Pick up is at lunch-time today which
gives me a few hours in the morning to visit Costanera Sur and improve on my total for the trip. Having
already posted separately for the reserve and the promenade, I am now content
to join them together on a single page. If you want more specific post on
either, follow the links above or see the links at the end of the page. At 05.30 a guard came sluggishly out
from his sentry box at the north-east end of the promenade to confirm that the
gates there would remain closed until 08.00 on this Sunday morning. Jumping the
fence had been a feasible and popular option on my last trip to Buenos Aires,
but this gate appears to have become an official entrance now and warrants its
own guard.
I followed the path towards the river
and found a few more Yellow-billed Teals on the left. Grass growing up by the
side of the path attracted Double-collared
Seedeaters and a pair of Narrow-billed
Woodcreepers passed quickly through, probing the bark of the Tipu Trees as
they went.
I had to refer back to the field
guide when a pair of unusual birds passed through. It reminded me of an
Australian finch, but turned out to be a Blue-and-yellow Tanager. It kept to the deep shade
and I was surprised to get a photo. It must look fantastic in better light.
A Glittering-bellied Emerald buzzed around in the shade, feeding from
the flowers of a tipu sapling. Getting it in the frame was tricky. I would have
loved to get that photograph properly.
I only made it to the corner by the river before I had to return and get ready to fly home. A Red-crested Cardinal was the last bird before turning back.
Birds seen; 42
S ilver Teal 1, Yellow-billed Teal 12,
Rufescent Tiger-heron 1, Great Egret 7, Snowy Egret 1, Southern Caracara 1,
Chimango Caracara 1, Southern Lapwing 2, Wattled Jacana 2, Picazuro Pigeon 80,
Eared Dove 45, Nanday Parakeet 6, Monk Parakeet 8, Guira Cuckoo 2, Glittering–bellied
Emerald 3, Checkered Woodpecker 2, Rufous Hornero 30, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper
2, Great Kiskadee 9, Gray-breasted Martin 2, Brown-chested Martin 10,
White-rumped Swallow 22, House Wren 22, Masked Gnatcatcher 5, Rufous-breasted
Thrush 20, Creamy-bellied Thrush 5, Chalk-browed Mockingbird 14, Blue-and-yellow Tanager 2, Golden-billed Saltator 1, European
Starling 20, Masked Yellowthroat 4, Black-and-rufous Warbling-finch 9,
Double-collared Seedeater 11, Safron Finch 2, Red-crested Cardinal 4,
Rufous-collared Sparrow 23, Yellow-winged Blackbird 3, Chestnut-capped
Blackbird 2, Bay-winged Cowbird 3, Shiny Cowbird 60, Hooded Siskin 9, House
Sparrow 15.
A big Saturday night had spilled over
into Sunday morning for a few exuberant revellers who were still dancing at the
parrillons which had stayed open to accommodate their yeasty needs. A few that
were still able to, acknowledged me with a wave while others drag-raced along
the road. Much had been made of personal security in Buenos Aires, but the
biggest problem I had was having the sun in my eyes all the way along the
promenade. At the far end a small patch of water
held a couple of Wattled Jacanas
which allowed a slightly closer approach this morning. Amongst the Yellow-billed Teals, I was able to pick
out a Silver Teal. House Wrens continued to be common and
easily photographed.
The light was better on the return
journey to the gate. A few joggers and walkers had started to show and most of
the revellers had moved on. The gate was open when I returned at 08.00.
Immediately inside the gate, I found the nest of a Rufous Hornero and stopped for a while to watch it coming and
going.
I only made it to the corner by the river before I had to return and get ready to fly home. A Red-crested Cardinal was the last bird before turning back.
Birds seen; 42
Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve covers more than 800 acres on the bank of the Rio Plata in Buenos Aires. It started as a magnificent promenade where the good people of BA could come to bathe. It lost favour as the water quality in the river deteriorated and swimming fell out of fashion. Landfill and reclamation separated the promenade from the riverbank and subsequent silting gave Nature the chance to colonise and flourish. The reclaimed area became a protected reserve and was awarded Ramsar status in 2005.
The promenade still exists, though it is now over half a mile inland. It makes a fine walk on a warm afternoon, adjacent to the Ave Int. Hernan M. Geralt. For 2kms, the wide pavement looks down on a stretch of marsh and reeds. A few years ago rains would raise the level sufficiently for open water to attract many species of duck, but the water is much reduced now. Only tiny areas at the south-eastern end remain free from reeds but are likely to silt up altogether in the future.
Two gates allow visitors
into the reserve. One can be found at each end of the promenade, but the one at
the south-eastern end (Google Earth ref; 34°36'59.71"S 58°21'18.78"W)
is the main gate by the Visitors’ Centre. The gate at the ferry terminal end of
the promenade (at Google Earth ref; 34°35'56.65"S 58°21'44.70"W) is
more of a back door and does not always open as advertised.
For more specific details of Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur and the
promenade, please refer to the posts below or follow the links;
Visit the dedicated Central and SouthAmerican Page for more posts from Buenos Aires including Reserva Ecologica doRibera Norte and Parque Tres de Febrero.
Very nice outing and great birds. I love all the photos.
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