CHILE
II
Torres
del Paine & Tierra
del Fuego
CONDORS, PENGUINS & PUMAS
October
13
-
23,
2022
Contact [email protected] to
reserve your space!
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Condors,
Penguins and Pumas! Get
ready for a Chilean wildlife
adventure in this captivating
country widely regarded
as one of the most beautiful
countries in the world.
Stretching 2,670 miles
north to south between
the Andes and the Pacific
Ocean, Chile offers a
stunning variety of landscapes,
majestic scenery, and
abundant wildlife. As
one of South America's
most stable and prosperous
nations, Chile has so
much to see that most
wildlife tours are lengthy
and expensive. We
are taking a different
approach and have designed
an affordable tour of
a reasonable length
that highlights the best
wildlife areas of Chilean
Patagonia - Torres del
Paine and Tierra del
Fuego.
Imagine
seeing
Condors flying
above the rugged mountain
peaks of the Andes, King
Penguins “flying” in
the waters of Useless
Bay, and Pumas skulking
under the massive towers
of Torres del Paine!.
This
is your chance
to experience the wonders
of Chile!
Our
itinerary
will explore the sprawling
steppes of Tierra del
Fuego, spectacular
glaciers and fjords,
and the massive towers
of Torres del Paine.
We will immerse ourselves
in Tierra
del
Fuego,
a
stunning area of unspoiled
nature separated from
the mainland by the
Straits of Magellan
(which
we will be crossing
more
than once!). And we
will see the stunning
landscapes of Torres
del Paine and marvel
at the wildlife that
calls this park home.
Join Sunrise Birding to experience the best birding and wildlife watching in Chilean Patagonia!
Photos:
King Penguins, Useless
Bay, Chile (Photo by
Gina Nichol), Andean Condor
(Photo
by Steve Bird)
ITINERARY
Day
1, October
13 • Travel
to Santiago, Chile
Today
is a travel day. Plan to fly
to Santiago, Chile and arrive
in the morning on Day 2 to connect
with a flight to Punta
Arenas. The international airport
in Santiago is Comodoro Arturo
Merino Benítez
International Airport (Airport
code: SCL). If you wish to arrive
in Santiago a day or two early,
just let us know and we can
help with accommodation
arrangements.

Day
2, October 14 •
Fly
to Punta Arenas / Afternoon
visit San Juan Bay
Be
sure to be in Santiago
this morning. Mid-day
we
will fly to Punta Arenas,
Chile’s
southernmost city (Airport
code: PUQ) and en route,
we fly
over
seemingly
endless Patagonian icecaps,
deep fjords and the rugged
peaks of the southern
Andes.
On arrival, we will bird
by land along the
Strait
of Magellan looking for
the endangered Ruddy-headed
Goose (Photo:
Steve Bird),
Kelp
Goose,
Flying
Steamer and Patagonian
Crested Ducks, King
and
Rock Cormorant and Magellanic
Oystercatcher.
Overnight Punta Arenas
(Dinner).
Day
3, October 15 •
Boat
Trip to Magdalena Island
Penguin Colony / Drive
to Torres del Paine National
Park
This
morning we will take a boat
trip to visit Magdalena Island
in the Strait of Magellan
to see a Magellanic
Penguin (Photo:
Claudio Vidal) breeding
colony.
This
protected
area holds a huge colony
of more than
150,000 individuals. In
addition
to the penguins, there
are
several other species of
seabirds to see such as
Imperial
and Rock Cormorant, Dolphin
and Kelp Gull, Chilean
Skua
and South American Tern.
From
the boat, we may see Black-browed
Albatross, Southern Giant
Petrel, Southern Fulmar
and
other wildlife in their
natural
habitat.
Later
we will drive to one of
the
most stunning and beautiful
places on the planet,
Torres
del Paine National Park.
Along the way we will
have the opportunity to
visit some small brackish
ponds that are ideal
habitat for small flocks
of Chilean Flamingo, the
ubiquitous Upland Goose,
Red Shoveler, the scarce
Silver Teal, Chiloe Wigeon,
Black-necked Swan and
noisy groups of beautiful
Black-faced Ibis. We will
admire the changing
landscape and observe
how
the strong winds have
sculpted the vegetation
of the Patagonian steppes.
We also hope to see
Cinereous
Harrier and Black-chested
Buzzard-Eagle hovering
about
in search of prey. Chilean
Flicker, Red-breasted
Meadowlark (Photo:
Gina
Nichol), Striped
Woodpecker
and Austral Pygmy
Owl
will
be our target species
around
a patch of secondary
woodland.
We will scan the fast-flowing
rivers hoping to find
the
remarkable Torrent
Duck
and search
around some reed-fringed
lagoons to see if
we can find the
elusive
and recently
re-discovered
Austral Rail. Finally
we'll
arrive in the
heart of this enormous
and
very special
UNESCO
World Biosphere site,
where we will spend
the next two nights.
Night Torres del
Paine
(B, L, D)
Days
4 & 5,
October 16 & 17 •
Exploring
Torres del Paine – Puma
searches

Torres
del Paine National Park,
recently
voted
the
8th Wonder of the World,
features iconic
vertical
granite pillars (photo:
Gina Nichol) rising
more than 6500 feet above
the Patagonian
steppe and its azure lakes,
emerald
forests and radiant
glaciers. Torres del Paine
is indeed one of
South America's finest
national parks with unique
bird life on offer and
is perhaps the best place
in the world to see wild
Pumas.
The
Paine Massif, a magnificent
set of rugged peaks of
granite
and sedimentary rock, dominates
the landscape of Torres
del
Paine National Park. The
long-gone Indians of Patagonia
gave it the name Paine,
meaning “blue”,
presumably referring to
its
remarkable color when
observed
from a distance. The contrasting
mosaic of the towers,
glaciers,
lakes and forests will
greet
us we awake to explore
the
park.

Over
the next two days, we
will have a busy schedule
of outings to search
for pumas.
We will inspect the immediate
surroundings of our hotel
as well as the known
puma hunting grounds on
the
eastern side of the park.
This area which
includes the
northern coast of Sarmiento
Lake, Laguna Amarga and
Laguna Azul, is well
known
for holding one of the
largest concentrations
of pumas in the wild.
To see a Puma (Photo:
Steve Bird) against
this
magnificent
mountain backdrop is
a memorable
wildlife
spectacle. In the company
of
our guide and puma tracker,
we will look for pumas
at a prudent distance
and
view them with the help
of binoculars and spotting
scopes.
Puma
searches will be mainly in
the early morning. In between,
we will do some birding and
wildlife watching on the
eastern side of the park.
We’ll
look for Andean Condor, Black-chested
Buzzard Eagle, Black-necked
Swan, Chilean Flamingo, Spectacled
Duck, Magellanic Woodpecker,
Austral Parakeet, Chilean
Hawk, White-throated Treerunner,
Patagonian Sierra-Finch and
Common Diuca-Finch among
others. Two
nights Torres del Paine (B,
L, D)

Day
6, October 18 • Torres
del Paine National Park
/ Sierra
Baguales
Today
we will bird the Sierra
Baguales
range and the high desert
habitat (3000 feet). With
multicolored peaks as the
backdrop, we will likely
see Guanaco (Photo:
Gina Nichol), a camelid
native
to
South America, Darwin’s
Rhea,
and Andean Condor.
Along the road, in the
scrubby gullies, we will
look for interesting
passerines
such as Patagonian Mockingbird
and Gray-bellied Shrike-Tyrant.
As we continue exploring
this montane habitat,
we
might find the local
White-throated
Caracara, Gray-breasted
Seedsnipe, Rufous-banded
Miner, Cinnamon-bellied
and Ochre-naped Ground-tyrants,
Patagonian and Greater
Yellow
Finches and the stunning
Yellow-bridled Finch.
We
will also bird the piedmont
and sub-Antarctic Southern
Beech forests where we
will look for Thorn-tailed
Rayadito,
White-throated Treerunner,
Austral Parakeet, Austral
Blackbird and the striking
Magellanic
Woodpecker, one of the
largest in the world.
If we are lucky, we will
see the shy Andean Deer
or Huemul. Overnight
Puerto Natales (B, L,
D)
Day
7, October 19 • Pali
Aike Road / Straits of
Magellan / Tierra
del Fuego
Today
we will cross the wind-swept
steppes of mainland Patagonia
in search of several of its
specialties including Least
Seedsnipe, Tawny-throated
Dotterel, Common Miner, Band-tailed
Earthcreeper and Chocolate-vented
Tyrant. Large herds of camel-like
Guanaco should be common
and we’ll
keep an eye out for other
mammals including Southern
Gray Fox, Patagonian Hairy
Armadillo and Patagonian
Hog-nosed Skunk.
Driving
south, we will take a ferry
crossing
a narrow stretch of the Strait
of Magellan
giving us another opportunity
to see some pelagic birds
plus groups of the small,
but beautiful Commerson's
Dolphin. We will visit
the coast and search for
species such as Magellanic
Oystercatcher and also take
a look at
a breeding colony
of Rock Cormorants. Chilean
Flamingo, Upland and Ash-headed
Geese, Black-necked and Coscoroba
Swans (Photo:
Steve Bird) and Silver
Teal
are all possible sightings
along with waders such
as
Baird’s
and White-rumped Sandpipers
and Wilson’s
Phalarope at the roadside
wetlands. We will truly
enjoy
our day exploring the
beauty
of this 'big sky' open
country.
Night Porvenir (B, L,
D)
Day
8, October 20 • Tierra
del Fuego: Useless Bay
for King Penguins / Baquedano
Hills
Today
we will explore the huge
Bahía
Inútil
- Spanish for Useless
Bay - for a wealth of seabirds,
waterfowl and other shorebirds.
Though the bay was “useless” as
a port, it offers great
birding.
We will concentrate on
finding
Flightless and
Flying Steamer-Ducks (Photo:
Gina Nichol) and
Kelp Goose as well as
King, Imperial and Rock
Cormorants.
En
route, we’ll
be checking the meadows
and fields for the endangered
Ruddy-headed Goose as
well
as raptors including
Variable Hawk, Aplomado
and Peregrine Falcons.
Magellanic Great Horned
Owls nest in some of
the ravines
that we will pass by,
and
there might be a chance
of spotting this, the
largest
of the Central and South
American owls.
The
main target of our visit
to this scenic part of
the island is the only
continental King
Penguin
breeding colony (Photo:
Gina Nichol).
This
splendid species congregates
year-round on this
site
and in the past few
years
they have successfully
bred here.
On
our way back to Porvenir,
we will explore the
shrubby
slopes and moorlands
of the Baquedano Hills,
searching
for specialties such
as Rufous-chested Dotterel,
Austral Canastero, and
the
stunning White-bridled
Finch. Overnight Porvenir.
(B, L, D)
Day
9, October 21 • Laguna
de los Cisnes / Ferry
to mainland / Punta
Arenas
Today we
will visit
some alkaline lagoons and
ponds east of the village.
Our target here will be
the
local and rare Magellanic
Plover (Photo:
Steve Bird).
This enigmatic wader looks
more like a little
dove than a
shorebird
and is often seen ‘scratching’ in
the
mud with its bright pink
legs as it forages. Other
birds
of
the area should include
Two-banded Plover, Wilson’s
Phalarope, the abundant
White-rumped
Sandpiper, Short-billed
Miner
and the ubiquitous Austral
Negrito.
We
will then take a 2-hour
ferry
journey
crossing the mythic Strait
of Magellan. During the crossing
we hope to see
a variety of tubenoses such
as Black-browed Albatross,
Southern Giant Petrel, Cape
and White-chinned Petrels,
Sooty Shearwater and Magellanic
Diving Petrel. Other seabirds
possible
include Chilean
Skua, Kelp, Dolphin
and Brown-hooded Gulls
and
South American Tern. Possible
marine mammals include
the
common South American Sea
Lion and playful pods of
Peale’s
Dolphin. Overnight Punta
Arenas (B, L, D)
Day
10, October 22 • Punta
Arenas / Fly
Santiago and connecting
flights
home
Today
we transfer
to Punta Arenas airport after
breakfast. End of the trip.
(B).
Day
11, October 23• Arrival
to home airport
|
CHILE! Condors,
Penguins & Pumas
October
13
-
23,
2022
Contact [email protected] to
reserve your space! Registration Form>
TOUR
PRICE: $5295.00
per
person/double occupancy
based on 8 passengers
from Punta Arenas,
Chile (Airport code:
PUQ).
Deposit: $1000
per person. Note:
Tour deposits can be
paid by credit card
via PayPal. Use
this link to
make your credit card
payment. Please
advise [email protected]
when you have made
payment.
Single
Supplement: $695.00
per person (subject
to availability)
Included
in cost: Group
airport transfers,
private transportation
during the tour,
all accommodations,
meals beginning
with dinner on
Day 2, professional
guide services,
local guides,
local park and
reserve entrance
fees.
Not
included: Cost
does not include
roundtrip airfare
to and from
Punta Arenas,
Chile, passport/visa
fees, insurance,
departure taxes,
items of a personal
nature such
as: laundry,
telephone, beverages,
or gratuities
for porterage
or personal services. Also,
any and all
costs arising
from pandemic
or Covid-19
related issues
are not included
in the tour cost
and are the sole
responsibility
of the traveler.
These include,
among others,
the costs of
Covid treatment,
hospitalization,
medical fees,
transport, meals
and accommodation
in case of illness
or quarantine,
and the costs
of any Covid
tests needed
before, during
and after the
tour.
Transportation/Travel
Planning: You
will be responsible
for making your travel
plans to Punta Arenas. We
have a flight agent
that can help if needed.
Information will be
forthcoming about timings
for arrivals and departures.
Final
payment
is
due
May
13,
2022. Check
or
bank
transfer
are
preferred
but
credit
card
payments
are
possible
(surcharges
of
up
to
5%
are
added
depending
on
amount
to
cover
credit
card
company
fees). Please
inquire.
Please note: Tour prices are based on quoted costs from ground operators (in their local currency), estimated fuel costs, and the rate of exchange the time of itinerary publication. The erratic nature to global financial markets makes it difficult to predict changes in costs and foreign currency exchange rates over the long term. Since tours are priced well in advance of the actual operation of the tour, tour costs, fuel costs and exchange rates can change, sometimes drastically. Depending on the extent of such changes, it may be necessary to implement a surcharge on this tour. If a surcharge is necessary, every effort will be made to minimize the amount.
Cancellations
and
Refunds:
Please
review our Terms
and Conditions
of Booking (pdf
download)> prior
to registering
for this tour. All
cancellations
must be made
in writing. Please
ensure that you
take out adequate
insurance to
cover this and
any other eventuality
as early as possible.
You may have
the opportunity
to transfer your
booking to another
tour or another
person, provided
you are unavoidably
prevented from
coming on the
tour. In this
case, you will
bear any extra
costs that such
changes may incur.
There
are no refunds once the trip
is confirmed to go ahead and
no refunds will be made for
unused meals, accommodations,
or other trip features. Sunrise
Birding, LLC cannot accept liability
for airline cancellations or
delays or penalties incurred
by the purchase of non-refundable
airline tickets or other expenses
incurred by tour participants
in preparing for this tour.
TRIP
INSURANCE:
Sunrise
Birding LLC strongly recommends
that you consider purchasing a
travel protection plan to protect
you and your travel investment
against the unexpected in case
of delay, injury or illness prior
to or during a tour. Travel
protection plans can include coverage
for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption,
Emergency Medical and Emergency
Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip
Delay, Baggage Loss and Delay,
Emergency Medical Transportation,
Pre-existing Conditions, and more.
There
are
many
trip
insurers.
Here
are
two
options
to
consider:
CSA
TRAVEL
PROTECTION>
CSA
offers coverage for pre-existing
conditions if you purchase
your policy before making
your final payment for a
tour.
Please
be sure to use
Sunrise Birding's
producer code:
20201123
when
purchasing your policy. |
INSURE
MY
TRIP>
Insure
My Trip is a web site that
allows you to compare trip
insurance plans
to
find the right plan for
you. |
PLEASE
NOTE:
- Insurance
policy
requirements
vary
and
the
timing
of
your
purchase
can
affect
coverage.
Some
insurance
providers
require
that
for
coverage
of
pre-existing
conditions,
a
policy
must
be
purchased
within
7-14
days
of
booking.
Others,
like
CSA,
offer
policies
that
cover
pre-existing
conditions
as
long
as
the
policy
is
purchased
prior
to
making
your
final
payment
for
the
tour.
- Trip
insurance
policy
premiums
may
be
non-refundable,
but
they
may
be
able
to
be
amended
or
transferred.
Check
with
your
insurer.
It
is
important
to
be
sure
that
the
tour
is
sufficiently
subscribed
to
operate
before
you
purchase
trip
insurance.
- Pay
attention
to
coverages
provided
by
your
policy.
Be
aware
of
the
requirements
of
country
or
destination
can
change,
so
check
often.
Some
policies
are
now
offering
Covid
related
coverages
so
check
with
your
insurer.
- US
medical
insurance
plans
(including
Medicare)
often
do
not
provide
coverage
outside
the
US.
The
US
State
Department
strongly
advises
Americans
to
consult
with
their
medical
insurance
company
prior
to
traveling
abroad
to
confirm
whether
their
policy
applies
overseas
and
if
it
will
cover
emergency
expenses
such
as
a
medical
evacuation.
Consult
with
your
insurer
prior
to
your
trip
to
ascertain
whether
payment
will
be
made
to
the
overseas
healthcare
provider
directly
or
whether
you
will
be
reimbursed
later
for
expenses
that
you
incur.
Be
sure
to
get
and
keep
all
documentation
of
any
expenses
incurred.
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