Boobies

As you can tell, we not especially close to the bids. This makes it hard to always tell if they are scratching or if it part of the mating ritual. I suspect that this was just a scratch.

Frigatebirds and Boobies

We saw earlier the deflated gular sac on the male frigatebird whose egg was lost. Here, we see the proud puffing of a father to be.

Frigatebirds and Boobies

A female frigatebird sits on a limb near her nest.

Pelicans and a Booby

The birds were busy fishing on this afternoon. This pelican is just making the turn to start his dive.

Boobies and Penguins

Just south of Isabela Island is a collection of rocky, mostly barren, lava outcroppings called Los Tintoreras. Here we find blue-footed boobies and Galapagos penguins.

The blue feet really stand out against the dark lava.

More Boobies and Pelicans

When blue-footed boobies take flight after diving for a meal, they use their feet to push against the water to help get the speed to get airborne.

Boobies, Pelicans, and a Whimbrel

A common beachcomber in the Galapagos is the Galapagos whimbrel. White his characteristic curved bill, he scours the beach for morsels to eat.

Boobies and Plovers

One of the better things to do on the beach is watch the boobies fly along the shallow waters and search for food.

Boobies, Turnstones, and a Lava Heron

The grace and coordination of the boobies in flight as they sail along the wave crests is mesmerizing. I could stand there and watch them for hours.

On the Sea and in the Air

The turnstones and the plover have found a small outcropping of lava just at the water's edge to scour for food morsels.

Land Iguana, Blue-Footed Boobie, and Lava Gull

These iguana are indeed striking creatures. I'm quite sure that if these fellows were not herbivores, I'd not be so close to them.

Sally Lightfoot and Blue-Footed Booby

This crab is called the sally lightfoot crab. They get their name, perhaps, after a Caribbean dancer.

The Blue-Footed Booby

This booby is a handsome bird. This one is giving me lots of time to get some portraits while he sits, preens, and relaxes before the next hunt for food.

Gray Warbler Finch and Blue-footed Booby

If it is not a seabird, then it is usually a finch of some sort. This is the gray warbler finch. It is only found on San Christóbal and a few other very tiny islands on the eastern side of the archipelago.