Arrival in Santiago and transfer to our hotel.

Today we head for the coast excursion. We should see a wide variety of species here including Black-necked Swan, 3 species of Coot, Spot-flanked Gallinule, the rare Black-headed Duck, Plumbeous Rail, Lake Duck, Great Grebe. Many-colored Rush-tyrant. Wren-like Rushbird and Common Diuca Finch are here too. The Maipo estuary will have a variety of Gulls and shorebirds and the Marshes sometimes hold the recently described Ticking Doradito We’ll drive to Viña del Mar on the shore for the night B:L:D

Morning pelagic 12 miles from the coast. We have the chance of five species of Albatross including Salvin’s, Buller’s, Northern and Southern Royal and Chatham Island. Tubenoses are a main feature of these Pelagics and we’ll hope for Southern Fulmar, Masatierra and Westland Petrels, Peruvian Diving-Petrel as well as the more numerous White-chinned and Northern Giant Petrels. Wilson’s Petrels often “foot-patter” close to the boat and we often see large numbers of Grey Phalaropes. Others include Guanay and Red-legged Cormorants, Kelp Gull and South American Tern. After the pelagic we’ll continue along the coast. We’ll visit a Humboldt Penguin colony, Ventana factory pools (Chiloe Wigeon and White-cheeked Pintail) and after lunch and birding at the Aconcagua estuary before heading for our shoreline hotel where Inca Terns, Red-legged Shag as well as Chilean Seaside Cinclodes are on the rocks. Drive will be to Olmue. We’ll stay at a German run Hotel close to park so that after dinner, those who wish can go to the nearby park entrance to look for the impressive Rufous-legged Owl. Night in Olmue. B:L:D

La Campana National Park (350-630 meters) is our destination this morning. This is a good site for Dusky-tailed Canastero, Chilean Pigeon, Striped Woodpecker and Moustached Turca but our main quest will be the endemic White-throated Tapaculo. Others include Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail, Giant Hummingbird, the inquisitive Thorn-tailed Rayadito, White-crested Elaenia (of the southern form chilensis), Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Fire-eyed Diucon, Austral Thrush, Chilean Mockingbird (a common endemic), Chilean and Blue-and-white Swallows, Common Diuca-Finch, Austral Blackbird and Black-chinned Siskin. Other target species include the impressive Moustached Turca (a large Tapaculo endemic to central Chile) and Crag Chilia (a sleek rock-loving furnarid of outcrops and escarpments), although there will be further opportunities to see both of these. We return to Santiago in the afternoon. We may stop at the Batuco Wetlands. Birds we’ll be looking for here include South American Painted Snipe, Stripe-backed Bittern, Rosy-billed Pochard, White-tailed Kite, Misto Yellow Finch, Many-coloured Rush-Tyrant, Spectacled Tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird and Chiloe Wigeon. The newly described Ticking Doradito is here too. Night in Santiago B:L:D

El Yeso road: The bog here at 2500 meters is a favourite site of Diademed Sandpiper-Plover and this is probably the bird El Yeso is famed for. We’ll stop in the valley however before gaining height for the Crag Chilia and the lower reaches hold Moustached Turca both Chilean endemics. We see a variety of Sierra-Finches and Furnariids here; the latter includes Grey-flanked Cinclodes, Rufous-banded Miner, Creamy-rumped Miner, Scale-throated Earthcreeper. Ground-Tyrants are everywhere including Rufous-naped, White-browed, Ochre-naped, Cinereous and Spot-billed. Our best views of Andean Condor will probably be here in this valley and Torrent Ducks are regular on the streams. One of the hummers we’ll be looking for up here is the White-sided Hillstar. We have a chance at both Black-billed and Great Shrike-Tyrants here. Night in Santiago. B:L:D

This morning we will drive southwards to Talca for an overnight stay. In the afternoon we will explore the extensive Nothofagus forest in the Andean foothills in the Alto Vilches national park. In particular we will be listening for the nasal scolding of Chile’s least known Tapaculo, the Chestnut-throated Huet-huet, perhaps the most missed Chilean endemic on most tours. We will also be looking for more Nothofagus forest endemics such as Austral Parakeet (the world’s most southerly parrot species), the plump Chucao Tapaculo with its explosive voice, Magellanic Tapaculo, Striped Woodpecker, Chilean Flicker, White-throated Treerunner and Patagonian Sierra-Finch. This will be our first opportunity to see the Magallenic Wodpecker which is quite common here. Other birds include Thorn-tailed Rayadito and Fire-eyed Diucon. We’ll stay at a nearby hotel. Night in Talca. B:L:D

Morning birding at Cerro Nielol – Possibilities include Black-throated Huet-huet, Rufous-tailed Hawk, Des Mur’s Wiretail, Chucao Tapaculo, Slender-billed Parakeet and Ochre-flanked Tapaculo After lunch an afternoons relaxing birding and fields around Temuco for Hellmayr's Pipit and others. Night in Temuco B:L:D

Morning at the Congullio National Park. In this fantastic Nothofagus forest we’ll look for the recently split Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper, Flying Steamer-duck, and other species of Nothofagus. Night in Temuco B:L:D

In the morning we’ll drive to Pueto Montt for the night and make a stop at Caullin Bay - Hudsonian Godwit, Snowy-crowned Tern possible plus others in the afternoon. When crossing the channel to reach the Chiloé Island, we have chance to see the recently discovered "Puerto-Montt" Storm-Petrel. B:L:D

We’ll then take the ferry crossing to Porvenir on Tierra del Fuego. We should see scores of Southern Giant petrels, Magellanic Diving Petrels, Chilean Skuas, Black-browed Albatross, Cape Petrel and more. Afternoon birding Tierra del Fuego including Laguna Verde, Laguna Santa Maria and Bahia Inutil. Common and rarer birds for the next couple of days will be Ashy-headed and Upland Goose, Two-banded Plover, Magellanic Plover, Chilean Skua, Short-billed Miner, Rufous-chested and Tawny-throated Dotterels, Lesser Rhea, Flightless Steamer-Duck, Black-necked Swan, Crested Duck and Kelp Goose. We shall make an effort at Bahia Inutil to see a colony of King Penguins about 120 kms from Porvenir B:L:D

The spectacular Torres del Paine park – amongst others here we’ll be looking for are Dark-faced Ground-tyrant, Cinnamon-bellied Ground-tyrant, White-throated Caracara, Yellow-bridled Finch, Patagonian Mockingbird but mainly we’ll be drinking in the magnificence of the Torres del Paine landscapes!! We’’ bird the eastern side of the park and its lakes, looking for waterfowl and on reed fringed pools the recently re-discovered Austral Rail. Cinereous Harriers are fairly common. Guanuco, Patagonian Skunk and Gray Fox are some mammals we may see. Exploring the road to Sierra Baguales we’ll be looking for Patagonian Mockingbird, Gray-bellied Shrike-Tyrant, Patagonian and Greater Yellow Finch, the pretty Yellow-bridled Finch, a variety of Ground-Tyrants and White-throated Caracara. Night in Puerto Natales. B:L:D

The spectacular Torres del Paine park – amongst others here we’ll be looking for are Dark-faced Ground-tyrant, Cinnamon-bellied Ground-tyrant, White-throated Caracara, Yellow-bridled Finch, Patagonian Mockingbird but mainly we’ll be drinking in the magnificence of the Torres del Paine landscapes!! We bird the eastern side of the park and its lakes, looking for waterfowl and on reed fringed pools the recently re-discovered Austral Rail. Cinereous Harriers are fairly common. Guanaco, Patagonian Skunk and Gray Fox are some mammals we may see. Exploring the road to Sierra Baguales we’ll be looking for Patagonian Mockingbird, Patagonian and Greater Yellow Finch, the pretty Yellow-bridled Finch, a variety of Ground-Tyrants, White-throated Caracara and the very rare Gray-bellied Shrike-tyrant. Night in Puerto Natales. B:L:D

To the airport and flight to Santiago (arriving mid-afternoon) and connecting international flights or join the Falklands Islands Extension. B: