailed Rayadito, White-throated Treerunner, Chucao Tapaculo, Black-throated Huet-Huet, Austral Thrush, Fire-eyed Diucon and Patagonian Sierra- Finch. Finding some of the more retiring species can be a difficult exercise in such thick cover but these unusual little birds are worth the perseverance. Venturing to some small rivers and lakes in another part of the reserve we could find the extraordinary Torrent Duck plunging through the rapids, Flying Steamer-Ducks demonstrating their aeronautical skills and the lively Dark-bellied Cinclodes. Day 11 Tuesday Punta Arenas We drive to the city of Puerto Montt pausing along the way to look for the rare White-throated Hawk in the hills, and for shorebirds in Reloncavi Sound where large numbers of waders congregate. Later in the morning we catch a flight south to Punta Arenas, the famous port on the shores of the Magellan Strait which attracted media attention when it was used by British forces during the Falklands conflict. The flight from Puerto Montt is particularly scenic if conditions allow sight of the snowy mountains, glaciers and dramatic coastline slipping past below the aircraft. On arrival at Punta Arenas we should have time for a walk along the waterfront after checking in at our hotel. It will soon be evident that the avi-fauna here is excitingly different to any of the previous locations with a distinct sub-antarctic influence. Typical birds of the seashore and open water at this latitude include Southern Giant Petrel, Rock and Imperial Shags, Black-faced Ibis, Flightless Steamer Duck, Crested Duck, Upland, Ashy-headed and Kelp Geese, Magellanic Oystercatcher, Chilean Skua, Dolphin and Kelp Gulls. Day 12 Wednesday Porvenir An unforgettable day devoted to an exploration of the Magellan Strait and the Chilean sector of Tierra Del Fuego. Political rather than geographic boundaries divide the island of Tierra Del Fuego between Argentina and Chile with the former claiming the largest land area. The countless islands in these southern waters around Cape Horn have long been the subject of dispute between the two countries, the most recent altercation almost leading to war until the intervention of the Pope, but for birds it is just one vast wilderness to roam over irrespective of borders. The day begins with a ferry crossing from Punta Arenas to Porvenir, a voyage of about two and a half hours which could be marked by sightings of various seabirds such as the dumpy little Magellanic Diving-Petrel and Magellanic Penguins. Distinctive piebald Commerson's Dolphins may also put in an appearance following the vessel. The Straits of Magellan are exceedingly photogenic as the southern spur of the Andes mountains sweep down to the very edge of the water creating a tremendous vista of snowy peaks and rugged crags. 4 Naturetrek May 17

6 Tour Itinerary After checking-in at a small hotel in Porvenir we will drive a short distance into typical Tierra Del Fuego steppe to visit Swans Lake Sanctuary. Here, on the shoreline of a small lake we hope to find the confiding but rare Magellanic Plover, a strange southern wader which looks almost dove like as it picks away at the muddy edges. These birds frequently 'paddle' with their feet to disturb the animal life in the mud, a habit which often draws attention to them when a casual inspection of the pool has failed to reveal their presence! Other birds in this windy terrain include handsome Least Seedsnipe, Magellanic and Blackish Oystercatchers, Short-billed Miner, Two-banded Plover, and Correndera Pipits. After devoting time to the steppe pools we will return to the coastline and our hotel in Porvenir overlooking the waters of the Strait. Day 13 Thursday Punta Arenas Today we travel north across Tierra Del Fuego crossing over to the mainland by another ferry and returning to Punta Arenas for an overnight stop. This wild and desolate landscape of rolling hills, moorland and lakes is good country for birding and among the targets will be Patagonian Lesser Rhea, Magellanic Penguin, Coscoroba and Black-necked Swans, Yellow-billed and Speckled Teal, Austral Blackbird, Long-tailed Meadowlark and Patagonian Yellow Finch. During the drive we may well see herds of Guanaco roaming over the moors, surely one of the most attractive of all the South American camels but all too frequently the target of hunters. The scrubby roadside vegetation also provides concealment for a few species of skulking passerine and one 'LBJ' we will try to find is the very local Austral Canastero. Day 14 Friday Before leaving the south we visit the last stand of sub-antarctic beech forest in continental Chile at Parrillar Reserve. The large and absurdly tame Magellanic Woodpecker may be observed in this area and we will carefully check secluded forest pools for the shy Spectacled Duck. Other birds possible during our visit to Parrillar and in the surrounding country include White-cheeked Pintail, Rufous-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, Cinereous Harrier, Austral Parakeet, Magellanic Snipe, Austral Thrush, Chilean Swallow, Rufous-backed Negrito, Dark-faced and Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrants, Black-chinned Siskin and Patagonian Sierra-Finch. After hopefully concluding our visit to Punta Arenas with a fine selection of birds we board a flight to and transfer to a city hotel. Day 15 Saturday It may be our last full day in Chile but we have plans to make it a day to remember! We leave the capital to the west following the course of the fast-flowing Maipo River where Torrent Ducks can sometimes be spotted. After skirting grassy pastures inhabited by introduced California Quail and Common Diuca-Finches, the road begins to climb towards the high point of Tupungato Mountain affording spectacular views of the high Andes which rise from both sides of the border between Chile and Argentina. Various specialised high altitude birds occur along the roadside and species to look out for include the endemic Crag Chilia, Greater Yellow-Finch, Grey-flanked Naturetrek May 17 5

7 Tour Itinerary Chile Cinclodes, Rufous-banded Miner, Scale-throated Earthcreeper, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant and Black-fronted Ground-Tyrant. We eventually reach the Embalse El Yeso, an artificial lake formed by the damming of a river, and will search the surrounding cushion-plant bogs for that elusive mountain wader the Diademed Sandpiper Plover. Once again we have no guarantee of success with this unpredictable bird but other possibilities here include Black-chested Eagle, South American Snipe, Grey-breasted Seedsnipe, Sharp-billed and Cordilleran Canasteros. Day 16 Sunday In Flight A morning in to catch up on notes, relax or go sightseeing before travelling to the airport for our return flight to London. Day 17 Monday London We are scheduled to arrive back at Heathrow in the late morning. Grading A/B Mostly birdwatching day walks but the effects of altitude may make some of the walks seem more strenuous than the distance would suggest. Food & accommodation included in cost All meals are included in the cost. Accommodation will be in comfortable tourist hotels where rooms will have private facilities. Climate This is a tour where the extremes of climate match each change of scenery. In the hottest regions of the north it may reach 30ºC but in Tierra Del Fuego it could be as low as -5ºC with a wind chill factor of even lower in the strong winds. Elsewhere in the tour we can expect cold windy conditions in the mountains but contrasting warmth in the lowlands and along the coast. Mammal, bird & plant lists Where available these will be provided with your Final Joining Instructions, and will gladly be sent to you before, if you wish for a more detailed preview. 6 Naturetrek May 17

8 Tour Itinerary Your safety & security You have chosen to travel to Chile. Risks to your safety and security are an unavoidable aspect of all travel and the best current advice on such risks is provided for you by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In order to assess and protect against any risks in your chosen destination, it is essential that you refer to the Foreign Office website or telephone regularly prior to travel. How to book your place In order to book your place on this holiday, please give us a call on with a credit or debit card, book online at or alternatively complete and post the booking form at the back of our main Naturetrek brochure, together with a deposit of 20% of the holiday cost plus any room supplements if required. If you do not have a copy of the brochure, please call us on or request one via our website. Please stipulate any special requirements, for example extension requests or connecting/regional flights, at the time of booking.. Naturetrek May 17 7