Today's goal was to see the Perito Moreno Glacier and maybe find a few birds. The sunny, arid Patagonian grasslands were such a contrast to the dark, wet, forested Tierra del Fuego and made for a beautiful fifty mile drive to the glacier. Here's Lago Argentina with the southern Andes behind.
A couple of very large birds soared over the ridge to my left and I had a good guess they were going to be Andean Condors. I had seen a few many years ago in Peru at Colca Canyon but it was nice to finally get some photos. I love the shadows agains the mountain.
I made a few stops at marshy areas along the way but saw just the same stuff I had seen the day before at Laguna Nimez. After a while the highway followed along a forested mountain on the right and a fiord on the left which was an extension of Lago Argentina. Those big floating chunks of ice were looking a little suspicious. Where did they come from?
A shot of my only Clilean Flicker was a bit fuzzy with the running engine of the car.
Entering Parque Nacional Los Glasciares.
I paid the rather stiff entry fee of 10,000 pesos and entered the park. There were lots of visiting tourists considering the time of year, including a few Americans. Most were Argentinians. The tails consisted of raised aluminum walkways that mazed about the mountainside facing the Perrito Moreno glacier.
What can I say? The Perrito Moreno glacier is one of the most impressive natural spectacles I have ever seen. As most glaciers around the world are facing a losing battle to the warming environment, this one is said to be doing a little better but I'm not sure how true that is. The glacier towers about two hundred feet above the water's surface. The good sized tour boat in the lower right is dwarfed by the massive glacier.
What impressed me most was that this glacier is not a static visual sight but actually a dynamic moaning, groaning, cracking river of ice inching it's way from mountians above. Every few minutes small to huge chunks of ice would explode of the glacier's face and tumble into the frigid waters. I was not patient enough to capture this event with video. Probably close to a dozen blocks tumbered inot the water during the two hours I was present. But many more could be heard with a loud crack and splash as they fell unseen in the interior of the ice flow.
A Patagonian Sierra-Finch begged for handouts.
The maze of trails is expansive enough that it is possible to enjoy a few minutes of solitude. I found an opportunity to whistle some Austral Pygmy Owl calls hoping for the owl itself. Instead I got more sierra-finches and this cooperative Thorn-tailed Rayadito. A family of tourists wandered over and were happy to see the birds.
An immature Andean Condor circled overhead. I pointed it out to another tourist but he seemed uninterested.
Having my fill of Perrito Moreno, I headed back towards El Calafate birding along the way. Finally I found a Red-eyed Diucon. I was hoping for one of these south Andean flycatchers but they are tough to find in winter.
A stop at the closed park picnic area turned up a flock of Austral Thrushes acting like American Robins.
The Southern Crested Caracara seems to occupy the ecological niche filled by Common Ravens in the Northern Hemisphere. Some authorities treat it as a full species but not the AOS and eBird.
Lots of traffic on the return to El Calafate including many tour buses. The shallow bay of Lago Argentina that fronts El Calafate was filled with birds including many Chilean Flamingos and Black-necked Swans.
I drove along the west shore not seeing much different but this Gray-bellied Shrike-Tyrant was a nice surprise.
Back in town I stopped at the Wanaco Bar for a nice helping of the local sheep stew and a cold Patagonian.
I don't see as many species as the participants on the expensive bird tours but I have the freedon to play tourist and bird when I like. And there's a lot more adventure when you're not led around by the nose.
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