Galapagos: North Seymour Island
I HOPE YOU LIKE PICTURES OF BIRDS! 'Cuz that's what you're gonna get to reflect our day trip to North Seymour Island. A bird sanctuary, this was absolutely one of the best days of my life. Literally hundreds or thousands of frigate birds and blue footed boobies, unafraid of humans, with their nests everywhere across the island.
The island itself is a rocky outcropping, with many stubby trees in the middle (Here, you can see a sea lion in the foreground -- he's the same color as the rocks.)
We were there during an exciting time for both species of birds -- both birds were wrapping up their mating season, but we still had a chance to see the magnificent frigate bird look for a mate.
Plus, we got to see both frigates and boobies in various life cycles. Here are baby frigate birds -- super fuzzy!
Juvenile frigates - still have their yellow from youth, but have more feathers than fuzz.
Breeding pairs will lay only one single egg each season, and, frigates are able to breed only every other year.
Male frigate birds -- inflated and uninflated. Here, the birds are inflating their gular pouch to attract a mate.
Frigates have wings that are long and pointed and can span up 7 1/2 feet -- the largest wing area to body weight ratio of any bird. Frigates need this wing span so that they can soar for days on end, over the open ocean.
Also prominent on this island were blue-footed boobies.
While frigates build very large, messy nests in the tree, the boobies just build nests directly on the ground. I assure you that these babies are just fine - this is how they nest!
Baby Boobies
Adolescent boobies
Adults
Not only do they have blue feet, but also blue faces.
Other critters we saw while visiting this island -- the endangered lava gull, and, land iguanas.
This was the boat that took us out on this excursion.
The island itself is a rocky outcropping, with many stubby trees in the middle (Here, you can see a sea lion in the foreground -- he's the same color as the rocks.)
We were there during an exciting time for both species of birds -- both birds were wrapping up their mating season, but we still had a chance to see the magnificent frigate bird look for a mate.
Plus, we got to see both frigates and boobies in various life cycles. Here are baby frigate birds -- super fuzzy!
Juvenile frigates - still have their yellow from youth, but have more feathers than fuzz.
Breeding pairs will lay only one single egg each season, and, frigates are able to breed only every other year.
Male frigate birds -- inflated and uninflated. Here, the birds are inflating their gular pouch to attract a mate.
Frigates have wings that are long and pointed and can span up 7 1/2 feet -- the largest wing area to body weight ratio of any bird. Frigates need this wing span so that they can soar for days on end, over the open ocean.
Also prominent on this island were blue-footed boobies.
While frigates build very large, messy nests in the tree, the boobies just build nests directly on the ground. I assure you that these babies are just fine - this is how they nest!
Baby Boobies
Adolescent boobies
Adults
Not only do they have blue feet, but also blue faces.
Other critters we saw while visiting this island -- the endangered lava gull, and, land iguanas.
This was the boat that took us out on this excursion.
Comments
Post a Comment