Wed, Jun 26 - In Search of the Diademed Sandpiper-Plover

We have been looking for the Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, one of the hardest birds to find in the world.  It inhabits high-elevation bogs, and we certainly have been driving by the proper habitat for days.  Bob’s research says that for reasons ornithologists have not yet determined, the Sandpiper-Plovers prefer certain bogs over others, and we haven’t searched the correct ones as yet.  E-bird said that they might be on the highway going towards Argentina.

We set off after breakfast this time due east.   Hilary drove us onto Chile Route 27, a good two lane highway that heads straight up into the mountains.  We passed several heavily-loaded car transport trucks.

  A large shipment must have arrived in Antofagasta from Toyota and they were being hauled over the Andes into Argentina.  There was no traffic coming west so it was no problem passing them.  

At 14,000’ we arrived at a pass, with a fine view of Bolivia, with an official-looking building labeled “Chile. - Aduana” (customs ) on the side road to Bolivia.  And then the road was blocked with orange cones which Hilary whipped around without hesitation leaving all the trucks parked at the side of the road. 

We continued on the empty road through high snow-streaked gravel fans.  There was no sign of life, animal or vegetable, and the snow was building up and blowing across the highway.  

After reaching our all-time record elevation of 15,800’ it seemed impossible that the birds would still be occupying the frozen wastes with the temperature reaching 23⁰ F and an enormous wind chill (despite the sunny blue skies.)  But we persisted onward and suddenly reached an area of frozen grass and ponds with some small areas of open water.  And then in a small pond right by the edge of the highway were a pair of adult Sandpiper-Plovers and one juvenile!! 

We sat there for 15 minutes and watched them and some Crested Ducks and Speckled Teals splashing and swimming around quite happily!!  Amazing!

We thought it prudent to turn back as none of the trucks had yet driven by and carefully drove back to the pass.  By then there was a very long line of large trucks parked by the side of the road (waiting to be caravanned through?) 

We whisked past the Chile Aduana building and drove down almost all the way until we came to a big jam of cars and trucks in both directions at a metal barricade.  We waited a bit and the barricade was removed by the Chilean carabineros.  Somehow we had slipped through before they closed the highway in San Pedro and bagged our birds and were home before noon!

Hilary & Caitlin by the San Pedro Church

Caitlin, Hilary and I drove into town and walked over to the central plaza to see the beautiful church that has been there since the 1500s, although rebuilt over the years.  We then shopped for family and returned to the hotel.  

Girls just Gotta Get Ice Cream!

We all wanted to take a walk and decided to drive over to the Valley of the Moon, a major geological attraction of the area.  I went in to pay our fees, and eventually figured out with my poor Spanish that they were closed ...open from 8 AM to 1 PM - except that their major feature according to the guidebooks is observing sunset from the area.  That didn’t make sense. But whatever...

We drove around and couldn’t find anywhere to walk.  There had been a flood after several days of rain last February and the San Pedro River where Katia suggested we walk, was very confusing and bulldozed in places.  Instead we searched and found a very obscure bookstore, way off the beaten track called La Libreria del Desierto and shopped there a bit before returning to the El Valle del Luna, where Bob went in and found that they are closing in the afternoon as there are too many people who want to visit - well, that made some sense, except then two buses arrived, the driver flashed some paperwork at the guards, and they whisked through!!!

Well, this didn’t make Bob very happy as you can imagine.  We eventually returned to our hotel and luckily Juan, the owner, was there and he led us through the fields out back, by a 500-year old algarrobo tree, to an area where two Burrowing Owls are nesting and we got good views.

  
Hil and I walked down the road a bit and met a flock of sheep which pushed us out of the way.  A lady followed with a burro carrying a tiny bleating lamb wrapped in a colorful blanket!

We all went back down town at 5:30, showed Bob the church and central plaza and walked to Adobe, a pleasant restaurant, open air (brrr!) with a roaring fire and picnic tables- a strange combination in this cold air, but we had a good dinner and listened to El Condor Pasa from a local band.

Llama from next door