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Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands ANTARCTICA, SOUTH GEORGIA & THE FALKLAND ISLANDS Aboard the Island Sky JANUARY 4–25, 2020 BUENOS AIRES PRE-TRIP JANUARY 2–5, 2020 PENGUINS LEAPING ON ICE IS ALWAYS A WINNER, HERE GENTOOS ESCAPING A LEOPARD SEAL © ANDREW WHITTAKER LEADER: ANDREW WHITTAKER LIST COMPILED BY: ANDREW WHITTAKER VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM By Andrew Whittaker Without a doubt, our Antarctica cruise was the trip of a lifetime for all! From the incredibly rich sub- Antarctic islands of both the Falklands and South Georgia (the icing on the cake) to the magical White Continent, we were followed by great weather and wildlife galore. No superlative can even come close to describing such a fabulous adventure! The harsh White Continent and its picturesque scenery, from immense icebergs and glaciers to towering mountains, is a truly inhospitable wilderness. However, the rich and plentiful southern oceans and stops at every port of call including remote islands and beaches, offered an extravaganza of animal life—all combined to make this voyage as breathtaking as my first-ever trip to this stunning paradise. Vast and vivid turquoise oceans afforded us the opportunity to enjoy some of the world’s best pelagic birding right off our own ship’s decks with early coffee and goodies close by. Above all of these incredible experiences, it was my sheer delight to be able to share all of this amazing voyage alongside a group of wonderful and interesting people. I enjoyed sharing with you my great passion for this mind-boggling place where together we enjoyed the best of the most exceptional mega-rich wilderness left untouched on our planet. Thanks to each and every one of you for making it such an enjoyable trip. Most of the group on an incredible evening walk on the 7th continent © Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands, 2020 Wow—what a complete contrast, beginning our pre-trip in a hot, steamy Buenos Aires from our lovely well-positioned Hilton Hotel. Here, with our local guide Emiliano, we enjoyed an action-packed day and a half as we soaked up the warmth, birding several wonderful marshes and the rich nearby park. We observed more than 100 species, most of which we wouldn’t see again as we migrated to the southern tier, our destination the town of Ushuaia and beyond. We arrived in Ushuaia to lovely sun that luckily seemed to follow us during our entire voyage! Several of you enjoyed exploring the town on our first afternoon from our plush hotel with a magnificent overlook of the gorgeous Beagle Channel. Some even discovered the most-wanted Magellanic Woodpecker on a forest trail behind the hotel. Thanks to Tresa for informing me so that I could go rushing around trying to find folks; thankfully, several of you managed great views of this family party between a wonderful welcome dinner at our hotel. Our first port of call was the sublime sub-Antarctic Islands. First up were the bird-rich Falklands and an interesting visit to Port Stanley, from whence we headed south to my favorite of all, the magnificent wildlife-rich South Georgia, the icing on the cake! As predicted, they both provided unrivaled wildlife spectacles at every stop after we had enjoyed fantastic pelagic birding and a few (well, actually many) cetaceans along the way. Spellbound, we were treated to the sights of beaches full of Elephant and Fur seals, countless thousands of eight different penguin species, point-blank views of Wandering off the deck and thousands of Black-browed Albatross at nesting colonies. These were just some of the incredible highlights burned into our memories as we navigated these remote and mega-rich islands. After another couple of great days birding at sea, we reached the remote great White Continent—the main reason for many of us to undertake this voyage. The scenery was as sublime as ever; its inhospitable environment combined with such extreme adverse weather conditions (even now in summer) perfectly illustrated the dangers of Antarctica and the bravery the early explorers possessed. Imagine trying to survive in subzero temperatures in winter, plus those famous 100-mile-an-hour katabatic winds in pitch darkness. A Zodiac cruise around the famous Elephant Island which, as usual, was wind-whipped and snowbound, was our first view of Antarctica. I certainly can’t imagine being marooned there for several months (living in super-cramped and appalling conditions, in subzero temperatures under two upturned boats) and hoping the improbable rescue boat would make it all the way across one of the most inhospitable oceans in the world and then locate the tiny outcrop of land that is South Georgia in such an immense ocean, much less mount a rescue mission back. But we all know that it worked! In Antarctica proper, I am proud to say that two of our brave souls tested the icy Antarctic waters in the famous polar plunge! Needless to say, we all enjoyed being surrounded by more immense penguin colonies and having more close-up whale encounters, as well as tabular icebergs and smaller ones, blue and black ice, and some of the world’s most splendid scenery. Finally, after a couple of frantic but delightful weeks, we had to say goodbye to paradise. Sailing north, the sunset illuminated the incredible continent and finally our destination, the infamous Drake Passage, which did not manage to show us why it’s famous for rough seas—this time! Our adventure began on our pre-trip in Buenos Aires. Its skyscrapers provided a stunning backdrop as we met Emiliano and enjoyed birding our first afternoon in nearby Costanera Sur reserve, a managed wetland that is a fantastic birding locale and right within the city. Lifers were streaming by quickly for many. Monk and lovely Nanday (Black-hooded) parakeets were constantly on the move over the marsh and woodland. A Snail Kite; superb Whistling Heron; stunning waterfowl that included gorgeous male Ringed, Silver, Yellow-billed, and Brazilian teal; Spot-flanked Gallinule; super-close male Rosy-billed Pochards; and White-faced Whistling-Ducks were among the highlights. Best, however, was finding several Black-headed Ducks, an unusual rare bird here and the world’s only parasitic duck! Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands, 2020 Wonderful male Rosy-billed Pochard © Andrew Whittaker A well-camouflaged Rufescent Tiger-Heron froze in a pose worthy of a bittern while a Wattled Jacana foraged below on the lily pads. Glittering-bellied Emeralds were abundant at flowering trees, adding some splashes of iridescent color to the list. We began familiarizing ourselves with the odd Guira Cuckoo, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, strutting Rufous Hornero (the national bird), Black-backed Water- Tyrant, Masked Yellowthroat, Small-billed Elaenia, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Grayish Baywing, Red- crested Cardinal, and our first of many Chimango Caracaras. Masked Yellowthroat male © Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands, 2020 The next morning, we headed out of the massive sprawl of Buenos Aires to the pampas at Otamendi Reserve. Here we enjoyed excellent birding on a warm sunny morning, with Green Kingfisher, Scarlet- headed Blackbird, Freckle-breasted Thornbird, both Green-barred and Checkered woodpeckers, Gilded Hummingbird, unique Curve-billed Reedhaunter, colorful Black-and-rufous Warbling-Finch, Hooded Siskin, and Spectacled Tyrant all brightening up our day. A responsive Green-barred Woodpecker gave great views © Andrew Whittaker A rather gritty looking Curve-billed Reedhaunter © Andrew Whittaker The sprawling grasslands and marsh that make up the pampas provided a great backdrop for Masked Yellowthroat and Masked Gnatcatcher, Long-tailed Reed-Finch, Great Pampa-Finch, White-browed Meadowlark, and Yellow-browed Tyrant. In late afternoon we returned to the wonderful park in Buenos Aires, enjoying its superb light on the likes of Coscoroba Swan, Great and White-tufted grebes, Striated Heron, Red-gartered Coot, and much more before a wonderful, fun Argentine dinner at a famous port side restaurant. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands, 2020 Our truly memorable Antarctic expedition began (for those of you who were not on the Buenos Aires pre-trip) as we landed amongst snow-capped mountains lining the famous Beagle Channel at one of the southernmost cities in the world, Ushuaia. On our arrival we quickly transferred to the lovely forested Arakur Resort overlooking the city and stunning Beagle Channel. Families of Rufous-collared Sparrows were common, plus some Thorn-tailed Rayaditos, Black-chinned Siskins, and Austral Thrushes in the garden. The next day I offered a pre-breakfast birding excursion which got great Austral Parakeets but, sadly, no sign of yesterday’s woodpeckers. After breakfast we boarded our bus and enjoyed a day-trip exploring the famous Tierra del Fuego National Park, walking through its magnificent southern beech forests, home to the incomparable Magellanic Woodpecker. This mega woodpecker gave us incredible studies of a male right by the roadside. As a bonus, a super pair of Austral Pygmy-Owls were spotted below the woodpecker. A stunning male Magellanic Woodpecker is always an Ushuaia highlight© Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands, 2020 Further highlights we enjoyed were carpets of white and yellow orchids and lovely Black-necked Swans and Great Grebes that graced our delightful restaurant overlook, as did a family of cute Upland Geese and Flying Steamer-Ducks. Other cool birds included noisy Southern Lapwing and Black-faced Ibis, brightly colored Patagonian Sierra-Finch, the striking red eyes of the Fire-eyed Diucon, and the ever- present common but cute Thorn-tailed Rayadito.
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