The Boobies and the Frigates

Today we were up before dawn as we were going to North Seymour Island, in the Galapagos, to see the nesting sites of the Blue-footed Booby and the Frigate bird.

Before we reached the island the Frigate birds were swooping all around us.

Disembarking from the dinghy was a slow maneuver as the rocks were quite slippy with all the bird droppings.

The first birds we noticed on the ground were the Swallow -Tailed Gulls with their beautiful red ringed eyes. These are the only nocturnal gulls in the world.

But this was the bird we all wanted to see - the Blue Footed Booby. The name comes from the Spanish word, bobo meaning fool or clown.

We were fortunate to watch the mating dance of these birds. Here you can see the female perched aloft on a rock whilst the male dances from one foot to another and displays his wings. It was not a particularly elegant dance and it was clear to see why they were referred to as having clown like movements.

These birds dive into the water at great speed just off the coast. They plunge from a great height in a vertical dive usually in groups. It was a real spectacle to watch but too fast for my camera to ever capture.

Other birds nesting on the island were the Frigate birds. The female has a white chest whereas the male has a bright scarlet throat pouch which he puffs out to attract the female. The pouch is only visible during the breeding season.

Here the male is sitting on the flimsy nest. You can just spot some white beneath him. Only one egg is laid which is incubated by both parents.

T




he young bird may fledge after 90 days but are often dependent upon their parents for much longer.

This looks as though a female is trying to steal a twig from another frigate bird



This male is still displaying his pouch even in flight.

We returned to the boat for breakfast and then said goodbye to half the group who were leaving today. The rest of us were taken to a small beach at Baltra Island which had been used as a military base during WW2. Here we spent time swimming and relaxing whilst the boat was refuelled.

One of the few times we were on dry land relaxing.