 Northern Argentina
From The Andes to The Iguazu – A Great South American birding tour
Thursday 1 October – Thursday 15 October 2009
Price: £3995pp Single supp: £285pp Deposit: £800pp
Argentina is a huge country. The diversity of habitat, landform and climate make it one of the most varied and scenic places on Earth. The north of the country contains some of the broadest biodiversity in South America, the most species-rich habitats, and some of the continent’s most spectacular birding.
On this unique Heatherlea adventure, we travel to the prime areas for enjoying the overwhelming wealth of bird and wildlife of this amazing country. We will enjoy excellent, local food, heartfelt, warm hospitality, and comfortable, well-located places to stay, against stunning, unspoilt landscapes.
Expect the scenery to mirror the vast array of neotropical wildlife, as we pass through massive ‘chaco’ deserts, ‘yunga’ cloudforests, rocky canyons, the life-rich Iguazu National Park with its 1.5 mile long waterfalls and 45% of the nation’s birdlife, and the Andean altiplano, with its unique high-altitude species.
With wonderful, evocative names and exotic, bright colouration, we will see not only the region’s specialities and the local rarities, but a whole host of South American species, ensuring an unbeatable list of quality and quantity befitting this incredible part of the world.
ITINERARY
DAY 1 Thursday 1 October
Fly London - Buenos Aires.
DAY 2 Friday 2 October
We arrive in Buenos Aires and check in to a downtown hotel. In the afternoon, we visit the Costanera Sur Nature Reserve . This amazing urban reserve is situated behind the Buenos Aires docks, practically in the city centre on the edge of the River Plate. We should see a good selection of everyday species and marshland and water birds.
BIRDS: White-tufted Grebe, Coscoroba and Black-necked Swans, 3 species of Coot, Black-headed Duck, Rosy-billed Pochard, Lake Duck, Grey-necked Wood-Rail, Wattled Jacana, Monk Parakeet, Sulphur-bearded Spinetail, Freckle-breasted Thornbird, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Spectacled Tyrant, Great Pampas-Finch, Yellow-billed Cardinal, Black-and-Rufous Warbling-Finch, Warbling Doradito, Masked Yellowthroat, Masked Gnatcatcher.
WILDLIFE: Coypu, Cavy, Little Water Opossum, Black Tegu Lizard, Hillary’s Side-necked Turtle.
Overnight in Buenos Aires.
DAYS 3 - 4 Saturday - Sunday 3—4 October
We take the early morning flight to San Miguel de Tucuman. On arrival, we drive to the rustic town of Tafi del Valle, birding along the road which winds its way through the luxurious yungas cloudforest. As well as fully exploring this amazing habitat, we head to the high Andean puna grasslands of the Aconquija range. Nights in Tafi.
DAY 5 Monday 5 October
We leave Tafi del Valle in the morning and drive up to the high pass of El Infiernillo, where we spend some time searching the gullies and slopes before descending into the dry valleys. Arrive in Quilmes and explore the endemic habitat locally known as "monte". Overnight in Quilmes.
DAY 6 Tuesday 6 October
Explore the surroundings of Quilmes in the morning before moving north through vineyard country. The landscape changes from arid valleys with beautifull rock formations, to Chaco woodlands - grasslands with forests containing thorny bushes and palms. Arrive in the city of Salta in the evening, where we spend the night.
BIRDS: Ornate Tinamou, Andean Tinamou, Quebracho Crested-Tinamou, Andean Goose, Andean Lapwing, Andean Coot, Rufous-throated Dipper, Torrent Duck, Andean Swift, Giant Hummingbird, Black-winged Ground-Dove, Moreno’s Ground-Dove, Chaco Owl, Burrowing Parrot, Mitred Parakeet, Andean Hillstar, Red-tailed Comet, White-throated Cacholote, Buff-breasted Earthcreeper, Slender-billed Miner, Rock Earthcreeper, Brown-capped Tit-spinetail, Steinbach's, Puna and Scribble-tailed Canasteros, Azara's Spinetail, Spot-breasted Thornbird, Sandy Gallito, White-browed Tapaculo, Black-legged Seriema, White-winged Black-Tyrant, Slaty Elaenia, White-throated Tyrannulet, Paramo Pipit, Brown-capped Whitestart, Two-banded Warbler, Fawn-breasted Tanager, Ringed Warbling-Finch, Yellow-striped Brush-Finch, Tucuman Mountain-Finch, Band-tailed Sierra-Finch.
DAY 7 Wednesday 7 October
We spend all day exploring the altitudinal gradients of vegetation of the picturesque Cuesta del Obispo. This extensive desert region is truly dramatic - impressive giant cacti tower from the sandy ground against a backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of the Andes.
BIRDS: Black-winged Ground-Dove, Giant Hummingbird, Slender-billed Miner, Scribble-tailed and Maquis Canasteros, Zimmer's Tapaculo, White-tipped Plantcutter, Plain-colored Seedeater, Greenish Yellow-Finch, Rufous-sided Warbling-Finch, Rufous-bellied Saltator, Common Brush-Finch.
Overnight in Salta.
DAY 8 Thursday 8 October
Early departure for Quebrada de Humahuaca. En route we continue birding the yungas forest along the photogenic and mountainous Cornisa Road. Overnight in Purmamarca.
DAY 9 Friday 9 October
Today we explore the high Andes plateau habitat above Purmamarca and then continue driving along the gorge towards the colonial city of Humahuaca, with its narrow paved streets and adobe houses, where we spend the night.
DAY 10 Saturday 10 October
Full day excursion to some of the shimmering high altitude lakes - the finest area for waterbirds in the entire Andean chain, and home to Andean, Chilean and Puna Flamingos, and in some years the rare Horned Coot, together with the numerous high altitude grassland specialities of the Puna region, seeing herds of Vicuña (wild Llama) amongst the thorn and cactus scrub, rocky ravines and terraced cultivation. Overnight in Humahuaca.
DAY 11 Sunday 11 October
Concluding our explorations in the Altiplano, we drive down to the village of Yala, where we reacquaint ourselves with the Montane woodlands, and enjoy the experience of a night tour looking for nighthawks, nightjars and pauraques. Overnight in Yala.
DAY 12 Monday 12 October
Another morning in the area of Yala before taking an afternoon flight to Buenos Aires for overnight. Overnight in Buenos Aires.
BIRDS: Andean Gull, Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Red-faced Guan, Rothschild´s Swift, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Alder Parrot, Spotted-breasted Thornbird, Rusty Flowerpiercer.
DAYS 13 -14 Tuesday - Wednesday 13—14 October
We take one of the first flights in the morning towards the extreme northeast of the country - The Iguazu National Park. Upon arrival, we will go birding to some forest patches around the hotel, searching for many subtropical species, which are at the southern limits of their range, before exploring the national park, famous for its awesome waterfall and the exuberant, humid forest that surrounds it. Overnight in Iguazu.
DAY 15 Thursday 15 October
After another morning in Iguazu, we fly to Buenos Aires for connection with homebound flights.
Price: £3995 pp
Single Supp: £285 pp
Deposit: £800 pp
Leaders: Kevin Shaw and local guides.
Numbers: max 14 clients
Accommodation: due to the touring nature of this holiday, we will stay in eight comfortable and friendly lodges and hotels. Nights 2 and 12 are in Buenos Aires, nights 2 and 3 are in Tafi, night 5 in Quilmes, nights 6 and 7 in Salta, night 8 in Purmamarca, nights 9 and 10 in Humahuaca, night 11 in Yala, and nights 13 and 14 are in the Iguazu National Park.
Price includes: return scheduled flight from London Heathrow – Buenos Aires, domestic flights within Argentina as outlined above, all airport taxes, ground transportation as outlined above, en suite accommodation on a full-board basis at all the above hotels, picnic lunches, incidental tips, and the services of the leaders.
Price excludes: holiday insurance, optional tips to local guides/other staff, drinks, and other personal expenses.
Please note: all itineraries in this brochure are given as a guide only. Actual holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guides, and elements beyond our control (eg weather).
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