Genovesa Island
The most wonderful combination: nice weather, spectacular landscapes and a unique fauna all conspired to make this day a marvelous one. Genovesa is one of my favorite islands. It is estimated that this place, with a surface area of just 5.4 square miles, is home to more than one million seabirds. We can therefore say that this low, flat, relatively old island is like a big airport for all these flying machines. We are now at the beginning of the breeding season for many of them, the great frigatebird in particular. It was really superb to watch the males: some with an already inflated gular pouch and yet others in the process. We were also surrounded by red-footed boobies, perching all over the bushes, many on nests and with young chicks.
In the afternoon we went to explore a different location, which is Prince Philip’s Steps. We encountered many of the same species as during the morning, in a different setting: beautiful scenery the backdrop for myriad sea birds interacting. The trail leads us through a deciduous forest through to extensive lava plains that house many of our smallest seabirds, the storm petrels. These tiny creatures are prey for one of only three terrestrial predators in Galapagos, all three avian. The short-eared owl is usually a crepuscular hunter, but has expanded its range to daylight on this odd island. This particular time niche is normally taken up by the Galapagos hawk, which however is absent here, allowing the owl to take over – yet another illustration of the complexities of our island ecosystems, and how all their components are closely linked.
This magnificent bird was a true highlight for all those who took the walk, as we came across three on our outing, one of them so close that we could get amazing shots like the one pictured here.
The most wonderful combination: nice weather, spectacular landscapes and a unique fauna all conspired to make this day a marvelous one. Genovesa is one of my favorite islands. It is estimated that this place, with a surface area of just 5.4 square miles, is home to more than one million seabirds. We can therefore say that this low, flat, relatively old island is like a big airport for all these flying machines. We are now at the beginning of the breeding season for many of them, the great frigatebird in particular. It was really superb to watch the males: some with an already inflated gular pouch and yet others in the process. We were also surrounded by red-footed boobies, perching all over the bushes, many on nests and with young chicks.
In the afternoon we went to explore a different location, which is Prince Philip’s Steps. We encountered many of the same species as during the morning, in a different setting: beautiful scenery the backdrop for myriad sea birds interacting. The trail leads us through a deciduous forest through to extensive lava plains that house many of our smallest seabirds, the storm petrels. These tiny creatures are prey for one of only three terrestrial predators in Galapagos, all three avian. The short-eared owl is usually a crepuscular hunter, but has expanded its range to daylight on this odd island. This particular time niche is normally taken up by the Galapagos hawk, which however is absent here, allowing the owl to take over – yet another illustration of the complexities of our island ecosystems, and how all their components are closely linked.
This magnificent bird was a true highlight for all those who took the walk, as we came across three on our outing, one of them so close that we could get amazing shots like the one pictured here.
