![Great](javascript:iwin("apr17-554_19.jpg","Great_Frigate_Bird",
757,800))
Great Frigate Bird
Off ship at 0830 via panga to a coral beachon Darwin Bay and a walk on Genovesa (Tower) Island. Here we saw our first Great Frigate Birds - courting and nesting. The courting males are spectacular with a huge balloon pouch (gular sac) they inflate to attract the females who fly overhead. The males show off their pouches with their heads thrown back while trembling their outstretched wings. An amazing sight! Also saw our first Red-footed Boobies here. The skin around their eyes and bill is pink and purple. Also saw Nazca Booby, Galapagos Mockingbird, Lava Gull, Swallow-tailed Gull. Walk was along the beach and across some lava. Swimming and snorkeling along the beach followed. Julian had some of his best snorkeling along the cliff here.
![Genovesa and Darwin Bay](javascript:iwin("0apr17-map-1745.jpg","Genovesa_and_Darwin_Bay",
608,800))
Genovesa and Darwin Bay
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All images in the next group are of the impressive Great Frigate Birds.
![$tapr17-017_21.jpg](javascript:iwin("apr17-017_21.jpg","Great_Frigate_Bird",
768,512))
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![$tapr17-017_23.jpg](javascript:iwin("apr17-017_23.jpg","Great_Frigate_Bird",
768,512))
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![$tapr17-017_31.jpg](javascript:iwin("apr17-017_31.jpg","Great_Frigate_Bird",
768,512))
|
![$tapr17-017_32.jpg](javascript:iwin("apr17-017_32.jpg","Great_Frigate_Bird",
694,670))
|
![$tapr17-018_03.jpg](javascript:iwin("apr17-018_03.jpg","Great_Frigate_Bird",
768,512))
|
![$tapr17-1752.jpg](javascript:iwin("apr17-1752.jpg","Great_Frigate_Bird",
600,800))
|
![$tapr17-1772.jpg](javascript:iwin("apr17-1772.jpg","Great_Frigate_Bird",
800,600))
|
![GFB with Red-footed Booby](javascript:iwin("apr17-554_16.jpg","Great_Frigate_Bird_and_Red-footed_Booby",
768,512))
Great Frigate Bird with Red-footed Booby
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![Female and Male Great Frigate Birds](javascript:iwin("apr17-554_22.jpg","Great_Frigate_Birds_(Female_and_Male)",
768,512))
Female and Male
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![Male - in Flight](javascript:iwin("apr17-554_03.jpg","Male_Great_Frigate_Bird-in_Flight",
800,563))
Male - in flight
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![Female - in flight](javascript:iwin("apr17-554_24.jpg","Female_Great_Frigate_Bird-in_Flight",
800,600))
Female - in flight
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Also seen at Darwin Bay:
![Swallow-tailed Gulls](javascript:iwin("apr17-017_26.jpg","Swallow-tailed_Gulls",
768,512))
Swallow-tailed Gulls
|
![Galapagos Mockingbird](javascript:iwin("apr17-017_27.jpg","Galapagos_Mockingbird",
800,539))
Galapagos Mockingbird
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![Nazca Booby chick](javascript:iwin("apr17-017_33.jpg","Nazca_Booby_chick",
800,600))
Nazca Booby chick
|
![Nazca Booby chick](javascript:iwin("apr17-554_21.jpg","Nazca_Booby_chick",
768,512))
Nazca Booby chick
|
![Red-footed Booby](javascript:iwin("apr17-017_34.jpg","Red-footed_Booby",
768,512))
Red-footed Booby
|
![Red-footed Booby](javascript:iwin("apr17-018_05.jpg","Red-footed_Booby",
458,749))
Red-footed Booby
|
![Swallow-tailed Gull](javascript:iwin("apr17-018_10.jpg","Swallow-tailed_Gull",
768,512))
Swallow-tailed Gull
|
![Red-footed Booby](javascript:iwin("apr17-1754.jpg","Red-footed_Booby",
600,800))
Red-footed Booby
|
![Cactus Flower](javascript:iwin("apr17-1761.jpg","Cactus_Flower",
623,800))
Cactus Flower
|
![Red-footed Booby](javascript:iwin("apr17-554_08.jpg","Red-footed_Booby",
502,649))
Red-footed Booby
|
![Red-footed Booby](javascript:iwin("apr17-554_09.jpg","Red-footed_Booby",
512,768))
Red-footed Booby
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![Nazca Booby chick](javascript:iwin("apr17-554_13.jpg","Nazca_Booby_chick",
768,512))
Nazca Booby chick
|
![Nazca Boobies](javascript:iwin("apr17-554_25.jpg","Nazca_Boobies",
800,426))
Nazca Boobies
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![Lava Gull](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_05.jpg","Lava_Gull",
800,976))
Lava Gull
|
![Swallow-tailed Gull](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_07.jpg","Swallow-tailed_Gull",
800,665))
Swallow-tailed Gull
|
![Galapagos Mockingbird](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_09.jpg","Galapagos_Mockingbird",
768,512))
Galapagos Mockingbird
|
![Sea Lion](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_12.jpg","Sea_Lion",
768,512))
Sea Lion
|
![Sea Lion](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_14.jpg","Sea_Lion",
768,512))
Sea Lion
|
![Red-footed Booby](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_16.jpg","Red-footed_Booby",
768,512))
Red-footed Booby
|
![Immature Swallow-tailed Gull](javascript:iwin("apr17-017_20.jpg","Immature_Swallow-tailed_Gull",
473,316))
Immature Swallow-tailed Gull
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![JT & MJ on the beach](javascript:iwin("apr17-017_25.jpg","JT_&_MJ_on_the_beach",
512,768))
JT & MJ on the beach
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After lunch we climbed Prince Phillip's Steps - (some really steep) cut into the side of a cliff - a handrail was available. At the top of the cliff we walked through trees where we saw a Yellow-footed Red-footed Booby. No one has gotten a good picture of this bird so one hasn't been submitted to the CDRS yet. We saw Short-Eared Owl, white morph Red-Footed Booby, numerous Galapagos Mockingbird and Julian saw a Sharp-beaked Finch. Also saw Shearwaters and Fur Seal.
![Red-Footed (with Yellow feet) Booby](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_17.jpg","Red Footed_(with_Yellow_feet)_Booby",
669,559))
Red-Footed (with Yellow feet) Booby
|
![White Phase Red-Footed Booby](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_19.jpg","White_Phase_Red-Footed_Booby",
635,917))
White Phase Red-Footed Booby
|
![Nazca Booby chick](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_20.jpg","Nazca_Booby_chick",
800,679))
Nazca Booby chick
|
![Short-Eared Owl](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_22.jpg","Short-Eared_Owl",
161,131))
Short-Eared Owl
|
![Galapagos Dove](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_24.jpg","Galapagos_Dove",
549,458))
Galapagos Dove
|
![White-tipped Sharks](javascript:iwin("apr17-921_27.jpg","White-tipped_Sharks",
800,520))
White-tipped Sharks
|
Daily Expedition Report for April 17
On to April 18 Bartolomé and Santiago Islands: Pinnacle Rock; Puerto Egas
Back to April 16 (Santa Cruz & Charles Darwin Research Station)
