Our last excursion of the cruise was to a different part of Genovesa (bird) Island - Prince Phillip's steps, which were built for a visit from Prince Phillip from England to the area. They weren't as 'royal' as you might think as you'll see in the photos below. Another bird extravaganza!
On the way, we saw some of the Galapagos penguins (we even got to snorkel with them that morning). Unfortunately, my camera was packed away in our backpack so I couldn't get a shot of them. They're much smaller than the Antarctica relatives and the only penguins to live in the Northern hemisphere.
Here's a good view of the steps. Clearly Prince Phillip was a lot younger when he visited!
This scruffy juvenile booby seems to be trying to communicate.
There were so many birds here you had to watch where you stepped! They certainly weren't going to move for us.
A nice pair of frigate birds and their nest. You can see the male sitting on the nest - the female will take her turn as well.
And finally a perfect shot of a red-footed booby where you can see their red feet and how they can perch on branches.
Our goal on this hike was to spot a short-eared owl - one of only 2 predators in the Galapagos. The lighting isn't great, but you get the idea. They look a lot like North American barn owls, which is where they migrated from.
The owls sit patiently waiting for little kestrel birds to land and then strike.
I think this might be a little mockingbird.
And this looks like a nesting place for one of the owls - lots of feathers and poop to mark the owl's territory. They are very territorial and will chase other owls away from their area as needed.
This photo gives you a sense of the terrain - every island so different.
Coming back down the 'steps'.
And that's my last Galapagos post. :( The next day we headed back to Quito and then back home. What a truly amazing trip!
