Birds, Birds, Birds – So Many Birds!

Full disclosure – we are not birdwatchers. And Netflix’s terrific show “The Residence” didn’t convince us to take it up; neither did this trip. Yet the Galapagos did provide a lot of inspiration and respect for avian diversity. Honestly, I broke out laughing when I saw Jeff taking photographs . . . of birds! He never takes photos, much less of birds. So that tells you how intriguing and impressive the birds are.

It’s hard to know where to start. Obviously, the Blue Footed Booby was high on our list of “must see” creatures. And we saw one on the first day – what a relief. But in the end, the Blues (or Bloobies as one naturalist jokingly called them) were not even my favorite bird of the trip. Although watching them dive into the sea as they hunt is mesmerizing. They do seem to have the best talent agents though, based on their representation in all things souvenir.

There are 3 types of boobies in the Galapagos, and each has its own “look.”  The Blues seem like the conspirators of the islands, or perhaps the secret service. They have a very serious and skeptical gaze. In the photo below, they seem to be plotting with one keeping a lookout. The Red Footed Boobies are multi-colored and perhaps the prettiest birds we saw.

Then there are the Nazca Boobies, named for one of the tectonic plates that the islands sit between. (They are sometimes referred to as “masked.”)

The Nazcas are vocal and bossy and appear mischievous, like the lemurs in the animated film “Madagascar” – you’re waiting to see what they might do next.

The pelican is also fun to watch diving to catch fish, albeit a much shallower dive than a booby, but you can see pelicans in many parts of the world. We did see a baby pelican in a nest for the first time, and it was quite noisy.

We also saw the Great Blue Heron and Lava Heron, both of whom are elegant.

One of the most amazing things about all these birds is that they are not afraid of people. They don’t fly away as you are walking among them or near their nests, even with a fledgling inside. They practically pose for photos.

The second photo above is a Nazca that had adopted and was raising a Frigatebird chick. It’s an unusual situation between 2 distinct species. But nature has a way and never ceases to amaze.

Swallow-Tailed Gulls are nocturnal, note their distinctive eyes. The pairs generally stay together year after year.

This was the only type of bird that took umbrage to our presence and squawked at us to move along after our group had remained close for too long.

While kayaking and snorkeling we saw Flightless Cormorants who are very good swimmers and divers.

We saw several other types of birds that I didn’t even photograph. Some are just too elusive to capture, especially when you’re relying on a phone. We were lucky enough to snorkel with Galapagos Penguins, who are swift and nimble in the water. And the binoculars came in handy for getting a glimpse of a Galapagos Short-eared Owl.

While the birds in your neighborhood may seem less interesting than these, keep a lookout, as you never know what you’ll see!

Shana & Jeff