We were staying the city of Mendoza, the provincial capital for the area. Our trip was winding down – only two days were left in Argentina so we had to make the most of them. We were up very early but still had time for breakfast in our downtown hotel. I loved the setup used to get some fresh honey for your tea – or just take a spoonful of honeycomb!
We left the hotel and picked up a local guide who gave us access to the Teltecas Forest Preserve for Flora and Fauna. On the way Marcello spotted a South American Gray Fox trotting alongside the road.
The Forest Preserve was covered in low trees and scrubs – very similar to areas we’ve visited in Texas. Here is a picture of us with one of the typical trees.
We had a terribly backlit view of one of the most interesting-looking birds we saw the entire trip. The Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper has a long, downward turning bill that reminded somebody of a scimitar (a type of sword used by people in the middle east, north Africa, and south Asia. Think of the scene in Indiana Jones/Raiders of the Lost Ark when Jones is up against a scimitar wielding Arab). I really had to play with the settings in Lightroom to get the image this good; just imagine what this bird would have looked like out in the open and with proper lighting!
Below is one of two White-fronted Woodpeckers that were chasing each other around in an apparent courtship display.
This Many-colored Chaco Finch certainly has a prominent, multi-colored beak.
I usually think of “flycatchers” as rather small birds, like the Alder Flycatcher or Pewee. This Brown-crested Flycatcher is much larger, more like the size of an American Robin.
Next stop is the Mendoza Wastewater Treatment Plant – hold your noses!
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Beautiful trip you kids are having!