Trip Report: Galapagos Islands (2006-11-28 - 2006-12-12)

Galapagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis)

Baltra, our welcome to the Galapagos

South Plaza Island

Postcard beach II, Isla Floreana

We flew to Baltra in the Galapagos to join an 8 day expedition on the S.S. Samba. Our boat expedition visited Isla Plaza Sur, Isla Santa Cruz, Isla Española, Isla Floreana, Isla Isabella, Isla Fernandina, and Isla Santiago. At the end of the boat trip, we took another smaller boat to Isla Isabella to visit the highlands, made some day trips around Puerto Ayora, and I did an scuba dive at Isla Santiago.

Sites Visited

Country: Ecuador (13 sites)

Species Seen

Kingdom: Animals (76 records)

Phylum: Arthropods (3 records)

Class: Malacostracans (3 records)

Order: Crabs (3 records)
- Family: Ghost Crabs
- Galapagos Ghost Crab (Ocypode gaudichaudii)
- Family: Hermit Crabs
- Semi-terrestrial Hermit Crab (Coenobita compressus)
- Family: Shore Crabs
- Sally Lightfoot Crab (Grapsus grapsus)

Phylum: Chordates (73 records)

Class: Birds (59 records)

Order: Anseriformes (2 records)
- Family: Swans, Geese, and Ducks
- Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)
- White-cheeked Pintail (Anas bahamensis)

Order: Boobies (2 records)
- Family: Boobies and Gannets
- Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii)
- Nazca Booby (Sula granti)

Order: Cranes, Rails, and Allies (2 records)
- Family: Rails, Gallinules, and Allies
- Paint-billed Crake (Mustelirallus erythrops)
- Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)

Order: Cuckoos (2 records)
- Family: Cuckoos
- Dark-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus melacoryphus)
- Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani)

Order: Doves and Pigeons (1 record)
- Family: Pigeons and Doves
- Galapagos Dove (Zenaida galapagoensis)

Order: Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies (1 record)
- Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Galapagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis)

Order: Owls And Nightjars (1 record)
- Family: Barn Owl and Grass-owls
- American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata)

Order: Pelicans (21 records)
- Family: Cormorants
- Flightless Cormorant (Nannopterum harrisi)
- Family: Flamingos
- American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)
- Family: Frigatebirds
- Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)
- Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor)
- Family: Oystercatchers
- American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
- Family: Pelicans
- Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
- Family: Penguins
- Galapagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)
- Family: Stilts and Avocets
- Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
- Family: Tropicbirds
- Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)

Order: Perching Birds (15 records)
- Family: Mockingbirds, Thrashers, and Allies
- Galapagos Mockingbird (Mimus parvulus)
- Espanola Mockingbird (Mimus macdonaldi)
- Family: New World Warblers
- Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)
- Family: Swallows
- Galapagos Martin (Progne modesta)
- Family: Tanagers and Allies
- Green Warbler-Finch (Certhidea olivacea)
- Family: Tyrant Flycatchers
- Galapagos Flycatcher (Myiarchus magnirostris)
- Brujo Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus nanus)

Order: Shorebirds and Allies (7 records)
- Family: Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Lava Gull (Leucophaeus fuliginosus)
- Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
- Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)
- Swallow-tailed Gull (Creagrus furcatus)
- Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)
- Family: Plovers
- Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
- Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)

Order: Tubenoses (5 records)
- Family: Albatrosses
- Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata)
- Family: Northern Storm-Petrels
- Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates tethys)
- Family: Shearwaters and Petrels
- Galapagos Petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia)
- Galapagos Shearwater (Puffinus subalaris)
- Family: Southern Storm Petrels
- Elliot's Storm-Petrel (Oceanites gracilis)

Class: Cartilaginous Fish (1 record)

Order: Ground Sharks (1 record)
- Family: Reef Sharks
- White Tipped Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)

Class: Mammals (3 records)

Order: Carnivorans (2 records)
- Family: Otariidae
- Galapagos Fur Seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis)
- Galapagos Sea Lion (Arctocephalus galapagoensis)

Order: Perissodactyla (1 record)
- Family: Equidae
- Horse (Equus caballus)

Class: Reptiles (10 records)

Order: Lizards and Snakes (7 records)
- Family: Iguanas
- Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)
- Galapagos Land Iguana (Conolophus subcristatus)

Order: Turtles (3 records)
- Family: Sea Turtles
- Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Family: Tortoise
- Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus)
- Santa Cruz Island Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis porteri)