Birds in Paradise
16th March, Ushuaia.
It’s been three days since we disembarked off the airplane in Ushuaia, and following two fantastic days of excitement the group was buzzing with a visit to Tierra del Fuego national park. Tierra del Fuego translates as ‘land of fire’ and I personally was expecting a land similar to that of the burning planes of Mordor. However, instead we were treated to beautiful landscapes filled with life and mountain ranges with tree lines that gave mountains a balding appearance. The day was split into a short series of walks at different locations with our lovely guide Mariana, allowing us to view as many different locations as possible.
Before we got to Tierra del Fuego national park, we stopped at the southernmost golf club on the planet. Had time allowed the stunning backdrops would have provided a beautiful round set against the backdrop of the Andes Mountains. It is the first golf course I have been to with an old steam railway through, which could provide a resourceful player, easy transport between holes.
Four destinations awaited us in Tierra del Fuego national park. The first, whose name currently escapes me was a lovely walk along a river bank that reminded me of a river bank shown in an old fishing documentary, along to rapids that provide beautiful views. Our walk along the river was fairly brief and we boarded our blue patterned bus headed to Zaratiegul Bay, for a glimpse of the Beagle Channel that will comprise the opening stages for the cruise towards Antarctica. Highlights of this picturesque bay included the world’s southern-most post office, a first glimpse of black-browed albatrosses and a dip into freezing cold waters for some of the expedition’s more hardy souls (no students from the marine mammal course numbered amongst those tough and hardy explorers).
The albatrosses, even though far away, were the first time many of us had seen these magnificent birds. Throughout the day, bird watching was a highlight with many spectacular birds seen and the beautiful surroundings only improving upon an already fantastic experience: imperial shags, black-chested buzzard eagle, Southern caracara, crested caracara, imperial shags, southern lapwings, kelp gulls, great grebe, crested ducks, kelp geese, flightless steamer duck, Magellanic woodpecker, south American/ ringed kingfisher, red eyed diucan, and finally the Andean condor. Seeing Andean condors was my personal highlight, seeing the world’s heaviest bird with only one day to search. The condors were spotted above the cliffs at Lapataia Bay, an inlet from the Beagle Channel, which used to provide cover for boats when conditions got too bad for sailing.
End of the road (and the Panamerican Highway)
Once we got back from the day’s excursions we had a two and a half hour lecture during which we practiced species identification of the most common species that we expect to see. A beer and food in a restaurant with an Irish rugby shirt in the window was the final order of the day, as we prepare for the voyage to the Antarctic and brace before the rough looking Drake’s passage.
(written by Gareth King)
