Well, our Brazil trip finally comes to an end. There has. definitely been a Rallidae theme throughout, with a total 18 species of rail seen. First tick of the trip was a Little Wood Rail & final tick of the trip, a very confiding Rufous-sided Crake. 🪶
#BirdsSeenIn2026Piculets, a distinct sub-family of Woodpeckers, have always been a favourite of mine, so I was pleased to see a new one: Mottled Piculet in Santa Catarina, Brazil yesterday. 🪶
#BirdsSeenIn2026Now on our 3rd leg of the tour, South Brazil. One of the key targets was Canebrake Groundcreeper, which, at the 3rd site we visited for it and half an hour of hide and seek, it finally showed well. 🪶
#BirdsSeenIn2026An excellent couple of days birding Alagoas state, Brazil, with all the main targets seen. One of the key species here is the range restricted Seven-coloured Tanager which eventually showed quite well. 🪶
#BirdsSeenIn2026We have now moved on to the second leg of our Brazil trip: Alagoas. An area I missed on my previous NE Brazil trip and one with a number of rare & range restricted species & this will certainly be the rarest; Orange-bellied Antwren, with a world population of about 20 pairs! 🪶
#BirdsSeenIn2026Incredible views of a day roosting Rufous Nightjar this morning, near Caxias, Brazil. A species I've missed on a couple of trips previously, so great to finally catch up with one. 🪶
#BirdsSeenIn2026This certainly isn't the best photo of the trip, but it almost certainly will be the best bird of the trip. One of two Rufous-vented Ground-cuckoos see near Caxias, Brazil, this afternoon. 🪶
#BirdsSeenIn2026An impressive 8 species of Rallidae seen over the last two days, with today's highlight being this Yellow-breasted Crake near Arari, in Maranhao, Brazil. 🪶
#BirdsSeenIn2026And we're off. First tick the trip, Little Wood-Rail in mangroves just outside San Luis. All the better having missed this species on my NE Brazil trip a few years ago. 🪶
Couldn't resist the temptation to nip down to my old stomping ground of Westport Lake, to see the recently discovered Yellow-browed Warbler. My first visit for several years. An (old) patch & county tick. 🪶
My final birding and tick of the trip - an excellent pelagic off Valparaiso: Good numbers of the recently described Andean Storm-petrel (potential Wilsons split), but the highlight was a brief Juan Fernandez Petrel ✅. 2x Chatham Albatross were also notable.
Although there were no new birds involved, I could not resist the temptation to do a little night birding on our last night up in the Andes. Pleased we made the effort, with great views of Band-winged Nightjar & Lesser Horned Owl. 🪶
Just spent 4 nights in the Andes east of Santiago, based in Farellones, a ski resort town. Great birding & nobody around. One of the highlights has been getting great views of Crag Chilia a central Chile endemic.🪶
Finally, on our 3rd morning of trying, and as we were about to give up again - we scored on our 8th new and our final Tapaculo of the trip: White-throated Tapaculo. Chile is the place to see some of the best members of this brilliant family.🪶
My 2 most wanted species on our Chile trip were the Black-throated & Chestnut-throated Huet-huets. We had decent albeit brief sightings of Black-throated a few days ago but no photos. I was hoping Chestnut-throated would improve on this. Happily it did directly outside our lodge! 🪶
Over the past few weeks we have tried for Austral Pygmy-Owl on numerous occasions to no avail, so much so, I was starting to believe we were going to miss it completely. Today that worry was removed - well and truly removed! 🪶
A brilliant days birding around Puerto Montt, with 3 new Tapaculos in the bag. The highlight though was the night birding, with a superb Rufous-legged Owl, which eventually put in an excellent performance, after a fruitless couple of hours. 🪶
Our last full day in Patagonia, which we had set aside to hike up Mount Tarn. It did not disappoint (although my left knee would disagree), with stunning views of White-bellied Seedsnipe, by far the hardest Seedsnipe to see and which completes the family (of 4) for us.
Just spent 24 hours on Tierra del Fuego, primarily to get Short-billed Miner, for Linda to see her first King Penguins and to pick up a few seabirds on the ferry crossings. We were successful on all accounts.🪶
Just finished 3 days in the Torres del Paine National Park, in Patagonia. Both target birds seen (White-throated Caracara & Yellow-bridled Finch) and finally on our last morning - Puma 😀.🪶
A day spent catching up with our last 2 targets on our Northern section of the trip: Rufescent Flycatcher & Tschudi's Nightjar, coincidently both species which we looked for & missed in Peru last year.
A brilliant days birding in the Andean puna above San Pedro de Atacama. Nailed both my targets with a bonus (3) Puna Tinamou thanks to a tip off from @DaleHornsea . The highlight was 2 pairs of the smart Red-backed Sierra Finch with showed well after several hours of searching.
Today was another travel day, driving the 500km from Iquique to San Pedro de Atacama, through the Atacama desert. We manage to get the highly localised Tamarugo Conebill on the journey which was only described as recently as the 1970's.
Enjoyable albeit slightly disappointing pelagic off Iquique this morning. Finally caught up with Peruvian Diving-Petrel, but the highlight were the 200 or so Elliot's Storm-petrels. Only a very brief Markham's and no hoped for Ringed stormies.
Chile day 8: Today was mostly a driving day, 460kms from Putre to Iquique. We did manage an hours birding on route where we connected with the endangered and range restricted Chilean Woodstar. We were fortunate to find a female at nest.
Chile day 7: After loosing a days birding yesterday due to having to return to Arica to replace the tyre (10 hour round trip), it was great to get a full days birding in today. The highlight was a really showy pair of White-throated Earthcreepers.🪶
Chile day 5: Picked up the hire car and drove 3.5 hours up to Putre. Unfortunately we only managed 2 hours, birding before we got a puncture, needing a new tyre. We now have to return to Arica in the morning to get its sorted😡. Bird of the day: Straight-billed Earthcreeper
Chile day 4: A day spent around Arica, with no hire car due to arriving a day earlier than planned & non being available. So, we hired a taxi to take us a few miles down the coast to look for Seaside Cinclodes. Result - with 4 finally seen, after an hours searching.🪶
Chile day 3: Only managed a few hours birding as we had to return the car due to the smashed window & catch our new flight to Arica - 24 hours earlier than originally planned. But it was a great few hours birding - scoring on 2x singing Stripe-backed Bitterns.🪶
Day 2 in Chile, was not good: Attempted car break in (smashed window, nothing taken) followed by our flight north cancelled with 48 hours notice. So half the day spent sorting these issues out; booking new flights, car hire & hotel😡. Only tick of the day: Moustached Turca.
A thoroughly enjoyable first full days birding in Chile and all within 2 miles of our accommodation. My highlight was Dusky Tapaculo. Not the prettiest of species, but I always enjoy the challenge of seeing any Tapaculo well & hopefully getting a photograph.
We've arrived in Chile for our next adventure. Only managed a couple of hours birding around our accomodation at Santo Domingo, but still managed to get one of my most wanted species of the trip: Rufous-tailed Plantcutter, my third and final Plantcutter.
Went to bed last night thinking I was going down to Calshot nr Southhampton for Great-tailed Grackle, woke up this morning to find it had turned into a Boat-tailed Grackle! The bird showed really well, wild but clearly ship assisted, so destined to never be added to the UK list🤔
It's the end of our Shetland trip. Our last night was spent at Skaw, Unst my favourite Shetland location. Its the most northerly house (uninhabited) in the UK, so when we stay here we are the most northerly people on land in Britain. The birding highlight was 3 rostrata Redpoll.
We have had easterly winds on our last few days on Fetlar, but unfortunately no eastern gems🙁They did produce a number of island rarities such as Jackdaw(8)Greenfinch, Goldfinch & my 1st Island Woodcock and a late Garden Warbler. Enjoyable birding tinged with disappointment.
#ukbirdingManaged to get reasonable views of the Long-legged Leaf Warbler at Funzie this afternoon, despite the breezy conditions.
Back on Fetlar for a couple of days, where this Sibe Chiffy showed extreme well at Tresta, one of three I have seen in the last 2 days. They are always a feature of late autumn here on Shetland.
#ukbirdingFinally gave into temptation and decided to go for the Blackpoll Warbler at Haroldswick this afternoon. Glad we did as it showed really well flycatching in the afternoon sun.
#UKbirdingShetland at its best: It started at Uyeasound where I found my 3rd self found & first autumn Rosefinch, followed by a very grey-presumed Acredula Willow Warbler. On to Norwick where I had improved views of the Bluethroat I found last week and finish by finding my 3rd ever Corncrake at Skaw! 😀
Now back on Fetlar & back to very windy weather. The highlight of today’s birding was finding this very smart Redpoll in a garden at Stakkafletts.
Very pleased to get my second self-found tick of the trip, with a male Bluethroat at Norwick this morning. The photo won't win any prizes, but at least it's a record shot.
After leaving Fetlar for the W. Subalp yesterday, we decided to head up to Unst for a few days. Definitely more birds to see here than Fetlar such as my first Yellow-browed Warbler of the year but the highlight was this stunning Redpoll at Valyie.
The main aim of our trip to the Uists was to try and find American waders. The trip started with two Pec Sands, but not really what I was hoping for. Today, on our last full day here, we scored with a White-rumped Sandpiper. A self-found tick. Job done😀(full zoom digiscope)
One of the more unexpected species seen so far on our trip, has been this really smart juvenile Turtle Dove we found at Balranald a few days ago, possibly my best ever views of the species.
Today on South Uist, I rather embarrassingly / surprisingly saw only my 3rd, 4th & 5th ever British White-tailed Eagles! (previous Oxfordshire 1984 & Skye 2000). I can now happily add them to my self-found List.
Another day, another island, another Pectoral Sandpiper! This one on South Uist this afternoon & found by Linda. It showed a lot better than mine on North Uist yesterday!
A great first morning birding on North Uist, with Black Tern, 2 Little Stints & 7 Curlew Sands but the best of the bunch was my 4th self found Pectoral Sandpiper. (awful record shot attached). Enjoying my first proper birding on the Uists (only twitched here previously)
Excellent start to our Scottish trip: Stopped off on our way north to try for Eurasian Beaver, near Perth and was not disappointed, with 6 seen at dusk. A new mammal for me 😀
An excellent mornings birding on the Anglesey patch. It started with 8 Black Terns on an early morning seawatch-my highest patch count and a species I see less than annually. Followed by a Pied Fly at Hen Borth, my 4th Anglesey record, where its less than annual & my 1st for 9 years! 🪶
#BirdsinWales
