Trip to Chile in October (1 Viewer)

[Tony Knight]

We are planning to visit for 16 days in October for birds/wildlife and scenery.
Flying into Santiago,
then down to "the lake district" area (Pucon to Puerto Montt)
Chiloe island
Tierra del Paine
Tierra del Fuego

My question is, is it worth spending a day or two in the Santiago area to visit sites like Farallones, El Yeso, Campana, Pelagic/coast or will the same species appear in the more scenic areas further south so better to spend the extra time there ? Presumably condors are present throughout the mountainous spine?

thanks
Tony

 

[Alan henry]

Hi Tony,

El Yeso is certainly worth a visit as it is the easiest place to see Diademed Sandpiper Plover. Other good birds seen on the way include Moustached Turca, Black fronted Ground Tyrant, Mountain Parakeet & Greater Yellow Finch.

You do need a 4 wheel drive vehicle.


Cheers

Alan

 

[Tony Knight]

Hi Tony,

El Yeso is certainly worth a visit as it is the easiest place to see Diademed Sandpiper Plover. Other good birds seen on the way include Moustached Turca, Black fronted Ground Tyrant, Mountain Parakeet & Greater Yellow Finch.

You do need a 4 wheel drive vehicle.


Cheers

Alan

Thanks Alan

If we went to El Yeso would we be able to combine it with another site in the afternoon ? If so what would you recommend ? Are the coastal birds there similar to what I would see further south ?

Tony

 

[Alan henry]

Thanks Alan

If we went to El Yeso would we be able to combine it with another site in the afternoon ? If so what would you recommend ? Are the coastal birds there similar to what I would see further south ?

Tony

El Yeso is an all day trip. You would not really want to rush it as there are lots of birds there that you wont get further south very easily. Several of the Ground Tyrants, White Sided Hillstar, Giant Hummingbird and Yellow Rumped Siskin to name a few.

Lots of Inca Terns around Vina Del Mar/Valparaiso, you will also pick up Guanay Cormorant and possibly Peruvian Diving Petrel that you will not get further south.

Cheers

Alan

 

[albatross02]

Near Santiago I would suggest La Campana National Park.
http://www.birdforum.net/opus/La_Campana_National_Park


For mountain Birds La Parva.
El Yeso is worth to see, but also the other areas of Cayon de Maipo.
There is good chance for Condor in October.

Near Santiago is also Parc Nacional Rio Clarillo.

For pelagic Val Paraiso is recommended.

 

[RafaelMatias]

Another easy species near Santiago that you wont get further south is Andean Goose, which winters in small numbers (dozens) at laguna de Batuco (here)
3 days in central Chile is really not too much. You'd want to visit high mountain (e.g. El Yeso, etc), lower altitude hills ("pre-cordillera": e.g. Rio Clarillo, La Campana), wetlands (e.g. laguna de Batuco, laguna El Peral, lago Peñuelas, etc) and the coast (Viña del Mar, Algarrobo, etc). There's basically lots of species you wont get down south, or that will be harder to get, including Humbolt's Penguin (accessible breeding place close to Algarrobo, here), Burrowing Parrot, Dusky-tailed Canastero and Chilean Seaside Cinclodes. Just have a look at the field guide maps, which should make it clear. But it all depends if you're interested in seeing most birds or you're more interested in spending your time among the Patagonian landscape (with lower bird diversity though...).

 

[James Lowther]

Worth considering that ignoring the high mountains and the coast, where there are similarities throughout the whole country (although many differences also as detailed above), chile has essentially 4 different avifaunas in the lowland and Andean slopes,
The far north (desert)
The centre round Santiago (Mediterranean type habitat)
The near south round puerto month (temperate rainforest)
The far south (cold grasslands)

This is an oversimplification but the point is that the Santiago area has very different birds from the main areas on your itinerary

So it’s a question of priorities!

Cheers

James

 

[Tony Knight]

Thanks Guys. Loads of really good suggestions here. Bearing in mind that it would have to be for a max of 2 days in this area and my wife is a non-birder, what would you suggest would be the best use of the 2 days....and how would you sell it to a non-birder !! Eg is the scenery great in El Yeso/Falarones or at the coast, chance of other wildlife we won't see elsewhere ? (she loves natural history and the condors would be great but little brown birds in a bush strangely don't do it for her !!)

 

[Peter C.]

Tony:

Clarification, please - are you thinking of renting a vehicle in Santiago, dropping it off, and then flying down to Puerto Montt (for the Chiloe leg of the trip)? Or are you planning to drive all the way to Chiloe?

Peter

 

[Tony Knight]

Tony:

Clarification, please - are you thinking of renting a vehicle in Santiago, dropping it off, and then flying down to Puerto Montt (for the Chiloe leg of the trip)? Or are you planning to drive all the way to Chiloe?

Peter

Certainly flying from Santiago to Puerto Montt (or maybe to Pucon and then spend a few days driving down to Chiloe from there).

Around Santiago, probably hiring a guide with car for the 2 days and having a half day city tour.

Tony

 

[Steve Keen]

Just back from Chile and managed El Yeso fine with a standard car.
Didn't get the Diademed at El Yeso itself but further up the road, near where it ends at Termas del Plomo: a pair (at least one colour-ringed) with two very small chicks.

 

[njlarsen]

Just back from Chile and managed El Yeso fine with a standard car.
Didn't get the Diademed at El Yeso itself but further up the road, near where it ends at Termas del Plomo: a pair (at least one colour-ringed) with two very small chicks.

Good for you. An earth-slide had closed the road before we could get high enough when I visited several years ago.

Niels

 

[James Lowther]

October is end of the winter - there are more likely to be problems with the road at that time of year I think.
James

 

[Mary Harris]

hello All,
I would like to find an affordable way to do a pelagic off Puerto Montt to look for the Pincoya Storm-petrel.
Does anyone have a tip?
Gracias
Mary

 

[James Lowther]

If you’re lucky you can see them from the ferry to Chiloe (I did in October)

Don’t know about pelagics sorry

James