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Chile is extremely long. We will be covering enormous distances with the Van. The roads are however quite good in Chile, nevertheless you shall expect some night driving on day 6.
You will be awarded with seabirds and tapaculos. We choose to stay as close to the parks as possible and will be camping on these occasions.
The Juan Fernandez Archipelago will be visited for 6 days. If you book this trip late it may not be possible to join the Chilean Armada. In that case you are forced to fly to Juan Fernandez instead. The gained day can be used for a seabirding trip from Valparaiso.
We may play around with the dates a bit to accomodate a visit to Masafuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island), which is the only site for the endemic Masafuera rayadito. Two additional endemic landbirds occur on the main island Masatierra (Robinson Crusoe Island) and the waters around the islands are great for seabirds, notably the local breeders such as Defillipi´s , Stejneger´s, Juan Fernandez and Kermadec Petrel, Pink-footed Shearwater and White-bellied Storm-Petrel.
Day 1. Rendevouz en Puerto Montt. Travel to Chiloe Island
Some people will have arrived from Punta Arenas after by ferry or overland via Route 40 after our Patagonia trip, others will arrive with flight LA 075 arriving at 9:35 AM . We will head for Maulin where Slender-billed Parakeet are quite common. When ticked off we shall leave for the wonderful Caullin Bay.This is a wonderful and peaceful place ! Lot 's of birds in the bay (Flightless Steamer-duck, Skimmer, Black-necked Swan, wintering ground for Hudsonian Godwit, etc...
We will stay at Ostras Caulin cabins which has a good restaurants with white wine and Oysters....).
Close of these accommodations Des Mur's Wiretail, Magellanic Tapaculo and Chucao Tapaculo are usually easy to find. We shall also look for Ochre-flanked Tapaculo and at night Rufous-legged Owl.
Day 2. Early morning : birding around the cabañas and in the Caullin bay. After breakfast, we shall leave for Ancud Peninsula for Blue Whale (seen from the shore) and Slender-billed Parakeet (another chance).
Even if there are birdspecies that we won't see later, we shall visit, if time permits, Punyhuil, which is more or less on the way and a very good place to see See Otters, as well as a colony for Magellanic and Humboldt penguins, and some nice birds (Kelp Goose, Flightless Steamer-duck). All depends on how
Then driving to Puerto Montt and parque Alerce Andino , where we shall camp.
Day 3. Birding in the morning in the Alerce Andino NP. Black-throated Huet-huet, Magelanic Tapaculo , Ochre-flanked Tapaculo, Des Mur's Wiretail, Chucao Tapaculo, Austral Pygmy-owl. Rufous-legged Owl is also possible.
Then driving north to Valdivia. The idea is to look for the Black Rail. There are various reports from this area. Not surprisingly, the Black Rail here may be a different species from that of North America.
Day 4. Driving to Temuco and then to the "airport" for Isla Mocha. See http://www.isla-mocha.cl/
Very few birding groups visit this awesome bird-island where 20000 Pink-footed Shearwaters breed ? the bulk of the world population.
It's also a very good place for the Ochre-flanked Tapaculo.
Day 5. Flying back in the morning, and drive to Laguna de Laja (Chesnut-throated Huet-huet is the key bird). We shall try in the afternoon. Other species include : Spectacled duck, Ochre-flanked Tapaculo, Chilean Tinamou, White-sided Hillstar and Great Shrike-tyrant.
Day 6. Birding around Laja in AM if still needed and the long day driving to Santiago . En route there is a Burrowing Parakeet colony.
Day 7. El Yeso. Full day in the mountains with Crag Chilia, Moustached Turca, Dusky Tapaculo, DSP, Greater Yellow-finch, White-sided Hillstar, Rufous-banded Miner, Grey-flanked Cinclodes
night in Santiago
Day 8. With the Chilean Armada we shall survey seabirds on a pelagic trip to Juan Fernandes lasting 36 hours.
Day 9. Meat those arriving from the mainland. Near the airport is the dock where you will look for Defilippe´s Petrel that just finished breeding on nearby Santa Clara island and White-bellied Storm-Petrel that is a night-breeder on the same island. On the 40 minute boatride to the north side of the island you will look for more seabirds, which may include Kermedec Petrel. The North coast also hold large numbers of Juan Fernandez Fur Seal. In the village we will stay at a guesthouse where Juan Fernandez Firecrown regularily comes to the garden.
Day 10. We will make a walk to the Alejandro Selkirk look out where one usually sees Juan Fernandez Tit-Tyrant and the endemic race of American Kestrel. In the late afternoon we will set off by boat to Alejandro Selkirk Island.
Day 11-12. Boat visit to Alejandro Selkirk Island. First day hike to the habitat of Masafuera Rayadito (c.600m) and overnight in camp here, second day continued hiking to the crater top where Stejneger´s and Juan Fernandez Petrel breed. This will be a tough hike. Those that prefer seawatching may pick additional goodies from shore such as Pinkfooted Sheerwater. Alejandro Selkirk is also home for the recently to species elevated Juan Fernandez Hawk and the endemic subspecies of Gray-flanked Cinclodes (which may also well be a near future split).
Day 13. Contingency day.
Day 14. Arrival to Robinson Crusoe Island where we will board our small plane back to Santiago.
Day 15. Early morning in the pre-cordillera : White-throated Tapaculo, Moustached Turca, Dusky-tailed Canastero, Crag Chilia, Chilean Tinamou (we have to be lucky !) etc...
Then driving to the Batuco area with lot's of ducks and coots species and particularly the Black-headed Duck. It is also a good place for the Stripe-backed Bittern and Chilean Warbling Doradito ? soon to be split.
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