The final leg.

I am now actually back in the UK but not before sailing across the 230km wide Rio de la Plata from Montevideo to Buena’s Aires. The last day was spent by the 3 musketeers at a local wetland called Costanera Sur. This would have been my third visit in as many weeks so I took myself off to see a bit off culture including Eva Perons tomb and an Independence gift from Britain called the 'British Tower' which was promptly renamed in 1982 !! Speaking of which I understand there has been a it of argy bargy again (no pun intended) over the Falklands or as they like to say malvinas...

Back to Costenera Sur a local wetland no more than 15 minute drive from our central city hotel. A great little reserve with lots of trails and a number of pools. Despite being drier than recent years it still provided many new species over our three visits. The highlights included

Hooded Siskin

Kiskadee

Bay winged Cowbird

Shiny Cowbird

Chalk browed Mockingbird

Masked Yellowthroat

Black Rufous Warbling Finch

Black capped Warbling Finch

Cinnamon Teal

Silver Teal

South American Stilt

Black Faced Parakeet

Monk Parakeet

Double Collard Seedeater

Snail Kite

Chalk browed Mockingbird

So an overnight flight from BAires to Madrid then London now finds me back home and looking forward to reviewing and editing the many many photo's. It only remains for me to thank the rest of the team of Messrs Mullins, Gibson and Clarke for making the trip a success; Providing some great laughs, good company and some outstanding birding.

And one final thanks to Phil for helping me out with my postings, correcting my many spelling mistakes from my extremely rushed typing from a very expensive and intermittent satellite link.

I hope this site has provided some interesting reading and hopefully inspiration to visit what must be one of the most very special places in the world providing some very special seawatching.

I will over the next couple of weeks post a full species list and have been assured by the trip photographers I will have their photo's within the next 10 days, so keep watching over the next couple of weeks for some cracking pictures of some cracking seabirds

Below is a full trip list compiled by Ken Mullins

LESSER RHEA.....Pterocnemia pennata


WHITE FACED WHISTLING DUCK......Dendrocygna viduata

FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCK........Dendrocygna bicolor

BLACK NECKED SWAN........Cygnus melanacoryphus

COSCOROBA SWAN........Coscoroba coscoroba

UPLAND GOOSE........Chloephaga picta

KELP GOOSE........Chloephaga hybrida

ASHY HEADED GOOSE.....Chloephaga poliocephala

RUDDY HEADED GOOSE.....Chloephaga rubidiceps

RINGED TEAL......Callonetta leucophrys

FLYING STEAMER DUCK.....Tachyeres patachonicus

FLIGHTLESS STEAMER DUCK....Tachyeres pteneres

FALKLAND STEAMER DUCK.....Tachyeres brachypterus

CRESTED DUCK.........Lophonetta specularioides

SPECTACLED DUCK.....Speculanas specularis

RED SHOVELER........Anas platalea

CINNAMON TEAL.....Anas cyanoptera

SILVER TEAL.......Anas versicolor

CHILOE WIGEON.....Anas sibilatrix

SPECKLED TEAL......Anas flavirostris

YELLOW BILLED PINTAIL.....Anas spinicauda

WHITE TUFTED GREBE....Rollandia rolland

GREAT GREBE.......Podiceps major

SILVERY GREBE.....Podiceps occipitalis

CHILEAN FLAMINGO.....Phoenicopterus chilensis

GENTOO PENGUIN......Pygoscelis papua

ADELIE PENGUIN......Pygoscelis adeliae

CHINSTRAP PENGUIN.....Pygoscelis antarctica

MAGELLANIC PENGUIN...Spheniscus magellanicus

WANDERING ALBATROSS....Diomedia exulans

SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS ....Diomedia epomophora

NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS ....Diomedia sanfordi

LIGHT MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSS....Phoebetria palpebrata

YELLOW NOSED ALBATROSS........Thalassarche chlororhynchos

BLACK BROWED ALBATROSS........Thalassarche melanophrys

GREY HEADED ALBATROSS......Thalassarche chrysostoma

WHITE CAPPED ALBATROSS.....Thalassarche cauta

SOUTHERN GIANT PETREL.....Macronectes giganteus

NORTHERN GIANT PETREL.....Macronectes halli

SOUTHERN FULMAR......Fulmarus glacialoides

CAPE PIGEON.........Daption capense

ANTARCTIC PETREL......Thalassoica antarctica

SNOW PETREL.......Pagodroma nivea

ATLANTIC PETREL......Pterodroma incerta

SOFT PLUMAGED PETREL....Pterodroma mollis

BLUE PETREL........Halobaena caerulea

ANTARCTIC (DOVE) PRION......Pachyptila desolata

SLENDER BILLED PRION......Pachyptila belcheri

WHITE CHINNED PETREL....Procellaria aequinoctialis

SPECTACLED PETREL.......Procellaria conspicilliata

CORY'S SHEARWATER......Calonectris diomedia

LITTLE SHEARWATER......Puffinus assimilis

MANX SHEARWATER.....Puffinus puffinus

SOOTY SHEARWATER.....Puffinus griseus

GREAT SHEARWATER.....Puffinus gravis

BLACK BELLIED STORM PETREL....Fregetta tropica

WILSON'S STORM PETREL......Oceanites oceanicus

GREY BACKED STORM PETREL.....Garrodia nereis

COMMON DIVING PETREL.......Pelecanoides urinatrix

NEOTROPIC CORMORANT.....Phalacrocorax brasilianus`

ROCK (MAGELLAN) CORMORANT....Phalacrocorax magellenicus

IMPERIAL CORMORANT.....Phalacrocorax atriceps

ANTARCTIC CORMORANT....Phalacrocorax bransfieldensis

BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON....Nycticorax nycticorax

CATTLE EGRET.....Bubulcus ibis

WHITE NECKED (COCOI) HERON...Ardea cocoi

GREAT EGRET.....Ardea alba

WHISTLING HERON......Syrigma sibilatrix

SNOWY EGRET......Egretta thula

BLACK FACED IBIS.....Theristicus melanopis

TURKEY VULTURE......Cathartes aura

ANDEAN CONDOR......Vultur gryphus

SNAIL KITE......Rostrhamus sociabilis

CINEROUS HARRIER.......Circus cinereus

BLACK CHESTED BUZZARD-EAGLE.....Geranoaetus melanoleucus

HARRIS'S HAWK.....Parabuteo unicinctus

ROADSIDE HAWK......Buteo magnirostris

SOUTHERN CARACARA......Caracara plancus

WHITE-THROATED CARACARA.....Phalcoboenus albogularis

CHIMANGO CARACARA......Milvago chimango

AMERICAN KESTREL......Falco sparverius

APLOMADO FALCON.....Falco femoralis

GREY NECKED WOOD-RAIL.....Aramides cajanea

WHITE WINGED COOT......Fulica leucoptera

RED-GARTERED COOT.....Fulica armillata

SOUTHERN LAPWING....Vanellus chilensis

TWO BANDED PLOVER.....Charadrius falklandicus

RUFOUS-CHESTED DOTTEREL....Charadrius modestus

TAWNY-THROATED DOTTEREL.....Oreopholus ruficollis

BLACKISH OYSTERCATCHER....Haematopus ater

MAGELLANIC OYSTERCATCHER....Haematopus leucopodus

BLACK NECKED STILT......Himantopus mexicanus

MAGELLANIC PLOVER....Pluvianellus socialis

SOUTH AMERICAN SNIPE.....Gallinago paraguaiae

WHIMBREL......Numenius phaeopus

WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER....Calidris fuscicollis

BAIRD'S SANDPIPER......Calidris bairdii

WILSON'S PHALAROPE.....Phalaropus tricolor

LEAST SEEDSNIPE.....Thinocorus rumicivorus

WATTLED JACANA.....Jacana jacana

CHILEAN SKUA.......Stercorarius chilensis

SOuTH POLAR SKUA....Stercorarius maccormicki

BROWN SKUA....Stercorarius antarcticus

POMARINE SKUA....Stercorarius pomarinus

ARCTIC SKUA.....Stercorarius parasiticus

LONG TAILED SKUA.......Stercorarius longicaudus

BROWN-HOODED GULL....Chroicocephalus maculipennis

DOLPHIN GULL......Leucophaeus scoresbii

KELP GULL.....Larus dominicanus

SOUTH AMERICAN TERN.....Sterna hirundinacea

ARCTIC TERN.....Sterna paradisaea

ANTARCTIC TERN....Sterna vittata

ROYAL TERN.....Thalasseus maximus

PICUI GROUND-DOVE.....Columbina picui

PICAZURO PIGEON....Patagioenas picazuro

EARED DOVE......Zenaida auriculata

NANDAY (BLACK HOODED) PRAKEET.....Nandayus nenday

MONK PARAKEET.....Myiopsitta monachus

GUIRA CUCKOO.......Guira guira

AUSTRAL PYGMY-OWL......Glaucidium nanum

GLITTERING BELLIED EMERALD HUMMINGBIRD.......Chlorostilbon aureoventris

GILDED SAPPHIRE HUMMINGBIRD......Hylocharis chrysura

RINGED KINGFISHER.......Megaceryle torquata

GREEN BARRED WOODPECKER.....Colaptes melanochloros

CHILEAN FLICKER.......Colaptes pitius

CAMPO FLICKER......Colaptes campestris

MAGELLANIC WOODPECKER......Campephilus magellanicus

COMMON MINER.....Geositta cunicularia

SCALE-THROATED EARTHCREEPER.....Upucerthia dumetaria

BAR-WINGED CINCLODES......Cinclodes fuscus

DARK-BELLIED CINCLODES.....Cinclodes patagonicus

BLACKISH CINCLODES.....Cinclodes antarcticus

RUFOUS HORNERO.......Furnarius rufus

THORN-TAILED RAYADITO.....Aphrastura spinicauda

PEARLED TREERUNNER.......Margarornis squamiger

WHITE-CRESTED ELAENIA.....Elaenia albiceps

AUSTRAL NEGRITO.....Lessonia rufa

DARK-FACED GROUND-TYRANT.....Muscisaxicola maclovanius

OCHRE-NAPED GROUND-TYRANT....Muscisaxicola flavinucha

FIRE-EYED DIUCON....Xolmis pyrope

GREAT KISKADEE.....Pitangus sulphuratus

FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER....Tyrannus savana

TROPICAL KINGBIRD........Tyrannus melancholicus

BLUE-AND-WHITE SWALLOW.....Pygochelidon cyanoleuca

GREY-BREASTED MARTIN.........Progne chalybea

BROWN-CHESTED MARTIN......Progne tapera

CHILEAN SWALLOW......Tachycineta meyeni

BANK SWALLOW......Riparia riparia

HOUSE WREN...Troglodytes aedon

SEDGE (GRASS) WREN.....Cistothorus platensis

MASKED GNATCATCHER......Polioptila dumicola

RUFOUS-BELLIED THRUSH......Turdus rufiventris

AUSTRAL THRUSH.......Turdus falcklandii

CHALK-BROWED MOCKINGBIRD....Mimus saturninus

EUROPEAN STARLING......Sturnus vulgaris

CORRENDERA PIPIT.......Anthus correndera

RED-CRESTED CARDINAL.....Paroaria coronata

WHITE-LINED TANAGER......Tachyphonus rufus

RUFOUS-COLLARED SPARROW.....Zonotrichia capensis

GREY-HOODED SIERRA-FINCH.....Phrygilus gayi

PATAGONIAN SIERRA-FINCH.......Phrygilus patagonicus

MOURNING SIERRA-FINCH..........Phrygilus fruticeti

WHITE-BRIDLED (BLACK THROATED) FINCH....Melanodera melanodera

BLACK-AND-RUFOUS WARBLING-FINCH.....Poospiza nigrorufa

BLACK-CAPPED WARBLING-FINCH....Poospiza melanoleuca

SAFFRON FINCH......Sicalis flaveola

DOUBLE-COLLARED SEEDEATER......Sporophila caerulescens

TROPICAL PARULA.....Parula pitiayumi

MASKED YELLOWTHROAT.....Geothlypis aequinoctialis

YELLOW-WINGED BLACKBIRD.....Agelasticus thilius

CHESTNUT-CAPPED BLACKBIRD.....Chrysomus ruficapillus

BAY-WING COWBIRD......Agelaiodes badius

SHINY COWBIRD.....Molothrus bonariensis

LONG-TAILED MEADOWLARK......Sturnella loyca

BOBOLINK......Dolichonyx oryzivorus

EUROPEAN GREENFINCH.....Carduelis chloris

HOODED SISKIN......Carduelis magellanica

BLACK-CHINNED SISKIN....Carduelis barbata

HOUSE SPARROW......Passer domesticus