The Striated Heron

Lurking among the mangrove roots, this heron is busy searching for a meal.

Marine Iguana, Brown Pelican, and Striated Heron

I continue to be fascinated by the appearance of these iguana. Skin like armour, clawed feet, and that ridge of spines allong the back. So cool.

A Finch, an Iguana, and a Warbler

Unsurprisingly, we find a medium ground finch perched atop a cactus.

Into the Wetlands

It probably seems odd that we are taking walk to see the wetland and I start with photo of a cactus. Yet, here we are.

A Booby and Pelicans

From the one photo above, it can be hard to tell just what this booby is doing. Is he landing (badly) or taking-off? Turns out, this is a launch from sitting in the water.

Pelicans and a Booby

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

Meanwhile, Back on the beach...

Along the shore, there is almost always birds feeding. This brown pelican has spied something tasty in the ocean.

Merry Christmas to all!

Just a quick note today to wish everyone a merry Christmas. I hope that this year has not been so filled with sadness that you cannot enjoy the holidays.

We have friends that are experiencing serious health issues, those that have the joy of a growing family, other with new jobs, and many who are fearful for what the new year may bring. I hope that all of you can embrace the good parts and push away the stressful bits, at least for a day or two, so that you can appreciate the love of family, friends, and food that we embrace this time of year.

The best of everything to everyone.

A Lava Lizard and a few Tortoises

It is a bit amazing that these animals, that are stuck on the ground with their heavy shell and cumbersome feet, can find enough to thrive without the help of humans. Yes, there are many place with lush forest cover, but there are also places like this, where the ground is simply broken lava.

Giant Tortoises

Something not often noticed about these slow moving giants is that they have some significant toe nails. I presume this is to help in foraging for food.

Penguins and Tortoises

A last look at a couple penguins before heading back to shore. Our next outing on Isabela Island was to a tortoise farm.

Galapagos Green Turtle

This green turtle seems to be having a nice, relaxing swim in the warm water of this small protected inlet.

Penguins, Sharks, and Turtles

These two penguins are sunning themselves and getting warm. You will notice that they both seem to have large sections of their white chest plumage appearing as a light yellow.

Penguins and a Great Blue Heron

On the lava near the shore, we see a penguin family. The nearest one is still molting into adult plumage.

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.

Lava Heron

At first glance, the laval heron is a rather drab looking bird. Yes, it has the typical shape of a heron, but little else to recommend it.

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.