News - October 2013
| Big picture of all the birds during October 2013 | ||||
 Yellow-chevroned Parakeet |
 Southern Caracara |
 Narrow-billed Woodcreeper |
 Ringed Teal M |
 Ringed Teal F |
 Saffron Finch M |
 Hooded Siskin F |
 Hooded Siskin M |
 Wattled Jacana |
 Yellow-browed Tyrantand many more here |
Among rock pigeons
| Tadpoles at coypu Pond | |
 © Gustavo F. Brahamian |
 © Gustavo F. Brahamian |
The three saltators  See differences |
A new family. This time a silver teal family
In flight or with open wings the big circular white spot is very conspicuous in the speculum
The differences between the male and the female of the Silver Teal are so subtle that they are considered a monomorphic species in guides. To begin with there is size, the male is bigger than the female, which is difficult to appreciate. It is easier to use differences in color or in pattern. Colour of bill strongly coloured in the male, paler in the female. The barred pattern of the male tail is finer than that of the female. The feathers on the flanks begin with a scaly pattern creamy and black and end in a barred one white and black in the male. In the female the pattern follows the same colours but all of it is scaly.
Partial view of the Coypu Pond from the Lizard Path  © Amelia Besana |
A female lapping up at lantana Lantana camara
The Yellow-chevroned Parakeet belongs in the Psittacid Family, which comprises macaws, parrots and parakeets. This is the smallest psittacid (23 cm) which has frequented Costanera up to now. Records are scattered throughout the year without a definite seasonal pattern. It is associated to the silk floss tree <em>Chorisia speciosa</em>, the fruits of which are torn with the bill to extract the seed. The fruit is big like an avocado. It is 15 cm and hangs, which makes the parakeet pirouette to reach the seed. The fruit has a woody shell and is stuffed with silk fibers. This parakeet perforates it and separates the fiber to get the seed. In the photo the woody shell has recently come off since the fibers still keep the form of the fruit and it has not broken apart yet. Inside it plenty of seeds are found. The seed is black and half centimeter in diameter. The peel is discarded.
Luis and Viviana were the first to spot this bird. Photos were taken from the Lizard Path and the outer sidewalk at the Viamonte end
This male duck was sleeping nexto to female rosy-billed pochards. When it woke up we realized it was a male black-headed duck
Seen at Canal Viamonte
Seen at Canal Viamonte
| Flowers and their touch of colour | |
| Cock spur tree Erythrina crista-galli  © Germán A Etcheverry |
Cock spur tree Erythrina crista-galli  © Gustavo F Brahamian |
| Passion flower Passiflora coerulea  © Germán A Etcheverry |
Wild mallow Abutilon pauciflorum  © Germán A Etcheverry |
| Lantana Lantana camara  © Germán A Etcheverry |
Lantana Lantana camara  © Gustavo F Brahamian |
| Silk floss tree Chorisia speciosa  Opened fruit © Gustavo F Brahamian |
Tree tobacco Nicotiana glauca  © Gustavo F Brahamian |
| Lantana megapotamica  © Gustavo F Brahamian |
Spanish broom Spartium junceum  © Gustavo F Brahamian |
| Spanish broom Spartium junceum  © Germán A Etcheverry |
Black Locust Robinia pseudoacacia  © Germán A Etcheverry |
| Austral elder Sambucus australis  © Germán A Etcheverry |
Austral elder Sambucus australis  © Gustavo F Brahamian |
Julián, a birdwatcher from Berisso, photographed this female mourning sierra-finch during his walk around Costanera. This sierra-finch comes here in winter.
Courtship
We saw this juvenile caracara at the Viamonte Access at about 8:30. It was being attacked by two guira cuckoos and showed no reaction at all. It flew some meters away and perched on a tree at two meters high. We took some photos. And so we did when we found it at 12:30 hs on another tree and at 5:30 in the nearby sanitaries walking most calmly. At first we thought it was ill but it seems this is the behaviour of juveniles. Its parents were very near and there were remnants of a pigeon scattered on the ground. Personnel from the Rehab Center were keeping an eye on it to see whether it was feeding well.
We were on the southern side of the Coypu Pond, next to the Brasil Access when Ignacio Graciá spotted this grebe eating such a big frog. In a twinkling of an eye it put it right and swallowed it. The sequence, though photos were taken from fat, is impressive
Comparison among the bird surveys from 20/10/2012 and 5/10/2013 organized by the COARECS With this fourth survey we can compare and analyze the data obtained during one year (October 2012-October 2013). The surveys have followed the same pattern. A survey is divided into 5 routes covering all the paths which are surveyed at the same time during the morning. There is a provisional count at midday and those who still want to may go on during the rest of the day to add more species. In October 2012 there was a nocturnal visit which was also included in the list. Unluckily this was not repeated in October 2013. Expectations for this survey were huge due to the works done at the Coypu Pond to inject water from the river. In fact, this attracted several water birds which did not stay long with the exception of yellow-billed teals which already formed two families one at each end of the pond and teh Southern lapwing which is also nesting. The works are very recent and the dynamic of the ecosystem is still to be recovered. Only the water is not enough. But judging by the initial results there is no doubt that the works have been successful and that the activity will back both in number of species as number of individuals as it once was. February will be our next challenge. The general result was 12 species more for 2013 (109-121). But the big difference was 15 species more of non-passeriformes (45-60), most of which were waterbirds. The jewel, the lesser yellowlegs. Instead three species less of Passeriformes were observed compared to last year (64-61). The absentees, some summer visitors which have not arrived yet. The gem, the diademed tanager which had not been seen for a very long time.   |
This phalarope nests in the Northern Hemisphere and migrates south to spend the austral summer. When they arrive here in general they are in non-breeding plumage which is grey to the upperparts and white to the underparts. Nevertheless, there may be individuals showing traces of nuptial plumage. For example, we can see a still conspicuous line which runs down the eye along the side of the neck and the plumage presents rufous colouring on the back.
Matching the flowers of a Roman cassie Acacia caven
Eating loquat Eriobotrya japonica
Juvenile
Viamonte's family
| Survey on the 5th of October 2013 organized by the COARECS 121 species were counted. With this fourth survey by the COARECS a year is completed. The recovery of water in the Coypu Pond attracted a lot of "old" species of water birds which have settled yet. That's way several were absent on Saturday. But there is a promising future which, I have no doubt, will catch up with the "wet" days. It is a matter of time. | |
 Non passeriformes  Passeriformes |
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 All the voluntaries who took part in the census day  Circuit 2  Circuit 3  Circuit 4 |
Seen on the coast of the river at the meeting point
At the Coypu Pond
At Canal Carlota Roberts (former Canal sudeste),
Seen at Canal Carlota Roberts (former Canal sudeste)
Seen near the coast at Viamonte end
Eating a frog
Male at tree tobacco Nicotiana glauca
Lapwings build rudimentary nests on bare ground or short vegetation. Just a scrape lined with plant material. They lay three or four eggs which will hatch within approximately a month.They look after the nest very vigilantly. When they feel threatened they are either attack the intruder flying low with their menacing spurs or divert the observer's attention to another place.
A boreal migrant which ravels from the Northern Hemisphere till Tierra del Fuego along the Andes. Some minor groups deviate and arrive in Buenos Aires. Before it was common to see them in the ponds. This only individual at Coypu Pond is certainly one of first to arrive.
