Arbu
Well-known member
I went hiking in the Torres del Paine in February - here's a quick trip report.
23rd Feb. I walked up towards Cerro Paine. This wasn't very successful – there was so much wind as I got higher that I got to a point where I could no longer walk against it, so had to turn back. The only birds of note were a pair of Chilean Flickers not far from Hosteria Torres.
24th Feb. I walked around to Campamento Italiano. There were several Striped Woodpeckers at the campsite in the morning. Also some Austral Canastero a mile or so out of the camp.
25th Feb. I walked up the Valle del Frances. I didn’t see anything of note going through the trees, but once above the treeline I found a White-bellied Seedsnipe and some Yellow-Bridled Finches.
26th Feb. Walked up to Campamento Grey. Didn’t see much apart from some Flying Steamer Duck on Lago los Patos.
27th Feb. Walked up to Campamento Los Guardas. Saw some Magellanic Woodpeckers and a Chilean Hawk. Took the boat down to the south end of the lake and stayed at Campamento Pingo.
28th Feb. Walked up to Salto Rio Pingo. Another Chilean Hawk and a pair of Green-backed Firecrown.
1 March. A nice Rufous-tailed Hawk sitting in a tree by the campsite. Good views of a Magellanic Tapaculo just below the campsite. I walked across country from Lago Grey to Camping Rio Serrano on the advice of a guide who said that there was a path, even though it wasn’t shown on the map. Well I found a good path but unfortunately it ran straight into Laguna Marco Antonio and didn’t go round it. I carried on through the bush but it was very heavy going and I didn’t get to Rio Serrano until late. Anyway the lake held a pair of Spectacled Duck. And I found an Austral Pygmy Owl, two more Chilean Hawks and a Skunk.
2nd March. Took a boat down to Pto. Toro. More Spectacled Duck and a Ringed Kingfisher.
Also there are lots of Condors all over the park. And of course the scenery is stunning.
If anyone’s thinking of going there, I would say that Torres del Paine has some great birds but you have to work quite hard to find them, particularly the high altitude and forest ones. My Lonely Planet guidebooks seemed to focus just on trekking and failed to mention that the best area for wildlife is on the south-east side of the park. I only discovered this having walked right to the west, so I think I may have missed out on a few things that I might have seen there in the more open habitat (and I think it’s the best place to see a puma). If you want to see the place well you need to do some trekking on the north side of Lago Nordenskjold to get some altitude and spend some time south of this lake to see the steppe. It’s not that easy to move between the two, and really to see the place comprehensively I think you need about two weeks. I’m rather feeling that I’d like to go back…
Photos attached.
23rd Feb. I walked up towards Cerro Paine. This wasn't very successful – there was so much wind as I got higher that I got to a point where I could no longer walk against it, so had to turn back. The only birds of note were a pair of Chilean Flickers not far from Hosteria Torres.
24th Feb. I walked around to Campamento Italiano. There were several Striped Woodpeckers at the campsite in the morning. Also some Austral Canastero a mile or so out of the camp.
25th Feb. I walked up the Valle del Frances. I didn’t see anything of note going through the trees, but once above the treeline I found a White-bellied Seedsnipe and some Yellow-Bridled Finches.
26th Feb. Walked up to Campamento Grey. Didn’t see much apart from some Flying Steamer Duck on Lago los Patos.
27th Feb. Walked up to Campamento Los Guardas. Saw some Magellanic Woodpeckers and a Chilean Hawk. Took the boat down to the south end of the lake and stayed at Campamento Pingo.
28th Feb. Walked up to Salto Rio Pingo. Another Chilean Hawk and a pair of Green-backed Firecrown.
1 March. A nice Rufous-tailed Hawk sitting in a tree by the campsite. Good views of a Magellanic Tapaculo just below the campsite. I walked across country from Lago Grey to Camping Rio Serrano on the advice of a guide who said that there was a path, even though it wasn’t shown on the map. Well I found a good path but unfortunately it ran straight into Laguna Marco Antonio and didn’t go round it. I carried on through the bush but it was very heavy going and I didn’t get to Rio Serrano until late. Anyway the lake held a pair of Spectacled Duck. And I found an Austral Pygmy Owl, two more Chilean Hawks and a Skunk.
2nd March. Took a boat down to Pto. Toro. More Spectacled Duck and a Ringed Kingfisher.
Also there are lots of Condors all over the park. And of course the scenery is stunning.
If anyone’s thinking of going there, I would say that Torres del Paine has some great birds but you have to work quite hard to find them, particularly the high altitude and forest ones. My Lonely Planet guidebooks seemed to focus just on trekking and failed to mention that the best area for wildlife is on the south-east side of the park. I only discovered this having walked right to the west, so I think I may have missed out on a few things that I might have seen there in the more open habitat (and I think it’s the best place to see a puma). If you want to see the place well you need to do some trekking on the north side of Lago Nordenskjold to get some altitude and spend some time south of this lake to see the steppe. It’s not that easy to move between the two, and really to see the place comprehensively I think you need about two weeks. I’m rather feeling that I’d like to go back…
Photos attached.