Fernandina Island
It is always fantastic to see the different animals of the planet. To get so close is even a greater privilege. But what a wonderful feeling to be able to approach a nesting creature, one that has invested its energy in a pair of eggs to protect and incubate. If it lets us get so close, it is because it knows we represent no threat at all. It is completely fearless of people. It is proof that we the visitors are the true spectators of life in the Galapagos Islands.
This is an American oystercatcher, a resident of the islands as this nest exemplifies. This bird is a beauty. It is black and white, with a long, relatively stout red bill and flesh-colored feet and legs. The upperparts, head and breast, are black, the underparts white. The two eggs are buff-specked eggs. They had been laid on the flat lava flow, next to the path. Young oystercatchers leave the nest immediately after hatching, so within a few weeks we’ll be able to find the whole family walking along the tidal area of Punta Espinoza, looking for various kinds of mollusks and crabs.
It is always fantastic to see the different animals of the planet. To get so close is even a greater privilege. But what a wonderful feeling to be able to approach a nesting creature, one that has invested its energy in a pair of eggs to protect and incubate. If it lets us get so close, it is because it knows we represent no threat at all. It is completely fearless of people. It is proof that we the visitors are the true spectators of life in the Galapagos Islands.
This is an American oystercatcher, a resident of the islands as this nest exemplifies. This bird is a beauty. It is black and white, with a long, relatively stout red bill and flesh-colored feet and legs. The upperparts, head and breast, are black, the underparts white. The two eggs are buff-specked eggs. They had been laid on the flat lava flow, next to the path. Young oystercatchers leave the nest immediately after hatching, so within a few weeks we’ll be able to find the whole family walking along the tidal area of Punta Espinoza, looking for various kinds of mollusks and crabs.
We’ll keep you informed about them!
