Along the Beach and then Inland

A common sight along all the beaches we visited we the sally lightfoot crabs. Named for a dancer of yore, these can curry all over the rocks with ease.

A Tortoise and a Sea Lion

In his usual slow motion way, this tortoise is preparing to get a drink of (fairly nasty looking) water. Note that you can just see the remains of several meals on his mouth.

A Duck and More Tortoises

Above is the white-cheeked pintail duck. These fellows are found from as far north as southern Florida and as a far south as the southern tip of South America. This one is just chillin' by the small pond where the tortoises are hanging out.

Tortoises Hanging Out

In addition to growing moss on their skin, they also seem to not lick their lips either.

Tortoises Everywhere

If you ever wondered how you'd clean yourself if you lived outside, ate off the ground, and had no hands to wipe your mouth with, here you go. Not exactly the neatest critters around.

Santa Cruz Island and the Tortoises

So, we wrapped up our adventure ion San Cristóbal Island, boarded a boat to Santa Cruz Island, dropped our luggage and headed out to the center of the island to a tortoise farm.

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.

Magnificent Frigate Bird

Frigate birds have a problem. Their plumage is not waterproof. This means that when they are at sea, which is most of the time, they cannot land on the water nor can they dive for food. If they do, they become waterlogged and drown.

Swallow-tailed Gull and Smooth-billed Ani

Since you had a strinking view of an immature swallow-tailed gull, I thought you also deserved to see a few images of the adult.

Black-necked Stilt, Hermit Crab, Swallow-tailed Gull

Not every bird found on the islands is one that is only found here. The black-necked stilt is one of these common birds found in lots of places that has made its way here.

Marine Iguana, Brown Pelican, Yellow Warbler

The marine iguana is such an iconic animal and so primitive in appearance that I found them endless entertaining to photograph. It is clear why these were often chosen for those '50's sci fi movies.

Marine Iguana, Brown Pelican

One of the iconic animals we got to see on this trip was the marine iguana. You'll see many more images of these unique animals as we proceed through the trip.

Medium Ground Finch, Galapagos Flycatcher, Brown Pelican

The medium ground finch is ubiquitous on San Cristóbal. This one seems to be staring me down.

Yellow Warbler, Brown Pelican, Medium Ground Finch

The yellow warbler is a fine looking bird. With the greens abd browns of the forest, it is a striking image.

San Cristóbal Mockingbird and the Yellow Warbler

The mockingbirds are where Darwin made his name for sorting them out. This one is endemic to only San Cristóbal Island, hence the name.

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island

Our journey began in earnest by flying to San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos. The first afternoon, I took a walk through the forest and up a hill to a lookout where we hoped to see some frigate birds. On the way, we spotted a variety of birds. Above is a medium ground finch.

Off to Rio Quijos

One last look at the sapphire throated hummingbird and then we pack up and head to a different location by a river for some lunch and different birds.

The Last of the Hummingbirds on this Trip (almost)

Today, we reach the end of the hummingbird extravaganza and tomorrow we move on to a few other birds we saw at a different location. Then...finally!... the next stop is the Galapagos!

Above is a bronzy inca testing the offering.