News - August 2021
Here four individuals. But Javier saw at least 9 individuals. After the breeding season the male masked duck changes its plumage into a female-like one, to the extent that it is difficult to tell them apart. Here we can see some already changing into the adult male plumage.
Black-headed Duck
Heteronetta atricapilla
24-08-21 © María de las Mercedes Martínez
A pair of black-headed ducks, the only parasitic duck, shares the scene with a cocoi heron and a white-tufted grebe. The interesting thing is that on the isle behind several ducks can barely be seen in the thick vegetation. This isle will certainly be a good place to breed since ducks are very well protected. Is this pair already monitoring the area?
White-crested Tyrannulet
Serpophaga subcristata
21-08-21 © Eduardo Nicolás Cusano
As Gustavo entered the reserve, he saw this hawk very high in the sky. He realized it was not a common silhouette and managed to capture these images.
This Savannah hawk was very far across the Duck Pond. Gustavo saw it in twice in different places since it was being harrassed by caracaras
Mercedes, Gustavo's wife, also contributed with this red shoveler. Though it is not a very uncommon duck in the reserve, this is the first photo of the year.
This kestrel is carrying a rice rat in its claws
Chimango Caracara
Milvago chimango
18-08-21 © Fernando Leguiza
This footless chimango caracara stole this piece of bread from the starlings, which had taken it from a garbage bag. As it was carrying it the piece fell onto the ground. The chimango came back to recover it and here we can see it leaping on it.
A misty Monday morning at the beginning. It then cleared but it ended cloudy
16-08-21 © Liliana H. Rodríguez
Early in the morning we spotted three masked ducks accross the taxidriver monument. They began to be active at about 2.
Already four births during July. One chick each
Last photos of July
We were about to leave the reserve when there was quite a stir in the tipu trees near the water tank. Eduardo immediately associated it to the ferruginus pygmy owl and we started to look for it. The fuss was incessant in several a couple of trees. Birds even stopped in the tree across. All of them were very excited. It took us a while to find it but Eduardo finally spotted it. Other birds like the white-crested tyrannulet, the Straneck´s tyrannulet, the masked gnatcatcher and the tropical parula were present.
31-07-21 © Eduardo Nicolás Cusano
Tearing a rice rat apart
A while after a female American kestrel also devoured a rice rat