Last week the whole Beagle team went birding in Santa Fe. Let`s see what Maggie wants to share with us!

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We arrived on September 6 at about 8.15 pm to settle in and have some snacks before dinner. It was the first time we went to Cuatro Soles Lodge and we found it to be a beautiful place. The staff was super attentive and helpful and they even made a cake for me since I was turning 22. 

After laughter and good food, we all went to sleep early to leave at 6 am to start the adventure. When we woke up, a strong storm began, so we opted to wait a few hours evaluating certain hotspots to visit later.

At around 10 am the rain fell and we took the opportunity to go to a nearby forest and later a lagoon where, beyond the rain, we got to spot more than 30 species in just 1 hour!! Unfortunately the storm returned so we maximized the time taking some notes and having some technical talks with the Bird Guide: Martín Toledo. Not even the rain stops us!!

An hour before lunch the weather improved again so we decided to go back for more. We made a fairly wide tour around the lagoon and we managed to take good pictures before it rained again.

We went back to the lodge for lunch and rested for a few hours to go back out at night for some owling. What can we say... we love what we do!!

Later, one of our companions managed to visualize one of the birds that we did not expect to find in the place: Yellow Head ???

At noon we chose a good spot to have lunch and keep an eye out for any new species that may appear. We finished as soon as possible to be able to continue with the activity and we managed to visit many islands and corners along the river.

As a last stop, we left the boats in place and went through a forest with very varied vegetation that allowed us to add several new species to the list.

We finished the day around 4 pm very satisfied with the service, birds, weather and good disposition of the team.

September 9 was our last day at the lodge. We had an early breakfast and left for the boats again but this time, we went to an island quite far away. As I mentioned, the previous days it had rained so instead of going by pick up truck we went by tractor. This took us over an hour of travel but it was super productive because we got to spot a lot of new species for the list. Upon arrival we went through small lakes and forests where there was hardly time to lower the binoculars, there were many birds!!

Around 1 pm we had lunch and got rest for a while before going back to the ring. At about 2.30 pm we put on the waders and entered the lagoon to finish taking advantage of the day, what we did not imagine was seeing one of the target species: Warbling Doradito!! Excited for that discovery, we returned to the island at 4.30 pm ready to return by tractor to the boats. On the way back by boat we found the famous Golden Eagle on one of the coasts!! It was a majestic moment. Tractor, boat, pick up truck, lodge, shower and relaxation were the next steps before having an exquisite barbecue for dinner.

Grateful for the excellent accommodation and attention of all the Staff we retired the next morning from the lodge but that was not the end...

On September 10 at 9 am we left Santa Fe but we decided to make some stops. A birder friend gave us the information of a gravel road where he had found several uncommon species. At first it was similar to several places we had visited during the trip but after a few meters we began to notice a change in the vegetation that seemed promising.

We got out of the truck trying not to have high expectations because it was no longer a very busy time for birds but, even so, we managed to see at least 4 new species and the most difficult to find, including Crested Doradito!!

Happy and very satisfied for the excellent day we had during our stay in Santa Fe, we returned eager to tell all our friends and colleagues about this unforgettable experience.

 

Reporting and translation: Maggie Benedetto