Black-hooded Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus atriceps)
A very common bird, and seen in the most remote places as well as close to humans, as is the case here. Altitude: 3708 metres. It sounds like this:
Tag Archives: Salar de Uyuni
Tawny-throated Dotterel (Oreopholus ruficollis)
My only sigthing of this species. Altitude: 3687 metres. It sounds like this:
Frankenia triandra
Grows on the salty portions of the rim of the Salar de Uyuni that receives fresh water sporadically. Altitude: 3669 metres. Native range is Peru to Argentina.
Lycium humile
Grows on the salty portions of the rim of the Salar de Uyuni that receives fresh water sporadically. Altitude: 3669 metres. Native range is Chile and Argentina. Read more about living in extreme environments: Distribution of Lycium humile (Solanaceae), an endemic halophyte from the Altiplano-Puna region, South America.
Lycium humile
Grows on the salty portions of the rim of the Salar de Uyuni that receives fresh water sporadically. Altitude: 3669 metres. Native range is Chile and Argentina. Read more about living in extreme environments: Distribution of Lycium humile (Solanaceae), an endemic halophyte from the Altiplano-Puna region, South America.
Altiplano butterfly 02
This was the second species of butterfly I saw during my few dayes here. Please help me identify it – leave a comment 🙂 Altitude: 3669 metres.
Altiplano stream
The much lusher and higher vegetation reveals a constant source of fresh water from one of the many springs. Even though it flows most of the year it’s not flowing over the banks, so the salts are washed away only a very short distance from the stream. I met one of the local farmers by […]
Arenaria rivularis
Grows on the salty portions of the rim of the Salar de Uyuni that receives fresh water sporadically. Altitude: 3669 metres. Native range is Bolivia to Argentina.
Baccharis acaulis
Grows on the salty portions of the rim of the Salar de Uyuni that receives fresh water sporadically. Here it’s popping out of a cushion of Sarcocornia pulvinata. Altitude: 3669 metres. Native range is Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.
Baccharis acaulis
Grows on the salty portions of the rim of the Salar de Uyuni that receives fresh water sporadically. Here it’s growing out of a cushion of Sarcocornia pulvinata. Altitude: 3669 metres. Native range is Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.
Altiplano plant 18 (Juncaceae)
Grows on the salty portions of the rim of the Salar de Uyuni that receives fresh water sporadically. Please help me identify it – leave a comment! Altitude: 3669 metres.
Altiplano plant 18 (Juncaceae)
Grows on the salty portions of the rim of the Salar de Uyuni that receives fresh water sporadically. Please help me identify it – leave a comment! Altitude: 3669 metres.
Salar de Uyuni starry sky time-lapse
At this time of year the Milkyway is not as prominent as in the summer months, but there are so many stars to be seen at any time of year at this altitude and in particular in the dry air of the dry season when this was shot. This is a 23 second time-lapse spanning […]
Salar de Uyuni and The Magellanic Clouds
This was an incredibly windy and cold night, and it was really hard to find a place away from the wind to set up the camera for long exposures. Even with my down jacket, woolen socks, long johns and gloves, I simply had to leave the camera behind and go back to my room to […]
Star trails over Salar de Uyuni
Traveling around the huge salt flats of Salar de Uyuni is no easy task, as the distances are vast and you have to bring all you need including gas for the car, as well as find the very few places you can sleep at night. The humans living on the edge of the salt flats […]
Cardon cactus (Echinopsis tarijensis)
When not in bloom it looks just like the white-flowering Echinopsis atacamensis, but this one is much rarer, and I found only one with flower here on the slopes of Cerro Tunupa. Altitude: 3989 metres. Native range is Bolivia and Argentina.
Cardon cactus (Echinopsis tarijensis)
When not in bloom it looks like the white-flowering Echinopsis atacamensis, but this one is much rarer, and I found only one with flower here on the slopes of Cerro Tunupa. Altitude: 3989 metres. Native range is Bolivia and Argentina.
Andean Lapwing (Vanellus resplendens)
A common bird here, but not in large numbers during my visit. Altitude: 3669 metres. It sounds like this:
Cerro Tunupa
One of countless volcanic peaks on the Altiplano. If you’re up to it you can easily trek to the top, as there are no sheer cliffs to climb. I didn’t have the desire to go any higher than 4000 metres that day (just a few hundred metres up the slopes), but if I had more […]
Isla del Pescado (Fish Island) and Salar de Uyuni
Fortunately the cacti are not disturbed here, so this is one of few places you can see a resemblance of a cactus forest. The cacti are used for firewood and even furniture and ornaments, and as the cacti species grow very slowly (up to 1 centimetre a year), they are all threatened. Most of the […]
Cactus nest on Isla del Pescado (Fish Island)
For birds that have a need to build nests above ground, a desert has few options, so they learn to deal with the spines and use them to their advantage. It seems the nests are re-used for several seasons and thus grow each year, as this one which rivals that of a Magpie’s. The nest […]
Isla del Pescado (Fish Island) and Salar de Uyuni
Why this island is named fish island is a mystery to me. It does not look like a fish from the air and fish usually belong in the water and not on land. In fact this island is more or less made up of dead corals, so the name should have been coral island. Nonetheless […]
Salar de Uyuni
The enormity of the salt flat is incredible and very hard to convey on a photo, but when you have known elements like two 4×4 jeeps seen here (this view is from Isla del Pescado (Fish Island)), you get the idea, I believe. The salt is very tough on the cars, including the tyres which […]
Cardon cactus (Trichocereus atacamensis ssp. pasacana)
The white-spined variety is my favourite of the cacti here, and with the backdrop of the white salt flats they create a surreal feeling of ice and snow! Altitude: 3716 metres.
Salar de Uyuni
You get a sense of the the enormity of the salt flat when you drive at 100 km/h and the distant landmass never seem to get closer, but when you climb upwards (this view is from Isla del Pescado (Fish Island)) and see that what appeared to be the shore is just islands and countless […]
Cardon cactus (Trichocereus atacamensis ssp. pasacana)
The flowers of this species are simply gorgeous! Huge, juicy and dripping with resin! Without these cacti, the local insect and bird populations would have a much harder time. Altitude: 3716 metres. Native range is Bolivia and Argentina.
Lycium chanar
Growing on the islands in the Salar de Uyuni. Altitude: 3716 metres. Native range is Bolivia and Argentina.
Lycium chanar
Growing on the islands in the Salar de Uyuni. Altitude: 3716 metres. Native range is Bolivia and Argentina.
Cardon cactus (Trichocereus atacamensis ssp. pasacana)
Many of the local guides regard the white-spined Echinopsis atacamensis as a separate species from the brown-spined, but evidently this is one species that has a way of coming in two varities! Altitude: 3716 metres. Native range is Bolivia and Argentina.
Cardon cactus (Trichocereus atacamensis ssp. pasacana)
Many of the local guides regard the white-spined Echinopsis atacamensis as a separate species from the brown-spined, but evidently this is one species that has a way of coming in two varities! Both have huge white flowers. Altitude: 3716 metres. Native range is Bolivia and Argentina.
Spiny Cocklebur (Xanthium spinosum)
Altitude: 3671 metres. Native range is Canada to Mexico, Peru to southernmost South America.
Spiny Cocklebur (Xanthium spinosum)
Altitude: 3671 metres. Native range is Canada to Mexico, Peru to southernmost South America.
Altiplano plant 12 (Baccharis sp)
Please help me identify it – leave a comment! Altitude: 3671 metres.
Senecio eriophyton
It reminds me of Senecio. It has a bushy growth. Altitude: 3671 metres. Native range is Chile and Argentina.
Senecio eriophyton
Altitude: 3671 metres. Native range is Chile and Argentina.
Caiophora chuquitensis
An incredibly spiny plant! There is not one part that is spineless, so I guess only insects are able to harm this plant! Altitude: 3671 metres. Native range is Peru to Argentina.
Caiophora chuquitensis
An incredibly spiny plant! There is not one part that is spineless, so I guess only insects are able to harm this plant! Altitude: 3671 metres. Native range is Peru to Argentina.
Altiplano plant 10 (Asteraceae)
Altitude: 3671 metres.
Altiplano plant 10 (Asteraceae)
Please help me identify it – leave a comment! Altitude: 3671 metres.