Chile 2008

Isabella Allende calls Chile “A Long Petal of the Sea”. Shorebirds know this more than people. Its a country with an abundance of fascinating natural places, most unspoiled by the grinding away of natural resources by industry so common in the US. Our work took us to two places in Chile: the main wintering area of red knots at the country’s southernmost tip in Tierra del Fuego and to the midsection of the country on Chiloe Island for Hudsonian godwits and whimbrels. We counted birds to determine the health of the entire population and to attach various types of tracking devices to learn more about each species long migration to their Arctic breeding ground.