Call Me A `Jammy Git`

I had no intention of putting the alarm on last night, but nevertheless I was still up at 05-30 and on the coach to Guayaquil by 06-00. I say 'coach' because that's what it was, not a sign of a 'chicken' and to prove it this vehicle had suspension. Literally as I bordered we took off, my hope being to make some progress towards Galapagos, but this simply turned out to be one of those days when everything fell into place. I had been advised on fares and prices and paid just the $3 I had been told for the 2 and a half hour drive, and the same with the taxi from bus station to the airport, again the $3 suggested. Once there I found the Tame Air ticket desk, where they were sure there would be no chance of a flight today as being Sunday there was only one flight, plus already the 'standby queue' was 30 strong. Sent to the check-in desk to find out, I made a point of telling them I was travelling solo, as most of those waiting seemed at least to be in couples. Sure enough the lady made a phone call, finding just a single seat vacante. I couldn't believe my luck, but there was more to come. I had considered booking 'on-line' before I left UK but with a flexible itinerary and a stiff price thought better of it. Even then the best offer was 320 POUNDS, so when Tame wanted 300 DOLLARS I was overjoyed. Add to that a wander over to the VIP check-in to ask what I should do next (and acting a little `green`), the chap kindly did the business saving me a wait in the queue. So, could it get any better, yes it did when I got on the plane found I had been seated Club. Now, as the `Cattle Class Kid I have never sat fw`d of the wings before so felt a little queasy, tee hee.

An excellent flight over a cloudy Pacific but within the 2 hours we landed at Baltra, a small island off of the 'capital' island Santa Cruz, at what used to be a US Air Force Base. So far there had been no 'take off your boots, 'creams in a seperate plastic bag', no more than 100mils etc, and here on the island it was much the same. I already had my visa and a security clearance so none of the palaver of more searches, so straight out into the warm sunshine. Things then progressed exactly the same as when Mike (Hughes) and I visited some years ago, with a short bus ride to the 'Canal', a small ferry across then another bus for the 1 hour trip to Puerto Ayora, the town designated as 'Capital' of The Galapagos.

First job was to check out some of the cruises, and as it had already been such a poor season there was some bargaining power to be had. Fortunately, I bumped into a local birder who (unfortunately leaving for San Christobel) put me right with some suggestions. The office we used last time was no longer there so I headed for the Castro Hotel, which was there, remembering Mike and I had paid $25 per night then, plus $1 for breakfast. This time they started at $48, at which I made to walk off. They came down a bit, and finally I made a deal for 7 nights at $27 including bacon and eggs? Booked in, case in room, camera and bins in place it was time to start the days `work`.

I followed a well trodden path and straight away found a few Small Ground Finch (part of the group collectively known as Darwin`s Finches) a Great Blue Heron, a few Noddies (still to be ID`d) and a brilliant Yellow Warbler which escaped the lens. Further down the road I encountered the first Marine Iguanas and Sealions, both lounging on the pavement, and the first glimps of a Lava Gull. I noted where it landed and made a B-line and had to negociate a fore-shore of lava bolders to get at it. Closing in I rattled off a good number of shots, before noticing a man lying on the lava. Thinking he was drunk and asleep I got nearer only to realise he was dead. I spent the rest of the afternoon (about half an hour in truth) helping the police with their enquiries.

Well, life`s never dull around here is it? So standby for another instalment manana. Hope the photies are OK as it has been a bit of a rush, I promised myself not to rush!

Lava Gull, I decided to leave the Best till First, look at this little beauty, another addition to the Gull archive. I hope I`m wrong, but the last time I stood in the place where this image was take, half the estimated world population of the Gull were on the beach. Today there were just 3 I really hope the others turn up tomorrow.

Medium Ground Finch (male)

Medium Ground Finch (female)

Look out lads here comes a Whimbrel. The Waders methodically jolt the clump claw off, followed by the secondary then the other 6 and swallow the bodies whole. Quite an avian sight!

Galapagos Mockingbird

Great Blue Heron - about the only thing around here the`re not trying to turn into an endemic.

and talking of dinner, I think it might be Crayfish.

Small Ground Finch (male)

Small Ground Finch (female)

I really cocked their Sunday afternoon up didn`t I. Police and others at the scene.

New for Ecuador?? That Would Be Nice!

It was a little further afield today, in fact a 45 minute taxi ride to the Salt Pans at Pacoa, to the north-east of Salinas. Again in the company of Benito Haas and his trainee, Marine Biology student Victor Vera, they were bound for some survey work while I was invited along for the ride. Unlike yesterday, the full cloud cover soon disapated, so by 09-00 we were looking at 80F+ and in the arid heart of the pans it was hot. However, all the birding wasn't restricted to that area as at 06-30 we took a look at some scrub land, on the way, where we found a scarce visitor to these parts, Ornate Hawk-Eagle. The fist stop on the survey was at a small estuary, where they went off to count Gulls while my attention was attracted to a small group of passerines in someone's back garden. There I found, what I now know to be Parrot-billed Seedeater, but they were all too flighty not allowing a photo. As we moved on from this site, more of the same were seen in a sea-side bush and this time a few average shots were obtained.

Soon we were at the small village of San Pablo, where more counting was envisaged, but that was until up ahead in a small flock of Laughing Gulls we found a large 'White-winged' Gull. Bearing in mind no White-wing of any description has ever been recorded in Ecuador (or maybe even South America for that matter) it raised each of our heart rates a little. Seemingly undisturbed by our pescence, a number of photographs were taken along with detailed descriptions. My first reaction was Glaucous Gull, but looking through my archive photographs later in the day, I have somewhat changed my mind to Glaucous-winged Gull. It is intended to submit this important find to the relevant authority, but before going firm I'd like the opinion of any of you who might venture a suggestion or support! It is thought important enough to get this record away as soon as possible so, after looking at the series of photos below, I would very much value any thoughts on this fantastic Gull. I haven't given up on it being a 'hybrid' yet either?

That, I can tell you, sufficiently put the cat among the pigeons to stall any thoughts of further counts and apart from discussing it endlessly we simply dropped into ordinary birding mode. The Salt Pans by this time were seriously hot, so of what would have been 'foot work' was done by car, we just covered what looked like potential bird areas by foot as were thought fit. By mid-day it's true to say we had all had enough, and unanimously decided to head back to town. In addition to the birds mentioned above, we also added Red-faced Parrot, Tropical Kingbird, House Sparrow, Wilson's (Large-billed) Plover, Black-crowned Night-Heron and American Kestrel to our 2 days list, giving a grand total of 62 species.

I'm moving on tomorrow and hope to be on Galapagos in the next few days, depending on flights from Guayaquil the largest city and main sea port of Ecuador.

Trip and Life Additions

ORNATE HAWK-EAGLE*
PARROT-BILLED SEEDEATER*
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL (pending verification)

Trip Ticks - 754 Lifers - 515 Endemics - 44

All figures are subject to adjustment!

American Oystercatcher

Laughing Gull

Western Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper, with Semipalmated Sandpiper behind for comparison.

Parrot-billed Seedeater

Black-'necked' Stilt

Kelp Gull

Kelp Gull again

White-cheeked Pintail - always distant and nervy.

Semipalmated Plover

A few images for anyone who might be able to confirm the identity of this Gull. Any comments or ideas would be most welcome, best via e-Mail captbagsy@waitrose.com or you are able to add a COMMENT on this Blog. A swift reply would be appreciated as I hope to submit an early description along with these photographs. Thank you in anticipation.

At the moment I'm going for Glaucous-winged Gull but your help will be most welcome.

Known As the Salt of the Earth

This 'Post' comes at exactly the halfway point of the Tour
Seven weeks done, Seven weeks to go!

The Ecuasal Salt Lakes just outside of Salinas (15 minute drive from my hostel) cover some 500 acres, and were created by man to commercialise the extraction of salt. Seawater is pumped into evaporation pools by a tube system, where the sun is left to do its work. The saline solution is then run into crystallization ponds where, when most moisture is extracted, the raw salt is harvested before being sent to the 'on site' factory. Here it is processed by the addition of iodine, making it safe for human consumption. Bagged, labeled and weighed it is then carted away by lorries for sale. On the northern periphery, freelance salt producers have their own small, modest pans for which they pay the government about $10 for the use of the land. Once Peruvian Thick-knee roamed this area but production has put paid to them, and if you look to the east leveling has already begun as a base for more urbanisation.

To this foreboding looking area is where Benito Haas brought me at 06-00 this morning, and on first sight it looks nothing more than a wasteland, but the bird life within can only be described as amasing. For 5 hours we walk around the site, during which time we recorded 52 species several new for the trip and one addition to the life list. I had expressed a wish to see Surfbird and Black Turnstone if at all possible, with the latter being off the schedule only usually migrating as far south as Mexico. However, we drove the Ocean Road searching the tide line rocks, but it was not to be so continued to the pans. Grey-hooded Gull was a prized sighting, as although not new to me it did give an opportunity to get photographs. By the same token Wilson's Phalarope, Snowy Plover and Royal Tern were most welcome, and as we crossed yet another of the labyrinth of 'bunds' there before us were about two dozen Surfbirds. In addition, I cleared up a fairly big mistake I made last week, while in Puerto Lopez, when identifying what I thought were Peruvian Pelicans. Even though I had seen this species before I still managed to cock it up, as they were in fact 'Brown Pelican'. Once reintroduced to this 'monster' together with their 'Brown' cousin, it seems almost impossible that such a mistake could be made. This has been Benito's patch for 22 years, and even though there was something for him here today. Only ever having recorded Southern Rough-winged Swallow during a single month of the year, December, the 3 present today were a 'month tick' for him, over which he got quite excited.

The Ecuasal Salt Pans are 'Private Property' but doubt there would be much difficulty in gaining access.

Today's additions to the Lists include:-

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER
SANDERLING
WHITE-CHEEKED PINTAIL
GREY-HOODED GULL
COMMON TERN
BROWN PELICAN
KELP GULL
STILT SANDPIPER
SURFBIRD*
CHILEAN FLAMINGO

Trip Ticks - 751 Lifers - 513 Endemics - 44

All figures are subject to adjustment!

Benito Haas

Surfbirds among more familiar suspects - wish I'd taken this at Ferry Bridge.

Franklin's Gull (adult winter, there were a couple just starting to show 'pinkish').

Neotropic Cormorants with Brown and Peruvian Pelicans for comparison.

Grey-hooded Gull at sea.

Grey Hooded Gull airborne.

Greater Yellowlegs

and something just a little more familiar to some (Sandwich Tern).

Least Sandpiper, probably the most common bird on site.

Snowy Plover - what a little cracker?

Stilt Sandpipers

A few for you to sort out!

Privateers tending their 'pans'.

Tricoloured Heron

A trio of Wilson's Phalarope.

A Chilean Flamingo

A few Chilean Flamingos.

Down At The Borderline

Today was another transit day, meaning no birding so consequently no additions to the list. However, there has been some adjustment as I'm in the process of methodically plodding through the Field Guide, comparing records against the list. Already I have had to make 7 deductions from the Life List, not because of misidentification but because for some reason each had been entered twice. No wonder he's done so well I hear you say, but feel sure there will be more to follow. Overnight there had been torrential rain, which has at least one positive side and that is it keeps the road dust down. My plan was to catch the 06-30 'chicken' from Puerto Lopez to La Libertad via Jipijapa, then onward to Salinas. I arrived here, the final lap of 5Km, by 'pirate taxi' which I shared with a local man with a view to finding the Whale Museum or The Oyster Bar both of which are owned by Benito Haas, an ex-pat Dutch birder. After a number of de-tours (the driver didn't have a clue) we were advised the museum was at the Air Force Base, which it was, but not the one I wanted. Another tour of the town and more inquiries, we finally found it some 3Km away, but closed. Back to town I simply got the cabbie to drop me at a roadside cafe, where I had breakfast, made more inquiries and booked into a seafront hotel. At the hotel they seemed to have some idea about the Oyster Bar, but at mid-day there seemed little point in pursuing it, everyone gets their head down at noon, hence the work on the bird list.

Late afternoon I set out to find Benito, and by a sheer stroke of luck located him at his Whale Museum, which was in fact the second we found this morning. In his 50th year and most willing to help, we have set up a meeting at 06-00 tomorrow when he will give me a tour of the nearby Salt Flats. He has tempted me by saying there are 2 unusual species there at the moment but will not divulge, so it'll be worth waiting for. After our chat he showed me around the Whale museum, which is now in fact defunct. With little time to tend it and a mountain of exhibits he says he'll never get round to cataloging he has asked the local authority to take possession of all his specimens.

On the way to his place I walked the beach and found there many of the sea-birds seen in Lopez, but in far fewer numbers. However, there was one stroke of luck as a group of about 20 Parrots flew high over-head and then plummeted as if landing. A little back-tracking found them in a tree, in a small town park, and via the Field Guide identified as Red-faced Amazon, the 'lifer' for the day. Hope I can report more tomorrow.

This is Salinas in the extreme South West corner of Ecuador, from here it's just a short swim to Peru.

Humpbacked Whale skeleton

Mellon-headed Whale (rarely seen in the wild)

Pygmy Killer Whale (the rarest of the Orca's I was told)

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Willet