Dermot Breen's Blog: Argentina 18th December 2019

Friday, 7 February 2020

Argentina 18th December 2019

We spent the whole day in and around Iguazú National Park. We had the services of Julian Baigorria of Karadya Lodge again for about two hours in the morning https://karadya.com.ar/index.html
Our first stop was around one of the large hotels in the National Park itself. We had good views of Toco Toucan and Chestnut-eared Acarci on the hotel grounds. They are only present here first thing the morning before the hoards of tourists arrive. https://ebird.org/checklist/S62426808
We then birded along the 101 road which produced some good forest species. https://ebird.org/checklist/S62424783 The mud was the sort that stuck in big heavy clumps to everyone's boots. Definitely 4x4 territory. There was a joint armed police/ranger checkpoint at the start of the road. This was an anti-poaching operation. They seem to have a little issue with Brazilian poachers coming into the national park.
Julian dropped us off back at the main entrance to the park and we birded the rest of the day by ourselves on foot. One of the highlights of the day was the breeding colony of Great Dusky Swifts nesting on in a relatively small ravine with a waterfall called Salto Álvar Núñez. Also here in amongst the colony was a pair of White-collared Swifts. At a nearby shop/picnic area there were quite a few South American Coati hanging about. It wasn't too long before one of our party was relieved some of his recently purchased food by one of the Coati.
Leaving here we spent quite a while on the Macuco Trail which proved very productive.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S62424765
We had a short time left so we hightailed it up the world famous Iguazú Falls by mean of the park train. We didn't have much time here but they were indeed very impressive. It was rather crowded with tourists all along the metal boardwalk out to the falls.
At the end of the day we were on the move again and headed back down to Buenos Aires.