Hitchhiking Birds

                                                   Smart Birds

    I saw a lot of neat animals and numerous birds when in the Galapagos Islands.

     We left Santa Cruz Island in the evening for an all night cruise to Tower Island. Our guide sent us to bed with the promise of a surprise in the morning.

     When I walked out on deck, with my first cup of coffee in my hand, the next morning I suddenly stopped, mesmerized by the sight of two red-footed boobies perched on the boat ‘s bowsprit. Their red webbed feet held tight to the rails and with the wind blowing in their beautiful faces, the birds looked very regal.

    They sat there in all their splendor for a very long time. My son had been up for some time and had taken pictures. He walked very slowly over to me and said, “Aren’t they wonderful, Mom?”

    We all were very quiet, speaking in hushed tones and moved very slowly, if at all. We learned that red-footed boobies feed far out to sea in deep waters. After a night of fishing and feeding the birds often hitch a ride back to shore on boats that sail the islands.

    The birds posed like it was expected of them. We were all excited and enjoyed the birds’ company for a long time. Everyone had a chance to get their photos and to enjoy the up close encounter with the red footed boobies.  What a way to start the day!

WONDERFUL BIRDS

                                               Surprises All Day

Besides the animals we had many surprises in the Galapagos Island. After a visit to the Darwin Research Center and museum on Santa Cruz Island we checked out the giant tortoises. They were in all stages of growth. The babies were in pens. When they get a little bigger they are placed in large enclosures, and the adults were lumbering around the grounds everywhere.

More memorable than the Center was the delicious lunch we had up in the highlands where it was considerably cooler. The tropical landscaping was gorgeous and the view magnificent.

On the way down from the highlands we stopped to walk the rim of a sink hole. Our guide instructed. “Sit quietly for awhile and listen to the songs of the Galapagos doves and watch the vermilion flycatchers.”

 We did, and the birds’ songs were the only sound that broke the absolute solitude of this quiet place. Wonderful!

Later we visited a large lava tunnel. Some of the younger people descended the rough trail to explore its depths. It was a bit rough for my old joints to say nothing of my claustrophobia, so I stayed in daylight and enjoyed the scenery.

We left Santa Cruz Island late in the evening for an all night cruise to Tower Island. We were sent  to bed with the promise of a surprise in the morning.

When I walked out on deck the next morning with my first cup of coffee I suddenly stopped short, mesmerized by the sight of two red footed boobies perched on the bowsprit. They sat there in all their splendor for a very long time. My son  had been up for some time and had taken pictures. He slowly walked over to me and said, “Aren’t they wonderful, Mom?”

Later we learned these birds feed far out to sea in deep waters. They usually hitch a ride back to shore on the boats that sail the islands. By being quiet and moving slowly everyone was able to take pictures. The birds posed as if it were expected of them. It was a wonderful surprise and a great way to start a new day!