About this blog . . . .

In the introduction to his book, PATAGONIA - At the Bottom of the World, Dick Lutz wrote: "Patagonia is a region, not a country. It spans the southern third of Chile and Argentina, stretching between the Pacific and the Atlantic roughly from Puerto Montt, Chile and Peninsula Valdes, Argentina south [until] it meets the famous waterways of the Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, and Drake Passage (or Drake Strait). The northern limit of Patagonia is ill-defined, while the border between Chile and Argentina divides the region." Patagonia is sparsely populated, so much so that in 1991 the Hudson volcano erupted and no human was injured, even though this eruption was larger than that of Mt. St. Helens in 1980.
Ivan and I have been eyeing this area for a visit for quite some time. The possibility is great that we will see penguins, guanacos, Steamer Ducks (Flightless as well as Flying!), as well as many dozens of other remarkable animals and birds, to say nothing of the insects, reptiles, mountains. I'd better stop here. Writing these blogs has been a source of much pleasure for me, so if you follow us on our trip, my hope is that you will learn something about this unusual place, and will have a bit of fun reading of our adventures and, in some cases, misadventures!
REMEMBER TO READ FROM THE BOTTOM UP! The latest post will be at the top of the page, with earlier posts below it.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Dec. 8 - A Continuing Day of Amazement and Delight

Ok, let's see, we had just finished watching the grebes, ducks and coots on the smaller lagoon at Laguna Azul. We decided to have our lunch here and found a dead-looking tree sort of near the water which had a fallen log near it. We decided to sit on the log and eat while watching the birds on the big lake. No sooner had I started in on my sandwich than I saw a flash of falcon, seeming to emerge from the tree itself and land in the a low branch. Everyone else had seen this too and we were delighted to see a female American Kestrel sitting on the branch, gazing at us with what seemed to be a fair degree of displeasure. The bird was only about 20' from us! I got up slowly and walked in a large circle around to the lake side of the tree and saw a big hole in the trunk. As I was announcing this to the others, we heard a high-pitched shriek and watched in wonder as a male Kestrel arrived with something in his beak. He gave it to the female and flew away. Ivan managed this wonderful photo:
American Kestrel (female)
Once the female had the lizard, we thought we heard what sounded like chicks in the nest cavity. We decided to finish our lunches quickly so we didn't bring any more disturbance to this little family.
This lake and its inhabitants really seemed like a magical area, but we had places to go and FFCs to see! So, off we went!
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