Training Log Archive: PG

Some photos of the birds down there, almost all species that aren't seen up here. Fun seeing different things. Sometimes easy getting a photo, somethings a real challenge, many times ending in failure. A few photos today, maybe more tomorrow.

Ashy-headed Goose --



Black-chested Eagle-Buzzard (quite the name!), about to swallow lunch, not sure if it's a bird or a small mammal --



Black-crowned Night-heron. Rarely see them up here. This was one of two right out in the open and close --



Black-faced Ibis. Seemed almost tame.



Brown-hooded Gull --



Black-neck swan. Striking bird, saw them quite often.



Chilean Flicker. This guy was seen in Argentina.



Coscoroba Swans.



Andean Condor. Saw these often, especially in Torres del Paine NP (in Chile), usually flying, occasionally perched atop some cliff, usually far away. Hard to get a good photo. White around the neck, also on top of the wings.



Lesser Rheas. Saw these several times, sometimes alone, sometimes in groups with youngsters, always cool. These were the smaller of the two Rhea species, but still the adults were maybe 5' tall. Don't fly, but they can run really fast.

C • bird photos 9

At Walter's. Working too hard, feeling quite wasted, and that was after 20-30 minutes. Cut back some and made it to about an hour and that was enough (rest were going about 75 minutes).

Hard to avoid the mountains in that part of the world, though how much you see of them depends on the weather. We saw more than enough to keep us happy. Spent a couple of days in El Chalten (Argentina), lots and lots of young backpackers around using it as a base for hiking and climbing. If you were good, you could climb Fitzroy (our local guide said he had made it up in 4 hours) --





Then back in El Calafate, a boat ride (way too windy and therefore too rough for my tender sensibilities) and then a rough track to get to see some different terrain, very iffy weather but interesting --



And then off the next day for an up-close view of another glacier, very fine --

More wildlife from Patagonia, this time the dogs and there were lot of them. In Argentina they were often sleeping, so I did what you're supposed to and let them lie....



Whereas in Chile they were predators, well, at least one was. I though it was just going for a swim, but it had lunch in mind. It didn't seem to help the cormorant that it was an Imperial one, just no respect at all from the pooch.

The most common mammals were guanacos. Mostly they just stood around, but they could jump the sheep fences with no problem, and taking a dirt bath seemed to be especially enjoyable.

C • Guanaco pictures 3

At Walter's, 6x6:00 tempo sections.

Part of one day was spent in search of pumas (mountain lions). We didn't happen to find any, which in some ways was just as good, though it would have been interesting...

South of town, flat. Mid-40s, S 5-10, puddles and potholes but light enough traffic so avoidable.

Not feeling too zippy, but certainly could have been (much) worse.

From our trip to Patagonia. Torres del Paine National Park, the towers are often/usually in the clouds, but they popped out for 30 minutes our last afternoon there. :-)

C • Patagonia! 9

At Walter's, with Gary, Bill and Ceil, Dusty, and Emily. Seemed easier than last time, but I know how to adjust the load...