Let’s finish up the batch of photos sent by reader David Molloy, whose first installment was posted yesterday. As he noted in that post:
Fulfilled a lifetime ambition last month and traveled to the geomorphological wonderland that is Chile (a great recommendation for next WEIT trip AFTER Australia). The Andes, Patagonia and the Atacama lived up to every expectation and more.
All the animals featured are quite common and you’d have to be pretty unlucky to not see any of them if you stayed for any length of time.
Lesser rhea (Rhea pennata), also called “Darwin’s rhea,” as he was the first to collect it, sending specimens to England where they were described.
Chimango caracara (Milvango chimango):
Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), the world’s largest flying bird if you take both weight and wingspan into account. The wings can be up to 3.3 meters (nearly 11 feet) across.
Black-chested buzzard-eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus)
Guanaco (Lama guanacoie):
And from Stephen Barnard, a trio of Great Horned Owlets (Bubo virginianus) on his neighbor’s property. Don’t you just want to cuddle them? (But check out the talons):
Chile! Dreamy. Want to spend time there. Love the Guanaco shots, the animal and the landscape, the field grass and the rock formations. I know I’d love it there.
Fascinating! As the link recounts, Darwin realized that this was the new rhea species that he was looking for after he and others had eaten it for dinner.
Great photos, I especially like the Condors, oh heck, I really like all these photographs.
Great pics David.
And the owlets are gorgeous. I wish they were near me.
I had the feeling those owlets would have cheerfully killed and eaten me if they had the wherewithal. I just arrived in Tallahassee, Florida for a fishing trip, and I’m hoping to get some wildlife photos.