As we arrived at North Seymour this morning, we saw frigates gliding along the coastline - some males with partially-inflated red pouches passed by, followed by juveniles and females. After landing and just a few feet into the walk, we found a land iguana under a Cordia lutea tree, and just next to it on another muyuyo shrub two endemic swallow-tailed gulls, sitting on the ground on top of an accumulation of pebbles that probably was their nest. All of this was just the prelude of things to come today!
Blue-footed boobies waited for us in the middle of the trail, a male stopped and pointed his bill upward to be seen by a female that was flying right on top of him. She understood his move and landed right next to his side. As she approached him, he started whistling at her - definitively courting, it is that time of the year! Land iguanas waited in the shade of the Opuntia cacti, highly likely hoping that the fruits of the pads will fall on top of them. The cacti here are their only source of water. One walked in front of us and decided to rest under the cactus next to the trail. As the morning got hotter even the reptiles looked like the breeze near the ocean was a good place to rest.
In the distance we found a male frigate bird with its pouch inflated. Next to this male we could distinguish other males, all of then making different sounds and moving their wings as the females flew above. Just one of them within the group has gotten a beautiful female that was carefully inspecting the place where the male has decided to make the nest.
Rabida Island in the afternoon was the perfect place to watch the sun go down on another beautiful Galapagos day.
