Galapagos 14^th – 29^th July 2005

Tour report by Tour Leader Dick Filby

Day 1 - Amsterdam

Meeting up in Amsterdam Airport late evening we boarded our overnight flight to Quito.

Day 2 - Quito and Tandayapa Forest Lodge

Arriving in Quito on a beautiful morning we met up with our guide Chris and headed off on a two hour drive, across the equator and down the slope of the Andes, to Tandayapa Rainforest Lodge, our home for the night.  Leaving behind the arid slopes near Quito the change in scenery was dramatic indeed. 

On arrival at the lodge we were soon enjoying a welcome drink with the birds on the verandah – where the hummingbird feeders were providing plenty of action. It was an impressive welcome party with exotic names such as Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, both Green and Sparkling Violetears, Buff-tailed Coronet, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Andean Emerald and Purple-throated Woodstar.

After an enjoyable lunch we strolled the few yards to a viewing platform that overlooked the valley.  Close by, some fruiting trees yielded several species of tanager, including Golden-naped, Metallic-green, Black-capped, Golden Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager as well as Plumbeous Pigeon, Black Vulture and Golden-crowned Flycatcher.   Continuing our afternoon stroll, we headed off into the forest, finding several more great birds including Squirrel Cuckoo, Brown Inca, Booted Racquet-tail, Red-headed and Toucan Barbets, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Montane Woodcreeper, Golden-winged Manakin, Three-striped Warbler and Slate-throated Whitestart.  Late afternoon we drove a short distance to an overlook in search of Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, and were duly impressed when we spotted five birds noisily strutting their stuff! Excellent!  Pausing on the way back to the lodge we had brief views of a single Lyre-tailed Nightjar as well as a Sickle-winged Guan.

Day 3 – Tandayapa Forest Lodge

Next morning, after an early breakfast we drove up the road to explore the forest uphill of the lodge. Chris was locating birds left right and centre, often on the least audible call.  As expected at the different altitude, we saw several species of hummingbird not found near the lodge – these included Western Emerald, Speckled Hummingbird, Empress Brilliant, Collared Inca and Gorgetted Sunangel.  Other stars included Masked Trogon, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan and Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, plus Band-tailed Pigeon, White-capped Parrot, White-tipped Swift, Red-faced Spinetail, Striped Treehunter, Long-tailed Antbird, Green and Black Fruiteater, Turqoise Jay, Russet-crowned Warbler, Great and Glossy-backed Thrushes. It was an excellent bird-filled morning. We returned to the lodge for lunch, and after a last look from the observation platform, we headed back towards Quito, stopping at the roadside on occasion.  Doing so produced incredibly distant views of a Black-and-Chestnut Eagle on its nest, plus Tropical Parula, Lemon-rumped and White-winged Tanagers, Buff-throated Saltator and Smoke-coloured Pewee.  Later, closer to Quito, we saw a Variable Hawk being mobbed by an American Kestrel, some confiding Tufted Tit-Tyrants, and the much hoped for White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant.   With 80 species seen in the first 24 hours, a terrific guide, moderate pace, comfortable accommodation and good food, our trip to Tandayapa had been an excellent start to the trip.

Day 5 - to San Cristobal (Chatham)

Early to the airport in Quito we were soon on our way to The Galapagos, with an en-route stop at Guayaquil.  By late morning we were on the ground at San Cristobal airport, seeing our first Galapagos endemics – Small Ground Finches, and being met by our guide Monica.  Before long we were on board our home for the voyage –  Cachalote, and tucking into an excellent lunch. Around the boat, in the middle of the day and only a few yards from shore, were many Elliot’s and Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels, giving excellent views, as well as plenty of Magnificent Frigatebirds, Brown Pelicans and Blue-footed Boobies, whilst offshore a few Audubon’s Shearwaters passed by.

Heading back to the shore after lunch, we boarded our bus for the afternoon and set off inland in search of birds, plants and scenery.  San Cristobal (or Chatham as it is alternatively known) has one endemic, the Chatham Mockingbird, and this was our most desired bird of the afternoon.  We found several, and as is the case with so much of the Galapagos wildlife, saw them exceedingly well indeed!  Other great birds included the endemic Galapagos Flycatcher, plenty of Yellow Warblers and more Darwin finches: Medium and Small Ground Finches, Vegetarian Finch, Small Tree-Finch and Warbler Finch.  Back into the bus, we continued higher up, into the garua mist and eventually took the short walk up to the only freshwater lake on the island, the crater lake of El Junco.  It was extremely atmospheric, and we enjoyed the vegetation, but saw few birds up here.  So, back to the boat and an excellent dinner, followed by the daily bird log and early to bed. The captain set sail in order that we would be at Espanola island for dawn.

Day 6 - Espanola (Hood)

After an early breakfast we went ashore on the idyllic sandy beach at Gardner Bay, where the Galapagos Sea Lions lounged and played in the surf, Hood Mockingbirds curiously investigated and watched our every movement, and Pacific Green Turtles patrolled the shallows in a leisurely fashion.  It was fantastic to be ashore so early and have the place to ourselves and our first Marine Iguanas were closely studied and photographed on this lovely sunny morning.  Back to the boat mid morning, those who wished to snorkel took the opportunity to join Monica in the water before lunch, whilst others relaxed on board.   After lunch we has a splendid afternoon at Punta Suarez, the edge of the only Waved Albatross colony in the world.  Sea lions surfed in the waves as we came ashore, with plenty more gathered on the rocks and beach. A Brown Pelican at the waterline with a fish, hundreds and hundreds of Blue-footed and Nazca Boobies flying by, then nesting right at our feet Lava Heron on the rocks, and Galapagos Hawk in the air, Swallow-tailed Gulls on shady ledges, Red-billed Tropicbirds chasing each other in noisy aerial display round and round the bay, passing just overhead on frequent occasions, tangles of Marine Iguanas right by the path, and sprightly Lava lizards.

And all this before we even got the few hundred yards to the albatross that were a delight in themselves. We watched them courting, attending their tiny chicks and eggs, and walking to the cliff edge and launching themselves into the breeze.  It was a terrific afternoon.  All too soon it was nearly dark and time to go back to the boat.  The twelve hours of daylight had been thrilling. The twelve hours of darkness allowed plenty of time to relax, enjoy dinner and sleep soundly until tomorrow’s wake-up call.

Day 7 - Floreana (Charles)

Dawn saw the keen birdwatchers getting into the pangas in search of the endemic Charles Mockingbird, now only known from a couple of tiny offshore islets due to their extinction on the main island by introduced rats.  We headed for one of these islets, named Champion, and it was not long before we spotted the first of several, close to the beach.  Watching from the panga (no shore landing permitted in order protect the birds) we had good views, as well as some excellent Brown Noddies on the cliffs, the ubiquitous Blue-footed Boobies, and some close views of Audubon’s Shearwaters. Back on board we enjoyed a hearty breakfast before going ashore at Punta Cormorant (no cormorants here!) for a short walk along an olive beach, past a brackish lagoon with Flamingos, and on to a white coral beach just a few yards away.  Birds included White-cheeked Pintail, Black-necked Stilts and Semi-palmated Plovers, and best of all, four Galapagos Penguins swimming in the shallows, often close to the pangas.

After lunch we went ashore at the small hamlet and whilst some explored the settlement and enjoyed a beer at the hotel, others headed up the hill in a jeep to find the Floreana endemic: Medium Tree Finch.  We duly found a couple, along with Common Cactus Finch and a Galapagos Flycatcher or two.  We had just enough time for a celebratory drink before the day was done and the sun was setting over a smooth ocean and we were heading for the boat and supper.

Day 8 - Santa Cruz - The Highlands

We awoke at anchor in the harbour, and set off after breakfast for a full day out. A Lava Gull flew around the harbour, a Yellow-crowned Night Heron was by the pier as was a Great Blue Heron, but our brief search for Woodpecker Finch was unsuccessful.  We did see an endemic Galapagos Mockingbird however, the fourth and final member of the group on the islands. We set off in our bus for the highlands.  We left the tarmac road after a quarter of an hour and drove along a narrow track through the coffee plantations.  A couple of Paint-billed Crakes were walking on the track ahead of us, but views were not great as an oncoming vehicle flushed them.  We parked shortly afterwards and in the dampness of a garua morning walked on into the National Park.  Galapagos Petrels breed in this vicinity so there is an ongoing effort with rat control which doubtless also benefits many other native birds, including the one that we most hoped to see here – the Galapagos Rail.  It took us an hour or so to find one – but when we did we had amazing views of it walking around virtually at our feet, its diminutive form was in inverse proportion to the joy that the views gave us.

We took lunch at a nearby restaurant, and watched a Dark-billed Cuckoo that gave excellent views whilst we ate.  Also, amongst the nearby trees we managed to locate at least one Woodpecker Finch – one of the most famous birds of the Galapagos – noted for it having adapted to use a tool (in the form of a twig) to help it feed.  It is not a common finch so we are always pleased to locate this species on these trips.

In the afternoon we visited a lagoon in another part of the National Park where we hoped to find Giant Tortoises in the wild.  First though we stopped whilst driving down the track to the border of the park, when we spotted a splendid male Vermilion Flycatcher, gory orange amongst the green leaves. Fantastic bird.  Giant Tortoises were no problem to find – we saw some before even getting to the National Park.  Some of them were truly immense and we were able to watch them at extremely close quarters, although they can be shy and retiring (literally!).  The oldest (and largest) were quite smooth on their carapace, with little sign of the growth rings that are readily observable on each segment when they are younger  (less than a 100 years!).  They were certainly one of the highlights of the trip.  There is a small freshwater pool in the park here and we saw several species of water bird including Purple Gallinules and Moorhens, as well as several Magnificent Frigatebirds coming to drink and bathe – quite a sight!  Most unusual for the birders was the sighting of the elusive Galapagos Martin, which showed well for many minutes

Day 9 – Santa Cruz : Charles Darwin Station and the shops

After breakfast we went to the Charles Darwin Institute, where a major part of our visit was to the “Tortoise Zoo” and captive breeding program. We saw the tortoises from the tiny youngsters in rat-proof cages right through to “ready to release” as well as many older tortoises, including last-of-his-kind “lonesome George” of the Pinta form (from the island of Pinta).  We also had a presentation on the Galapagos National Park and learned about the conservation work and were encouraged to join the Friends of the National Park in order to help them with their work.  Afterwards we enjoyed a couple of hours “free-time” around town, in the shops, cafes, and Internet  cafes, and birding around the waterfront. 

Back on board for lunch we set off shortly afterwards for the western part of the archipelago which we would start exploring tomorrow.  Sea birds provided much of the afternoon’s wildlife, with highlights including several Waved Albatrosses and Galapagos Petrels, plenty of Blue-footed Boobies, Audubon’s Shearwaters, Wedge-rumped and Elliot’s Storm-Petrels - and best of all, one or two White-faced Storm Petrels – a rare sight in these waters, but now the second time that I have seen this species on a WildWings Galapagos tour.

Day 10 - Isabela

Now on the, younger, western side of the archipelago, we awoke off Isabel island and went ashore just after breakfast at Punta Moreno, a very remote spot.  We found ourselves walking on the raw lava, interspersed with a few mangrove trees around the pools and shore, and lava cactus colonising the bare rock.  We hoped to find Galapagos Martins here and we were not disappointed – with nice views.  We also saw some Galapagos Penguins, Greater Flamingos, Striated Heron and an Osprey, and from the panga some Spotted Eagle Rays.  In a large tidal pool we looked down on a group of five White-tipped Reef Sharks, about two metres long. Very impressive.

During the middle of the day we were at sea, hoping to find some dolphins or whales as we headed north towards the Bolivar channel, between Isabela and Fernadina.  Our luck was in and we had some memorable encounters, with scores of Common and Bottlenose Dolphins, a whale that was almost certainly a Bryde’s Whale, and an incredible feeding frenzy of Blue-footed Boobies when a couple of thousand birds rained down into a shoal of fish just a few yards from the boat.

After lunch we went ashore at Tagus Cove for the short walk around a crater lake (Darwin’s lake – and actually one of the places that he really did visit) up to an overlook of the immense lava fields.   Highlight was the Woodpecker Finch that we watched for a full 15 minutes constantly breaking twigs and using them in its efforts to extract something from a dead bough.  Finally, its perseverance paid off and it was rewarded with a huge Painted Locust that it devoured greedily.  We followed this drama with an excellent evening panga ride around the cove, at times accompanied by Flightless Cormorants and Galapagos Penguins as well as the Common Noddies, Blue-footed Boobies and Brown Pelicans.

Day 11 - Isabela and Fernandina

Dawn found us ashore at Playa Negro, another idyllic and quiet spot that we had to ourselves.  Galapagos Penguins in the water, sea lions on the beach and finches in the mangroves, the birding highlight was the successful location of Mangrove Finch – the rarest of the Darwin Finches with less than 100 birds known.  At this stage it now seemed would indeed see all the endemic birds.  We managed to watch it well for some time before we left to spend the rest of the morning cruising the north shore of Fernandina in search of more cetaceans. We had a couple of views of probable Bryde’s Whales, as well as some Waved Albatrosses, Galapagos Petrels, and three Red-necked Phalaropes.

After lunch we spent the remainder of the day on the youngest of the islands, Fernandina, at Punta Espinosa.  It was one of the best afternoons of the voyage, with great views of many birds and mammals, all in an amazing setting.  Highlights were many, tangles of Marine Iguanas, sea lions and pups, rock pools filled with fish and other marine life, but best of all was watching the nesting Flightless Cormorants late afternoon, and being the only visitors on shore, it was an idyllic end to the day.

Day 12 – at sea

A whole day spent relaxing on board and watching the world and the wildlife pass by.  In the morning we were close inshore off Punta Vicenta Roca where we saw several Galapagos Fur Seals and many Pacific Green Turtles, and shortly afterwards a couple of Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish).  We crossed the equator during the morning, with a celebratory blast on the whistle.  More exciting were the two Orcas (Killer Whales) that were some way ahead of the boat, patrolling the coastline.  We were accompanied by huge numbers of Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels, all heading north towards the impressive seabird colonies on Roca Redonda, where we saw large numbers of Blue-footed Boobies, Common Noddies, Red-billed Tropicbirds.  Most impressive of all though were the tens of thousands of Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels.  We also saw a few Bottlenose Dolphins.   Later, after lunch as we headed east we saw several Maderian Storm-Petrels as well as several Galapagos Petrels.  Also our first Red-footed Booby.

Day 13 – Genovesa (Tower)

Another great day.  The morning was spent at Barranco – where the progress was slow as there was so much to see.  Galapagos Fur Seals on the rocks before we even got ashore, then our last of the Galapagos endemic birds: the Sharp-beaked Ground Finch, as well as Red-footed Boobies nesting in the bushes, some great views of the beautiful Galapagos Dove, and the huge colony of Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels that are active by day and attended by several Short-eared Owls.  It was an incredible sight and we were enthralled.  Some snorkelling was on late morning, then after lunch we were ashore again, enjoying especially great views of Swallow-tailed and Lava Gulls, one feeding on a dead Manta Ray, as well as more Red-footed, Blue-footed and Nazca  Boobies, Red-billed Tropicbirds, a Yellow-crowned Night Heron and three Wandering Tattlers.

Day 14 – North Seymour Island and Sante Fe Island

A fine morning found us on North Seymour Island.  Several Swallow-tailed and three Lava Gulls greeted us, and it was notable how they reacted in a distressed fashion to a Galapagos Hawk overhead.  Threading our way past the by-now-familiar Blue-footed Boobies we found a splendid Land Iguana threading its way through the grass and eventually right across the track next to us.  The frigatebirds however were the real stars of the visit, with both Magnificent and Great Frigatebirds on the nest, with males vying for attention from any over-flying females by inflating their huge red throat pouch and clattering their beaks. 

We sailed south to Sante Fe island, enjoying lunch and some final sea birding en-route, with Galapagos Petrels, Audubon’s Shearwaters, Elliot’s and Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels, boobies and frigatebirds.  Sante-Fe was an idyllic landing, we were the only visitors, and we spent quite a while on the beach watching the Galapagos Sealions, especially the bull that patrolled the water’s edge, keeping his harem “under control” and free from the attention of unwelcome visitors. Taking a short walk in search of the endemic Sante Fe Land Iguanas we soon found several and enjoyed watching them a close quarters in the tranquillity of the late afternoon.

Back on board we had an excellent celebratory meal and congratulated the crew and Monica for such a wonderful trip.

Day 15 - to Quito

After our last breakfast on board we headed ashore in San Cristobal, had some spare time for shopping, posting, even some last minute photography, before the short drive  to the airport, our final goodbyes, and the flight to Quito via Guyaquil. On arrival we had a short drive to the hotel and after check-in several of us went for a short walk to the nearby park.  Lots of Eared Doves, some Great Thrushes, but best of all, a Black-tailed Trainbearer, a small hummingbird with an unfeasibly long tail.

Day 16 – back to the UK

Apart from those who had chosen to stay on in Ecuador, we left the hotel after an early breakfast for our flight home via Amsterdam, allowing everyone to return to their local UK airport instead of the (sometimes) long trek home from London.

Day 17 - home

We said our goodbyes in Amsterdam airport as we went our separate ways at the end of what had been a thoroughly enjoyable trip.  Once again we had seen every species of endemic Galapagos birds, both species of Land Iguana, Giant Tortoises in the wild and much more besides.  Here’s hoping that everyone’s photos included some truly fantastic results – we certainly had plenty such opportunities.

With special thanks to Dave Fell

www.wildwings.co.uk

Thanks to Dave Fell