2024 Wildlife Photos of the Day
It has been a lot more work than I expected, but after 7 months editing and rearranging my wildlife images, I have ended up with this:
There are some nice galleries of Recent Images, Bird Families photographed, Australian Birds, Reptiles, Mammals and Frogs, a section on a few countries visited in the last two years, New Guinea, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador and then a few colourful bird families.
For those who have a few moments to spare, which of course no one does these days, some people might enjoy a quick look.
Below is a selection from those galleries taken in 2024
Pic of the day from Ternate, Indonesia 3.0
In an unprecedented situation there are 3 pics of the day today. Don’t worry. Uncertain connection on Obi and Halmahera could mean there are no more for at least a week.
One of the critters I was really hoping to see on this trip was one of the big Hydrosaurus Sailfin Lizards. But I didn’t expect to find one in the first 5 minutes.
Weber’s Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus weberi
Of course in the car park,
Middle of the day today
Ternate,
Indonesia.
Pic of the day from Ternate 2.0
Arguably the most important biologist ever, Alfred Russel Wallace, lived on the island of Ternate, Indonesia. It was from here he sent his famous letter to Darwin, outlining his theory of evolution by natural selection, henceforth changing the thinking of the entire planet.
His house is believed to have been situated here on the corner of Jalan Merdeke and Jalan Pipit, opposite the fort. There is a vacant lot, a couple of house and some eateries.
There is absolutely no indication the great man was ever here…
Pic of the day from Ternate. Indonesia.
With Mt Kiematubu 1750m on Tidore Island in the background.
Pic of the day from Bali.
Bad enough trying to ID small brown birds in a strange country without them deciding to have a bath.
I finally figured it out but to all those who like a challenge – What bird is this?
Bedugul, Bali, this afternoon.
I’m sure the question should really be – Which bird is this?
Pic of the day from Bali.
iPhone shot of the famous Banyan Tree in the Bedugul Botanical Gardens. Spending just one night here en route to Ternate tomorrow but really should have booked a few more. Nice spot and away from the hustle and bustle.
Lucky to get the chance to take out visiting famous photographers Jan Wegener & Glenn Bartley for a day in Far North Queensland this week. You can really learn a lot from these guys and after only 5 minutes in the field we came up with this image (well ok after a short wait!).
‘Wet Tropics’ Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans nigrecens)
Ravenshoe, Far North Queensland, Australia.
Honoured to be selected by Australia’s top landscape photographer, Steven Nowakowski, to provide some images for his bird calendar 2025. Available now just in time for christmas:
Gee they’ve got some very funny looking little crocodiles over in Yungaburra these days.
Petersen Creek,
Yungaburra,
Far North Queensland,
Australia
Hummingbirds are another of my favourites and are always very photogenic in good light. The new hummingbird web page shows off some of their natural beauty.
Bird pictured is one of the more understated members of the family, the Plain-capped Starthroat, seen at the lovely Rancho Primavera, near Puerto Vallarta in Mexico back in February.
Everyone knows that Bowerbirds are the world’s most interesting bird family. My plan to photograph all the species is probably a bit ambitious, with the next 6 or so virtually impossible and then one or two more difficult than that.
I got one tough species out of the way. This is Archbold’s Bowerbird at Mt Hagen, PNG a couple of years back.
Others photographed are on the Bowerbird page of the new website:
Of the 7 or so Australian Wet Tropics rainforest possum species, after the Striped Possum, (coast to mountains), the hillforest Green Ringtails seem to have the next widest distribution range. I’ve seen these up at 1300m on Mt Lewis down to this one at 750m Malanda. They have been found to be moving uphill with climate change but many are in small forest fragments with little chance to relocate.
Thanks to Martin Sam Willis for tracking this one down.
More Australian mammal images on the new website:
We have a growing amount of sand at our place and by accident dug up this Ornate Burrowing Frog the other day. He was not impressed.
Mareeba, Far North Queensland, Australia.
A selection of other frogs you might encounter on a wet night in summer in Far North Queensland are on the new webpage:
Some people I know are very keen on parrots. Then just yesterday I was asked about chances of photographing them in New Guinea. During 2 weeks there earlier this year I managed some very very ordinary images of just 4 species.
Most exciting was the Eastern Painted Tiger Parrot which was a first for me, not regularly seen.
Some other images from New Guinea are on the new website:
The next expedition this year was in March where I had the pleasure of spending a few weeks in Mexico with Geoffrey Jones & Tony Palliser.
Bird pictures is a Spotted Rail on the run near San Blas.
A selection of other images is on the Mexico page of my new website:
https://dominicchaplin.smugmug.com/Wildlife-Website-Galleries/Mexico
Bird Families is a fun game that can be played by all the family.
You are never going to see all the birds that have been recorded in your state/country/continent/planet. But you are in with a chance of seeing all the families. Trying to see or photograph them all is an achievable prospect.
Worldwide I think there are 252 families. Some contain just one species and other have hundreds. When setting up my website recently it seemed reasonable to split my birds photographed into family sections.
I discovered I have a photo of 178 families.
How many have you seen?
Pictured is a Rosy Thrush-Tanager, the sole lonely member of its family Rhodinocichlidae. Seen with Tony Palliser & Geoffrey Jones in Mexico earlier this year.
Water levels are dropping in our pond which has resulted in regular visits by the White-necked Heron who finds it easier to get a fish now.
Yesterday he was perched here on our platform with a Little Pied Cormorant and Black Duck.
Mareeba
Far North Queensland,
Australia.
Oh to be as happy as a turtle, greeting his mate for chat on the bank.
Krefft’s River Turtle
(Emydura macquarii ssp. krefftii)
Cairns Centenary Lakes yesterday,
Queensland,
Australia.
We did well for King of Saxony Birds of Paradise back in New Guinea earlier in the month. So thick on the ground in places we had to knock them away with a stick. One quite tame bird at the Magic Mountain Lodge, Mt Hagen and 3-4 everyday at Tari.
Here is one making the extraordinary static electric call. These photos below were taken on 3 different days but standing in the same spot at Magic Mtn.
Papuan Grassbird used be the same species as our Tawny Grassbird in Australia. But they do sound quite different.
Active and obvious last month back at Tari and the Mt Wilhelm Base Camp, Papua New Guinea.
Not sure what these flowers are, but they are loved by honeyeaters in New Guinea. At Betty’s Place Mt Wilhelm they have planted a mass of them and last month I counted about 25 of these Red-collared Myzomelas feeding on them at the same time.
Grey-streaked Honeyeaters, Rufous-backed Honeyeaters, Belford’s/Yellow-browed Melidectes, Yellow-billed Lorikeets and even Blue-faced Parrotfinches were making use of the bushes.
Excited to get a new mammal species in PNG. This small antechinus sized creature was running around the tree limbs at Mamindi Pym‘s Magic Mountain Lodge, Mt Hagen, last month during the day.
Much smaller than the Speckled Dasyure I posted last week, expert opinion has this as Black-tailed Dasyure (Murexia melanurus). Fun fact for the day – He is one of 71 marsupial members of the Dasyurid family which includes Quolls and the Tasmanian Devil.
Is this ID correct? Carlos N. G. Bocos Jon Hall
Do you have trouble trying to impress girls? Look on the bright side, the big male Stephanie’s Bird of Paradise has to carry round a tail three times his body length to try and attract a female.
Although last month I found these at Mt Wilhelm and Tari, the best place in the world to see one right now is here on the schefflera outside the cabins at Mamindi Pym‘s Magic Mountain Lodge in Mt Hagen.
In New Guinea, just very very occasionally a bird will actually sit still for more than 0.1 seconds, long enough to get a comfortable photo. This is that bird.
Blue-grey Robin
Makara Lodge,
Tari,
Papua New Guinea,
July 2024
The Hunter.
Amongst the top reasons for most people visiting New Guinea is of course the chance to see the famous Mottled Berryhunter.
In days gone by it was just called the Mottled Whistler. Despite it’s spectacular and colourful appearance it is a fairly secretive species, sticking inside the mid canopy of the forest, where it is rarely seen. Most visitors went home without even realising it existed.
But a few years back experts decided it was so interesting that they put the bird in its own family. The Mottled Berryhunter (Rhagologus leucostigma) is now the sole member of the Rhagologidae family.
This year I set aside 2 weeks to find one and we hit gold at Tari last week. Top local guide Benson Homoko identified a narrow band of altitude along the Tari Highway where the birds were calling. It took a few attempts but eventually we located some Hunters at several different spots in a relatively small area, obtaining a slightly scratchy photo.
One of nature’s top avian architects, the MacGregor’s Bowerbird somehow reminds me of the ferocious Xenomorph creatures from the Alien movies.
Although highly creative and hard working, these Bowerbirds are not ferocious and many hours sitting in a hide are required to get a good view. Back in 2022 Martin Sam Willis and I spent a long time waiting for one at Mt Hagen. But our hide was a bit too low and we didn’t get a good view of the bird inside the large tyre like base of his bower.
Last month at Rondon Ridge, Paul Yafisi showed me a really nice bower very close to his house. A slightly elevated hide position allowed for an excellent view of the bird in action.
Thanks Paul
Rondon Ridge,
Mt Hagen ,
Papua New Guinea,
June, 2024
Well, I have not seen a single image of a Blue-faced Parrotfinch on facebook all year. Luckily they do occur in more than one location. Here is a somewhat stumpy tailed individual up at Tari, Papua New Guinea last week.
This is subspecies Erythrura trichroa sigillifer although I am unclear how it is different from the Australian subspecies (Erythrura trichroa macgillivrayi).
In Papua New Guinea you are confronted by the beauty of nature and the tough reality of life for the local people on a daily basis.
Up in the fern, moss and orchid laden cloud forests of Tari Gap, 2700m, local guide Benson Homoko showed me a couple of the very secretive and wary inhabitants. These were the Papuan Logrunner and the Chestnut Forest Rail.
Previously I had driven 4 hours from Mt Wilhelm to Mt Hagen then 6 hours from Mt Hagen to Tari. In the densely population New Guinea Highlands there were people along the road the whole way and the the only forest remaining adjacent to the road was here, a few km before Tari.
PNG has one of the highest birthrates in Oceania and there are children everywhere. With no social security to fall back on, parents have no choice but to opt for large families to support them in retirement. We are told by economists that high birthrates are not a problem, as farming productivity will simply rise to meet the demand.
But near Mt Wilhelm the locals were farming on the steepest slopes I have ever seen at angles greater than 45 degrees and you wonder how they don’t fall into the river below. Less than 200m from where these bird photos were taken at Tari Gap, the cloud forest was being cleared for small scale timber sales. This small patch of upland forest was a real hotspot for a variety of species but for how much longer…
But on the flight back to Port Moresby you regain some sense of optimism. Looking out the window, there is still a huge amount of untouched forest remaining both on inaccessible mountain slopes and the southern lowlands watershed.
You don’t see many wild mammals in Papua New Guinea during the day, but a couple of times along the Tari Highway last week, we did come across these. He is a Speckled Dasyure (Neophascogale lorentzii). Nice to see one out and about in his natural environment.
Today’s picture is the Sooty Honeyeater or Sooty Melidectes for those of us that prefer to continue with 1980s taxonomy. Seen two weeks ago at the Mt Wilhelm Base Camp, 3600m, Papua New Guinea
This is another very high altitude specialist and co occurs with the similar Long-bearded Melidectes that I was searching for. Unlike the Long-beards, the Sootys were reasonably easy to see, with a pair hanging around the camp most of the day and some also higher up above the lake.
This species is also supposed to occur at the Snow Mountains but we saw none during our week long stay around Trikora a few years back. Then there was only one wary individual around the cave up Mt Hagen in 2022. So I was very pleased to get this shot.
Many of us here travel far and wide to try and see rare animals in the wild. But sometimes in the developing world we come across the distressing sight of those very animals for sale in grim conditions in markets or beside the road.
We are then hit with an ethical dilemma. Is it best to purchase the animal and release him back into the wild, or will this just encourage the hunter to go straight back out and get another one?
Up at Tari Gap, Papua New Guinea, last week I came across a large Cuscus for sale at the checkpoint. It was unbelievably sad. I had never heard an animal actually cry before. I was too indecisive and when I went back first thing the next morning to get him, he had already been sold. Thats ok they said, we can go out tonight and get another one for you!
Two days later I came across yet another one pictured here. For 30kina (A$10) there was the option of purchasing the live one or to save time he had 5 already cooked in a bag.
To capture them an old man had walked 4 hours into distant forest to the south. A$60 to catch 6 Cuscus would be a good weeks income for a PNG local who has nothing.
So I had to buy this one. To get him back into town they wanted to just strap the stick to the bullbar on the Toyota and drive into town with him up in the air on the front. I soon put a stop to this idea and insisted he go inside the car, where he promptly escaped causing some consternation.
I managed to release him back into the forest and hope he is not rediscovered. You wonder how any New Guinea mammals can possibly survive with such heavy hunting pressure. Luckily there is still a large amount of inaccessible forest remaining, but the human population is growing fast.
I think this is a Silky Cuscus (Phalanger sericeus) due to a lack of tubercles on the tail, but the very similar Mountain Cuscus (Phalanger carmelitae) is also a possibility.
What would you have done?
In 2009 I got to visit Tari in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, staying at the Warili Lodge. A highlight of the trip was visiting a sweet potato garden just below Ambua, where the Blue Bird of Paradise could be seen.
Fast forward 15 years and again last thursday was standing in another potato patch, very close to the last one. I was quite surprised, despite intensive hunting in the region, that the Blue Bird was still there, seeing one pair and hearing another in the distance.
Of course the Warili Lodge has long since burned down and this time I stayed at the Makara Lodge with the excellent professional assistance of veteran bird guide Benson Homoko
Mt Wilhelm Base Camp. Accomodation and kitchen.
Pic of the day from PNG – The Long-bearded Melidectes, Mt Wilhelm Base Camp, 3600m
Possibly the first time this species has been photographed free in the wild???
In about 2009 I met Robert McKay and Brenda Jolliffe at Kumul Lodge near Mt Hagen in PNG. They climbed the mountain and slept in a cave to see the Long-bearded Melidectes. At the time this seemed like the most fantastic adventure imaginable, climbing up high through the cloud forest to look for a bird no one ever sees.
It is a very high altitude specialist inhabiting the treeline area of some of the highest mountain tops in Papua New Guinea
I have seen some in hand photos of a bird caught in a mist net, but never one of a bird free flying in the wild. There is no sound recording publicly available.
For 13 years I dreamed about this expedition. During the time DNA testing found that it was not really a Melidectes at all and the official name was demoted to Long-bearded Honeyeater. Still in 2022 I summoned up some energy and also climbed Mt Hagen and slept in the cave to look for it. Alas no Long-beards were to be seen.
Recently the igoterra website has declared the Long-beard to be a ‘blocker’ species, ranking it amongst maybe the 1.5% of world bird species least seen by anyone.
A Binatang Research Centre expedition mist netted a number of the birds near the Mt Wilhelm Base camp about 10 years ago. Surely this must be the place to try.
The Mt Wilhelm Base Camp is reached after a bit of a hike from the delightful Betty’s Place Lodge. I will give a bit more detail about access in another post. The birds were not so easy to find but on the 3rd day up on the mountain I finally struck lucky this morning.
Pic of the day from PNG.
Mt Wilhelm Base Camp.
3600m
Up there with the top 5 coffees of my life.
Last image from Mexico. This is a close up of the remarkable Oscellated Turkey from the Yucatan. Feb 2024
Less than 1% of the population are able to correctly spell the name of this bird.
Pyrrhuloxia
Baja California,
Mexico.
Feb., 2024
Jumping for joy, in the sea off Huatulco, were a number of these large rays. I am no fish expert but iNaturalist has these as Munk’s Pygmy Devil Rays (Mobula munkiana).
Huatulco,
Mexico.
Feb. 2024
Mexico was very good for owls and we saw 5 species.
Mostly they were very small including this one, endemic to West Mexico.
Colima Pygmy Owl.
Can’t quite remember the name of the place,
West Mexico.
Feb, 2024
A good tetrapod to find on our Mexico trip was Morelet’s Crocodile. These can be distinguished from the co-occurring American Crocodiles by their wider snout. Also they tend to be found more inland with the Americans preferring coastal areas.
There didn’t seem to be many rivers on the Yucatan Peninsula so I wonder how they disperse. This tame individual was resting on the edge of the Lake near the Coba Archeological site. Maybe his great great great grandparents were in the lake back when the Mayans were still around.
Morelet’s Crocodile,
Coba, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Feb. 2024.
Mexico was jumping with wrens and we saw 15 species. This one is called the Boucard’s Wren and is endemic to SW Mexico. Seen around dry farmland near the delightful traditional township of Teotitlan. Feb. 2024.
Had a whale of a time out on the Huatulco boat trip. Luckily it was not too rough and only rated a 1 out of 10 on the Phil Gregory scale of horror boat trips.
Geoffrey Jones is a keen fisherman and put out a line and hook. But we had to throw this one back in.
Humpback Whale
Santa Cruz Huatulco
Mexico.
Feb 2024
Mexico sure has a lot of Woodpeckers and we saw 16 different species during our time. The challenge in Mexico is of course to get a photo of an animal on a cactus and we had occasional success.
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker
Jaguar Reserve,
Rancho Las Palomas, ANP Meseta de Cacaxtla
Mazatlan,
Mexico.
Feb., 2024
After a hot pursuit, we caught up with another Greater Roadrunner.
Near El Triunfo
Baja California
Mexico.
Feb., 2024
with Tony Palliser & Geoffrey Jones
After Colombia I spent a few days of February in Mexico in the esteemed company of Geoffrey Jones and Tony Palliser. This week I would like to put up a few images to reflect on the visit.
First stop was the resort of San José del Cabo in Baja California where a Spotted Sandpiper was Spotted although not Spotted.
Foxes are not so popular in Australia but this one is the Crab-eating Fox from South America. Not many crabs were around so this fox was coming in for chicken bones at Glamping el Color de Mis Reves, Manizales Colombia back in January.
Pigeons never get much recognition on facebook. So here is one, more dove than quail, in action.
Not every bird in South America is super colourful but some try to make up for it with general cuteness.
In a family with a lot of stiff competition, the Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager is one of the more photogenic tanagers.
Easy to find at the Hotel Termales de Ruiz, near Manizales, Colombia. Seen here back in January.
As usual in Colombia, the hummingbirds are continuously entertaining. Here is another one.
Long-tailed Sylph
Rio Blanco,
Manizales,
Colombia.
Jan., 2024
It’s always a joy to get a glimpse of an Antpitta so seeing two is even better. These are Bicoloured Antpittas although I am unsure if brown and grey are really colours at all.
Bicololoured Antpitta
Glamping el Color de mis Reves
Manizales,
Colombia.
Jan., 2024
Out in Colombia, putting out fruit for the birds attracts other critters. I only saw the cute little Andean Squirrel at the Owlswatch Lodge but the bigger Red-tailed Squirrel is fairly common and seen at several locations.
Manizales, Colombia. Jan., 2024
Black-billed Mountain Toucans allowed a bit more time for a look and a pair regularly visited this fruiting tree where you could have a coffee and enjoy watching them from the viewing platform.
Black-billed Mountain Toucan
Glamping el Color de mis Reves
Manizales
Colombia.
Jan. 2024
Great success was had in getting a good view of the Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan. They put out grapes to attract the birds, but even so he only visited twice for about 1 minute during 8 hours of waiting.
Last year in Ecuador we saw three species of Mountain Toucan but I only got distant shots of two species, the Grey-breasted Mountain Toucan and the Black-billed Mountain Toucan.
Toucans are my favourite, so this year, in January, I decided to look for them in Manizales, Colombia, giving myself a week to improve the chances of success. Then to further improve the chances I stayed at 4 different lodges.
When I first visited Colombia in 1988 I stayed in wooden huts in villages but this time was a bit different.
Anyone here ever stayed at any of these?
The only member of its family, the Magellanic Plover, was another absolute highlight of Patagonia.
These birds are tiny and never stop moving. They look peaceful in these pictures, but the actual conditions are driving winds which almost never stop in the vast flat expanse of lowland Patagonia.
It took me two days and a lot of driving to find these three birds but getting a reasonable image made it all worthwhile.
Magellanic Plover, Rio Grande, Patagonia,
Argentina, Jan 2024
Everyone likes a nice horse photo and here is another from Argentina back in January, rural Ushuaia with the Tierra del Fuego National Park as a backdrop.
Not looking all that dark, an Oystercatcher searches amongst the shellfish, unaware of his upcoming 5 seconds of fame on social media.
Blackish Oystercatcher (Haematopus ater)
Puerto Deseado,
Patagonia,
Argentina
Working hard to retain its position in the tanager family, a Patagonian Sierra-Finch provides a dash of colour for the weekend.
Seen at Tierra Del Fuego National Park, Ushuaia, Patagonia, Argentina back in January.
By far the smallest of the 4 members of its family, a near sparrow size Least Seedsnipe stays low to the ground in the standard Patagonian conditions of near gale force wind.
According to Wikipedia this is one of the most common birds of Southern Patagonia. Obviously written by someone who didn’t spend two weeks trying to find one and I have never seen a photo on facebook.
Least Seedsnipe
Rio Grande
Patagonia, Argentina, Jan., 2024
This little guy might not look very impressive. But every year he flies down and back from the orange bit at the top of the map down to the pointy tip at the bottom.
A pretty good effort, seeing as he only weighs 42 grams.
White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)
Ushuaia, Patagonia, Argentina, Jan., 2024
If you asked the man in the street to name the world’s largest grebe, only 1% would know the correct answer.
Let me know if you are in the 1% club.
Great Grebe (Podiceps major)
Puerto Deseado
Patagonia
Argentina
Jan. 2024
In Buenos Aires a great way to pass the morning is to visit the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, on the edge of the city.
The reserve has a good selection of moderately approachable wildlife, the best being the big Southern Screamer. The Screamers seem to be doing well with a number of youngsters present, who only show a slight interest in a passing Coypu.
Southern Screamer
Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Jan, 2024
Another highlight from Patagonia earlier this year, found in the dying rays of sun in the late evening, a very cute critter who never appears on social media.
Patagonian Mara,
Valdez Peninisula,
Argentina,
Jan, 2024
When this bird was discovered, the obvious name had already been taken, although the name actually used is a bit of a stretch.
Long-tailed Meadowlark
Rio Grande
Argentina
Jan., 2024
Plenty’s passed post previously posted Patagonian Penguin pictures.
So here is another one. Out on Isla Pingüino, a Magellanic Penguin diligently guards his lighthouse.
Puerto Deseado
Argentina
A sighting of this critter is high on the wish list of most visitors to South America and my list was no different.
Sharp eyed viewers will notice right away that its a Molina’s Hog-nosed Skunk, Conepatus chinga and I was lucky to find this one running along on the Valdez Peninsula, Patagonia, Argentina back in January.
It was quite hard to get a good image as he was just running the whole time, not really away from me, just running. So to get the photo I had to run as well and try to overtake him through the scrub.
Some authorities have this down as Humboldt’s Hog-nosed Skunk, Conepatus humboldtii but Wikipedia reckons that is a dodgy split. They quote
‘C. humboldtii’s and C. chinga’s status as separate species is debated. There is a high degree of observed variation in coloration and pattern within the two species and observed differences are inconsistent.[8] Much of the variation in shape and size observed can be attributed to environmental influence.[8] Morphological comparisons also show a wide overlap in skull and mandibular structure.[8] In 2021, the American Society of Mammalogists considered C. humboldtii conspecific with C. chinga.’
Out in Patagonia, Argentina, the Lesser Rheas run a harem and kindergarten system. The male might mate with a series of females, who lay eggs in the nest at different times. When the chicks hatch its the male’s job to look after the whole bunch of all different ages.
Patagonia mainland plus Valdez Peninsula, Argentina, Jan, 2024
Finding some time this morning to sort through some wildlife images from Argentina back in January. I know some people on here like seabirds, so here is a Southern Giant Petrel. Location is the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse in the Beagle Channel near Ushuaia, the most Southerly lighthouse in the world.
Sharp eyed viewers will also spot a small pod of South American Fur Seals in this image.
Pic of the day from Mexico.
We first visited the quaint little country town of Merida in the Yucatan in 1995. It was a quiet spot to stop off for a peaceful couple of days. Fast forward to 2024 and it has grown to a huge city with 8 lane highways, huge factories and skyscrapers, completely unrecognisable from before. That’s progress.
But also in 1995 we went to see the flamingos on the coast. It was great to see they are still going well today and looking even more vibrant than I remembered.
American Flamingo
Progreso
Yucatan
Meico
Pic of the day from Mexico.
This bird was designed with a colouring by numbers worksheet.
Painted Bunting
Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens
Mexico
Pic of the day from Mexico.
Last year, in foothills of the East Andes in Ecuador with Eric Finley, I visited an area where Military Macaws were nesting in old palms. (See last photo).
Here in Mexico, Military Macaws are also present. But they have a tough time. Firstly there are no large soft palms. The biggest trees are pines which are hard work to excavate. In addition there has been a poaching problem. If a tree contains a macaw nestling, the entire tree may be cut down to access the valuable parrot.
We visited the Military Macaw Reserve near Puerto Vallarta and were very impressed. Local enthusiast Francisco Espino has installed a number of large nest boxes to solve the nest construction problem. Francisco came off second best in a bull riding episode, but despite having only one good leg, he climbs high into the pines to haul up 80kg nest boxes. Then, to solve the poaching problem he has moved into the reserve, living in a small house amongst the boxes.
The number of Macaws in the area has risen from 2 pairs, about 15 years ago, to 60+ birds today. It was such a joy to watch them and see the positive results of conservation activity.
Pic of the Day from Mexico.
Mexico is still going well. Today we visited the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It was a remarkable and otherworldly place. Here is the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. It’s a low lying area which represents the southern limit of the North American mountain range and the northern limit of the Andes.
The result is even more wind than Patagonia. There are hundreds of windmills and we went for a walk close to the largest windfarm in Mexico.
But there is still wildlife in the area including one bird species I was especially keen to see. Photographed here in between burst of sandblasts in the face, the Lesser Roadrunner.
Pic of the day from Mexico.
Mexico has turned out to be a lot more hilly and a lot colder than we anticipated. Up at the Tufted Jay Reserve in the Sierra Madre Mountains we were back in pufferjacket country at 2200m with frost on the ground.
Close to our cabin were numerous of these tiny Rufous Hummingbirds which fed on the brambles all day long.
Pic of the day from Mexico.
One for David White and Murray Hunt.
We were pleased to see good numbers of American Crocodiles Crocodylus acutus, conservation status ‘Vulnerable’, in the rivers around San Blas on the Pacific Coast.
According to Wikipedia they have ‘a shy demeanour and clearly don’t want anything to do with humans.’
This one didn’t get that memo, was right next to the car park and I am suspicious some supplementary feeding may take place.
Pic of the day from Mexico.
Just north of Mazatlan we visited an area of dry thorn scrub/deciduous forest called the Mesa de Cacaxtla protected area. This area holds Jaguar, Puma, Ocelot, Lynx and Jaguarundi.
Of course we saw none of these but instead were treated to these huge Black-throated Magpie Jays which come in when they are fed tortillas.
Pic of the day from Mexico.
We enjoyed seeing the Baja California endemic Grey Thrasher a few times in Southern Baja earlier this week.
I can report that contrary to their name, they seem to sit still for long periods of time.
Grey Thrasher
El Triunfo
Baja California
Mexico.
Pic of the day from Mexico.
The Elf Owl is the world’s smallest and cutest owl. We were very impressed when our top guide Eric found one amongst the cactus forest in Baja California.
With nothing to show a sense of scale it’s hard to know. But he is the size of a European Starling, 14 cm.
Elf Owl
El Triunfo
Baja California
Mexico.
Pic of the day from Mexico.
Down in Baja California we enjoyed watching the Brown Pelicans dive for fish. I have never seen a pelican in Australia do the same thing.
There are so many birds here, super tame around the beach and lagoon. Again very unlike Australia.
Today we learnt both guns and hunting are banned in Mexico. Very advanced thinking here.
Sam Jose del Cabo
Baja California
Mexico
Pic of the day from Colombia.
Vying for a position as the most photographed individual bird in South America is Lunita.
Lunita is a Crescent-faced Antpitta at the lovely Hacienda El Bosque. Most days bus loads of people turn up to see her. The method is that the excellent local guide Edison puts out a couple of worms, then shouts loudly ‘Venga, Venga, Lunita!’. A few brushfinches, wrens and flycatchers come in for the worms. After they have had a feed they are discouraged from the main stage with a water pistol.
Then eventually, after perhaps quite some time, like a delicate jewel you are treated to a brief view of Lunita.
Crescent-faced Antpitta
Hacienda El Bosque
Manizales, Colombia
Pic of the day from Colombia.
The Black-collared Jay is an extremely smart looking bird seen at Glamping El Color De Mis Rêves.
I really enjoyed the Glamping. While not so smart as some of the other lodges it is very homely. The backdrop of wild cloud forest covered mountains towering up from the garden into the paramo was awe inspiring. Guide Luis was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and obviously way over qualified for the job.Paula feeds you about twice as much food as you need and brings out drinks all day. It is the only place I stayed this month where you get a hug when you leave!
Black-collared Jay, Glamping El Color De Mis Rêves
Manizales, Colombia
Pic of the day from Colombia.
Bird photography in the Andes this week has been completely different to my last two visits here at the same time of year. All the lodges put out fruit feeders and usually they are busy with birds coming and going all day This season, activity is at a crawl.
Normally this time of the year is a wet season. In the previous years there was rain every day. Fruit in the forest is hard to find under these conditions and the birds enjoy the supplementary feed.
This time, due to the El Nino effect there has been no rain. It has been hot, dry and sunny all day. There have even been forest fires near Bogota which is unheard of.
When conditions are dry, trees react by producing fruit. There is so much fruit around so none of the usual species are much interested in the feeders. After a say 3 hour wait a toucan might come in for a grape for 10 seconds.
But eventually I had some success. Here are a couple of shots comparing a feeding station with a natural view out in the forest.
Following in the mighty footsteps of Carlos N. G. Bocos and Lev Frid
Pic of the day from Colombia.
Bird on a stick.
For many many years I have been using the Hilty and Brown Birds of Colombia book with this on the cover. Very pleased to finally get a close look yesterday.
Grass-green Tanager
Owls Watch
Manizales
Colombia
Pic of the day from Colombia.
Locals call this the Chocolate Frog. Although you can’t lick them.
They are about 5 cm long and were quite vocal last night along a small stream next to my hut up at 2500m. My top guide Juan found this one with some effort on a dry evening.
Cordillera Central Tree Frog, Hyloscirtus larinopygion
Owls Watch Lodge
Manizales
Colombia
P.S. Make no attempt to stay at Owls Watch as it is so comfortable you will never want to leave.
Last pic of the day from Patagonia.
(Plus the last Penguin of the day.)
(Plus the last Penguin of the day.)
Overall it has been an excellent trip to Patagonia.
But there was one main target I was the most keen to see.
One of the world’s very best birds is of course the 4th out of 4 potential Penguins on this trip, the magnificent King Penguin. Usually these can only be seen after a long and very unpleasant boat trip to some godforsaken island out near Antarctica.
There is one spot on the mainland in Chile with a small colony. But also in Argentina as far as I know there is only one pair, that luckily can be conveniently viewed after just a 10 minute boat trip. I made the crossing to Isla Martillo with fingers firmly crossed.
Luck was on my side again and one single King Penguin was available, hanging out with the juvenile Gentoos.
The pair of King Penguins arrived on Isla Martillo about 6-7 years ago. They have laid an egg each time but had no luck raising a chick. Either the egg was predated by Chilean Skuas or the chick starved to death. Perhaps there is not really any suitable food for a young King Penguin in the Beagle Channel and that’s why they are never usually found there. Let’s hope they have a bit of luck this season.
Pic of the day from Patagonia.
The big Magellanic Woodpecker is one of the iconic species of the region and another I was very keen to see. They only live in Patagonian forests and are over a foot long.
I thought they might be easy to find and visited the Tierra Del Fuego National Park near Ushuaia, Argentina, which seemed to be a good place to look.
But the Tierra Del Fuego National Park seemed to be one of the world’s busiest. Coach after coach of sightseers were careering about. All the car parks were packed. There were people everywhere. Puffer jackets, bright hiking wear and walking sticks were out in full force.
It is a very pretty place but I had no luck along the busy trails.
But it was worth another shot and I got there a few days later just when the park first opened. After a long walk I finally heard some very soft tapping and chanced upon a fantastic pair of Woodpeckers, surely one of the best in their family.
Pic of the day from Patagonia.
Ask a man in the street to name his favourite Camelid species and the Guanaco will always come in the top 7.
Here in Patagonia they take the ecological niche of Kangaroos and are fairly common out on the plains. It is always a joy to see them and they move with great grace when jumping over fences.
Here is a small heard of youngsters and below is a wider view of the habitat where the photo was taken.
Guanaco, Lama guanicoe
Puerto Deseado
Argentina
Penguin of the day from Patagonia.
The 3rd out of 4 possible penguin species on this trip is the Gentoo Penguin or Papua Penguin as called by the locals.
When Charles Darwin passed Isla Martillo on the Beagle Channel in 1830 it is possible he never saw a Gentoo Penguin. Two pairs first arrived on the island in the 1990s. They have done well and have bred up to 145 pairs. It looked to be a good season with several large chicks in a creche being fed by the adults.
Charles Darwin was greatly interested by the local Yaghan people he saw along the shores here. Maybe they hunted the penguins. The Yaghans had inhabited the area for 3000 years. He quoted:
‘…without exception the most curious and interesting spectacle I ever beheld: I could not have believed how wide was the difference between savage and civilised man: it is greater than between a wild and domesticated animal, in as much as in man there is a greater power of improvement.’
Despite the hostile conditions of continuous cold, strong wind rain and snow, the Yaghans never wore clothes and were observed to sleep out in the open, completely unsheltered.
I would never have made it as a Yaghan. To visit the island I had to wear 3 t-shirts, a woolly shirt, a jumper and a pufferjacket!
Gentoo Penguin Pygoscelis papua.
Isla Martillo, Beagle Channel, Argentina.
Pic of the day from Patagonia.
Trying to photograph the White-bellied Seedsnipe at Ushuaia is quite the exhilarating experience.
I have never had much luck looking for Seedsnipe so expectations were low.
Firstly you have to hike up through the trees to the snowline. Then several hours walk in the snow is required as these birds are thin on the ground and surprisingly difficult to spot in the terrain. To add to the fun it was snowing all the time. Having the camera viewfinder fill with snow was new for me.
But eventually I got very lucky and chanced upon a quiet pair.
White-bellied Seedsnipe Attagis malouinus
Paso Garibaldi, Ushuaia, Argentina
Pic of the day from Patagonia.
Firewood Gatherer is surely one of the absolute best world bird names.
I was very excited about the possibility of seeing one when I came into the edge of its range a few days ago. They build a massive nest of firewood and I thought they would be easy to find. Driving carefully the 200km from Las Grutas to Balneirio El Condor I looked closely at every potential bush. But it wasn’t until escaping the dust storm on the way back I noticed they actually nest on the power poles. Some local workers from the power company stopped by with some concern and also took a photo.
Firewood Gatherer Anumbius annumbi
Viedma
Argentina
Pic of the day from Patagonia.
The Burrowing Parakeet roost at Balneario El Condor, Argentina is said to be the largest gathering of parrots in the world. Over 30,000 pairs nest in holes along the cliffs.
But the day I visited it was more like a scene from a distant and hostile planet.
A short while after arriving everyone was ordered off the beach. We then had the most
monumental storm with cyclonic wind, thunder, lightning, rain and hail plus a dust storm.
The Burrowing Parakeets wisely stayed well back in the farmland.
Pic of the day from Patagonia.
Sheathbills rarely appear on social media so here is one to break things up a bit.
There are only two species of Sheathbill in the whole family Chionidae so it is important to photograph at least one for the collection. I had been keen to see one for many years ever since seeing a photo by Phil Christo when he was down here.
They live by scavenging amongst the seal and penguin colonies and really have to be one of the least attractive birds around.
Snowy Sheathbill Chionis albus
Isla Pingüino
Puerto Deseado
Argentina.
Penguin of the day from
Patagonia.
This is the second out of four potential Penguin species on this trip. I never much thought anything of the name of the Southern Rockhopper Penguin. But you have to see them in action, then it all becomes clear.
They have a strange distribution in Argentina, breeding on one small island halfway along Patagonia,then a big gap down
to the Malvinas and Tierra Del Fuego.
You can reach Isla Pingüino in just one hour by boat from Puerto Deseado which wasn’t too bad all things considered.
Pic of the day from Patagonia.
Sometimes you have God on your side.
Visited the shrine at Gruta De Lourdes which was a rather surreal cave/canyon out in the scrub. Being the only person there with a big camera(actually the only person there) the caretaker asked what I was doing.
“Would you like to see our owls?’ She said.
Magellanic Horned Owls Bubo Magellanicus
Gruta De Lourdes
Puerto Deseado
Argentina
Duck of the day from Patagonia.
There are three potential species of Steamer Duck to be seen on this trip to Argentina. A fourth on the Malvinas will have to wait till another day.
This one is the Flying Steamer Duck, the only one of the four species that can actually fly.
Steamer Ducks fit into an interesting evolutionary situation. They mostly live on the coast, diving for shellfish. There they have no predators so don’t need to fly any more. Three of the four species are now flightless and this one is heading the same way. Another million years or so and someone will have to come up with a new name.
Flying Steamer Duck Tachyeres patachonicus,
Puerto Deseado
Argentina
Pic of the day from Patagonia.
Like an old uncle, a South American Sealion contemplates his next move.
Isla Pinguinos
Puerto Deseado
Argentina.
Pic of the day from Patagonia.
Anyone who has ever tried to find a Tinamou in South America will agree they are the hardest birds to see on the continent. Although quite vocal they are always dull brown things that lurk unseen in the far distance in the dark understory of gloomy tropical rainforest.
Indeed I had previously only ever seen 2 individuals, Little Tinamou in Colombia.
But the Elegant-crested Tinamou of Patagonia changes all that. These things were everywhere on the Valdez Peninsula here in Argentina. They were by the dinosaur, in the car park, beside the road, sitting in the middle of the road. I nearly ran a few over, seeing over 200 in a day. Perhaps the most commonly seen land bird on the Peninsula.
During the second voyage of the Beagle in 1883, Charles Darwin heard about the existence of a small Rhea species, thought to be a very rare bird – Darwin’s Rhea. Darwin was of course very keen to see one, but had no joy over multiple stops on the mainland, even unknowingly being served one for dinner one night.
After many months of travel he finally had a bit of luck along the Santa Cruz River, not so far from where I saw this bird yesterday. But he found they were far too wary to be approached closely – exactly my experience.
There were a few at the Valdez Peninsula, even one male with a creche of 12 assorted youngsters. But they all run at first sight of a car. I found traditional sheep farming to be some help in obtaining a photo.
Darwin’s Rhea
Rhea pennata pennata (Patagonian subspecies)
Rhea pennata pennata (Patagonian subspecies)
Puerto Deseado
Argentina.
Penguin of the day from Patagonia.
There are a potential 4 species of Penguins that can be seen on this trip to Patagonia. The land based Magellanic Penguin is the easiest. I didn’t even realise these were on the Valdez Peninsula until I stopped at a spot along the coast to admire the view and surprised one in the car park.
Much bigger than you might expect and a lot of fun, honking loudly into the evening sunset.
Pic of the day from Patagonia.
Very high on the wishlist of all travellers to South America is of course the hope of seeing a Patagonian Mara.
I remember seeing these at zoos in England where they were quite common. Perhaps they thrive in a similar climate.
I was of course very keen to see a real wild one but then somewhat disappointed when the first pair I came across headed for the hills at great speed when the car was still a long way off.
Luckily on the way home in the last rays of light of the day at about 9pm another less nervous pair were feeding right beside the road.
Pic of the day from Argentina.
Big day out on the Valdez Peninsula yesterday. An approximation of wildlife seen included:
1 Guineapig (Lesser Cavy)
8 Patagonian Mara
8 Darwin’s Rhea
50 Magallenic Penguin
100+ South American Sealion
100+ Southern Elephant Seal
200+ Guanaco
200+ Elegant Crested Tinamou (Usually quite hard to see more than about 2 Tinamou in an average lifetime.
But my favourite:
2 Large Hairy Armadillo
These things were running about like small dogs and were a lot of fun!
Pic of the day from Argentina.
When Lisa Tanner was a small girl she used to live in Buenos Aires. Polo is very popular there and if she had any spare time she would come down to the polo grounds to see a game.
By strange coincidence my hotel directly overlooks the grounds and the stand where she would have sat.
Pic of the day from Argentina.
Only been here ten minutes and already made my first mistake. Thought it might be handy to change a couple of hundred dollars worth in to the local currency…
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