An even hotter day today with temperatures reaching 38 celcius. This meant a traditional afternoon siesta which was very welcome. I concentrated the birding today around Las Grutas situated 15km south from San Antonio Oeste, and home to some regional endemics. My main target today was the White-throated Cacholote, and after a brief search in suitable habitat, one bird was found, although this was the only one seen today so not as easy as it sounds. I got into a bit of trouble afterwards, and to cut a long story short, don't drive an automatic car on sand as it won't work, and will result in hitching a lift to a police station and wait for a rather large chap in a large vehicle to come and tow you out!! Once this drama had ended, I tried an area north of town for Sandy Gallito but the habitat wasn't ideal and so decided to head back to the hotel. Once the temperature had dropped to a comfortable 36 celcius, I headed back out to the same area as this morning and found some good bits. Dinner was had on the outskirts of Las Grutas, and strangely the same guy I was sat next to in the police station this morning, served me my dinner........small world!!
Highlights for today are as follows:
Elegant-crested Tinamou
Great Grebe
Black-faced Ibis
Variable Hawk
Snowy-crowned Tern
Chequered Woodpecker
Short-billed Canastero
Patagonian Canastero
White-throated Cacholote
Greater Wagtail-Tyrant
Tufted Tit-Tyrant
Grey-bellied Shrike-Tyrant
Hudson's Black-Tyrant
Blue-and-Yellow Tanager
Cinnamon Warbling-Finch
Carbonated Sierra-Finch
Carbonated Sierra-Finch
White-throated Cacholote
Cinnamon Warbling-Finch
Vermilion Flycatcher
a very drab Greater Wagtail-Tyrant
my third Shrike-Tyrant of the trip, and its yet another Grey-bellied, but they are very smart birds.
the rather large chap with his large vehicle
Turkey Vulture hanging around
a relaxing end to a demanding day
