15 Nov 2012
Crested Duck (Lophonetta specularioides)
Here at the Laguna Cañapa the ducks were not at all disturbed by humans, and I could get quite close to this crested duck (Lophonetta specularioides) busy…
15 Nov 2012
Golden-spotted Ground Dove (Metriopelia aymara)
Due to the midday sun, the light is very hard, and the golden spots on the wing barely visible. The morning or evening sun would have revealed some brilliantly…
15 Nov 2012
James’s Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi)
When their food, algae, is getting scarce on the shallows, they venture out as deep as needed to get to where the algae is. Here they seem to be floating as…
15 Nov 2012
Grey-breasted Seedsnipe (Thinocorus orbignyianus)
Grey-breasted seedsnipe (Thinocorus orbignyianus) was not particularly disturbed by human presence, and Laguna Cañapa offered a close encounter, albeit not…
15 Nov 2012
Andean Gull (Chroicocephalus serranus)
The only Andean gull (Chroicocephalus serranus) I saw nesting, and this one has done what many have done before - steal the nest from a Flamingo. Apparently…
15 Nov 2012
James’s Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi)
Even at these muddy sections of the lagoon, the flamingos find food that seemingly outweighs the energy spent ovecoming the suction of the mud. A few flaps of…
15 Nov 2012
Baird’s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii)
Baird's sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) is present in many of the lagoons and in large numbers in Laguna Colorada. It sounds like this: Altitude: 4129 metres.…
15 Nov 2012
Puna Tinamou (Tinamotis pentlandii)
My time here coincided with chick-time for the puna tinamou (Tinamotis pentlandii), and I was lucky enough to encounter this litter. Without chicks the adult…
14 Nov 2012
Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)
My expectations to see Flamingos were met in excess! All the lagoons had one or more of the 3 species, and their beauty and grace was magnified by their…
14 Nov 2012
James’s Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi)
From afar the flamingos all seem to be the same species. James's flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi) is identified by the red legs, that the black tip on the bill…