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Author:	Chris Grimshaw [ Fri Jul 04, 2008 8:12 pm ]
Post subject:	Bolivia
I have just received an unexpected and a chance of a lifetime invite to La Paz in Bolivia soon. Until I receive an itinery I am not to sure how much time I will get to myself but already my thoughts have turned to what birds I might see. A quick trawl through the book and birding sites has turned up very little. So can anybody offer me any advice or give me some indication of what I might see around the city and its vicinity Chris

Author:	Terence Whalin [ Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:19 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Bolivia
Chris an american birding company called fieldguides has a trip annually to Bolivia. If you go to there website you an access both the itinerary with sites to visit and also free downloads of previous years reports. They do not give exact sites but by comparing the itinerary with the reports you can work out where they have stayed hotels etc and also trails they have birded with species seen on that day. lots of semi desert and scrub there according to my read and good for condor. Hope this info is off assistance also i think naturetrek do a similar trip, good luck Terence Whalin

Author:	Chris Grimshaw [ Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:58 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Bolivia
Thanks Terence I will certainly take a look My biggest problem will be identification of what I do see. I have had difficulty in finding an adequate field guide for what I do see. As I said in my original posting, I believe we are going to La Paz and hopefully Lake Titicaca but as yet I am not sure of the itinery or how long I will be in the country until later this week. There will be several of us going and I suspect free time will be kept to a minimum thanks again Chris

Author:	Chris Grimshaw [ Sun Aug 17, 2008 6:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Bolivia
Set off for Bolivia as part of a delegation early on 1st of August via New York and Lima Was there until the 10th Had very little time to myself so did very little bird watching Our time was spent in La Paz and El Alto which is a shanty town of nearly a million people 1500 feet above La Paz and La Paz is about 14000 above sea level. We also had two days in Llallagua a mining town about six hours drive from La Paz over the Andes The main problem on such a short trip was the altitude sickness. Any effort at all was exremely tiring. Even to walk a few hundred yards or climb a flight of stairs was distressing initially. It was also winter. Certainly for the first four or five days the last thing I was capable of doing was looking for birds Central La Paz is certainly no place for birds Plenty of Rock Doves Feral pigeons and the odd Spot -Winged Pigeon Also noted was what I took to be slate-throated redstart in some of the few trees The city of El Alto was birdless except when you got out of habitation Plenty of Turkey and Black Vultures and a tip (human scavengers also) near a cemetary which we visited on a pilgrimage The trip to the mining town was through a desolate landscape which would have made an excellent location for the "Land of Mordor". Saw several raptors and ibis which I was unable ti identify from a van moving at 30 mph. Did note a couple of Mountain Caracaras Also identified D'orbigny's Chat-Tyrant and Neotropical Cormorant in the poor town of Llallagua Return back to La Paz in snow didn't produce anything identifiable Disappointing trip birdwise but a chance of a lifetime - a visit which I will never forget A non bird watching account of the trip can be found at http://chrisbolivia.blogspot.com/ Just a warning that it is a political report

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