10,000 Birds

Boring Birds of Xinjiang

Kai Pflug — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Xinjiang is an exciting place, with great landscapes, deserts, mountains, and fantastic archaeological relics that testify to its role on the old Silk Road. It also has some great birds. Unfortunately, it has quite a few rather boring ones as well. To illustrate this, I have compiled a post contrasting exciting Xinjiang landscape photos with photos of dull birds. Take the Twite. eBird somewhat disparagingly — but correctly — calls it a “stout little streaky brownish finch of open, often barren spaces. Easily overlooked.” And yes, “easily overlooked” is a euphemism for “looking boring.” Or the Booted Warbler. eBird again is not enthusiastic, for good reason: “Rather nondescript … Pot-bellied with short wings and a square-tipped tail. Can be extremely difficult to identify.” Hume’s Leaf Warbler does not fare much better: “Compact leaf warbler … greenish-gray upperparts, an indistinct crown stripe.” You can almost see the bird photographer turning away from the bird in sheer boredom. How about Cetti’s Warbler? Again, no relief from boredom. It is a “dumpy and broad-tailed warbler,” according to eBird. Try calling your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife dumpy and see what the result will be. The subsequent eBird remark — “can be quite inconspicuous in dense vegetation” — does not help either. Of course, Xinjiang also has regular bores that are not particularly distinctive to the province, such as the Common Coot. eBird describes it as a “distinctive stocky waterbird”. There are more exciting things to be called. And species such as the Mallard are boring simply because they are so easy to see. eBird calls it “generally common and familiar within its extensive range.” There is not much excitement left when the bird is practically throwing itself at you. Admittedly, I do not think the Common Myna is particularly boring. But the name does suggest that somebody, somewhere, has already made the decision for us. Finally, if you expect me to list some sparrows, such as the House Sparrow, I have to disappoint you. Sparrows are not as boring as you may think. Or perhaps they just paid me a higher bribe than the species mentioned above. Route taken on the birding trip (not by bus)

Birding Lodges of the World: Anjajavy le Lodge, Madagascar

Editor — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Which bird species do you think is the biggest attraction to visitors of your lodge? The Madagascar Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides). Majestic, rare, and endemic to Madagascar, this extraordinary bird of prey is one of the treasures of Anjajavy. Our protected area offers exceptional opportunities to observe the Madagascar Fish Eagle (photo: David Pattyn) in its natural environment, particularly during an excursion to the spectacular Moramba Bay. But perhaps what makes this encounter so special is not simply seeing the bird. It is the feeling of entering its world, quietly and respectfully, at the other end of the world. What is the name of your lodge, and since when has your lodge been operating? Our name is Anjajavy le Lodge. It all began in 2000, when Dominique Prat discovered the Anjajavy peninsula while exploring some of the most remote lands of Madagascar. Fascinated by the beauty and exceptional biodiversity of this place, he decided to create a lodge here, with a vision of integrated ecotourism dedicated to preserving this unique environment. In 2010, the Rajabali family took over Anjajavy le Lodge and continued this adventure with the same commitment to conservation, while placing an even stronger emphasis on the relationship between nature and local communities. Today, Anjajavy is much more than a place to stay. It is an invitation to travel differently: to slow down, reconnect with nature and allow ourselves to be transformed by the encounters we make along the way. African Darter (photo: Louise Jasper) How best to travel to your lodge? Anjajavy is truly at the end of the world. There is no road access to the Lodge. The most comfortable and direct way to reach us is by air, with regular flights connecting Antananarivo to Anjajavy three times a week. The flight takes approximately 1 hour 40 minutes. From our private airstrip, the journey continues through the protected area before reaching the Lodge. We believe this remoteness is part of the experience. Leaving the roads and the noise of everyday life behind prepares us for something different: a peaceful journey into a place where nature sets the pace. Madagascar Kingfisher (photo: David Pattyn) What kind of services – except for accommodation and food – does your lodge offer to visiting birders Anjajavy is a natural playground for birdwatchers and lovers of wildlife. Our guests can explore the protected area along marked trails, independently or accompanied by one of our naturalist guides. Our guides know the forest intimately and are delighted to share their knowledge and passion for the extraordinary biodiversity of Anjajavy. Day walks can be complemented by night walks, when another world awakens. We particularly recommend exploring the different habitats of Anjajavy (dry deciduous forest, mangroves, coastline and marine environments) as each ecosystem offers different opportunities for discovery. A boat excursion to Moramba Bay is especially rewarding. There, surrounded by spectacular limestone formations and ancient baobabs, guests can search for the Madagascar Fish Eagle while discovering the exceptional landscapes and wildlife of the bay. And perhaps this is the most important thing for a birder to remember at Anjajavy: We are the visitors here. The birds, lemurs, and other animals are not here to visit us. This is their home, and we are privileged to be invited into their world. Madagascar Scops Owl What makes your lodge special? At Anjajavy, we like to think that we are the ones being invited into the world of the lemurs. We are guests in their forest, in their home, in their territory. The Coquerel’s sifakas and other lemurs are not here to entertain us or to visit the Lodge. They live here. We are the ones who have the privilege of entering their world and discovering it, quietly and respectfully. This is what makes Anjajavy so special. At the end of the world, on a remote peninsula in northwestern Madagascar, far from the noise and rhythm of everyday life, nature sets the pace. The forest, the sea, the mangroves, the baobabs and the wildlife invite us to slow down, to observe, to listen and simply to be present. Anjajavy is therefore much more than a lodge or a destination. It is a journey in the truest sense of the word: a journey that takes us far away geographically, but also brings us closer to what really matters. Here, encounters are at the beginning of everything: encounters with the forest and its extraordinary biodiversity, with our guides who generously share their knowledge and love of this land, and with the communities who live alongside this protected environment. And these encounters have the power to transform us. Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher (photo: Cédric & Meryl MARTIN) What are the 10–20 most interesting birds that your lodge offers good chances to see? Anjajavy’s biodiversity inventories record more than 134 bird species, making the protected area a remarkable destination for birdwatchers and naturalists. Among the most emblematic birds to look for are: Madagascar Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides) Madagascar Crested Ibis (Lophotibis cristata) Madagascar Mannikin (Lepidopygia nana) Grey-headed Lovebird (Agapornis canus) African Darter (Anhinga rufa) Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia) Crested Coua (Coua Cristata) Madagascar Hoopoe (Upupa marginata) Madagascar Crested Drongo (Dicrurus forficatus) Madagascar Kingfisher (Corythornis vintsioides) Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher (Ceyx madagascariensis) Madagascar Scops Owl (Otus rutilus) Long-billed Tetraka (Bernieria madagascariensis) Sakalava Weaver (Ploceus sakalava) Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris souimanga) Madagascar Red Fody (Foudia madagascariensis) Among these, the Madagascar Fish Eagle, Madagascar Crested Ibis and Madagascar Red Fody are particularly emblematic of Anjajavy and are specifically highlighted in our biodiversity information. However, the most memorable encounter may not always be the rarest bird. Sometimes, it is simply the moment when we realise that we are guests in a living world that was here long before us. Madagascar Red Fody What is the best time to visit your lodge, and why? For birdwatchers, we recommend choosing the period according to the experience they are looking for. The biodiversity of Anjajavy is present throughout the year, and each season offers its own discoveries....

Birdwatching In Pench And Its Role In Conservation

a Guest — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000

By Henry Cooper Henry is a bird guide for Jungle Safari India based in Central India. His main interests are bird conservation and photography. Pench Tiger Reserve stretches across adjoining landscapes of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in central India. Situated in the southern reaches of the Satpura hills, the reserve is associated with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book and takes its name from the Pench River. On the Maharashtra side, Pench National Park was established in 1975 and received tiger reserve status in 1999. Its landscape includes teak-dominated dry deciduous forests, open grasslands, rivers and water bodies that support a variety of wildlife. Bird diversity figures for Pench vary across published sources. Maharashtra Tourism reports more than 210 recorded bird species for its description of the reserve, while the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department notes that around 325 bird species can be seen across different seasons. These figures reflect different source descriptions and should not be considered as the result of one identical survey. Winter visitors add to the region’s birdlife, particularly around suitable water habitats such as the Totladoh reservoir on the Madhya Pradesh side. Where Should You Go To Spot Different Birds? Not every place gives the same view. Some spots are best for water birds, and some are better for forest birds. Here are the places to think about. Bodanala Irrigation Tank: This water body is near the park boundary on the Madhya Pradesh side. Birds and other animals come here. Winter is a good time to go, because migratory birds may visit. Kolitmara Backwaters: These backwaters of the Pench Reservoir are on the Maharashtra side and attract water birds. A boat ride may give you a closer view, but only where boats are officially allowed. Check the local rules first. Totladoh and Pench Reservoir: The reservoir is very wide and has small islands. Water birds like these places. You may also see fish-eating eagles in the area around it. Turia and Karmajhiri Gates: These gates have nature trails outside the core forest area. They are good if you want to spend more time watching birds. Trained guides can name the birds and explain what they do. Sillari, Chorbahuli, and Surewani (Nagalwadi): These are tourism and buffer areas on the Maharashtra side. You may find permitted safaris and nature trails, depending on local arrangements. Before you go, ask which areas are open & which activities are allowed. Access, guide availability, and boat permission can change. Where you go and how long you stay both change what you see. So a small check can help you pick the place that matches your interest. Why Do Winter Months Bring More Birdwatching Opportunities? Why can two visits to the same place show different birds? Migration is one big reason. In Pench Tiger Reserve, winter migratory birds arrive between October & March. Some come from the Himalayas, Central Asia, and Europe. Think about that: some birds travel a very long way just to reach Pench. They move from place to place as temperature, season, and food change. Some birds live in Pench all year. These are resident birds. Migratory birds stay only for some months. So the birds you see in one month can be different from the birds you see in another. Try going in different months to see new birds. Water birds are the ones to look for near reservoirs and other water areas, where they find food & rest. But winter does not promise a sighting. Bird numbers & places change with weather, water levels, and other local conditions. Even in migration season, some birds are easy to find, and some are not. To plan well, ask guides which birds were seen recently. Choose a place that matches the habitat you want to see. Then give yourself enough time. If you walk slowly and stay quiet, you can notice birds you might miss. Can Birdwatching Help Protect Pench’s Wildlife? Can birdwatching aid in conservation efforts for birds? Yes, it can, but again, how this kind of tourism is managed and carried out plays a key role. Here are four examples of how it can be achieved. Jobs: A bird can help earn an individual a living. The local guides who know their way around the forest get paid for guiding tourists to spot the birds in the forest. Economic opportunities will ensure that people in the area are motivated towards the conservation of the forests. Safe routes: Nature trails allow people to explore the forest in areas that are allowed to visit. Guided walks also lower the chance of entering restricted areas or disturbing wildlife. Control of crowds: The forest department controls policies & booking procedures regarding gypsy safaris and boat rides that are allowed. This is necessary to minimize the number of visitors & noise. It is especially important during times when birds feed, rest, or nest. Awareness: When watching birds, one learns that each type of bird requires certain habitat for feeding, resting, & breeding. Such observations may contribute to increased respect for wildlife. Visitors have a duty too. Stay on approved routes, follow your guide, and keep quiet. Never go near nests, & never make birds move for a photo. Do not feed birds or disturb how they behave. Birdwatching alone cannot save Pench. The reserve also needs good habitat management and strong enforcement of wildlife laws. But when birdwatching goes together with responsible tourism & local jobs, it supports this bigger work.

Birding Conservation of the World: Vogelbescherming / BirdLife in the Netherlands

Editor — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Could you introduce your organization and the main conservation work you do? Vogelbescherming Nederland is the oldest nature conservation organization in the Netherlands. The association was founded in 1899 as a protest against the fashion of the time, which involved placing feathers and even entire stuffed birds on hats. It was widely condemned as a cruel trend. Thanks to Vogelbescherming, the Netherlands became the first country in Europe to introduce legislation protecting all native bird species, in the 1920s. Since then, Vogelbescherming has grown into an organization with approximately 150,000 members. We operate independently and were a founding partner of BirdLife International and its predecessor organization. Today, BirdLife works in around 120 countries on bird and nature conservation and is the world’s largest nature conservation partnership. Is there a particular project, species, or place you’d like to tell our readers about? Due to its geographical location and its role as a delta, the Netherlands is of great importance for migratory birds. This is especially true for the province of Zeeland and the Wadden Sea region, which is also the Netherlands’ only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many millions of birds rely on these areas every year. Improving the protection of these regions is therefore crucial to the work of Vogelbescherming. Species such as the Bar-tailed Godwit and Red Knot directly benefit from this protection. Another priority for Vogelbescherming is the conservation of birds that breed in Dutch grasslands and meadows, such as the Black-tailed Godwit, Common Redshank, and Eurasian Oystercatcher. The Netherlands is internationally important for these species. For about fifteen years now, as of 2026, Vogelbescherming has also operated an urban bird conservation programme. Even common species such as House Sparrows and European Starlings are declining in the Netherlands and require attention. Protecting the East Atlantic Flyway, the international migratory route on which the Netherlands is located, is another important part of our work. For this reason, we work closely with bird conservation organizations in Africa, providing support through advice and funding based on their needs and priorities. Many birds that breed in the Netherlands spend the winter in countries in (West) Africa. What are the biggest challenges facing birds or their habitats in the areas where you work? Intensive agriculture is the greatest threat to birds in the Netherlands. Most species on the Dutch Red List of threatened breeding birds depend on farmland habitats. Low water levels, which benefit agricultural machinery but not birds, vast monocultures of ryegrass, and mowing grass too frequently and too early for dairy farming all make it difficult for meadow birds to survive and reproduce. We are also concerned about the economic use of Natura 2000 sites. Activities such as fishing, offshore wind farms, recreation, and sand and salt extraction can put significant pressure on these protected areas. In addition, towns and cities are becoming increasingly densely developed, resulting in the loss of valuable green spaces that many bird species depend on. Could you share a recent success or a moment that shows why this work matters? Thanks in part to Vogelbescherming’s advocacy, a vast area of the North Sea has been designated as a Natura 2000 site with a strict protection regime for various seabird species. Vogelbescherming has also played an important role in making nature-inclusive building a mainstream concept in the Netherlands. As a result, many new buildings now incorporate nesting facilities for species such as House Sparrows and Common Swifts as a standard feature. Another achievement is the widespread adoption of the concept of “Basic Nature Quality” by governments, businesses, and conservation organizations. While its effectiveness will ultimately depend on implementation, the concept aims to improve and protect nature outside formally designated nature reserves as well. It also helps authorities meet the requirements of the EU Nature Restoration Law. How do local communities, volunteers, or other partners take part? Vogelbescherming works with around 700 volunteers who, for example, advise people on how to attract more birds to their gardens or take action when valuable nature areas are under threat. We also run programmes that connect volunteers from all kinds of organisations who are committed to nature conservation, while providing them with the information and tools they need to be effective. In addition, we maintain close relationships with the hundreds of local bird study and conservation groups that are active throughout the Netherlands. 6. What can people do to support your work “Everyone can do something for birds” is one of our core mottos. People can support birds by making their gardens more wildlife-friendly, volunteering their time, or contributing financially in various ways. This can be done by becoming a member, making a donation, including Vogelbescherming in a will, or investing in the conversion of conventional farmland into nature-friendly agricultural land. Are there a website or social media pages you’d like us to link to? You can follow Vogelbescherming Nederland in many ways, including on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/vogelbeschermingnederland and via our website: https://www.vogelbescherming.nl There you can find information about our conservation work, campaigns, events, and ways to support birds and nature in the Netherlands. Photos: Black-tailed Godwit (national bird)

Three Photos: Electric Cormorants

Editor — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Great Cormorant Kuitun Reclaimed Water Reservoir, Xinjiang, August 2026 Photos by Kai Pflug…

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ChirpUp, a Bird Card Game – An Interview with 10,000 Birds

Editor — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 18:01:08 +0000

An Interview with William Jemas, one of the creators of ChirpUp How did the idea for Chirp Up come about? What inspired you to combine birds and card games? The idea of Chirping Up, no doubt, came about when the earliest birds started chirping important information to the flock. The idea of publishing card games to communicate pro-bird and pro-eco information came about when my friends and I, mostly from Marvel and the NBA, started migrating our media and merchandising skills to promote positive changes. Anyone can play the online version of the game for free at chirpupgame.com, and while they play, they can’t help but see ways to help save billions of birds. And we’re donating 10% of every print run, for our inaugural edition, that’s 2,000 decks of cards (aka, “Starter Decks”), to pro-bird organizations to give or sell to their members and supporters, no strings attached. Who are the people behind Chirp Up and what are your individual backgrounds? Frank Fochetta and I ran NBA Photos, and along with digital database expert Chelsie Alvin we compiled a free-online avian art and photo gallery. Angelina Davis, Cass Womack, Denise Adams, Jody Powers, Julie Kitzes, Kathleen Telesco, Kelly Ryan, Lydia Joy, Matt Star, Stacey Lokey and Tiffany Michael contributed art for all 144 cards for the two Starter Decks in our Inaugural Edition, titled Diversity and Unity. Jeff Simons, Kathy Probe, and I designed and marketed Marvel’s mighty popular Overpower game. With help from Cass, Kelly, Matt and Stacy, Tom Marvelli (another Marvel alum), and Andrew Fishberg (our MIT PhD), we designed the Chirp Up game, and Erich (Woody) Wood, founder of digital card platforms Quid and Tibles, programmed the online version of the game. Now, Josef Katz (Kaplan Test Prep), Julia Tomesello (FIT Senior), Lisa Dolen (Penguin/Random House), and Meghan Partridge (Tibles too) are all working on sales and marketing. How did you decide on gameplay mechanics and what were the challenges? The challenge is pursuing and balancing so many aspirations. First, it must be easy to learn, because we want millions of people to play, and challenging, because great games get you thinking. But games like Go Fish and Chutes & Ladders that are easy to learn are not very challenging, while games like Magic: The Gathering and Wingspan are challenging but very hard to learn. It should be beautiful to behold, because birds are beautiful, and immersive, like popular role-playing games. But games like Chess and Go have simple rules but are not very pretty and don’t support role-playing. Meaningful, because we started Chirp Up to do some good, and profitable, because money comes in handy when you are trying to do some good. But it isn’t easy to make a game that’s a play product that makes you learn important facts. Anyway, our guiding principles turned out to be simple: you just fill natural habitats with native species; challenging: you must fight perils that kill billions of birds; beautiful, featuring amazing avian art; and fun, of course. So, Chirp Up is simple, challenging, beautiful and fun, just like birding. What threats to bird populations and to the environment do you want to highlight? Some of the causes of the horrible losses of bird populations, like outdoor cats and brightly lit picture windows, are specific to birds and needlessly result in the death of billions of birds. Others are the same causes of the increasingly horrible losses of human populations: pesticides, herbicides, plastics and other toxins in our air, water, and food, along with deforestation, desertification, and climate catastrophes. IMO, these are all symptoms of the same sickness: collectively, people don’t know and care enough because our deranged modern media fills our bubbles with fear, fluff, and nonsense. So, we’re publishing games designed to inject important information into our bubbles as we play. Who do you see as the main audience? Audience targeting is the flip side of game design. For this game to matter, to make meaningful change, we need millions of players, and we need to make and deploy millions of dollars. For that, we need to reach multiple targets, and that means risking diluting and dispersing our marketing so much that we miss all of them. With fingers crossed, here’s the plan. We have a wide-open funnel; in addition to the 2,000 free Starter Decks for pro-bird organizations, we’re making the online version free for all to play. We are running a Kickstarter campaign to raise enough money to manufacture and market many more Starter Decks. And, of course, we’re working with birding and gaming specialty distributors and maneuvering through various corporate labyrinths to get to mass-market buyers. Why create two decks, Diversity and Unity? How did the Unity concept, three artists interpreting one species, come about? With two decks, players can mix, match and stack custom decks. Gamers love to do that. My team started commissioning three artists to draw one character back around 1995 when we were publishing Marvel Masterpiece Trading Cards. Fans loved it. Have you noticed any overlap between birding and tabletop gaming? Wingspan, the board game, the 400-pound ostrich in the room, sold 2.6 million copies, generating more than $100 million in retail sales and still going strong. But Wingspan costs $65, with rules that take 45 minutes to read. Chirp Up costs $8, and our instructions take 5 minutes. Moreover, for many players, in many ways Chirp Up is more fun and more challenging. What are your plans for expansion decks? Of course, I’m excited about our 10,000 Birds game, featuring your beautiful bird photos and focusing on your pro-bird messaging. We’re also ready to publish three more Starter Decks: one, Living Colors, featuring photos from Seth Barr, another amazing avian photographer, and two featuring Audubon’s classic illustrations. And, of course, I’m hoping your subscribers and contributors will follow our preliminary campaign on Kickstarter. That would be helpful, even if they don’t end up purchasing anything. If Chirp Up inspires someone to pay more attention to...

Timeo Danaos et Dona Ferentes?

Peter — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 11:00:26 +0000

Do we need to fear the Greeks as Virgil suggested in the Aeneid? Do we need to dread the gifts they bring? The answer is the same as usual, naturally. We don’t care! Because we are here for birding. Birders visiting Corfu start their report with “I was on Corfu for holidays but decided to do some birding“, followed by a detailed day-by-day account of how the family was left behind. Nothing out of the ordinary and my case should not have been much different. We were on the island for a friend’s wedding anniversary which coincided with his wife’s, so two reasons to go. I am telling you this because the reasons for our trip made us stay in the southern half of the island which is less attractive for birds (and very attractive for cats). My wife’s Greek from her dad’s side and the family emigrated from the Ionian islands more than a century ago (and you thought Odysseus took his time getting home…) so the trip and report would have been biased towards the people aspects, not the avian, even if birds had shown up. The island is lush and green. We witnessed some intense rainstorms (apparently not uncommon in September). The holidaying crowd consisted of Gen X-ers reliving their youth when they would rent a scooter and ride around without a helmet (a clever scheme by the Greeks to generate donor organs). I kept my shirt on and rented a car. I also do not sport tattoos depicting faux-wise statements as “eat love prey” or items from a Chinese restaurant menu or worse. We explored the island thoroughly. We saw Beech Marten and a lot of good habitats, but the bird count stayed low. The southern tip has salt pans, which in Portugal would have been brimming with birds, but despite the beautifully restored visitor centre: nothing but Great White Egret and Great Cormorant. My total count of Yellow-legged Gull sightings in a week did not even reach double digits. Reading the trip reports, my suggestion to any visiting birder would be to stay in the north and bird the higher areas. I didn’t and dipped on the Western Rock Nuthatch. Fortunately, the 10000birds archive had a nice picture. Highlights for me were the very pretty Eurasian Jay (Corfu version), the plentiful Spotted Flycatcher and Greek-sounding Sardinian Warbler. Greek-sounding, because they sang a different song than the Portuguese warblers I am used to. Sirtaki Warblers, perhaps?

Birding Humauaca and Abra Pampa – Northern Argentina Trip Report

Renato — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000

This post is republished in our “From the Archives” series, featuring highlights of our vast back catalogue of more than 10,000 birding-related posts published over the last 15 years or so. Originally published on October 22, 2013. Continued from: Potrero de Yala – Yungas forest and birds As we headed north of the Yala Biosphere the lush forest quickly disappeared and the dry valleys returned as we started climbing through the countryside toward Abra Pampa. On the way up we had chosen a couple of good birding areas to stop but as always our limited time did not allow for proper exploration. The renown Quebrada of Humauca is a long valley formed by the Rio Grande and has been named a World Heritage site by UNESCO because the Tilcara and Maimara cultures that lived in this valley for more than 10,000 years. There are a lot of historical sites but we limited ourselves to the roadside sites. Our first stop was to look at Maimara a very picturesque county settlement at the foothills of colorful the mountains (Painter Pallete) with an notorious cemetery. Maimara Cementry and Painters Pallete Next we stopped at town of Humahuaca and drove around its tiny streets filled with typical adobe homes. We searched a bit on the east side of town sand found some birds at the edge of town. Balck-chinned Siskin, Greater Yellow Finch, Patagonian Mockingbird, Picuy Ground-Dove, Plain-colored Seedeater, and Saffron Yellow-Finch. Greater Yellow-Finch We probably should have planned a night here or at Maimara so we could explore a bit more this picturesque valley and maybe do a trip to the Saltflats to the east. We continued to the slow climb to AbraPampa and finally reached El Huancar lake just before the town of Abra Pammpa. The wind was strong and the cold air kept us from exploring too far but we managed some great views of Puna Teal, Crested Duck, Giant Coot, and Lake Duck. Puna Teal Crested Duck Giant Coot We continued north past the town of Abra Pampa and stopped at the GPS coordinates for the Rontuyoc. There was wire fence door and we took it down so we could drive into a grass field where the tires have made the double track that lead to lake. At the distance we could see a large body of water so we drove in our small car while the grass burned below our seats when it contacted the muffler. We reached another wire fence and we could not drive any further, we could now see flamingos and ducks at the lake. We approached the lake by foot past some large cows and bulls that kept an eye on us. We were a bit nervous but the animals did not approach us so we continued to a place where we setup scope and took some pictures. There were two beautiful white and black birds that waded the water. Finally we were looking for the first time at the Andean Avocets! Andean Avocets Andean Avocet There were also Chilean Flamingos and Puna Flamingos feeding a bit further but it was close enough to appreciated them for the first time. Puna Flamingos! Runtuyoc is a large body but there is very little public access, and this is the only place we could find to get close to the lake. many other water birds were present which included Puna Teal, Crested Duck, Giant Coot, Lake Duck, and Puna Ibis. That is all we could see from our perch so we drove to explore the road toward lake Pozuelos to which we would drive at dawn. This was a good idea and picked up a couple more interesting birds: Andean Goose and Andean Flamingo. Juvenile Andean Flamingos (I think!) After another exiting day we were getting a headache form the high altitude and cold weather. We stopped at a local store and got some supplies for the next day and some coca leaves. To be continued… Laguna Pozuelos