by Isabel Masi of Montana State University
WINTER
Waking up to torrential rain and soggy tents, we crawled out of our safe sleeping bags and prepared for our departure. The day was October 27th, and we were not stoked. We hit the road by 9 am, with windshield wipers full blast. Sloshing through puddles on the bumpy Carretera Austral, we headed northeast to the Jeinimeni Sector of Patagonia National Park. The drive was long, stopping only for bathroom breaks on the side of the road, and to regroup up with the rest of our fleet. For a much-needed lunch, we stopped in Chile Chico, a beautiful, hip, town that bordered Lago General Carrera, the second largest lake in South America. Hopping back into our cars, the rain was still coming down hard. At 6 pm, we finally bumped our way into the Jeinimeni sector. Here, the rain had turned to snow and through the foggy windows, our jaws dropped as we stared at the 1,500 m peaks. We exited the vehicles, some reluctantly and some stoked. Tromping through the snow, we caught snowflakes on our tongues, and frolicked around as if we had entered the magical land of Narnia. We set up our soggy tents, and out of a necessity to warm our frozen toes, we went on a nature walk.
Jeinimeni has a magical old growth Lenga forest (a native tree here) surrounding a chain of glowing turquoise lakes under snow-dusted peaks. We walked through the Lenga, the green buds of spring starting to peak out amongst the canopy of brown. As we trudged up the steep hill, our instructor Cal, was pointing out plants along the way. As studious natural historians we were being trained to be, we were face down in the snow, immersed. It surprised us to hear the excited squeal from student Kira, yell, “PUMA!”. We jumped up, and low and behold, 30 feet down the hill was a young Puma staring at us, as still as a tree. The majestic cat stared at us, and we at it. Finally, after 20 seconds, it snuck off into the woods as stealthily as it had arrived. We continued walking uphill to the viewpoint with excitement thumping in our hearts and our spirits high.
The next morning, we started our transects for our Magellanic Woodpecker (in Spanish: Carpinteros) research. The goal for this research was to sweep several zones in the area for active carpintero cavity nests and families. We did this by walking in a horizontal line, spaced 30 m apart, sweeping the Lenga trees for cavity nests. Their cavities were 9-15 m high in the tree and shaped like a tear drop. When you look up, which most recreators tend to forget, you see a village of cavities old and new. We only assessed the new cavities, indicating that they were being used. We identified these by their light brown color and the piles of wood chips at the base of the tree. Through the snow, we tromped through the forest, with our tape measurer, compasses, GPS’s, walkie talkies, and binoculars. We got into formation, feeling as if we were off on a mission of Survivor. Half of the group headed east and half headed west through the dense Lenga forest. As a rowdy bunch of 15, normally our days are filled with laughter and debates, but spaced apart, we were silent and more observant.
After tromping through the forest for 3 hours, and taking data on one cavity in an old Lenga tree, we exited the woods and headed back to our camp for the evening. After a group reading, and a spaghetti dinner, it was too chilly to play cards, and to early to go to bed, so we went on another walk. But this walk, had an alterior motive. I am a firm believer that you can not go hunting to see wildlife, it must happen when you least expect it. But for 2 members of our group, Quincy and Sofie, who hadn’t seen the puma the night before, the walk became a hunt. Most of the group, including myself, swiftly moved up the nature trail, trying to regain the feeling in our frozen toes. The view was incredible from the top, a blanket of orange and pink covering the mountains that rose up from Lago Jeinimeni. As we watched the sun set, Quincy and Sofie had their eyes cemented on a Mother Puma and her offspring running down the hill! Back at camp, we celebrated our joint success in seeing such an incredible creature with a chocolate bar and then escaped to the warmth of our tents.
SPRING
The next morning I crawled out of my tent to two male Carpinteros pecking a tree right above me. I ran through the grass and grabbed my binoculars and watched in awe, as the two, one slightly smaller than the other, foraged for bugs out of an old cavity. Their brilliant red heads, that are only present on the males, shown against their black bodies. The striking pair, flew back and forth, zooming over my head. As I raced to share about my sighting, I encountered a Humboldt’s Hog Nosed Skunk! The little critter was sneaking through the grass by Cal’s tent. What a morning for wildlife!
This day, we moved campsites, 4 km down the trail to have better access to our new transects. We walked past the glowing Lago Jenimeini and watched as the snow melted around us due to the warming temperatures. After setting up camp, we did another transect in 2 groups and discovered abundant signs of active Carpinteros. As my group headed east and the other group headed west, we eventually reconnected with each other which marked the end of our transect. The day ended with a viewing of an adult male, and 2 different pairs of Carpinteros all in a 2 km radius!
The next day, October 30th, was a full day of transecting. We walked up to where the forest met the mountainside and then back down in a zig-zag formation, sweeping the forest. For one group, the day was exciting with 7 live sightings of Carpinteros and a Barn Owl! For my group, the signs of a flu began taking its toll on us, and states of fatigue and fits of delirious laughter were abundant. The day was slow progress, but we saw a Rufous Legged Owl, a Chilean Hawk, and an Austral Parakeet (not that it’s a competition or anything…). As we walked, we noticed in the understory, the slow blooming of flowers. Spring had arrived and we were extremely thankful for it! Towards the end of the day, when motivation was at an all time low, we found a mating pair of Carpinteros working on a new cavity. The base of the tree was covered with wood chips, looking as if we had stumbled upon a construction site. Though, she lacked the red head, the female Carpintero was striking. With an all black coat, except for distinct white plumage in the rear and a red spot of feathers on the neck, she was dressed to impress. I watched in awe at the two and felt a deep connection that I hadn’t felt towards a bird before. We finished the transect, and headed back to camp for the evening, enjoying a dinner of undercooked beans and soggy tortillas.
When we awoke the next morning, the air felt crisp with the feeling of Halloween! This day was not spooky at all, but instead very tranquil as we walked through the valley, passing Lago Jeinimeini, Laguna Esmerelda, and eventually arriving at Lago Verde, our study area for the day. Lago Verde was a striking turquoise color and filled a bowl carved out by an old glacier spilling from the surrounding mountains. Waterfalls trickled down every rock face and fresh Oxalis purple flowers were blooming on the beach. It was a beautiful sight, as we munched our lunch in awe. After lunch, we lined up on the beach and walked into the woods sweeping the area for Carpinteros and cavities. We were stopped shortly by a group of 4 Carpinteros, 3 females and one male. We observed the 4 birds for a while and I was once again amazed with the way that they moved through the forest. Still and silent, we watched submerged in the moment. Eventually, we put away our binoculars and finished the transect for the day, with a dip in the frigid Lago Verde. That evening, we celebrated Halloween festivities including the creative costumes of Quincy (a deer in the headlights), and James of Colby College, (a friendly bandit).
We continued to explore the dense forests of Jeinimeni, as we started the month of November out with a transect through Valle La Leona. Here, the forest grew thick, making bushwhacking unpleasant at best. Through the claustrophobia and fatigue, we noted several new cavities, including one that was home to a curious Carpintero. The male who occupied this humble abode happened to poke his head out as we were taking measurements of the tree! Later in the afternoon of that day, as we walked by the river, we spotted a pair of Huemul. Huemul are the South American deer who differ slightly from North American deer in their size and shape, but drastically in their population stability. In North America, deer are abundant. However, here in Chile, Huemul are an endangered species. It was an exciting moment to see the Huemul and reminded us all never to take for granted the species around us.
SUMMER
The next morning, we crawled out of our sleeping bags, noticing a new sweetness to the air. The lake was as smooth as glass, and there was not a single cloud in the sky. It was the first time in a while that I left my tent wearing only shorts and a T-shirt. This was the sign of summer! It was the last day of our Carpintero transects, and the day to hike back to our campsite near our vehicles. We were divided into 4 groups. 2 groups had the tasks of setting up camera traps in adjacent trees to cavities with visible activity, such as the one we had seen the day before with the Carpintero inside. The other 2 groups would finish up the remaining areas of transecting on the way back to our first campsite. I was in the latter. We walked down the trail with our heavy packs, feeling light with the warm weather. When we got to the start of our transect, we stashed our heavy packs in the woods and walked up through a gully to the upper limit of the carpintero habitat. Transecting along the way, we found no active signs of Carpinteros, but we did find a Barn Owl sleeping in an old cavity! For much of the week, we were wondering what happens to the trees with the abandoned cavities. It seems that the Carpinteros are not only great home builders for themselves, but for the other creatures of the forest. Accidentally awakening the owl, we continued on with our transect. Finished with the survey, we walked down the beach of Lago Jeinimeni to where we met up with the rest of the group at the bridge before our campsite. Celebrating our successful week of surveys and the warm weather, we ripped off our hiking boots and jumped off of the bridge into the freezing lake. Despite the breath-taking temperatures, almost every student jumped in, showing off their best tricks. After drying off and setting up camp for the night, we took a quiz on the flora and fauna that we found throughout the week and ate a filling meal of mashed potatoes. But the night wasn’t quite over for all members of the group. Instructors Jose, Claudia, and Gabe set out on a mission after dinner. Walking into the woods with binoculars, they stalked stealthily with desires of matching the luck of the students. By some miracle, 3 minutes into their walk, they found it. A healthy, young, male Puma was prowling through the bushes! Somehow, our chaotic group had managed to see the rare puma in 3 different sightings! We celebrated with more chocolate bars.
On the morning of November 2nd, we packed up the vehicles and said goodbye to Jeinimeni. We were sad to leave, as the magical landscape had touched our hearts deeply. With cleaned laundry billowing in the wind on the side of the vans, we drove out of the mountains and into the desert steppe toward Chile Chico, Chile. This week had been a rollercoaster of weather, tiring long days of research, and countless wildlife sightings. I feel a deep connection to the area of Jeinimeni and the Magellanic Woodpeckers who politely invited us into their home. The logging of Old Growth Forests, has severely minimized their habitat. These magnificent birds are extremely important for the ecosystem of the forest and their protection would greatly benefit us all. Feeling thankful and fatigued, we devoured chocolate crepes, enjoyed our first bed in 2 months, and dreamt of Carpinteros and Owls and Pumas, “Oh My”!
