The start of the walk took us through the typical scrubby forests of the park's west, alongside a river. As always Patagonian sierra-finches, Austral blackbirds and rufous-collared sparrows were common, with a single black-chested buzzard eagle soaring over our heads as well. We soon found a large flock of sierra-finches that contained 2 black-chinned siskins. Then we hit the jackpot, as the walk continued near the river we spotted a beautiful male torrent duck diving through the rapids.
There are many sites in Torres Del Paine for this rare torrent duck
The walk took us through a drier, grassy area where dark-faced ground tyrants and house wrens were seen, as well as another black-chested buzzard eagle overhead. As we entered the Southern Beech forest thorn-tailed rayaditos started to pop up.
Thorn-tailed rayaditos are a common sight in Torres Del Paine's beech forests
We then stopped to see a spectacular waterfall, before heading back to the Explora. On the way back I spotted a single dark-bellied cinclodes.
This waterfall was very beautiful in the thick southern beech forest
The dark-bellied cinclodes belongs to a massive family of birds known as the Ovenbirds
After this we ate lunch, spotting 3 more Andean condors from the restaurant. We then headed to Nordenskjöld Lagoon, where there was a lookout that provided great views of the Paine massif and the Salto Chica waterfall. Nothing of note was seen here, apart from another cinerous harrier.
The rocks below Salto Chica are another site for torrent duck
This glacier is fed by snow and ice from a hanging glacier above it
For its shape, this mountain is known as 'the Bull's Horns'
Apart from that not much else was seen.
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