La Joya II

We also visited the cultivated fields in search for Tawny-throated Dotterel and Least Seedsnipe. Luckily we found a group of Dotterels.

 Cultivated fields at the desert plain and the vulcan Misti in the distance.

 Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant, an Austral migrant present in good numbers.

 Tawny-throated Dotterel

La Joya in the middle of the desert

Midway between the city of Arequipa and the coast, you can find an artificial Lagoon. The Lagoon has developed slowly the past ten year because of an agricultural project in this desert plain at 1200 meters. You can find many ducks, flamingos and shorebirds here. However, most birds are only migrants. We visited the Lagoon 04 of July 2013 and we found several birds breeding in North America, Altiplano and one Austral migrant. Killdeer is probably one of few resident birds breeding along the shores of this Lagoon, but other birds like Vermillion Flycatcher and Least Seedsnipe breeds in the nearby agricultural fields. Here are some of the birds seen in the Lagoon.

 White-cheeked Pintail

 Cinnamon Teal and White-cheeked Pintail

 Puna Flamingo, present at surprisingly many sites including La Joya (this photo) and Ite (earlier post)

 Greater Yellowlegs, North-American migrant still present in the area

 Greater Yellowlegs

 Andean Swift

 Killdeer

Dragonfly (below), unknown species, any suggestions?

Andean Gull