For Chile we decided to stay in one location for a long time, and we chose the town of Puerto Varas, near the very beginning of Patagonia. We also took small trips to other locations, such as the island of Chiloe, and to Volcan Osorno. After our month there was over, we stopped in the north at Putre, a town in the Andes for several days, so we could take a trip into the nearby Parque Nacional Lauca, a hotspot for high Andean wildlife, such as vicuñas, flamingos, rheas, viscachas, and more, all seen here.
Waterbirds abounded at Lago Llanquihue, (the lake by Puerto Varas) and Yellow-billed Pintails were common, sometimes with young chicks.
Silvery Grebes were also easy to see from shore, although harder to get a good view of, as they dove frequently.
On a side trip to an area to the east of the lake we found this Andean Fox (more commonly known as a Zorro Culpeo) wandering around a parking lot. It was not shy at all, and we were able to watch it for a long time.
Although South America is famous for its parrots, in the south there are only two species. This is the more common one, the Slender-billed Parakeet, which is also one of Chile’s 12 endemic bird species.
The South American equivalent of the muskrat, the coipo, was easily seen at a lake in the middle of a town. This one just sat on the bank and let us watch.
This Southern Caracara was perched on a tree branch over a road, and when we pulled over it continued sitting there and looking around.
On one stretch of the Rio Maullin near Puerto Varas we saw at least 10 Black-crowned Night-herons on the bank and in the water, allowing easy photography and viewing.
The Neotropic Cormorant colony at the lake where we saw the coipo allowed very easy photography, as there were around 75 birds in two trees.
In a forest reserve near the town we managed to see two species of sought-after tapaculos (secretive forest birds). This is the rarer one, the Black-throated Huet-huet, but this is generally the best view you could ask for, it standing out in the open on a log.
The other species of tapaculo was the Chucao Tapaculo, an inquisitive bird that would circle you in the forest, allowing brief views, but not running away,
Our only multi-day trip away from Puerto Varas was to visit the island of Chiloe. This Black-necked Swan greeted us as the ferry arrived.
Our first stop on Chiloe was the Monumento Natural Islotes de Puñihuil, well known for its colony of Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins. The mainland held abundant numbers of Kelp Geese, and this male afforded us wonderful views.
The colonies were mostly made up of Magellanic Penguins, like this one, but here and there several Humboldts appeared.
The huge Flightless Steamer-ducks were also easy to find on the coast. These huge ducks are simply so fat that their tiny wings cannot carry them into the air. We also managed to see a pair lead a line of chicks into the ocean, and even these young birds were able to maneuver the rocks and waves of the islands.
The female Kelp Goose is so different from the male that if I did not know they were the same species I would try to identify them separately.
Southern Lapwings, a type of plover, are common by Lago Llanquihue, but it can be hard to find them among the rocky shore.
An unlikely sighting in the middle of the Atacama Desert, this Vermilion Flycatcher provided nice relief to the brown desert landscape.
Chilean Woodstars are rare and Critically Endangered, with only 270-395 individuals left. This female gave an amazing view, and perched for at least a minute.
Croaking Ground-doves are extremely common in the Atacama region, and frequently take dust baths and sunbathe, as this individual is demonstrating.
This juvenile Mountain Caracara flew down to us and landed, clearly hoping for food, although it was a very nice visit.
The difference in birdlife at altitude realtive to sea level was such that during a half-hour lunch stop I was able to see around 4 new species, including this Blue-and-yellow Tanager, which attacked its reflection in one of our wing mirrors.
Black-hooded Sierra-finches were very common around the town of Putre, and we found one building a nest on the roof of one of the buildings at the hotel we were staying at.
One of our first sightings in Lauca was of a trio of Torrent Ducks, which specialize in feeding on fast-flowing Andean rivers. This is a male.
Lesser Rheas are another Lauca specialty, and on our first trip we managed to see 12 different birds. This is one of our first.
Llamas, although not wild, also abounded in the bofedales, or swamps, in the valleys. These are two babies, or crias.
We also spotted some familiar birds. This female American Kestrel gave us a very good view on top of a sign.
Seedsnipes, the “ptarmigan of South America” were less frequent, but we still managed to see several.
One of Lauca’s two species of tinamous, the Puna Tinamou is, in most opinions, more ornate than the Ornate Tinamou. This is a Puna, and although shy, several groups trotted across the road in front of our car.
Domestic alpacas also are easily seen here, and some of them actually have brightly colored tassels hanging from their ears.
The Las Cuevas area near the beginning of the main road, is covered with viscachas, a relative of the chinchilla. Most of them will just sit and let you watch them, but if they want to they can bound about the rocky slopes where they live with surprising agility and speed.
Yet another Lauca specialty is the Puna Teal, which frequents small lagoons and rivers in the park. Although their bodies are well camouflaged, their bright blue bills seem to undo the effect.
Giant Coots can be found in the thousands on the lakes. This one is transporting waterweed which it uses to build its huge volcano-like nest in the middle of the water.
Seeing flamingos fly in front of snow-covered mountains is a strange sight, but these Chilean Flamingos are common on the lakes, especially the huge Lago Chungará.
The lakes at this altitude are mostly saline, so the flamingos have plenty of delicious algae and plankton to filter through their strange bills.
Lauca’s most common small birds are the ground-tyrants, such as this Rufous-naped Ground-tyrant. We also saw Ochre-naped Ground-tyrant and the localized White-fronted Ground-tyrant.
When looking from a high viewpoint down on the lake, the coots cause the surface to become speckled with black, covering the entire shore area.
Giant Coots are not the only coots on Lago Chungará. Mixed in with the larger Giant Coots there is the occasional Slate-colored Coot, a common bird throughout the Andes. From the lookout you can actually distinguish the two by size alone.
Vicuñas complete the trio of camelids to be found in Lauca. After a day of driving, they become like features of the landscape, and nothing to be excited about.
We observed baby vicuñas battling with their necks, and whether this is just random play or practice for something later in life, we do not know.
When looking at a rock face in Lauca, at first you will see nothing. Then you will see one viscacha, then another, then another, until you realize that there are viscachas everywhere you turn.
en verano wiry fuzzy young llamas and vicuñas kick their long camel-colored limbs across the altiplano like paper dolls with brass brad joints their more sedate mothers stand by all four feet gathered to a point as if balancing on a ball slanty-eyed supple viscachas huddle together under peach-colored rocks out of the rain then sprint straight up a slope to their next natural lookout everything goes green and around each verdant life there’s an even more brilliant rough ring of moss maybe made by fairies dancing or, then again, maybe just a peculiar habit of its growth which studs the hills and plains with living magic – food for all the fuzzies
