GALAPAGOS: August 2011 (Part 18)
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Sep 6, 2011 | by Kevin Loughlin
Española is my favorite island. The Gardner Bay area, with is white-sand beaches is nice, but my favorite part of Española is the trail from the Punta Suarez landing… the beginning of which is seen above.
Along with the requisite sea lions are the endemic species of Marine Iguana that are typically red in color, some are green. They laze about in large groups, soaking up the rays.
The shoreline is often full of surprises… this time it was a cooperative Yellow-crowned Night Heron.
The Española endemic Hood Mockingbirds greeted us in search of fresh water. None is found here regularly, except in the form of dew and rain.
A pair of Galapagos Hawks has nested on a rock pile near the trail for the past few years. One stayed at the nesting site while we watched…
The other we found overhead in search of a meal…
Possibly an Española Lava Lizard!
As always, Blue-footed Boobies are found nesting near or even on the trail.
Swallow-tailed Gulls nest hear as well.
Nazca Boobies, named for the Nazca Plate on which the Galapagos Archipelago rides, nest in good numbers on Española.
The Hood Mockingbirds are always entertaining as they often have family feuds over an invisible boundary line.