THE HOUSE BUNTING

August has been a month of changes. My last days in Spain involved beach terns and waders. Moving to Argentina, both visiting the yungas and living in Patagonia brought a whole new set of birds.

A montane creek within the yungas cloud forest north of Salta is home to the mega rufous-throated dipper, which provided great views. Torrent ducks, Andean condors and endemic brushfinches also obliged.

My first time birding in the Neotropics involved a couple of hours walking the grasslands around Viru Viru Airport in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, featuring grasping looks at nothuras, tinamous and rheas.