GALAPAGOS part 10: Genovesa (19 May 2025)

Tuesday 20 May 2025. GENOVESA. I woke at first light to find the Chacalote Explorer moored in Darwin Bay, the flooded volcanic crater at the southern end of Genovesa. I was on deck from 06:00 and there were birds all around including at least 340 Swallow-tailed Gulls on the cliffs or flying around them. After breakfast at 07:00 we had an hour panga ride (or snorkeling) from 08:15 which added another 120 Swallow-tailed Gulls and my first Genovesa Ground Finch. Back on board to refresh then a wet landing on the sandy beach at the north of the bay at 10:00. There were lots of birds to watch and photograph including a juvenile Lava Gull, many Red-footed and Nazca Boobies, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Galapagos Mockingbirds (the endemic Genovesa race is sometimes considered a full species), a Grey Warbler-Finch, Large and Genovesa Ground Finches and Genovesa Cactus Finches. If only Darwin’s Finches had been this easy to find (and identify!) on the other islands! We remained to 11:30 and returned to the Chacalote Explorer for lunch before relocating a short distance to the SE corner of Darwin Bay. At 14:00 we landed at Prince Philip’s Steps and after a short climb walked a trail for a km or so in sight of the coast. The highlight was very impressive/inestimable numbers of Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels as well as more Swallow-tailed Gulls, Red-billed Tropicbirds and a Short-eared Owl spotted by Joy. Back on the Chacalote Explorer we departed Genovesa soon after 16:00 heading south. I was on deck to dusk but the sea was relatively quiet. Our last full day was, along with Espanola, the most enjoyable of the trip and it was good to finish on a high. Birds seen: 20 Galapagos Doves, 495 Swallow-tailed and a Lava Gull, 25 Red-billed Tropicbirds, 1000+ Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels, 15 Galapagos Shearwaters, 500 Great and likely overlooked Magnificent Frigatebirds, 150 Red-footed, 50 Nazca and 5 Blue-footed Boobies, Brown Pelican, 5 Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Short-eared Owl, 18 Galapagos (Genovesa) Mockingbirds, Grey Warbler-Finch, 5 Large and 8 Genovesa Ground Finches and 4 Genovesa Cactus Finches. 

Swallow-tailed Gulls on/around the cliffs at Darwin Bay

Genovesa Ground Finch from the panga

return of the snorkelers

another irresistible Swallow-tailed Gull

Galapagos Dove and Great Frigatebird at Darwin Bay

female Great Frigatebird showing its diagnostic pink eye-ring

juvenile Great Frigatedbird

Grey Warbler-Finch at Darwin Bay, tail tip in shadow

Genovesa Ground Finch at Darwin Bay

Genovesa Cactus Finches at Darwin Bay

Large Ground Finches at Darwin Bay

seeing these made me much less confident of the identification of those seen on Santa Cruz earlier in the trip

Genovesa race of Galapagos Mockingbird at Darwin Bay

adult Yellow-crowned Night Heron at Darwin Bay

juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Herons at Darwin Bay

juvenile Lava Gull at Darwin Bay

Nazca Boobies at Darwin Bay

white and brown morph Red-footed Boobies at Darwin Bay

dry landing at Prince Philip's Steps

above Prince Philip's Steps

Large Ground Finch at Prince Philip's Steps

Great Frigatebird on Genovesa (note green sheen on mantle)

Nazca Boobies on Genovesa

Red-footed Boobies on Genovesa

Genovesa (Galapagos) Mockingbirds

Red-billed Tropicbird on Genovesa

Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels on Genovesa

unusually for storm petrels they feed at night, returning to the breeding grounds during the day

presumably safety in numbers applies as the predators didn't appear to be underfed

Short-eared Owl on Genovesa

leaving Genovesa, my second favourite Galapagos island after Espanola

Red-footed Booby seeing us off