Around 5:30 a.m. we entered the caldera of Genovesa Island. This is all that is left of a shield volcano now flooded by the sea and large enough to accommodate many ships near the rim where the water is shallower to allow anchors to be dropped. Again visits were time limited and also the numbers of people landing at any one time.
Once we were on the lava flow there were many more birds than people. They were at every turn and when walking one had to avoid disturbing them. This is the only island where Red-footed Boobies are found.
Genovesa has the world’s largest Red-footed ‘Boobery’ totalling about 140,000 pairs. They may feed hundreds of kilometres offshore, lay one egg and only manage to bring back enough food for a single chick. Their prehensile feet enable them to grip branches and therefore allowing them to nest off the ground.
Nazca Boobies are the largest in the archipelago. They feed further afield than other Boobies but only between the islands. They lay 2 eggs but only raise one chick. The eggs are laid a few days apart which gives the first chick a distinct advantage over the second. When it hatches its stronger sibling pushes it out of the nest. The parents ignore this and leave the chick to its fate. Should the first egg not hatch, the second chick goes on to reach maturity.
The Blue-footed Booby are plunge feeders but remain close to land. They can raise 3 young as a result of the adults feeding close to shore. The nests are closely spaced and may only be a shallow scrape in the ground or a ledge on the cliffs. They are amusing because they perform an elaborate high-step showing off their incredible blue feet in the form of a dance to attract a partner.
A Juvenile Frigatebird hatches from a single white egg, laid on the hard guano pad of an old nest in a low bush or tree. The nests are extremely flimsy and many eggs and even chicks simply fall through the nest and are lost while the parents are changing incubation shifts or when twigs are stolen by other birds. The chick is reliant on the adult for food for a year or more even though it is able to fly around 5-6 months after hatching, consequently this precludes the adults from breeding every year..
The magnificent frigatebird is a large, lightly built seabird with brownish-black plumage, long narrow wings and a deeply forked tail. The male has a striking red gular sac which he inflates to attract a mate. The female is slightly larger than the male and has a white breast and belly.
The Short-eared Owl has no competition because of the lack of hawks on the island and hunts boldly in daylight.
On Genovesa Island there are no Carpenter bees which are normally responsible for pollinating the Opuntia Cactus flowers. The cactus has evolved softer hair-like spines which allow the Galápagos Dove to pollinate the flowers and feed from them.
The berries from this plant are sticky when squeezed and children often use them as glue.
Galápagos Dove
A Small Ground Finch
After a couple of hours it was time for lunch on board the ship and afterwards an exploration of Darwin Beach, an area with mangroves and sea water fed lagoons. More birds and sea lions were found here.
Franklin’s Gulls
Galápagos Heron
