Argentina Day 7; Martial Glacier & Estancia Tunel

   For our final day in the Ushuaia area we spent the morning on the Martial Glacier and the afternoon exploring for the Magellanic Woodpecker. The weather was not on our side for the first hours of the morning, with heavy rain taking us back down the mountain before the glacier hike had even opened. However after a couple of hours back in Ushuaia the weather cleared and we reascended the mountain ready to hike the trails. 

  Despite the weather clearing we still had to endure some windy conditions and even a short burst of heavy snowfall. It was still worth the hike however, with some stunning scenery both looking at the mountain in front of us and down the valley to Ushuaia behind us. The area we could explore had been wrapped up by 13:00 so we decended back to the city for lunch, before continuing with the day. Birding was slow up on the trails, but it was nice to see a few Yellow-bridled Finch again, as well as a flyby Andean Condor. 

  For the afternoon, and the last hours with the car, we headed north of Ushuaia to an area of forest where I hoped to finally settle the score with the Magellanic Woodpecker. The wind had not subsided but once we were away from the coast and more in the forest it was much improved. Despite this, it still took over an hour before we managed to finally find a Woodpecker, when a female flew onto a nearby tree. Shortly after she was joined by the male, and we had phenomenal walk away  views of the birds, my last major target in the area.

  After this we returned the car to the airport and settled in to our hostal, getting ready for the big day tomorrow, when we would embark on our ship down to Antarctia. 

Argentina & Chile Day 6; Porvenir, Reserva Natural Pinguino Rei & Rio Grande

   Our second day in Chile started with a return to the Porvenir headland to try find the dolphins again, but once again we struck out with nothing being observed. There was a nice and confiding Short-billed Miner on the clifftop so that got some photos taken, but otherwise it was a short stop and then onwards.

  It was a two hour drive to the King Penguin colony, the only one on the mainland and the only one in Chile. We anticipated that the birds would be distant and have to view only with optics, but in the end they were only about 20 metres away on the other side of a small channel. We got some great looks at the birds including an attempted copulation. In the end we could only stay an hour due to the way the site is managed, but it was a worthwhile visit.

   In addition to the penguins, there were a few other birds to enjoy. Three Chiloe Wigeon landed on the side of the path and I had the first Correndera Pipits of this trip. Otherwise it was the usual species from this southern region of the Patagonian desert. When we returned to the park office there was also a young mouse hopping about, which we were told was an Olivaceous Field Mouse. It did not look well, so it wasn’t a happy sight. 

  The drive back to Ushuaia then consumed the rest of the day, taking the best part of five hours with the various stops for fuel. Fortunately the return border crossing was very smooth, taking very little time at all. We arrived in Ushuaia at 18:00 and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Argentina & Chile Day 5; Porvenir

   It was simultaneously a very eventful and very uneventful day out in Chile today. We set off early, at 06:00, in order to be at the border nice and early, only to discover that it would not open until 08:00. Since we arrived at 07:00 this left us at a loose end for an hour, either waiting in the queue or maybe driving down the beach road to see if anything was around. We opted for the latter and were rewarded with finding Double-banded Plover and Small-billed Miner. 

  It took an hour to cross the border due to the cars building up during the early hours, and the various stations required to get the vehicle through. That said, it passed by without too much incident, and we were soon on our way. This is when we discovered the King Penguin colony we wanted to visit was in fact closed on Mondays (we had originally planned on visiting on a Sunday in the original itinerary) and this meant that our rushed day trying to complete everything we wanted in Chile and returning before the border closed, suddenly became much more relaxed. We did decide to stay in Chile for the night and then see the Penguins in the morning. 

  As such we continued driving on the road to Porvenir where there were a few things to see. We started by checking out a spot I had marked for Peales Dolphin being regularly seen on the coast, but there was nothing doing despite an hour moving up and down the coast. But it was a relief to find my first Patagonian Yellow Finches here, as well as having excellent views of Double-banded Plover and Bairds Sandpiper.

  With no sign of the dolphins, we continued to the next destination, the Laguna Verde which I had marked for Magellanic Plover. We spent about an hour searching along the beach, seeing many Guanacos and a Culpeo, as well as a few birds, but no sign of the plover. In the end we were exploring the wrong area of the beach, and not long after we started searching the right area Jonah spotted once nestled among a flock of Bairds Sandpipers. With some crawling I was able to get some very nice views of one of my most wanted birds for the trip. Smaller than I was expecting, but all the sweeter for it.

  After another unsuccessful trip to try for the dolphins, we found a hostel in town and crashed to relax, after a pleasant, if not rather logistically challenged, day.

Argentina Day 4; Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, Garribaldi Pass & Rio Grande

   We started the morning at the Tierra del Fuego National Park, where we had hoped to have another chance at the Magellanic Woodpecker. However, after a bollocking from the park staff for being off the trail and for having a speak on display, not even in use, I opted not to try any playback. We birded the area at the end of the road and here we had a few nice Fuegian Steamer Ducks at last and a distant Kelp Goose, as well as a few seabirds and a flyover Andean Condor. Not a bad morning in the end given the circumstances, and it got better again as we were leaving, when Jonah spotted a sleeping Bronze-winged Duck in a roadside pond. Sadly it was distant and never awoke despite our best efforts, but still great to see this potentially tricky species. 

  At 11:00 we changed the car to one which could cross the border into Chile, which we wanted to do for a day. With this we set off up the road through the Andes towards the border and the towns beyond. Originally our plan was to make it to Chile tonight, but since the weather through our drive was very pleasant, we instead opted to attempt the hike at Garribaldi Pass to find the tricky White-bellied Seedsnipe. 

  There is no trail up the mountain, but it was not bad walking. There were some scree slopes at the top but with care we managed to navigate them. The problem was finding the Seedsnipe, and after two hours we had no sign. That said, it was not a disappointing walk, with incredible views of Yellow-bridled Finch that almost landed on my foot, and flyovers of both Andean Condor and White-bellied Caracara.

  As we were walking back however, anticipating another hike to try the Seedsnipe again, one of the birds moved on the rocks in front of me as I walked. It was quite the relief. The bird showed very very well, allowing us to maouver, around and get great photos and views of the surprisingly nice plumage. A victory from the jaws of defeat.

  After that there was only enough time to reach the city of Rio Grande, so that was where we crashed at night, ready for a day out in Chile tomorrow. 

Argentina Day 3; Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego & Ushuaia

     For the first day in Ushuaia we had something of a delayed start, as we had to collect the car from the airport at 08:00. It was only a half hour walk from our hotel, and along the beach, so we took that route there and along the way saw a few interesting birds, like Austral Negrito and a life tick with Buff-winged Cinclodes. 

  Once we had the car, we headed for the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Since it was already 09:00 and it was Saturday we anticipated the park to busy but fortunately it was not, although it picked up by the time we left at 14:00. We decided to walk the eight kilometre trail along the side of a lake to the Chilean border, which was through excellent forest.  

  There were a few nice birds that I had not seen for some time, such as incredible views of Thorny-tailed Rayadito and Patagonian Sierra Finch. But it was frustrating that on two occasions we heard a Magellanic Woodpecker but never got anything on the bird itself, never responding to the limited playback I had and only calling once on each occasion.

  Upon leaving the park we drove across town to the local dump, where I had information indicating that it was a good place to see the White-throated Caracara. And this paid off, with around five individuals knocking around the area, albeit looking rather scruffy. A bigger surprise perhaps was a Chilean Skua that was also bombing around the throngs of gulls causing chaos. 

  In the afternoon we walked downtown in Ushuaia. The town was busy it being a Saturday, but there were still a few nice birds to see. There is a lake in the area and here we had lots of Dolphin Gulls, Crested Ducks and Flying Steamer Ducks. Out on the seaward side of the harbour there were several Giant Petrels feeding away on the edge of the harbour, which was great to see up close! 

Argentina Day 1; Buenos Aires

   I left Asuncion early in the morning on a small flight to Buenos Aires. The plane was only small and was almost empty, so it was quite a pleasant flight in the end. This was as I moved to Argentina to begin the next phase of this extended trip. Once arrived, I checked in to the hotel and after a short rest tried to bird a park nearby, my very reason for choosing a hotel in this section of the city. Sadly thanks to an approaching storm, I was informed that the park was closed. And with that, I had to return to the hotel room and spend the afternoon organizing photos from Paraguay. 

Paraguay Day 27; Asuncion

   For our final morning birding in Paraguay we took a taxi across Asuncion to bird a small area of wetland on the edge of the river. Here there were a few interesting records of good species, but sadly we were unable to find any of the key targets. We had a new bird in Black Skimmer, and also our final new bird as we were leaving the site with Golden Green Woodpecker. But sadly the site was very disappointing with far more recorded than we were able to find.

  For the rest of the day we packed and prepared for the next stage of our respective adventures. We did spend a couple of hours in the Asuncion downtown but there was not too much to see and after a bite to eat we returned to the hotel. 

Paraguay Day 26; Arroyos y Esteros & Asuncion

   We had a very enjoyable morning birding the grasslands near the town of Arroyos y Esteros. The start was nice and early, so we had chance to drive to the Juan de Mena road just in time for first light. As expected the morning acitivity was very good, but within a few hours the day had gotten warm and the acitivty had died down. In those few hours we managed to find almost all of our main targets!

  It started a little slowly, but within half an hour I managed to find the most important species, the Strange-tailed Tyrant, with a male performing in the road, even sitting on the tarmac. Sadly it was not especially approachable, and that proved to be the case of the other 11 individuals that we found during the morning, with only a female showing nicely for photos.

   In addition, we had a very nice performance from at least four Crested Doraditos, including a single male. Another Ibera Seedeater put in an appearance, but it did not show especially well. Additionally, we saw Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Unicolored Blackbird, a late Spectacled Tyrant and a host of other nice wetland birds. It was extremely enjoyable.

  Once it got hot, we made a short stop at the area I had birded on the first day, where we found Tawny-bellied Seedeater again, as well as another Ibera Seedeater, but the day was already getting hot and so we headed back to Asuncion.

  Once in Asuncion we sorted out some logistics, and spent the afternoon get ourselves sorted. Sadly we did have to pay a parking fine after our car was clamped for apparently parking in the wrong location, but otherwise all went smoothly. One more day to go in Paraguay! 

Paraguay Day 25; PRO COSARA, Moises Bertoni & Arroyos y Esteros

   For our final morning at PRO COSARA we returned to the short stretch of road through the forest that we had visited the previous morning, to do a short walk before we departed. This turned into a very productive decision, with a few more species seen and activity quite good after the previous days storm. 

  We started with brief but acceptable views of an Atlantic Black-throated Trogon, which flew across the road before being coaxed back. The highlight species of the morning was a female Purple-crowned Plovercrest, but it was brief and always on the move, hardly the encounter we were looking for. Finally we added Buff-browed Foliage-Gleaner to our trip lists, although it took some effort to find the bird as it sat still.

  After this we departed, at around 09:30. We were cautious about the state of the road due to the previous days rainfall, but we managed to drive the 10 kilometres of dirt road back to tarmac without too much issue. However, the 10 kilometres to our midday destination, the grasslands of Moises Bertoni was a different story. This road was in a shocking state and it was quite scary at times that we might get stuck, compounded on the return journey by rainfall. But we managed it without too many issues. 

  The birding at Moises Bertoni was not bad, but in the end we missed our main target the Cock-tailed Tyrant, although we were able to find the other main target with Ochre-breasted Pipit. Sadly our views were limited to a single flyover and a distant displaying individual, despite hearing song frequently. The best of the rest was a nice but distant Sharp-tailed Grass-Tyrant.

  And with that we completed the rest of the day driving, finishing in the small town of Arroyos y Esteros close to Asuncion, from where we would be birding in the morning. 

Paraguay Day 24; PRO COSARA

   With another full day at PRO COSARA we hoped to rack up a good species total and improve our overall trip list with a few good speices. For the first part of the morning Adolpho, the Paraguayan birder remained with us, before he left at around 08:30 when the sky started to look suspiciously dark and he was afraid his bike might not make the road. Before he left he showed us where to find the Blackish Rail at the site, but sadly they would not come out of the reeds despite calling seemingly very close.

  We continued birding and decided to visit the short stretch of road that passes through the forest to the east of the Estancia, where we had found the previous evenings owls. Despite the windy weather we managed a few good species, including Olive Spinetail which was a very good target to find and Spixs Spinetail which was my 400^th species in Paraguay. A flyover Rufous-thighed Hawk was another nice addition to our trip.

  After birding there we returned to the estancia and spent the rest of the morning birding the short trail in the forest just to the south of the Estancia. This was a lively forest and we added Plain-winged Woodcreeper to our Paraguayan lists, but most other species were common. There was an enjoyable performance from a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl and a small group of Hooded Capuchins passed by.

  In the afternoon we decided to walk the medium length trail but about halfway through it became clear that the weather was about to turn in some style. Despite rushing back we only just made it before the heavens well and truly opened. It knocked out the power, and WiFi, leaving us in the dark with little to do but try smash the mosquitos also taking refuge here. It goes without saying that thanks to this storm, it was an early night! 

Paraguay Day 23; Kanguery & PRO COSARA

   We had planned to spend two nights at Kanguery field station, but the weather promised to turn later in the day, and the mosquito conditions were almost unbearable at times, plus there was no sign of our elusive remaining target species, so we decided to leave early afternoon.

  During the morning we had an hour checking the grassland areas in the hope that we might encounter one of the grassland birds that we were missing but sadly not. A Grass Wren was the best of it. Fortunately when we returned at the end of the morning we added Sharp-tailed Grass-Tyrant and Long-tailed Reed Finch to our achieved target total from the site. 

  In between we headed into the forest trails adjacent to the camp. The mosquitos in here were almost unbearable and the birding was not especially lively. The best I managed in three hours was a nice male Chestnut-headed Tanager, a single Plain Xenops and a pair of Blue Manakin. Otherwise it was just wandering the trails to try located rarer species without success.

  In the afternoon we returned to PRO COSARA for the afternoon to continue birding there. The forests were quiet during the afternoon, with only a long overdue Gilded Sapphire added to our lists. There was a Paraguay birder also staying at the Estancia, Adolpho, and he gave us some good information about where to locate our remaining target species. 

Paraguay Day 22; PRO COSARA & Kanguery

   We spent the morning birding around the PRO COSARA reserve, this time completing the long trail in rather sunny as opposed to yesterdays overcast conditions. This meant good acitivty early on but slower in the later sections of our walk. We still enjoyed the trail however, and we made it back to the Estancia just after midday.

  The trail was quite lively with a similar assortment of species to the previous day. We saw Spot-backed Antshrike which we had only heard the previous day, but sadly added Sharpbill to our list of heard only birds. The highlight of the morning was a pair of Blackish Blue Seedeaters, which were a new species for me and one that I had greatly hoped to encounter in this reserve. The male especially was extremely showy, and I got fantastic views of him as he moved around the bamboo. Other good birds that were new included Red-breasted Toucan briefly flying over and a showy pair of Rufous Gnateaters. 

  After lunch at the Estancia we headed off on the drive to Kanguery Biological Station in another area of the National Park. Here it is more grassy and there are a few different species to search for. Because of the previous rains we were a bit nervous about this drive, but in the end it took just under two hours to complete although we had to spend some time clearing vegetation out of the road.

  Once at the field station, once the formalities had been completed, we set off out birding. A team of researchers were also staying at the station, studying the Saffron-cowled Blackbird, so they took us out to the area where they were catching them. Here this rare species was plentiful and we had great views. In the end we decided not to stay and watch the ringing, but to continue exploring which was very successful with Lesser Grass Finch and both Dark-throated and Rufous-rumped Seedeater all seen. However it was not all straightforward, as I lost my speaker whilst walking through the grass.

  The researchers finished their work at 18:00 so guided us around the grasslands a little bit, first to a small pool where there were three Masked Ducks swimming, including two males. After nightfall we tried to find Giant Snipe in an area where we were taken to, and although there was no sign of the snipe, we had nice flyby views of a female Sickle-winged Nightjar. Sadly we never saw it landed and the mosquitos here were somewhat overwhelming, so we soon beat a retreat, returning to camp to recover and relax. 

Paraguay Day 21; PRO COSARA

  Our first day at the PRO COSARA reserve was a tense one, as we waited to see if the rain from the previous day would linger into today and alter not just our birding, but our wider itinerary. It was overwhelming with joy to see not a single drop of rain all day, allowing us to continue to bird without fear and live in hope that we might yet be able to complete our itinerary as it was originally planned!

  There are a few options for trains at PRO COSARA, but we started with the main seven kilometre trail hoping that it would deliver the Atlantic Forest performance that we had missed at Mbaracayu. And on that front it did not disappoint, with ample birds recorded throughout the morning. Many species were heard only, but we still were able to add a good number to our overall trip list.

  The only downside was a Variegated Antpitta, calling deep inside a bamboo thicket. We spent about 40 minutes trying to work out a way to see the bird, but never managed to set eyes on it despite being close. Not a complete loss as we saw Grey-bellied Spinetail and Dusky-tailed Antbird at the same location but still frustrating. Along the trail itself before we needed to go off-piste, we had a few Chestnut-headed Tanagers, a species I have only seen once before, some nice Drab Pygmy-Tyrants and White-rimmed Warblers and just overall enjoyable birding.

  In the afternoon, after a midday lunch and a half hour nap, we set off again this time trying another trail around the lake in the middle of the forest. This was obviously quieter being an afternoon, but we finally saw a Tufted Antshrike, as well as adding White-spotted Woodpecker to our lists. The Antpitta pain was not over, as we heard a distant Speckle-breasted Antpitta in another bamboo area, but this one was too deep to really try to find.

  A short loop trail completed our days birding, but the only thing we really added here was a family party of Rusty-margined Guans. On the walk back we heard another Pavonine Cuckoo, but it never came out and since the access was not good we did not try especially hard. A brilliant way to start out birding at the San Rafael National Park. 

Paraguay Day 20; Mbaracayu, Abai & PRO COSARA

   With most of the forest off limites due to the guerilla presence, our capacity for exploration at Mbaracayu was seriously limited to the extent that we decided to cut short our stay by a day and instead to another, hopefully more productive, Atlantic Forest location. This meant that we had this final morning to try track down our outstanding species, a list which was not offensively long but that did contain the most important target; the Helmeted Woodpecker.

  We started our morning by walking the entrance road, which was quite productive and we managed to avenge yesterdays Saffron Toucanet shenangians with a nice pair of two birds perched openly in the canopy, giving excellent views. Once again we heard the Spot-winged Wood Quail in the same location, but they refused to move in order to be seen.

  Next we moved back to the trail and spent the remainder of our time exploring there for a final time. O           nce again we were able to add a few new birds, with a smart Green-and-rufous Kingfisher on the river, a smart encounter with a Scale-throated Hermit and a heard only encounter once again with Tufted Antshrike, as the bird adamantly refused to come out of the bamboo thicket it was calling from.

  At 09:00 we departed, with a long drive ahead of us to the San Rafael National Park, with a couple of hours detour to try and twitch an Azure Gallinule that had been reported in the week earlier. The drive took another turn when the heavens opened not long after, and they continued to hammer it down for a few hours. Even in the afternoon the rain persisted, although not with the same force.

  The site for the Azure Gallinule was a little to the east of the main highway, but a bird like that we decided to make the trip over to try and see it. We arrived and only had an hour in order to try and locate the bird before we needed to leave. A juvenile bird that flushed looked promising, but we were not sure how to separate it from the similar Purple Gallinule of which there were several. Fortunately, we soon flushed an adult, and then another adult in the same area as the juvenile! Three Azure Gallinules!

  In the same area, despite only being a short visit, we had several other good birds, including my first Dark-throated Seedeater, with a very nice male. We had a few Pearly-breasted Seedeaters as well, which were a nice trip tick.

  But at 16:00 we had to move in order to complete the drive to the PROCOSARA centre in San Rafael. The drive was long and the last 10 kilometres were all on dirt road, which had turned into a slippery mess thanks to the rain. It was a challenge but we made it at 21:00, ready for a nights rest before continuing with the Atlantic Forest birding 

Paraguay Day 19; Mbaracayu

   Our full day in Mbaracayu was really quite slow in the grand scheme of things. With most of the forest off-limits due to the presence of Guerillas, we had to stick close to the lodge area which limited our capacity to explore properly. In order to expand our range a little we hired the Mbaracayu bird guide, Sixto, who was able to take us a little further into the forest although not as much as we would have liked.

  The morning started with little activity, but we had our first target respond when we had a Riverbank Warbler pair on the side of the forest river. But the highlight of the trail was a fantastic display by a Bare-faced Bellbird, perched high in the canopy but doing a full performance whilst we watched. The rest of the morning was fairly uneventful, with a frustrating Saffron Toucanet not showing at all for me, despite flying over three times. A nice Surucoa Trogon rounded out the morning.

  After lunch and a nap now that we had moved into a room instead of camping, we set off out again. The trail delivered a little more with a Spot-billed Toucanet and a lek of White-bearded Manakins, although no males were present. A Buff-bellied Puffbird was also a nice addition to our site list. We tried hard for several other species but had no joy to speak of. We continued into the evening walking along the entrance road, and we heard some Spot-winged Wood Quail but never managed to see them and the forest was too thick to venture in. A nice Azaras Agouti was a good mammal to see. 

Paraguay Day 18; Mbaracayu

 Today the morning was something of a write off, since we had lodged in a Hospedaje near the Rancho Blanca and it was three hours drive until we reached the Reserva Natural Mbaracayu, our location for the next few days and our first interaction with the Atlantic Forest on this trip. The drive was long and some stretches passed through terrible dirt roads, but in the end we arrive at around 09:30, allowing just a little time for morning birding.

  Our visit started incredibly well, as we passed through the entrance gate to the lodge area itself, I picked up the call of a Pavonine Cuckoo and we immediately jumped out and sprung into action. The bird was responsive to playback, but was extremely reluctant to perch in the open. There was just one occasion when it sat out in the open, and we got very nice views indeed.

  There is only one trail to walk without a guide here, so we spent the rest of the morning on that. There were a few Atlantic Forest species that we picked up here, such as White-shouldered Fire-eye and Rufous-capped Spinetail, as well as heard only Bare-throated Bellbird, the acoustic backdrop to our entire day in Mbaracayu. After lunch and a nap we also birded along this trail and we added Rufous-margined Antwren, White-eyed Foliage-Gleaner and Yellow-fronted Woodpecker.

  For the rest of the afternoon we birded along the entrance road again and had another great encounter when an Eared Pygmy Tyrant came and sat out in the open right next to us, completely of its own accord. The rest of the walk saw us add Crested Becard but little else. We returned to the lodge early evening to relax and recover from the last few days. A Bat Falcon flying around overhead was an unexpected addition to our trip! 

  We tried to search for some night birds along the main road, but we had not got far before we were found by park security forces and marched back to camp. The presence of guerrilas in the forest has complicated our visit to the area. For all this trouble, we only saw a Tropical Screech Owl.

Paraguay Day 17; Estancia Arrecife & Rancho Blanca

   Today was the day we left Estancia Arrecife and headed eastwards. We started at 05:30 and slowly birded our way back to the highway, stopping at various wetland sites along the way in the hopes of picking up some new species. We did, but they were all common birds such as Yellow-rumped Marshbird, Yellow-bellied Elaenia and Olivaceous Woodcreeper. The highlights were a nice pair of Streamer-tailed Tyrants displaying, two Black-throated Saltators and a Rufescent Tiger Heron stood in the road.

  Once we had rejoined the main road, the day was almost entirely consumed by the driving, with very little seen on the way. Our first destination was the Laguna Blanca, a site which we had tried to arrange without success, but Carolina had managed. Unfortunately this turned out to be too good to be true, and the Laguna Blanca Ecolodge did not have permission to allow us on to the Rancho Blanca property.

  This was a disappointing setback, and I was ready to once again give up on accessing the site, but fortunately Max was a man possessed, so we drove up to the gate of the farm and found someone to talk to who eventually passed us on to someone else, and they gave us the go ahead on a strictly unofficial basis to spend the afternoon in the site.

  The afternoon did not start well, with the sandy soils causing chaos with the car, and not being 100% sure where best to bird, but we eventually cracked it and spent a good three hours of daylight in excellent Cerrado habitat. It was fairly quiet for the most part but we still saw goodies like White-rumped Tanager, Shrike-like Tanager and a brief Plumbeous Seedeater.

  But the real star of Rancho Blanca is the White-winged Nightjar, and so we had to stay after dark to hopefully find one. Fortunately, no sooner had darkness fallen than we picked up an individual. We followed it to its perch and found a smart female sitting there. As we photographed here the stunning white wings of a male flew past us but we never found him sitting. We were only able to find one more bird during the evening, a young male also perched atop of a termite mound, showing very well. We could have continued longer, but the circumstances of our entry, the fact we had nowhere to stay yet and the rarity of the bird led to us deciding to withdraw after this second encounter. We were truly extactic that this bird we seemed destined to miss out on had been seen, and seen well! 

Paraguay Day 16; Estanica Arrecife

   For our second full day in Estancia Arrecife we had a slightly delayed start whilst we hoped the Hyacinth Macaw that lives near the Estancia might make a visit. But in cloudy and cool conditions there was no sign. And so with that we set off out with Matias the Hyacinth Macaw researcher to check out some areas for the Bare-faced Currasow that we had failed to find the previous day.

  The first location we checked was a forest fragment in the middle of an area of pasture. This plan produced several sightings of interested but sadly not the Currasow. We had an excellent performance from at least two but probably more White-throated Piping Guans, and in canopy we spotted at least two Black-and-gold Howler Monkeys. But in this fragment the highlight was an unexpected Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, a completely unexpected species that I really had not anticipated in such a small fragment. 

  From here we continued to the River Apa where we had birded the previous day. By the time we arrived it was already mid-morning and there was limited bird activity. Still, we enjoyed some nice sightings of a pair of Undulated Tinamou and two Hooded Capuchin Monkeys in the canopy. But otherwise it was fairly quiet and there was a still no sign of any Currasows. 

  After lunch we continued exploring with Matias, and after completing some chores we explored the area of the farm known as Oculta, where he had recently seen a Chaco Eagle. Sadly we did not have the same luck, but we had a few nice species including our first Giant Cowbirds of the trip and a feeding trough full of Nanday Parakeets.

  The highlights of the afternoon both came very quickly, with a pair of Red-and-green Macaws that flew right by the car, before landing just out of sight, and when we moved to try locate them a female Bare-faced Currasow dropped out of the tree! We first moved in on the Macaws which were perched very nicely before trying to relocate the Curassow. Sadly only I was able to get more views of the Curassow, although I did have it sat out in the open for a good 30 seconds before it departed! 

  By the time we returned to the Estancia it was already 18:30, so we settled down for a more relaxed evening. 

Paraguay Day 15; Estancia Arrecife

  Our first day in Estancia Arrecife started with somewhat of a misunderstanding of the plan for the day. We awoke and thought that we were going to see the Hyacith Macaws but with no sign of Carolina, our guide, we set off by ourselves to the Apa River on the northern edge of the property to do some exploring. Before we set off we saw one Hyacinth Macaw which was an individual from the pair around the Estancia. Sadly it was not perched for long, but it was good to see one so early into our day.

  Our journey to the river passed through some farmland but also some gallery forest where we found a few birds. A White-throated Piping Guan perched up in the canopy was a good species to see, a target for our time here, and we also saw Chestnut-bellied Seed Finch and Black-throated Saltator.

  Our walk in the forest along the river was pleasant and we had a wide range of species but most of them were common. Along the river there were two Capped Herons and a few commoner species, but in the forest here there was very little,  a Pale-crested Woodpecker the best of it. There was another trail deeper in the forest and here we saw more birds, including goodies like White-throated Spadebill, Sibiliant Syrestes and the white-bellied form of Golden-crowned Warbler. Here I also had a new bird with flocks of Blaze-winged Parakeet feeding above the trail. In addition we found two more Hooded Capuchin.

  After this, at around 10:30, we returned and took the afternoon off until 15:00 when we decided to set off to go and look at the Macaws. On the way we searched for Chaco Eagle without success, but did have brief views of a Jaguraundi as it ran away. Once at the Macaws, we were also introduced to an orphaned baby Giant Anteater, which was very sweet but eaqually sad to see.

  There are only five known Hyacith Macaw individuals left in Paraguay, with possibly a few others also in the area. This site hosts the only pair with a chick, and so we got to look at the birds from afar as they sat atop the nest box and flew around just once. They were spectacular birds. In addition, one of last years chicks which was rescued during a period of poor weather and is unfortunately quite habituated was around, and showing very nicely within touching distance.

  Also in this area were a few pairs of Red-and-green Macaw, but we never got to see them perched up. Otherwise it was the same species complexion as other areas of the site, which were obviously still enjoyable. On the drive back it was nearly dark, and we had a Tapir run away from the road, and a Nacunda Nighthawk fly over the car. 

Paraguay Day 14; Concepcion & Estancia Arrecife

   For our final morning in the Concepcion area we birded a patch of forest just north of the national park. On paper the satellite the site looked interesting, but in reality the birding was quite slow, with limited activity and mostly common species on offer. The best birds we were able to find were a Fuscous Flycatcher and our first Falvescent Warbler of the trip.

  We returned mid-morning to our hotel, since at around midday we would meet with our guide and the team for the next few days, where we would travel north to the Estancia Arrecife, a site home to the last Hyacinth Macaws in all of Paraguay. At 13:00 we met up and then drove the four hours north. The first stretch of the road was all on the highway, with the last 50 kilometres passing along a dirt road of excellent condition that went through some incredible looking forest habitat.

  It was a shame that it was not possible to bird along the road, but even in passing we had some nice sightings with our first White-eared Puffbird and Black-throated Saltator of the trip. The undoubted highlight however was a pair of Nine-banded Armadillos that were fighting in the middle of the road, before one took refuge under our car!

  Once we arrived at the Estancia we had to change a tyre on the other teams car, but we had some light to do a little birding. We added Red-legged Seriema to our trip list, and had excellent views of Nanday Parakeets sat on the roadside fences. The amount of cattle was quite staggering, but the rare birds here continue in the expanses of forest that infringe onto the land.

Tomorrow we will begin our exploration of the area. 

Paraguay Day 13; Paso Horqueta-Santa Lucia

   We had a full day in the Concepcion area, and so had planned on how best to spend this largely underbirded area. The plans took a bit of a hit with a serious thunderstorm overnight, that did not stop until 08:00 and then continued in fits and starts until 10:00. 

  Having looked at our options, it was decided that we would explore the habitat around the small village of Paso Horqueta-Santa Lucia about 45 minutes drive north of Concepcion. Here there was a river and some nice gallery forest, with a few records of interesting species.

  The first of these interesting species was Pied Plover, which is always a stunning bird to see. No sooner had we parked up and started scanning the beaches did we find three of these attrative birds. They were not especially approachable, but we got some excellent views and some nice photos of this rare bird in Paraguay. 

  For the next 90 minutes we birded this area and had several interesting sightings. Both Large-billed Tern and Yellow-billed Tern were seen on the river, although our views of the latter were far superior to the former. In the bushes we had a pair of Rusty-margined Flycatcher, another rare bird in Paraguay but one we knew could be here. And a female Band-tailed Manakin was an unexpected bonus.

  After this we drove south to another beach adjacent to the village and here continued to have an enjoyable time. We found two Blue-crowned Trogon and flushed a pair of Blue Ground Dove. With playback we were able to gain Chestnut-capped Foliage-Gleaner although it was on the far side of the river. Given the species’ capacity to be reclusive, I did not know if we would get the chance to see it or just hear it, but fortunately the bird showed well on an exposed perch.

  Early afternoon we moved to a patch of Gallery Forest about 10 minutes driver north. A dirt road passes through the woodland and we were curious what birds we might find there. Birds were not abundant, and a Rufous-crowned Motmot that was singing refused to show, but two Hooded Capuchins were there. Seeing them here felt much more wild than the birds in the Botanical Gardens in Asuncion.

  We decided to return to Concepcion after this, finally arriving back at 16:00 once we had completed some necessary tasks. After a successful days birding we settled in for a relaxed evening! 

Paraguay Day 12; Fortin Toledo & Concepcion

   This would be our final morning in the Chaco before we headed off into the east of the country to explore some different habitats. The morning we had hoped would give us glorious light for photography, but sadly there was cloud that obscured the sunrise and we did not get the light we had hoped for.

  Still there was an enjoyable walk around Fortin Toledo to be had, and we saw a few nice bits. Stranecks Tyrannulet was a new species for our trip, although it did not show well at all. We had a lot of fun trying to photograph the Many-coloured Chaco Finches that were around, and on that front we largely succeeded. A Skunk that we found in the roadside grass was the best of our mammal encounters.

  At 10:00 we set off from Fortin Toledo, driving to the town of Concepcion, which we finally reached at 15:30. After checking in to our hotel, we decided to head south of the town to the Estero Milagro National Park, or at leas the section of it that was accessible from the 22 highway.

  In the end we found a dirt road heading east from the highway that provided us access to the patchwork of grazing areas and gallery forest. For the most part the birding involved common species, but we had a nice encounter with a pair of Black-crowned Tityra and a pair of Buff-bellied Puffbird was an unexpected surprise. We heard several Small-billed Tinamou but none came to the tape, and a pair of Streamer-tailed Tyrants was very enjoyable. On the mammal front, we had a Crab-eating Fox cross the path in front of us.

  We finished up birding at dark and headed back to Concepcion for a rest and relax in the evening. 

Paraguay Day 11; Agua Dulche & Fortin Toledo

   We had another go at driving the road west of Agua Dulche this morning, and once again had a very enjoyable time, despite the few drops of rain that fell. It was more enjoyable for Max no doubt, who had brief views of a Jaguar that I missed despite being stood next to him, but birding highlights of Upland Sandpiper and a pair of brief Green-cheeked Parakeet kept our trip list ticking over.

  At 09:30 we found ourselves back at the Agua Dulche roundabout and decided to make haste and return to Filadelfia where we could have some nice comforts and be better positioned for the next phase of our journey. The road south was long, taking six hours in total thanks to the horrendous dust thrown up by moving trucks, which made the route incredibly dangerous at times. Still we made it, and had a good drive in the end with a showy Lesser Grison at the side of the road and a pair of Green-cheeked Parakeets showing well in the roadside vegetation.

  Once back in Filadelfia we struck for Fortin Toledo again, since our accommodation had been so nice. We had no reservation so turned up hoping for the best and fortunately were able to arrange to stay the night. We spent the evening enjoying the sunny garden with a pair of Brushland Tinamou strolling around the vegetables.  

Paraguay Day 10; Agua Dulche

   We awoke at 04:30 and set off on our morning drive not long after, hoping to encounter something on the road before sunrise. It was a fairly uneventful drive with a few Tapete seen and a couple of Crab-eating Fox before light broke. Fortunately the standout mammal of the morning came an hour after sunrise, when we spotted a distant Jaguarundi slowly crossing the road ahead of us. Although distant, it was my third cat of the trip!

  The birding itself was not bad either, with a couple of migrant species in Alder Flycatcher and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo that crossed the road in front of our car. Lined Seedeater was new for the trip, although it did not show particularly well, and it was nice to see another Pale-crested Woodpecker here.

  At 10:00 we returned to the room as the day warmed up to see out the heat. After a nap and some lunch we went for a short drive on the road north of the village but the habitat was quite disturbed. That said, we still had a few nice birds, most notably the first Black-banded Woodcreeper of the trip, only my second ever. It was in the same tree as a Great Rufous Woodcreeper, allowing for a nice comparison between the two species.

  At the end of the afternoon we drove a few kilometres on the road heading east out of town but saw nothing new and after an hour we turned around and went back to the productive road heading west along the north edge of the national park. Once again the evening proved reasonably productive, although there were no new birds and mammals were limited to the usual Chaco Mara and guinea pigs.

  That was until 30 kilometres down the road, when it was almost dark, and we heard the commotion from the roadside vegetation which could only mean monkeys. After peering through the vegetation as best we could, we finally set eyes on at least three Pale Titi Monkeys, one of the parks most iconic mammal species and a worthy reward for our efforts today. The commotion that attracted us to them turned out to be a Great Horned Owl that had landed in the tree, and once it moved off the animals fell silent.

  The night drive was decent but unspectacular. We had brief views of a Tapir before it entered the vegetation and we had great views of three Crab-eating Foxes and two Tapete but otherwise quite limited. A Rufous Nightjar sat on the side of the road was a nice surprise after regularly hearing the species but not yet getting proper views of one. We returned to base at 21:30 and after doing my notes, went straight to sleep 

Paraguay Day 9; Cerro Leon & Agua Dulche

  We awoke early and set off to Cerro Leon again for some morning birding. We had hoped to get there very early but as expected the hour on the road produced some birds that slowed us down. It started as soon as we got out of the hotel, with a Barred Forest Falcon calling, although it never showed. And on the drive we picked up Greenish Elaenia, Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet, Hooded Tanager, Great Black Hawk and a Tucuman Pygmy Owl! An excellent selection for the morning drive. An Agouti was the only mammal we saw, but it was the first of the trip.

  The birding at Cerro Leon itself started at around 08:00 but was excellent, with all the target species we had hoped to find here being seen quickly. The Bolivian Slaty Antshrike was our main omission from our visit the previous evening, and we had phenomenal views of the pair this morning. Black-bellied Antwren and White-lored Spinetail both showed better as well, and there was a nice backup cast of birds. The mornings highlight was probably a Tortoise that we spotted on the side of the road as we were leaving.

  From the area called Cerro Leon to the next area we wanted to stay called Agua Dulche, it took us five hours driving on the dirt roads. For the most part the roads were not awful, but some stretches were very slow. A Lesser Grison that scuttled across the road was nice, but it didn’t slow down at all for proper views.

  Once we arrived at Agua Dulche, we took an hour for a nap before setting out for a afternoon/night drive looking for mammals. There were not many birds to target in this area, but we managed a couple of new species for the trip with White-eyed Parakeet and Laughing Falcon. The best new birds came on the night drive itself, when we had a chance encounter with a pair of Striped Owls close to the road, and taped in a Great Horned Owl at a known territory.

  The main hope for exploring this region was to find some rare mammals. The drive in the late afternoon produced dozens of Chaco Mara but little else until almost dark, when a dark shape we spotted sitting by the side of the road turned out to be a Puma! We had really wanted to see another cat species, and were thrilled! It sat and allowed us to slowly approach with the car, until it decided it had enough and got up and slowly walked into the scrub! The night drive itself could not match this thrill, but we still had two Pampas Fox and two Crab-eating Fox, as well as a single Tapete Rabbit! A brilliant start to our time in Agua Dulche.