When I discovered that Field Guides offered back to back trips which would cover almost the entire country, I had little hesitation in signing on. I knew I would see not only most of the endemic species, and beautiful, wide-open scenery, but would also experience the food and culture of a country which I had only touched upon before, with a few nights in Buenos Aires. However, there was one bird which would not be included in the Field Guides itinerary, as it occurs in the NE.  Ten months before the trip to Argentina, I had enjoyed a fine trip with Field Guides leader, Dave Stejskal, who was to lead the Northern half of the Argentina trip.  I had read of a place in the NE that sounded ideal for the Strange-tailed Tyrant (who could not want to see such a creature?!), and Dave knew of it too, though he hadn’t actually yet been there.  Together we dreamed up a pre-trip to Rincon del Socorro (RDS), a trip which I was prepared to make alone if necessary, but which Field Guides offered to those on the regular tour, with Dave leading.  To our surprise, nine others signed up! Thus, after a very productive bit of birding in Buenos Aires, we headed up to what turned out to be a delightful experience and great birds at RDS.  This 23,000 acre estancia, on the edge of the vast Ibera Marshes, is owned by the founder of North Face clothing and outdoor equipment.  He had a vision of restoring the flora and fauna to the way things were in the days before livestock were grazed there, and so, 10 years ago, cattle and horses were removed, and the estancia lovingly up-dated for guests.  The result today is an area packed with birds and animals, and a thoroughly comfortable, cosseting lodge to which I would happily return.  And yes, the Strange-tailed Tyrant was a joy to see! Here are some shots of the estancia, and some of the birds and animals to be seen right on the immediate grounds:
	Perhaps my fondest memory of our brief time at RDS was awakening in the morning to the sound of the Greater Rheas, whose vocalization is a deep, resonant “uh-HUH” – what a wonderfully affirmative start to any day! Just a short drive away, with a boat trip on one of the lagunas and visits at roadside stops, even more great birds can be found.
	Back in Buenos Aires, 3 more folks joined our group, as well as Peter Burke, a fine artist and excellent co-leader.  Our initial birding was right in the city, at an amazing reserve called Costanera Sur, right on the Rio Plata.  The beautifully redeveloped port area is right there too, so this property would be extremely valuable for development, but happily is currently conserved for the enjoyment of the residents and visiting birders such as us!
	As you will see from the map, our route took us to the N. central area of Argentina, Cordoba, Dean Funes and environs, but then moved steadily north to the Bolivian Border.  The variety of habitats and terrain was staggering, the scenery, even in the driest areas (and it was unfortunately an unusually dry, cold spring), was awesome, and we saw a terrific number of endemics as well as austal migrants (those moving south from their warm winter quarters nearer the equator). Habitats in the N. central area were extreme, ranging from arid scrub, to salt flats as far as the eye could see, to lush, “Yungas” habitats in river valleys.  The birds were equally varied and outstanding.
	Heading on northward, we again experienced a range of terrain and birding environments that kept things lively.  One day we found ourselves on a working estancia, looking at waterbirds from a shore decidedly crowded with restless, bawling cows which had just been separated from their calves.  It certainly was a noisy place to bird that day, but I loved seeing the real guachos saddling up to go to work, and the birds were really cool too!
	Getting to the far NW required long hours on the road.  However, it was here that we would find some very range-restricted, seldom-seen birds.  From Jujuy north to La Quaica, on the Bolivian border, the journey was scenic in a way I had never anticipated (having somehow thought that Argentina would be all cattle and grasslands – wrong!).  The final day, with just a few hours of birding outside of Jujuy, we saw a bird which had appeared on many prior trip lists as a possibility, but which I had never even heard, much less seen, before.  The Spotted Nightingale Thrush is far prettier than the photo included here, but I am most grateful to Dorothy McGee for spotting it (bit of a pun there…) and to Tom Kerwin for having at least captured its image, for this was a truly moving and exciting bird for me to see, at long last!
	Once more, back in Buenos Aires, and with new leaders and a mostly new group (only 3 of us intrepid souls did all three legs), we began our southern odyssey.  Once again, the Field Guides map will show you our route, which covered the east and southeast coasts (Patagonia), the far south, and the central western area of Patagonia.  Just a word about Patagonia – it is a far larger region than most people realize, and does not, technically, include the remnants of the pampas habitat, almost all of which now consists of heavily modified cattle grazing and farmland.  Patagonia stretches from the “lakes district” on the western borders, to the eastern coasts, including the arid province of Chubut, as well.  So, once again, I was surprised at the relatively limited green areas we saw.  Puerto Piramides and Punta Tombo are decidedly dry, which clearly suits the penguins and the whales, well, they’re in the water anyway!  Both encounters were fun experiences.
	The extreme south of Argentina seems like a misplaced puzzle piece tacked onto the rest of the country.  Bill and I had visited Ushuaia on our first trip to Antarctica in the 1990’s, and while I had seen many of the pelagic birds there, I really, really wanted to see the Magellanic Woodpecker, a bird which had always intrigued me.  Besides, I knew the scenery would be stunning – and I was not disappointed!
	We were extremely lucky with the weather for the first 2 days, with clear, even warm sunny days, which made our catamaran journey on the Beagle Channel especially fine.  However, as those last photos demonstrate, things deteriorated for our last day’s effort. Our last venue of the trip was just outside of El Calafate, and took us to a gorgeous area with more great birds.  The bad weather which hit in Ushuaia found us here too, alas, and it was very windy and snowy too.  (The wind always seems to blow in Patagonia, but this was really, really windy!)  No doubt we missed a few birds because of it, but it was still a magnificent area to experience.  From the glacier near the western border to the arid steppes inland, we birded through wind and snow.
	My travels in Argentina yielded 138 life birds for me, some “best-ever” views of birds seen elsewhere, and some fun mammals too.  The food and wine were enjoyed by all, and the hospitality was excellent.  All in all, Argentina me gusta mucho!