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