speed birding: identification on the road

Recently, I returned from Argentina and Uruguay (on a lovely trip with my choir!!). Abroad, we spent the majority of our time (when we weren’t singing, that is) in cities or driving between cities. If I’d had my way, we would have visited more parks or done a few hikes in the surrounding countryside, but as it were, we mostly remained in the urban heart of Buenos Aires. So in terms of birding, that meant little to no nature, no experience, and—oh no!—no binoculars. I hadn’t even brought the zoom lens for my camera. I also realized on day 2 that Merlin, my trusty bird ID app, didn’t include Argentina in any of its regional guides. So, without my usual tools, I set out to make the most of my eyes and notebook.

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