It was great to be back birding in Santa Fe. I was visiting friends of mine in Esperanza, a small town in the heart of Argentina’s campos (fields), for just over a month before meeting up with friends for a comprehensive birding trip through northwest Argentina. During this time, I managed to get in a fair amount of birding in the area (and even a phenomenal week in Patagonia, read more about that here), between the usual Argentine summer festivities. Although I had seen many of these species on my first visit to the country, and the fact that this part of the trip was by no means a serious birding trip, I walked away with several lifers (81 to be precise, including Patagonia).
The land around Esperanza is dominated primarily by farmland, but there are large areas of wetlands and smaller patches of espinal woodlands (very similar in structure to Africa’s thorn savannas), which I had a great time exploring on a bicycle that I borrowed from my friend Enzo. It was good fun catching up again with species like White-fronted Woodpecker, Guira, Striped, and Dark-billed Cuckoos, Blue-tufted Starthroat, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Chotoy and Striped-crowed Spinetails, Brown Cacholote, Firewood-gatherer, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Spectacled Tyrant, Red-crested and Yellow-billed Cardinals, Black-capped Warbling Finch, Red-pileated Finch, Little Thornbird, and many of the other common species around Esperanza.
Good rains meant that water was plentiful, and so were mosquitoes. I regularly looked down at my legs after lifting my eyes to the viewfinder on the camera, only to see dozens of mosquitoes tucking in. Anyway, the wetland birding was excellent with loads of waterfowl and waders like Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral and Stilt Sandpipers, and Wilson’s Phalarope. Waterfowl included White-cheeked Pintail, Brazilian, Ringed, and Silver Teals, and White-faced Whistling Duck. One of the highlights for me was finding a pair of Jabiru, at small wetland near Esperanza. These birds are quite scarce in the area, and a bit of a local rarity.
I also added a few lifers like White-barred Piculet, Dark-throated Seedeater, Upland Sandpiper (what a bird!), Chivi Vireo, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Yellowish Pipit, White-rimmed Warbler, White Woodpecker, Green-winged Saltator, White Monjita, and more!
I arrived in Buenos Aires on the 6th of January 2024, after a month in Santa Fe and an incredible week in Patagonia, ready to start the next leg of the trip! Santa Fe was, as expected, a lot of fun, with many late nights, early mornings, and good birds. I can’t wait to be back again soon!
