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.
a majority of the time when the minority warns you that you are behaving badly it is not only so but also you have revealed that you understand such a minority of the minority’s experiences that you have not only been careless but careless to the degree of warranting correction warranting notification of the nonsense of your nonidentification with the minority’s concerns and then in the majority of cases the major actions you must take are: first, do no further harm – do not defend your mostly indefensible ignorance; second, apologize for the wounds (intentional or un-) you have created or (more likely) further inflamed; third, apologize for the effort your edification has cost someone who undoubtedly has better things to do; fourth, listen attentively and humbly to the majority of this other viewpoint, even if you only see it by squinting; fifth, live your life differently, eyes a little wider, viewfinder a little more sensitive, field of view a little larger; sixth, help someone else from your frame of reference also see things with this new frame at least a majority of the time
en el bosque con las Cotes el agua canta por nosotros
the notes, rapid and green, clear away the cobwebs between ourselves leave us feeling like we’ve drunk from a cool spring freshen our eyes and still our thirsty tongues
we make ephemeral circles understanding nothing lasts understanding also joy is the honey that keeps us flying into the thistles
the most powerful thing I did today was share breath con un canelo and put a tiny, black, shriveled seed into the earth – now something might someday root
sitting with the pain of the world I stroke Syd’s flipper pat his back listen while the ocean pours out of him
it doesn’t matter so much where our brokenness lies where the blows came from how they were dealt
we most need to sit with each other’s pain bear witness to the immense hurt we sometimes cannot even name and recollect the strong resilient beings we are able to knit our fractured selves back together sometimes with even more abiding bonds if only we can remove our breastplates first and be vulnerable together
Graham’s penstemon photo by Susan Meyer. White-tailed ptarmigan photo by Owen.
standing declaration
Do you believe in a creator who intends that humans should act as guardians of creation?
my chest opens and frozen birds fall out my lips part and fuzzy orange tongues lisp yes yes yes my hands clench and unclench in an angry motion like prayer all signifying who have we become when we must swear in a court of law that we still believe in the righteousness of compassion before scientists can do their job?
tonight while sleep stifles me I’ll do my own work dreaming of penstemons and ptarmigans in a paradise devoid of people where they’re left to sing their own songs make sun into sugar into flight just for the pure joy of being not to do a single ape good
en español I learn to loose my tongue to make mistakes in a loud enough voice to say what I need I am no longer above committing grave grammatical errors changing tenses genders numbers in the most haphazard unsophisticated way I am being brave and humble enough to open my mouth and let imperfections stream out while someone nods kindly understanding just what is needed from the way I move my hands
am I doing enough to earn my time here? (and, is it possible to also read a book?)
ii
rain on rose petals silver linings everywhere
iii
companion = [with] [bread] this also delimits my friend/acquaintance line: who can I invite in next to serve a warm thick slice? the words around us bear the weight of deep meanings we don’t even bother consciously knowing
from now on companion will have a more complex, savory taste every time it rolls around my mouth
one small olive-green leaf with waxy white bloom laid gently on a soft bed of soil will not rest first it will root leaf meristem will morph become what is needed for this time and place discover how to grow down into the deep silent dark how to become acquainted with the ways of worms the frequencies of underground sound life without wind sun stars the pressure and exactitude of finding each fine fissure where the tiniest root hair might take hold and then, only after leaf has tied itself to earth, it will go back to stretching trying the feel of new aspects finding a way to elevate the flow of energy to enter the upright world again with the exhilaration of becoming more than the world knew when one first awoke
my favorite part of the concert is when the house lights dim my body melts into the seats and my form becomes invisible presence I’m there and transported a silent witness until my hands are invited to beat the air into wild approval percussive acknowledgement of what the souls on stage have wrought that we are here together in this moment in this place in this desire to see and be seen to make something new and be part of the making
