20 new species for the day!  The weather forecast was gloomy:  torrential rain and thick fog.  So Alec decided we should delay our start until 9am, and then bird locally around Buenos Aires.  Alec?  That’s Alec Earnshaw, an Argentinian birder, bird guide and exceptional bird photographer (http://www.fotosaves.com.ar/index_english.html) .  We’d contacted him on our arrival in the country and he’d already given us some good tips on where to bird in the area, and Sunday was to be our day out in the country north of Buenos Aires with him.  But rain looked like stopping play.  At 8.45am Alec turned up at our hotel with the positive news that the weather wasn’t as bad as forecast so it was all systems go for a birding trip out to Ceibas.  We jumped in his car and headed off at high speed (no-one – apart from us – drives slowly here it seems!).  Two hours later we reached Ceibas, an area of remnant forest, and began birding immediately.  Before we’d even drawn to a halt, we were watching Giant Woodrail on the roadside verge.  This huge rail proved to be widespread in this area and we saw several of them charging about.  Spot-winged Pigeon quickly followed, and then two flycatchers arrived together in the trees: Suiriri Flycatcher and White-crested Tyrannulet.  Continuing down the dirt road, next up was Little Thornbird, quickly followed by Short-billed Canastero, Stripe-crowned Spinetail and Tufted Tit-Spinetail. 
By now we realised that Alec’s birding style was quite frantic as he attempted to make up the time we’d lost because of our late start. We were in and out of the car like yo-yo’s.  A quick scan, and if the bird didn’t pop up immediately, we were back in the car within seconds and on to the next site. 
A Brown Cachalote strode across the road in front of us, giving us great views of this cartoon character with his spiky crest and staring pale eyes.  A Green-barred Woodpecker fed on the ground.  We walked through an area of woodland and then out into more open country, where there had once been a lagoon.  Unfortunately the dryness that had caused problems at Costanera Sur, plagued us here once again.  No sign of water, and no sign of wetland birds.  But that didn’t stop us finding a group of rather bizarre-looking Lark-like Brushrunners, which showed off in front of us on the fence posts and bush tops. 
Further down the road a pair of Firewood-Gatherers, named for their huge stick nests which are totally out of proportion with the small size of the birds themselves, flew in and landed close by.  Next we tried for Sulphur-bearded Spinetail and were in luck as one showed very well feeding around the base of a small patch of reeds.  Also here was a gang of Long-tailed Reedfinch.
We then headed off to Otamendi Nature Reserve, an hour’s drive back in the direction of Buenos Aires.  With the light beginning to fade and the promised rain now threatening, we didn’t have long so more frenetic birding followed.  We quickly added Curve-billed Reedhaunter, Wren-like Rushbird, Chicli Spinetail, Cream-bellied Thrush, Rufous-capped Antshrike and Straight-billed Reedhaunter just as darkness fell.  A great day:  Alec was excellent company and was able to enlighten us about many aspects of life in Argentina and entertained us with his superb photographs.  We returned to Buenos Aires exhausted but very pleased with our haul of fantastically-named new birds.
Bird species total: 2665
Posted 7th July, Buenos Aires, Argentina