Punta Cormorant, on Floreana, gives us an excellent opportunity to interpret the ecology of the Galapagos flora. We take advantage of the fact that there are not many birds at this site, not nearly as many as at yesterday's site on Española. On Floreana we find several of the endemic plants of the islands.
However, even if the unique flora is the highlight of this visit, it can't be denied that it is hard to concentrate on plants when one is "interrupted" by the presence of flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber). The total Galapagos population count of this large, impressive, pink bird is very small; we have less then 500 individuals. But these birds have been here long enough to adapt to this environment, and today they are referred to as an endemic subspecies. What is most notable about these flamingoes is that they are the brightest ones in the wild!
Flamingos nest during the hot, rainy season, which occurs from December to May. They build nests of mud, piled up to form miniature cones. The nest has a depression that keeps the egg from rolling out. After the single egg is incubated for a month, a down covered chick hatches and is fed by both parents. Flamingos feed on the small organisms found in the few brackish lagoons of Galapagos. Their diet is made up of tiny water insects known as Trichocorixa reticulata and a small, shrimp-like crustacean, Artemia salina. While feeding, these birds take in a lot of water and mud which they must filter out. Inside their thick bill, they possess a number of hair-like structures called lamellae. These are used in a sieve-like fashion and the food items are filtered and swallowed while the water and mud is squeezed out.
To see flamingos in flight or in courtship is to see a really special performance. In flight, the contrast between the pink and black feathers in their wings is dazzling. When they court, one can enjoy listening to the honking sounds they emit and watching their delightful dance.