Along the road, Mejía

Some short stops along the road north of the Sanctuary produced several good photo opportunities 16.11.

Black-crowned Night-Heron blowing in the wind

Killdeer

Elegant Tern & Common Tern (and Franklin's Gulls)

Burrowing Owl

Coots & Moorhens, Mejía

It is possible to see three Coots and one Moorhen in Mejía. I have earlier posted a photo of the rarely seen Giant Coot from Mejía (January 2008).

Red-fronted Coot is a scares bird in the Sanctuary. Only 30 birds are present here (and in Peru). It is possible to confuse this bird with Andean Coots shoving a red front shield. But Red-fronted Coot has a more flat front shield and more white at the tail than the Andean Coot. It is also smaller than this species. The colour of the bill and the upperparts also distinguishes Red-fronted Coot from Common Moorhen.

Andean Coot (left) with red front shield and yellowish bill, and Common Moorhen (right)

Red-fronted Coot (once more)

Andean Coot with white front shield and bill.

Some common birds from Mejía 2

Hooded Siskin. female
Least Sandpiper, quite common during migration

Great Grebe, nesting in the Lagoons

Pied-billed Grebe

Oasis Hummingbird

Some common birds from Mejía 1

Slender-billed Finch, common but not always easy to see.

The always present Vermilion Flycatcher. This is one of the most common birds in the area.

Rufous-collared Sparrow

House Wren from one of the three nests found around the house this weekend.

Peruvian Meadowlark

Shiny Cowbird, Mejía, Arequipa

Some 10 years ago this bird came to Mejía. We even wrote an article in Cotinga about it's presence in Southern Peru, now it is everywhere.

Fledging feeded by two Rufous-collared Sparrows

Raptors, Mejía

Here are some of the raptors seen in Mejía 13-16.11.

Red-backed Hawk, Immature
Turkey Vulture

Peregrine Falcon

Harris' Hawk

Juliaca area 01.11.08

Andean Lapwing

Andean Flicker

Slender-billed Miner

Baird's Sandpiper

Short-billed Pipit