January 2010
National Parks Torres del Paine (near Punta Arenas, Chile) and Los Glaciares (El Chalten, Argentina) are both breathtaking: we hike at the feet of towering mountains with odd shapes. Glaciers flow down from the huge Campo de Hielo. The vegetation is green here, fed by melted glacier water. As it is summer, lots of flowers are blooming. Lots of the plants are smaller here than in more temperate zones, due to the generally cold climate. We spot lots of interesting birds - among them the Pajaro Carpintero, or Magellanic Woodpecker. This red-headed bird picks away at the trees and is not the least bothered by our presence.
Unlike the Woody Woodpecker cartoon would make you believe, the woodpecker does not live in the holes it makes in the tree trunks. In reality, the bird is only picking out wood worms.
No comments:
Post a Comment