Leaders – Richard Webb, Enrique Couve & Jaime Jiminez
Participants – Tom Barclay, Helen Franks, Chris Grimmett, Shelagh Halsey, Maureen Mills, Steve Morgan, Chris Schofield, Trevor Tapping, Phil Telfer, John Wheeler, John & June Williams.
Introduction
After the success of the WildWings Jaguar tours the question was could the success be repeated with Pumas. The odds looked less promising but the inaugural WildWings Puma tour proved yet again the value of putting in the effort with an astonishing series of sightings, with Pumas being seen on four consecutive days with a minimum of seven individuals being seen. Add to this several Blue Whales, Kodkod, three species of dolphin, three species of fox, two species of otter including the endangered Southern River Otter, and another eight species of mammals and the tour was a resounding success.
3rd March
Check in at Heathrow was remarkably smooth although after enjoying a relaxing meal one or two participants left their arrival at the gate rather tight arriving just as the gate was closing. The connection in Madrid went smoothly and we were soon on our way south to southern Patagonia.
4th March
Our flight touched down early in Santiago which proved fortuitous given that Lan Chile had reduced the time for our connection to Punta Arenas. However the long queues at immigration and some confusion as to where the luggage should be dropped off meant that we only made the gate shortly before boarding.
Arriving in Punta Arenas on schedule at 14.30, but unfortunately in wet conditions, we met up with our Chilean guides Enrique Couve and Jaime Jiminez and transferred to Hotel Los Navegantes before having lunch in a nearby café where many of the groups had their first of many experiences of Barros Locos. Some would say they were the best of the tour.
Revived by the meal we were soon heading south along the coast road towards Estancia San Juan. Our first stop produced Kelp Geese, Flying Steamer Ducks and Crested Ducks and shortly afterwards we found our first small pod of Peale’s Dolphin closely followed by another larger pod of 20+ animals following a fishing boat. Several breached fully to the delight of the whole group. Further offshore we saw our first Black-browed Albatrosses and Chilean Skuas.
Continuing south two Short-eared Owls on roadside fence posts kept the photographers busy and further stops produced a number of new birds including White-tufted Grebes, Upland Geese, Magellanic Oystercatcher, Rufous-chested Dotterel, White-rumped Sandpiper, South American Tern and Austral Blackbirds.
We turned back north at San Juan seeing our first Black-faced Ibis on the way back to Punta Arenas for dinner at the hotel after a successful first evening.
5th March
After breakfast at the hotel we headed NE out of Punta Arenas seeing our first Chilean Flamingo, Darwin’s Rhea, Ashy-headed Goose on route to Terminal San Gregorio. Turning north towards Dinamarqueros on gravel roads we encountered our first Tawny-throated Dotterel which showed nicely on a roadside verge, we saw several less approachable groups later in the morning. We also found the first of 16 Chilla (Grey Foxes) seen during the day. Further along the road while watching Common Miners and Correndera Pipts we found the first of several small groups of Least Seedsnipe and turning back west towards Morro Chico we saw our only Short-billed Miners of the trip. Shortly afterwards we were surrounded by a group of at least 100 Least Seedsnipe providing great views of this often difficult to find species.
Shortly afterwards Maureen spotted our first Patagonian Skunk which allowed the photographers to approach it closely, but not too closely, to obtain excellent photographs. Our first Guanacos (John Wheeler’s least favourite mammal of the trip) were seen en route to lunch at Hotel Rubens.
After lunch we added Coscoroba and Black-necked Swans plus Chilean Flicker en route to a brief stop in Puerto Natales and en route from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine found our first Great Grebes and Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle and had superb close range views of at least 20 Andean Condors along a roadside ridge.
Shortly before reaching Torres del Paine we start encountering Guanacos in large numbers. We also found a Wilson’s Phalarope, the only one of the trip, and our first Red Shovelers on Laguna Amarga, and just outside the park gate saw our only definite Colpeo Foxes of the trip which was surprising as they had been reasonably common on the recces.
Completing the park entry formalities we soon encountered a problem with a dodgy bridge bringing back memories of the Transpantaneira for the ten members of the group who had been on the WildWings Jaguar tours. Consequently we had to transfer to another vehicle to travel the final five kms to Hosteria Las Torres due to a weight limit being imposed on the bridge. We eventually checked in to the hotel for five nights and our first buffet dinner.
6th March
After a very early 04.30 breakfast we left the hotel at 05.00 in two vehicles to begin the search for Pumas. Richard and Enrique’s vehicle quickly encountered ‘eyeshine’ which revealed itself as a fox but further bright green eyeshine seen along the top of a ridge was unfortunately too far away for a conclusive identification although subsequent experience suggests that it could well have been the first Puma of the trip. Band-winged Nightjars were also seen.
Once daylight arrived Richard’s group also encountered more Chilla, the first Peregrine, of the race cassini, Silvery Grebe and two pairs of the often difficult Spectacled (Bronze-winged) Duck.
Jaime’s group also encountered Chilla and a range of commoner species before the two groups met up and headed off to Laguna los Cisnes where we saw Rufous-chested Dotterel and our only Baird’s Sandpiper and Cinnamon-breasted Ground Tyrant of the trip.
We stopped for a boxed lunch near Porteria Sarmiento some people sharing their lunch with a habituated Chilla, despite signs asking us not to feed the foxes, and with Andean Condors nearby.
After lunch we returned to the hotel. En route a roadside pool held White-tufted Grebe, Red-gartered Coot and Andean Duck and we were able to watch some interesting interactions between a female Andean Duck and the coots. The female clearly felt that her duckling was threatened by the coot. She would flatten herself in the water, appearing almost platypus like, swim towards the coot and try to come up to strike the coot from below. The behaviour was repeated several times over a five-minute period.
Back at the hotel most people took the opportunity to look, unsuccessfully, for Magellan Horned Owl, before walking a trail where an Austral Pygmy Owl, Thorn-tailed Rayadito and a range of commoner species were seen prior to taking an early dinner at the hotel.
We headed out again at 20.00 for our first full spotlighting session of the trip eventually managing to fix the seemingly kaputt spotlights just as darkness fell. Driving around the Laguna Amarga loop we encountered Band-winged Nightjar, several foxes, a Patagonian Skunk and some bats that Phil was desperate to claim as Myotis chiloensis on range alone but the executive committee quickly rejected the record as more than one species of bat occurs in the park. It didn’t however stop Phil from continuing to argue his case, unsuccessfully, for the rest of the trip.
As we turned back towards the entrance gate Jose, the park guide, accompanying Jaime’s vehicle saw what he thought was a Puma and the other vehicle also saw bright eyeshine from two animals running away from the vehicles. However it was difficult to judge their size and their were at least two foxes nearby so it’s unclear exactly what we saw. The evening was however to improve.
After over three hours spotlighting, we were about to give up for the night, when at 00.20 while crossing the first cattle grid about a kilometre from the hotel Richard’s vehicle found a Puma by the road. Unfortunately it disappeared quickly much to the frustration of everyone but particularly the occupants of the second vehicle who had failed to see it.
The second vehicle turned immediately to go to look for it while Richard’s vehicle continued another 100 metres before turning. Astonishingly as we turned there was the Puma again in the headlights. Once again however it quickly disappeared before the increasingly desperate occupants of the second vehicle were able to see it. However to everyone’s relief another 100 metres or so back towards the hotel we picked the Puma up again and this time everyone was able to see it stalking across a paddock. We returned to the hotel elated to drop some of the group off and then headed back out in a single vehicle to try to find it again. We did not need to go far finding it again less than 200 metres from the hotel and had great views. It eventually disappeared behind a bush apparently chasing a hare. Shortly afterwards it briefly reappeared although in hindsight it may have been a second individual as subsequent events suggest.
We eventually retired to bed at 01.40 well satisfied with our first full day in the park.
7th March
After our exertions of the previous night we had a slight lie-in and another walk around the nearby trail where we found our only Tufted Tit-Tyrant of the trip.
Back in the vehicles we headed out towards Lago Grey obtaining excellent views of South American Snipe and Grey-flanked Cinclodes by the dodgy bridge before stopping to view the waterfall at Salto Grande. This proved to be a fortuitous stop as Jaime found a female Torrent Duck and we also found an unidentified lizard.
After a short stop at the visitor centre we continued towards lunch at Lago Grey and found a male Torrent Duck followed by a pair of the hoped for Southern Huemel (Andean Deer) near the road. Remarkably tame, the photographers had another field day.
Lunch was followed by a short walk looking unsuccessfully for Magellanic Woodpecker but we did encounter a very approachable Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle along with Austral Parakeet and White-throated Treerunner while managing to misplace Phil along the way. He eventually reappeared after a trek out towards the glacier.
We returned to the hotel for dinner planning to go out looking for Pumas at 23.00. We never even made the vehicles Enrique encountering a Puma on the trail as he tried to stake out Magellan Horned Owls. Fortunately Enrique was not on the menu for the night and the Puma melted away in to the darkness. However it and another (a female with a large young one) reappeared less than 200 metres from the hotel, viewable from the room of at least one member of the group, and we were all able to watch them for over 20 minutes on foot.
Another very successful end to the day.
8th March.
With two sightings already under the belt we were now keen to find Pumas during the day and headed out to the area north of Lago Sarmiento with the two vehicles separating to spend the day looking for them. The morning was fairly uneventful with Cinereous Harrier, Scale-throated Earthcreeper and Austral Canastero being the only additions to the trip list.
Late in the morning however alarm calls from Guanacos encouraged Jose to head off into the hills north of the road to check out the cause of the calls. He quickly encountered a Puma but quickly lost it and although everyone climbed to a suitable vantage point and scanned the surrounding area in all directions for three hours, the cat could not be relocated. We eventually returned to the vehicles where we had a late lunch at 16.00 having radioed back to the hotel to ask them to send out boxed lunches. An unusual variation on takeaways.
After a short stop at Porteria Sarmiento one group headed back out to the shore of Lago Sarmiento, where they found fresh tracks of Puma, and a smaller cat thought to be Pampas of Geoffroy’s, while the other group headed out in to the hills further to the west. After 90 minutes of fruitless scanning the latter group decided to give up and headed back to the vehicle where Tom found an Olivaceous Mouse which he managed to corral long enough for everyone in the vehicle to see it. Jaime in the meantime had gone looking for Jose who unbeknown to us had already returned to the vehicle. It proved to be a fortuitous breakdown in communication as Jaime almost immediately found a female Puma with four young spotty kittens at the edge of a lake. He radioed back to the vehicle and we dashed back to obtain initially distant views of the family. Moving closer we eventually managed to approach to within 200 metres before the female disappeared into the reeds while the kittens continued to play in the open.
The female eventually decided to move off as the occupants of the second van approached, calling the kittens after her. Over the next 20-30 minutes she moved off through the reeds and eventually out over a distant ridge, pausing in the open on a few occasions as she waited for her kittens to follow her. Eventually at least two of the kittens followed her over the ridge. In total the family had been on view for over an hour enabling both the female and the kittens to be photographed.
All in all a great end to the day or so we thought but after dinner a few diehards decided to try spotlighting from the vehicle for an hour or so. When Phil and Steve elected not to join the drive Richard predicted that we would see a kill and unbelievably as we returned from the night drive we did. The Puma using a building to approach the hares chased and caught a hare before dragging it up a nearby hillside, the action all taking place within 100 metres of the restaurant.
What a day!
9th March
After the excitement of the previous day the day was bound to be an anti-climax and so it proved. Both groups spent the morning working the area north of Lago Sarmiento before returning to the hotel for lunch. No cats were seen although lots of tracks Puma tracks were found.
After lunch one group returned to the same area, while four of the group returned to Lago Sarmiento to stake out the area with the cat tracks. Although both groups failed to see any cats the latter group did see one Patagonian Skunk.
After a largely unsuccessful day we prepared for a further spotlighting session after dinner. However before we set out Patricio, our main driver, spotted a Puma outside the restaurant, and the stragglers in the restaurant were able to see it sitting on the lawn 50 metres from the restaurant before it chased and caught a hare. The rest of the group managed to see it briefly before it disappeared into the woods. Fortunately later on the night drive we found it again and had great views of it stalking along the base of a hillside about 100 metres from the hotel.
A fitting end to our last night in the park and incredibly the fourth night running that we had seen Pumas.
10th March
After a late start we headed out of the park for our next destination Seno Skyring stopping briefly en route for an unsuccessful attempt to find Larger Hairy Armadillo along the road to Las Cumbres. We did however find amazing numbers of South American Snipe, small numbers of Least Seedsnipe and Cordilleran Pipits and Chilla and several armadillo burrows.
Continuing SE in often heavy rain we stopped briefly near Puerto Natales to photograph Black-necked Swans, gulls and cormorants before stopping for lunch at Hotel Rubens. After lunch we completed the journey to Seno Skyring and checked in to Pousada Rio Verde our home for the next two nights.
Keen to find our next new mammal we were quickly on the road again working the west side of Seno Skyring. Two distant Southern Sealions were quickly added to the list and shortly afterwards we found our first Chilean Dolphins which gave superb views as they breached fully clearly showing their white underparts. Unfortunately we were unable to relocate them after becoming distracted by the first of at least seven Patagonian Skunks but had certainly had excellent views of them.
We returned to the pousada for excellent pisco sours and empanadas followed by an excellent dinner.
11th March
With a long day ahead we made an early start for the long drive out to Punta Dungeness. An Aplomado Falcon gave great views on a roadside post but other than three Variable Hawks, a handful of Cinereous Harriers, the first of seven Patagonian Skunks and a dead Large Hairy Armadillo on the side of the road the four and a half hour drive was largely uneventful.
On arrival at Punta Dungeness we quickly found the main reason for the long drive, the first of several pods of attractive Commerson’s Dolphins. Over the next two hours we saw in excess of 35 dolphins although we were unable to find any of the larger cetaceans that we had hoped to encounter. We did however find a variety of new seabirds including 20+ Magellanic Penguins, White-chinned and the enormous Southern Giant Petrels.
An unplanned sortie over the border into Argentina (we didn’t realise we’d crossed the border) produced the only Two-banded Plovers of the trip and more Least Seedsnipe and a dead Rockhopper Penguin was found on the beach on the Chilean side of the border.
Leaving Punta Dungeness for the long drive back Patricio spotted another freshly dead armadillo on the side of the road and a short stop near Faro produced burrows, feeding signs & droppings of Southern Cavy and Fuegian Tuco-Tuco but neither of the animals themselves unfortunately. Austral Canastero was seen by some.
The journey back was punctuated by unsuccessful searches for Band-tailed Earthcreeper, Chocolate-vented Tyrant and Ruddy-headed Goose and more successful stops for coffee in Punta Delgada and photographs of shipwrecks at Estancia San Gregorio.
We eventually arrived back at the pousada after 13 hours and enjoyed another excellent meal before retiring for the night.
12th March.
After a late change to the flight schedule we had a morning to kill and elected to head back to Punta Arenas seeing Andean Condor and Patagonian Skunk. After visiting the Lan Chile to resolve confusion over another apparent change to the flight schedule (which proved to be false), we drove south towards Estancia san Juan soon encountering a superb pod of breaching Peale’s Dolphins. Further south we found our first Dark-faced Ground Tyrants and on our way back finally found our first Blackish Oystercatchers of the trip together with 10+ Kelp Geese.
After another lunch at Lomitt’s in Punta Arenas and an Internet café stop for those needing to stay in touch with emails &/or football results we headed back to the airport and a late afternoon flight to Puerto Montt arriving at 18.05. We then transferred to a nearby restaurant for dinner with Turkey Vulture on route and Black-crowned Night Heron in a tree by the restaurant.
After dinner we headed to Castro on Chiloe via the Pargua-Chacao ferry, the crossing unfortunately being after dark. We eventually arrived at the hotel at 23.00 for a few hours sleep ahead of another early start.
13th March
With our boat booked for 07.30 an 05.30 breakfast was followed by an 06.00 departure for the 100 kilometre drive to Quellon. With Steve struggling with the ‘lurgy’ he decided to stay at the hotel and we made arrangements to meet up with him later in the day.
We arrived in Quellon on schedule and set out for our whale-watching trip at 07.45 in great sea conditions quickly encountering the first of several stunning breeding plumaged Franklin’s Gulls with bright pink flushes. As we headed out across the bay we started to encounter our first seabirds with Magellanic and Humboldt’s Penguins and Sooty Shearwaters being seen along with two Peale’s Dolphins.
Heading out of the bay into Golfo Corcovado we started seeing a wider range of seabirds including both Wilson’s and Black-bellied Storm-Petrels, White-chinned Petrel, Black-browed Albatrosses, Northern & Southern Giant Petrels and Sooty and Pink-footed Shearwaters. Two hours out of Quellon we reached the area for Blue Whales and started scanning in anticipation but after another three hours had still drawn a blank despite encountering impressive rafts of feeding shearwaters and petrels.
We turned back towards Quellon as the weather deteriorated but just as we were starting to fear the worse Trevor noticed a large splash shortly followed by the blows of at least one and probably two Blue Whales. With half the group failing to connect with the initial sightings it was with some relief that 12 minutes later another whale surfaced giving a series of eight blows and giving good views, revealing the small dorsal fin on at least one occasion. After another eight minutes there was another single blow, and 10 minutes after that another series of six blows with excellent views again of the dorsal fin.
Amazingly as we watched the whale(s) a Green-backed Firecrown, a small hummingbird, flew alongside the boat.
Heading back to harbour the sea became choppier and the rain became heavier so a few people including two of the leaders retreated for a ‘nap’ below deck, well deserved in my opinion. The hardy souls who remained on deck encountered a couple of Southern Sealions and a pod of Dusky or Peale’s Dolphins. As we neared Quellon we diverted to a rock covered with Imperial Shags and a single Peruviian Pelican, our first of the trip.
We finally arrived back in Quellon at 16.30 before heading north again to pick Steve up on route to Parque Tepuhueico. We changed vehicles shortly before entering the park where we had brief views of our first Chacao and Black-throated Huet-huets.
We eventually arrived at the lodge after a short stop to see a very tame, and for most people untickable Darwin’s Fox, en route.
14th March
An eventful day for more than one reason!
A pre-dawn walk in the rain a kilometre from the lodge was uneventful for mammals but Chilean Hawk, Chilean Pigeon, Chacao and Black-throated Huet-huet were seen and two Darwin’s Foxes were seen on the way back to the lodge.
After breakfast we headed out on a trail to look for Magellanic Woodpecker but given the size of the group we split in to two the first group going ahead with Enrique, Jaime and the local guide, while the second group followed some distance behind. Both groups had fantastic views of Chacao some individuals literally hopping on to people’s feet and taking insects off their boots. The first group also saw Des Murs Wiretail, Rufous-tailed Plantcutter and on and around the lake Pied-billed Grebe and Plumbeous Rail having doubled back on a side trail near the waterfall.
The second group continued on past the waterfall assuming that the first group had also done so the main trail being a two kilometre loop according to the map. Unfortunately after an hour it was clear that we had taken a different trail to the rest of the group but decided to continue on the trail we were on, having great views of Black-throated Huet-huet and the elusive Magellanic Tapaculo en route. Richard quickly realised where the trail was likely to come out, but it proved far longer and strenuous than expected and it took several hours to reach the end of the trail. To add insult to injury ten minutes before we reached the end of the trail and our minibus that arrived at the same time as we did it started to pour with rain and by the time we reached the minibus we were soaked. Some of us were even hosting leeches clearly brought out by the rain. The search party out looking for us, i.e. Enrique and Jaime got even wetter.
We returned to the lodge to dry out and another late lunch much to the amusement of those who had been in the first group. Three Chilean Hawks in trees near the lodge were new for several of the group and several Green-backed Firecrowns flitted around in the flowers near the lodge.
Dried out and well fed some of the group returned to the fray for an early night drive and were well rewarded. Two Darwin’s Foxes were seen as we left the lodge. Turning off on a private track in the forest we continued for a couple of kilometres until the driver, rather prematurely in our opinion, decided that the track was too rough to drive further. As we waited for the vehicle to turn we found tracks of Kodkod (Guigna) and Southern Pudu in the mud along the track. Could we find the owners?
Amazingly we had only driven c.200 metres when a Kodkod was found sitting close to the track. Unfortunately as we reversed to get better views it disappeared into the forest never to be seen again much to the frustration of those people on the minibus who had missed it. When we reached the top of the track we planned to turn round and go back to look for it but our driver pulled rank and said it was too rough. Taking another track instead we soon found a Southern Pudu but that also disappeared quickly. However as we approached the lodge we found two more Darwin’s Foxes and had superb views of a Southern Pudu feeding in the open. Two more Darwin’s Foxes greeted us as we reached the lodge itself.
Well satisfied with the first drive several people went out for a second drive after dinner and a Darwin’s Fox on a forest trail was appreciated by those concerned about the tameness of the foxes around the lodge, and another Southern Pudu was seen well.
All in all another eventful day.
15th March
Leaving the lodge at 08.00 we quickly stopped to watch three Darwin’s Foxes c.200 metres from then lodge. Helen also spotted a Southern Pudu but it quickly disappeared into roadside vegetation before anyone else could get on to it. Another Austral Pygmy Owl gave us good views as did a group of Slender-billed Parakeets before we switched coaches for the drive to Ancud at which point a Rufous-tailed Plantcutter was a bonus for those who had missed it the day before..
Arriving in Ancud, we checked in to Hosterial Ancud, allegedly the best hotel in town, but given the size of the rooms we would hate to see the worst. The gap between the wash basin and the wall in some rooms was barely wide enough to squeeze in to the shower.
We quickly moved on stopping for a boxed lunch at a scenic bay with Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Whimbrel for company. Other roadside stops also produced our first Snowy Egret and Hudsonian Godwits of the trip, and several South American Snipes.
Stopping in the bay north of Punta Guabon we walked down to the beach hoping to find Marine Otters but none were immediately on view although we did have good views of Flightless Steamer Ducks, much to Shelagh’s delight, and our first albeit slightly distant American Oystercatchers plus several stunning lizards.
A discussion with a local revealed another less-disturbed bay to the south which was said to be good for otters so we headed back to the coach, drove a couple of kilometres and then headed out towards the new bay. Walking out towards the bay we quickly picked out some distant whale blows and over the next few hours had 6+ Blue Whales on view. Although distant on two occasions tail flukes were seen, unusual behaviour for Blue Whales.
We also found the hoped for Marine Otters, two individuals showing well on some rocks below the cliffs, and two more distant animals being seen later in the afternoon. A steady flow of Southern Sealions also passed below the cliffs and there were large numbers of Sooty Shearwater offshore. A distant Red-legged Cormorant on an offshore rock was added to the trip list. The cliff tops themselves were covered with lizards.
Eventually tearing ourselves away roadside stops on the way back to the hotel produced the first Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling and Great Egret of the trip and some more Rufous-chested Dotterels.
We finished the day with the first of two excellent meals at the Kuranton Restaurant in Ancud. Enrique and Jaime had Curante, a dish that truly has to be seen to be believed.
16th March
An early departure from the hotel saw us heading for Chepu for a river trip to look for the endangered Southern River Otter along the Rio Butalcara. Two Plumbeous Rails on the road to Chepu were a nice bonus. We soon found our first Cocoi Heron and Cinnamon Teals of the trip along with Pied-billed and Great Grebes, White-winged Coots and the first of two Rufous-tailed Hawks. Often a difficult bird to see these were our third and fourth of the trip.
Continuing on two Many-coloured Rush Tyrants dazzled us among the reeds and were followed shortly by our only Coypu of the trip. Unfortunately it disappeared quickly into the reeds. After nearly three hours on the river we finally found a Southern River Otter but unfortunately it was only on few for 15-20 seconds and only those at the front and back of the boat managed to see it. Those in the middle missed out and although we remained in the area for another hour or so it did not reappear.
We returned to Ancud for lunch and then headed west to Punihuil where we took another boat out to the mixed penguin colony where Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins were both seen along with Red-legged Cormorants and Peruvian Pelican, and Southern Sealions. Better still where at least eight Marine Otters which we watched at close range both on shore and in the water where they replicated the behaviour of the more familiar Sea Otters of North America, swimming on their backs us they fed on crabs and fish. The various digital storage media took a veritable hammering.
Well satisfied with another excellent day we returned to the hotel and then had another excellent dinner in the Kuranton Restaurant. Given his love of the species Richard presented John with a plaque of a Guanaco in Torres del Paine for his wall.
17th March
After checking out of the hotel for the final time we headed back towards Puerto Montt. A short stop at Caulin Bay produced our only Black Skimmers of the trip and a solitary Snowy-crowned Tern plus good numbers of shorebirds including large numbers of Hudsonian Godwit, Franklin’s Gulls and a big flock of Black-necked Swans. Two Chilean Dolphins were also seen shortly before boarding the coach, and two Plumbeous Rails were seen as we made our way back to the ferry.
The ferry journey from Chacao to Pargua produced 50+ Southern Sealions & a small number of seabirds including Sooty and Pink-footed Shearwaters, Magellanic Penguin, Peruvian Pelican and Red-legged Cormorants.
We arrived back at Puerto Montt Airport in good time for checking in but chaos rained at the check-in desk due to computer failures and most of the group ended up with completely different seats to those that they had asked for. Nevertheless we were in the air pretty much on schedule and after a long stopover in Santiago, where we said farewell to John who was heading off to New Zealand for the Wildwings West Pacific Odyssey, we left Santiago for the long haul back to Heathrow via Madrid.
18th March
After a slight delay in Madrid we arrived back at Heathrow at 16.45 after a highly successful tour.
RICHARD WEBB
19 MARCH 2007
