Chile – Day 7 – 19 December 2015 – Punta Arenas
This morning we left Puerto Natales early so that we could get to Punto Arenas airport and go birding on the way. It was going to be our last chance to see Flightless Steamer Duck before we set off for the Falkland Islands, so we needed to stop on coves along the coast. These ducks live on the coast.
During our journey to Punto Arenas, we saw a few different birds like Chilean Flamingo. Me, Mum and Dad took the opportunity to have a rest before our busy day.
Chilean Flamingo
Photograph taken by and copyright Rodrigo Silva, Albatross Birding Tours
We were due to be flying to The Falklands, and have a few hours of birding before boarding our boat to Antarctica.
About a mile before Punta Arenas airport, we stopped at a quiet cove. As we walked along the beach we saw a pair of Flightless Steamer Duck, which were fantastic to see; to think that they had evolved to lose their power of flight.
From here it was great to just pop up the road to catch our flight to Mount Pleasant, near Port Stanley.
Best birds of the morning:
Chilean Flamingo
Upland Goose
Flightless Steamer Duck
Dark-bellied Cinclodes
Long-tailed Meadowlark
Flightless Steamer Duck
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.