ARGENTINA AND ANTARCTICA DECEMBER 2003 EXPLORATORY TOUR NEWS

Birdfinders visited Argentina and Antarctica in December 2003 as part of the preparation of a new tour to this fantastic area.

We started in Buenos Aires, visiting the coast and marshes to the south where we saw such spectacular species as Giant Woodrail, Hudsonian Godwit, Olrog's Gull, Snowy-crowned Tern, Many-coloured Rush-tyrant (the most beautiful bird in the world?) and Firewood Gatherer.

Next we flew south to Tierra del Fuego and explored this large island at the end of the world. Highlights were many and varied but Magellanic Penguin, Andean Condor, White-throated Caracara, Magellanic Plover, Least Seedsnipe and Magellanic Woodpecker were all pretty impressive.

We then boarded the Russian ice-strengthened ship Grigory Mikheev where we sailed to the Antarctic Peninsula. After two days crossing the Drake Passage we finally arrived in the South Shetland Islands. En-route, we had wonderful views of a number of seabirds including Northern Giant-petrel, Black-browed, Grey-headed, Light-mantled Sooty, Southern Royal and Wandering Albatrosses, Blue, Cape and White-chinned Petrels, Black-bellied and Wilson's Storm-petrels, Antarctic and Slender-billed Prions, Magellanic Diving-petrel and Sooty Shearwater. As the ship only holds 46 passengers we were able to make a number of landings, both on the South Shetlands and the Antarctic Peninsula (landings are restricted to 100 passengers so none of the large cruise ships can land) and witness huge rookeries of Adelie, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins as well as their attendant Southern Giant-petrels, Antarctic and McCormick's Skuas, Kelp Gulls and Snowy Sheathbills. Antarctic Terns gracefully flew over the icy waters close to wintering Arctic Terns and we saw several of the beautiful Snow Petrels.

There were also surprises with a couple of Macaroni Penguins but the lone Emperor Penguin on an iceberg was really lost! We also saw colonies of Elephant Seals as well as Crabeater, Leopard and Weddell Seals, breaching Humpback Whales and Minke Whales. Oh, and the scenery, simply stunning!