Thanksgiving Galapagos Trip Aboard the Cormorant Yacht
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PREPARED FOR NEBLINA FOREST BY LELIS NAVARRETE
November 20–November 26
Participants: Leader: Lelis Navarrete.
Itinerary:
November 20
Early morning flight from Quito to Baltra were we were greeted by our Naturalist guide and then bus transfer to the Itabaca channel (ferry boat from Baltra to Santa Cruz Island) and then a bus ride to visit the highlands starting in the Rancho Primicias were we visited the Galapagos Giant Tortoises, later on the day we went to visit the Miconia zone in the Media Luna site before descending to Puerto Ayora where we got onboard our boat we sailed overnight to Cerro Dragon still in Santa Cruz Island.
November 21
Early in the morning we visited the Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill) a very dry habitat were the main goal was to look for the Galapagos Land Iguana and a few water and land birds, later in the day we navigated to Rábida Island where we visited the Red Beach (Playa Roja), during the night we sailed to the west side of Isabela and the near by Fernandina.
November 22
After a very bumpy overnight ride we arrive to Black Beach (Playa Negra) on time to have a very early visit in the Mangrove forest before breakfast and after breakfast (already on board) we sailed to Punta Espinosa where we had some time to snorkel and also have a boat ride before getting onshore to visit the famous thorny point.
November 23
Early morning “panga” ride (the Spanish word for an outboard small-wooden boat) into some beautiful mangrove forest were the main attraction were not the birds but the water wildlife, after snorkeling in the Marielas Islets we went sailing to Punta Moreno, still in the western side of Isabela were the fairly young lava fields created a lunar landscape dotted with brackish lagoons which are home of a few water related birds, in the early afternoon we started navigating aiming for Floreana Island.
November 24
In the early morning we anchored in the Puerto Velasco Ibarra port and went up to the highlands of Floreana riding what I started to call the hybrid (a weird looking vehicle, mixed bus-truck) which is the only means of public transportation in the island, after lunch sailed to Champion where we had a boat ride around the Champion Islet, not with out before, going to snorkel in what is probably the best snorkeling spot in the Islands (The Devil’s Crown), during the night we sailed to Santa Cruz Island.
November 25
Early morning visit to Punta Suarez in Española Island one of the great sites of the Islands where the Waved Albatross has its nesting grounds, after lunch sailed to Bahia Gardner where we had some time to snorkel and visit one of the most beautiful beaches of The Galapagos Islands, during the night we sailed to San Cristobal.
November 26
In the morning we visited took a bus ride to visit the Highlands of San Cristobal and after lunch we sailed to Santa Fe to visit the Santa Land Iguana.
March 11
An early morning visit to Santa Cruz Island to the famous Charles Darwin station and then a bus ride to Baltra airport to catch our uneventful flight back to Quito.
Overall assessment.
One of my preferred trips here in South America. This year, since for the first time we were not able to sold out the spaces in our 16 passenger regular boat, We (Neblina agreed with the 7 customers signed) in to take a smaller boat and make a minor change in the itinerary which did not allow us to visit Genovese Island, therefore stopping us to look for the Sharp-beaked Finch anyway we saw all the Galapagos endemic birds but the Galapagos Martin and the before mentioned Finch (which was out of our reach, because we did not visit any place where we could see it) but as always we study the Geology, Geography, History, Botany, Entomology, Ichthyology, Evolution and the Natural history of the Islands.
This is one of this trips were it is not only possible to look for all the birds but also study so many things that is too difficult to try to describe the experience in a few words, there is a big difference with other birding trips since in the islands we are not to busy looking for birds all the time and we can look at leisure to all the wildlife, proof of that is the amazing fish list we collected.
Endemic bird species to Ecuador
English Name |
Scientific Name |
Notes |
Pied-billed Grebe |
Podilymbus podicep |
One single bird was seen in the salty lagoons at Punta Moreno in the west side of Isabela Island |
Galápagos Penguin |
Spheniscus mendiculus |
We had up to twenty birds that were seen in three different days, specially in the west side of Isabela and Fernandina and pair that was seen in Floreana |
Galápagos ( aka Dark-rumped, aka Hawaiian) Petrel |
Pterodroma phaeopygia |
Up to 74 birds were seen altogether when sailing near Santa Cruz (20), Rábida (25), Bolivar channel between Isabela and Fernandina (6), Española (12) and San Cristobal (6) |
Galápagos (before aka Audubon's) Shearwater |
Puffinus subularis |
A recent accepted split then Galapagos has one another endemic bird species, was a very common bird that was seen in a daily basis altogether way over a thousand individuals |
Elliot' s Storm-petrel |
Oceanites gracilis galapagoensis |
Another fairly common bird seen almost every day but only when in the shallow waters of San Cristobal Island (10), Isabela and Fernandina (32), Santa Cruz (20), Rábida (15) Floreana (4) and Española (20) |
Wedge-rumped Storm-petrel |
Oceanodroma tethys tethys |
Several were seen in Isabela (3), Floreana (1) and Española (40) and San Cristobal-Santa Fe (3) |
Madeiran Storm –petrel |
Oceanodroma castro |
(Also known as Band-rumped Storm-petrel) A few were seen when sailing when sailing from Española to San Cristobal (10) |
Leach 's Storm-petrel |
Oceanodroma leueorhoa |
One was reported by Jan and Keith the day we sailed from Española to San Cristobal I did not see the bird but the observers had previous experience with the species |
Red-billed Tropicbird |
Phaethon aethereus |
A fairly common species in Floreana (24) specially at the Devil’s crown, Santa Cruz (1), San Cristobal (1) and Española (6) |
Magnificent Frigatebird |
Fregata magnificens magnificens |
A fairly common bird seen almost in a daily basis, close to two hundred |
Great Frigatebird |
Fregata minor ridgwayi |
A few were seen in Santa Cruz (10), Isabela (2), Española (2) and Santa Fe (2) |
Blue-footed Booby |
Sula nebouxii excise |
Several seen almost every day but only when in the shallow waters of Baltra (20), San Cristobal Island (10), Isabela (over a 100), Santa Cruz (50), Floreana (30) and Española (100) |
Nazca Booby |
Sula granti |
A pair was seen when sailing from Santa Cruz to Rábida, also in Isabela (2), Floreana (6), very numerous in Española (300) and San Cristobal-Santa Fe (4) |
Red-footed Booby |
Sula sula websteri |
Only a pair was seen seating on the water near Dragon Hill |
Flightless Cormorant |
Phalacrocorax harrisi |
Some forty-two were seen in shallow waters of Isabela and Fernandina |
Brown Pelican |
Pelecanus occidentalis urinator |
Small numbers seen in a daily basis (from 2 – 12 per day) |
White-cheeked Pintail |
Anas bahamensis galapagensis |
Five were seen in the brackish lagoons in Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz), two were seen in the brackish lagoon in Punta Moreno (Isabela) and three more at the El Junco lake in Santa Cristobal |
Blue-winged Teal |
Anas discors |
Ten were seen in one of the brackish lagoons in Punta Moreno (Isabela) |
Greater Flamingo |
Phoenicopterus rubber |
Three were seen in the brackish lagoons in Punta Moreno (Isabela), and only one in the brackish lagoons in Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz) |
Great Blue Heron |
Ardea herodias |
One was seen in Santa Cruz and one in Isabela and one more in Baltra Island |
Great Egret |
Casmerodius albus |
One was seen in Santa Cruz and one more was seen in Punta Moreno (Isabela) |
Cattle Egret |
Bubulcus ibis |
Four were seen in San Cristobal fairly common in Santa Cruz (100) and Floreana (2) |
Striated Heron |
Butorides striatus |
Two was seen in Santa Cruz and four more in Bahia Elizabeth |
Lava Heron |
Butorides sundevalli |
It was seen almost in a daily basis one seen in Baltra, Española, two in Santa Cruz, three in Isabela-Fernandina, three in Floreana and one more in Santa Fe |
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron |
Nyctanassa violacea pauper |
Two were seen in the shore line in Española |
Galápagos Hawk |
Buteo galapagoensis |
Two were seen in Española Island, one in Fernandina and one more in Santa Fe |
Peregrine Falcon |
Falco peregrinus |
A pair was seen in Media Luna (Santa Cruz) |
Galápagos Rail |
Laterallus spilonotus |
One was seen almost at our feet in the Miconia zone in Media Luna (Santa Cruz) |
Common Gallinule |
Gallinula chloropus |
A dozen where seen in the brackish lagoons in Punta Morena (Isabela) and one more in El Junco lake (San Cristobal) |
Whimbrel |
Numenius phaeopus hudsonicus |
It was seen almost in a daily basis, two were seen in Santa Cruz, one in Punta Espinosa, one was seen in San Cristobal one in Floreana and one in Española |
Greater Yellowlegs |
Tringa melanoleuca |
Only one bird was seen in the shore line at Española |
Spotted Sandpiper |
Actitis macularia |
Only one was seen in feeding in a sandy beach in Santa Fe island |
Wandering Tattler |
Heteroscelus incanus |
A few were seen almost in a daily basis San Cristobal (4), Floreana (3), Isabela-Fernandina (7), Santa Cruz (6) and Española (2) |
Ruddy Turnstone |
Arenaria interpres |
Almost in a daily basis Baltra (2), San Cristobal (5), Fernandina (10) Santa Cruz (2), Floreana (4) and Española (10) |
Sanderling |
Calidris alba |
Five were seen in Playa Negra (Isabela), two were seen in Española and three more in Santa Fe |
Western Sandpiper |
Calidris mauiri |
Only one was seen in the brackish lagoon at Playa Roja (Rábida) |
Least Sandpiper |
Calidris minutilla |
One single bird was seen in the salty lagoons at Punta Moreno in the west side of Isabela Island |
Red-necked Phalarope |
Phalaropus lobatus |
Over four thousand were seen in the ocean in the south-west side of Isabela, a few others near Floreana (40) and also near San Cristobal (14) |
Red Phalarope |
Phalaropus fulicarius |
Ten were seen within larger groups of Red-necked Phalarope in the Bolivar channel Fernandina-Isabela |
American Oystercatcher |
Haematopus palliates |
One was seen in Santa Cruz, two more in Española and three more in Isabela Island |
Black-necked Stilt |
Himantopus himantopus mexicanus |
Two were seen in the brackish lagoons at the Dragon Hill site in Santa Cruz island and two more were seen in the brackish lagoons in Punta Moreno (Isabela) |
Gray (Black-bellied) Plover |
Pluvialis squatarola |
Only one was seen in a sandy beach in Santa Fe |
Semipalmated Plover |
Charadrius semipalmatus |
Four were seen in Fernandina-Isabela island, three in the brackish lagoon at the Dragon Hill site in Santa Cruz island and one more in Santa Fe island |
Lava Gull |
Larus fuliginosus |
Two were seen in Baltra one more in the harbor at Santa Cruz and only heard in Española |
Franklin's Gull |
Larus pipixcan |
Only one was seen in Elizabeth bay in Isabela Island |
Swallow-tailed Gull |
Creagrus furcatus |
Several were seen in Isabela-Fernandina (6), and much more common in Floreana (100) and Española (100) |
Common (Brown) Noddy |
Anous stolidus galapagensis |
Very common and numerous every day, ranging from dozens to a few hundreds |
Galápagos Dove |
Zenaida galapagoensis |
Six were seen in Baltra specially close to the terminal building, one in Rábida, two in Elizabeth bay Isabela, six in San Cristobal and six more in Floreana highlands |
Dark-billed Cuckoo |
Coccyzus melacoryphus |
Only one was seen in the Mangrove forest at Elizabeth bay in Isabela Island |
Smooth-billed Ani |
Crotophaga ani |
A dozen were seen in Baltra, one more in the highlands of Santa Cruz, two in Floreana, two more in Española and one more in San Cristobal |
Chimney Swift |
Chaetura pelagica |
One single bird was seen in Punta Suarez, Española island. This represents the second only record for the Galapagos Islands, the bird was flying low close to the bushy area near the place where the rocky trail end after visiting the Albatrosses |
Galápagos Flycatcher |
Myiarchus magnirostris |
One was seen in Baltra, three were seen in the highlands of Santa Cruz, six more in the highlands of Floreana and four in San Cristobal |
Galápagos Mockingbird |
Nesomimus parvulus |
It was seen by dozens in Isabela-Fernandina, Santa Cruz and Santa Fe |
Charles Mockingbird |
Nesomimus trifasciatus |
Up to four were seen in Champion Islet by Floreana |
Hood Mockingbird |
Nesomimus macdonaldi |
More than two dozens were seen in Española Island (30) |
Chatham Mockingbird |
Nesomimus melanotis |
Up to eighteen were seen in the highlands of San Cristobal |
Yellow Warbler |
Dendroica striata |
It was seen in all the Islands we visited, San Cristobal (6) and Española (4), Santa Cruz (3), Isabela-Fernandina (14) and Floreana (5) |
Large Ground-Finch |
Geospiza magnirostris |
Two were seen only in Dragon Hill Santa Cruz |
Medium Ground-Finch |
Geospiza fortis |
Over Twenty in Baltra, ten in San Cristobal, half a dozen in Black Turtle beach (Isabela), a few in Santa Cruz (6) and a dozen more in Floreana |
Small Ground-Finch |
Geospiza fuliginosa |
The most common finch in the Islands, San Cristobal (20 +), Isabela (24 +), Santa Cruz (40 +), Floreana (30) and Española (6 +) |
Common Cactus-Finch |
Geospiza scandens |
Two males and a female were seen in Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz) |
Large Cactus-Finch |
Geospiza conirostris |
Four were seen only in Española |
Vegetarian Finch |
Platyspiza crassirostris |
Only two were seen in the highlands of San Cristobal island |
Large Tree-Finch |
Camarhynchus psittacula |
A female was seen in the highlands of Santa Cruz in Rancho Primicias |
Medium Tree-Finch |
Camarhynchus pauper |
Up to eight were only seen in the highlands of Floreana |
Small Tree-Finch |
Camarhynchus parvulus |
Twelve were seen in the highlands of San Cristobal, over six in the highlands of Santa Cruz and at least a dozen more in the highlands of Floreana |
Woodpecker Finch |
Cactospiza pallida |
One was seen in the highlands of Santa Cruz and one more in the Highlands of San Cristobal |
Mangrove Finch |
Cactospiza heliobates |
Two were seen in Black Turtle beach (Isabela) |
Warbler Finch |
Certhidia olivacea |
Fairly common in San Cristobal (10), Española (3) and common in Santa Cruz (14) |
