Sunday 7th October. Today, after breakfast, we drove up to the ski resort above Ushuaia and climbed to the tree line for views of the Martial Glacier and with a vague hope of finding Grey-breasted Seedsnipe – which we didn’t. The scenery was however stunning, made all the better because the ski lift didn’t start running until we’d completed our walk and therefore there was no one else to spoil the atmosphere!

After coffee and cake (..this is beginning to sound more like a John O’Groats to Land’s End blog every day!) we set off for the historic estancia of Harberton and the penguin colony, situated at the entrance to the Beagle Channel and the ‘end of the world’. We found the former but, as the estacion was closed on Sundays, we didn’t find the later. We did however have a lovely picnic lunch whilst watching a host of birds including new for the list, Austral Parakeet, Ochre-naped Ground Tyrant, Rufous-breasted Plover and Baird’s Sandpiper. We made a brief stop on the way back to examine the handy work of a Beaver (an unwisely introduced species to this part of the world) including dams, den and demolished trees. We also made ‘before and after’ visits to the rubbish tip, in pursuit of the elusive Striated Caracara, but were unlucky for the second day running. Oh well, still another great days birding with spectacular scenery thrown in.

A distant view of the Martial Glacier

Thorn-tailed Rayadito

Distant view of Puerto Williams, on the Chile side of the Beagle Channel…there’s no place like home!

Harberton Estancia

One of a group of six Austral Parakeets seen as we stopped for lunch

Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle – frequently seen in the skies above Tierra del Fuego

..and finally, a Beaver’s handy work!