Chile Day 6 – 18 December 2015 – Torres del Paine
Today we woke up in the most beautiful of locations, Torres del Paine National Park. Stunningly, snow-capped granite mountains and turquoise fjords made this place really awesome.
First was a drive to try for Austral Rail, keeping our eyes peeled for Puma, with no apparent luck. Then suddenly Rodrigo saw a Japanese birder he knew filming up on the hillside above the road. He stopped to see if they were looking at anything interesting. Within 30 seconds we were clambering up the steep slope and then being rewarded by two Puma not far from us, which we watched for about an hour. This park is the only reliable place in the world for Puma but is still rarely seen.
Puma, Torres del Paine, Chile
Photograph taken by and copyright Rodrigo Silva of Albatross Birding Tours
Puma
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig
We spent the rest of the day birding in this beautiful National Park, surrounded by glaciers. We felt really high up but most of the time we were only at 500 metres, with the tops if the glaciers being at 2500 metres.
Torres del Paine, Chile
Photo taken by Rodrigo Silva of Albatross Birding Tours
Torres del Paine, Chile
Photo taken by Rodrigo Silva of Albatross Birding Tours
After a full day of birding, we travelled back to Puerto Natales for the night. It had been another long day but a brilliant one. Puma, nothing can be better here.
Torres del Paine NP, Chile
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig
Best birds and animals of the day:
Great Shrike Tyrant
Spectacled Duck
Austral Rail
Yellow-bridled Finch
2 Puma
About The Author
Hi, I’m Dr. Mya-Rose Craig. I am a 19-year-old prominent British-Bangladeshi ornithologist, environmentalist, diversity activist as well as an author, speaker and broadcaster. At age 11 I started the popular blog Birdgirl, and at age 17 I became the youngest person to see half of the birds in the world.
Lyrical, poignant and insightful.’ - Margaret Atwood
This is my story; a journey defined by my love for these extraordinary creatures. Because large or small, brown, patterned or jewelled, there is something about birds that makes us, even for just moments at a time, lift our eyes away from our lives and up to the skies.
Lyrical, poignant and insightful.’ - Margaret Atwood
This is my story; a journey defined by my love for these extraordinary creatures. Because large or small, brown, patterned or jewelled, there is something about birds that makes us, even for just moments at a time, lift our eyes away from our lives and up to the skies.