-----Original Message-----
From: Dion Hobcroft
[]
Sent: Thursday, 2 February 2006 3:50 PM
To:
Subject: antarctic pelagic and
southern argentina
I was fortunate to get a contract as an expedition staff
member on Le Diamant on a voyage to the Antarctic
Peninsula from Ushuaia from Jan 4-16 2006. My fourth voyage
to Antarctic and weatherwise undoubtedly the best with almost no wind, light
ice conditions, clear skies and almost entirely smooth seas-all a bit too good!
It was a different itinerary in many ways as I was able to land at Cape Horn and Puerto
Williams in Chile. Pre-voyage
birding in Ushuaia provided White-throated Caracara at the new rubbish dump
about 3km E of town. Tierra del Fuego National Park provided three Magellanic
Woodpeckers near Lago Roca, the inconspicuous White-throated Treerunner whilst
the Martial Glacier came through with the striking Yellow-bridled Finch but not
surprisingly no sign of the elusive White-bellied Seedsnipe.
Smooth seas made for excellent cetaceans with two
outstanding sightings of the striking Straptooth Beaked Whale, great view of a
male Southern Bottlenose Whale, one Sei Whale, two groups of Killer Whales
including one pod working a Humpback Whale. We found a severely injured
Crabeater Seal on an ice floe that had only just escaped a presumed Killer
Whale encounter. It was unlikely to survive its injuries.
The major bird rarity was an Emperor Penguin at Booth Island on 9 Jan in
amongst the Gentoo, Adelie and Chinstraps. Pelagic species were fairly typical
with Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, Grey-headed, both Northern and Southern
Royal Albatross, Wandering Albatross, Thin-billed and Antarctic Prions,
numerous Blue Petrels, Wilson’s and Black-bellied Storm-Petrels, Southern
Giant and two Northern Giant-Petrels (my first sighting of this species in the
Drake Passage), White-chinned Petrel amongst others. Our return across the
Drake allowed Neptune to sharpen
up his pitchfork and we rode out uncomfortable 10 metre waves for a good 24
hours.
The landing at Cape Horn was a bonus
for me. I spent time searching unsuccessfully for Fuegian Snipe some friends
had spotted with chicks a few weeks before. The best sighting was of nesting
Magellanic Tapaculo in a cushion plant near the Albatross statue and a Striated
Caracara.
At the end of the voyage I flew to Calafate to link up with
Argentine birder Santiago Imberti for a trip through southern Patagonia that was
reminiscent of outback birding in Australia. It was
great! Highlights included three hours of cat and mouse with Austral Rail
before it decided to preen in full view, Hooded Grebe at the nest, Patagonian
Tinamou, Tawny-throated Dotterel, Magellanic Plover shovelling and spinning in
the sand, Andean Condor and Magellanic Horned Owl. The shorebirding was
spectacular with display flighting seedsnipes, Wilson’s Phalarope,
numerous Baird’s Sandpipers and on my last afternoon scouring 4000 plus
White-rumped Sandpipers and 2000 Two banded Plovers for a vagrant Dunlin
Santiago had found a few days before. Despite our best efforts we could not
relocate it.
A great start to the New Year.
All the best
Dion
