AFTER A NON-EVENTFUL CHRISTMAS IN BA we moved on to Cordoba, the second largest city in Argentina. Although it’s only 450 miles from Buenos Aires we decided fly—we’re no longer bus-riding backpackers if there are other options. And we wanted to be rested for the two-day marathon birding trip Diego arranged for us.
Variable Hawk soaring with the Condors
Martín showed up at our hotel at exactly 5:30AM, en punto as they say in Spanish. His ten-year old Renault barely held our luggage and Connie shared the back seat with a cooler but at least we didn’t have to drive. Martín works full-time for the police department and guides when he can. He turned out to be more than a bird guide—he’s an actual ornithologist, or will be when he finishes his degree. Our first stop was at the Quebrada del Condorito National Park overlook where Andean Condors were catching the first thermals of the day. We first saw condors in Peru but it was just as awe inspiring this time and before we left a Variable Hawk joined the squadron.
A Bluebird Day at Quebrada del Condorito
Wide open spaces, Quebrada del Condorito
Llama
The Park covers nearly 150 square miles of rock outcrops, deep gorges and grassland and we spent much of the morning driving the rutted roads and beating the brush looking for birds. We found several species, lots of cattle and a herd of llamas but our nemesis, the quail-like Darwin’s Nothura continued to elude us. We stopped for lunch at the restaurant at the top of the road, more 6,000 feet elevation, where we saw several Gray-Headed Parakeets feeding on thistle.
Chaco Sparrow
Grey-Hooded Parakeet
When Martín asked for the name of the hotel in Mina Clavero we realized something had probably been lost in translation. We hadn’t booked anything—hell, we didn’t even know where we were! No problem, Martín had guided this trip before and he soon had us settled in Hotel Robles for siesta.
Spectacled Tyrant
Pale-Breasted Spinetail
As interesting as the scenery and good as the birding was, it was disconcerting to be starting out at 5:30 on dirt roads in the middle of nowhere in an old car. After an hour or so in the high country we descended into “dry chaco” in search of the nocturnal Little Nightjar. It was fully dark when we spotted one, then another. Our final count was eight little birds that exploded into our headlight beams. Success—but we still had more than an hour to the hotel and three hours late for dinner by our standards—but just on time by the Argentine clock!
Greater Wagtail Tyrant
Cream-backed Woodpecker—close but no cigar
The rain at 6:00 AM didn’t deter us but it did require a change in plans. We wouldn’t be going back to the dry chaco—Hooray!—but would stay somewhere in the vicinity of Mina Clavero, we never knew exactly where we were. We had some successes like the Chaco Sparrow, Greater Wagtail Tyrant and Pale-Breasted Spinetail but spent most of the day searching in vain for the Black-Bodied Woodpecker. The closest we came was its cousin, the Cream-Backed Woodpecker.
Beating around the Bush for Darwin's Nothura
We were in a time crunch to meet our AirBnB host back in Cordoba, just time enough for one last attempt for Darwin’s Nothura. After twenty minutes of beating the brush, with a loud chirp and a whirring of wings one flushed in front of Connie and me as we headed back to the car. Lifer No. 23 for the trip.
