May 2, 1998Some of this report will be the same as the last where situations have not changed
The Waved Albatross are coming back in numbers. Many large rafts of floating albatross were seen offshore (some with appx 100 individuals). At least 25 individuals were seen at the visitor site and one pair was actively mating. They were a bit late this year but seem to be normalizing now.
In general, it is still not nearly as rainy as I had expected although the island of Santa Cruz has received a lot of rain. The road across the island is continually being washed out and repaired. The western side of the archipelago is also quite abnormally wet with much rainfall at Tagus Cove. Punta Espinoza is also quite a rainy spot now. It is still quite hot and the water is very warm. The surface temperatures averaged between 85 and 87 degrees F. all over the archipelago (including the west). The thermocline is still quite depressed but with some areas having cooler water at snorkeling depths. The snorkeling is generally great island-wide with "tropical fish" doing well and phenomenal water temperatures and great clarity.
Godfrey Merlen reported that the waters are essentially isothermic where he has measured. Banks Bay was uniformly 30 degrees C. to the bottom. He also noted that South of Isla Tortuga a flock of 500 Blue Footed Boobies were in a feeding frenzy. (There have been no reports of Blue Foot nesting anywhere in the islands.)
I have noticed a paucity of sharks. The Green Urchin (Lytechinus semituberculatus) has all but disappeared from where it is normally found in abundance. (This is similar to what occurred in '82-'83). The skies are generally clear and the sun quite intense with cumulonimbus clouds building up near islands causing localized rainfall. The open sea is perhaps a bit rougher than normal for this time of year but quite within normal limits. The large swells that had been building up on the normally protected beaches seems to be abating. All of the islands are covered with large amounts of vegetation.
The common migrants have started their way north apparently as there were much fewer Semi-palmated Plovers and Ruddy Turnstones this week as compared to 2 weeks ago. Sea lions are still having a hard time with the bulls being hit particularly hard (at least there are disproportionately large numbers of dead large bulls being found).
Many young hawks are being seen all over but a flock of 12 being seen at Santiago. Most still have a bit of down so lots are being fledged now.
Specific observations follow:
April 26Tower - Darwin Bay
There are now many displaying Great Frigates along with a lot of Large Ground Finches and Sharp-Billed Ground Finches. It is now unusual to see a Warbler Finch while they are normally common near the coast. The water temperature was measured to be 86.5 degrees F. at the surface. Almost no adult Swallow Tailed Gulls are around but there are breeding Red Billed Tropic Birds in the cliff faces.
Tower - Prince Philip Steps
No storm petrels are nesting. It is curious that although there is a lot of vegetation, there are basically no leaves on the Palo Santo trees.
April 27
Fernandina - Punta Espinoza
Flightless Cormorants roosting but no nesting at the visitor site. There are several active nests with chicks though appx one mile south. The marine iguanas are fairing poorly with reduced numbers and quite a few dead ones about.
Isabela - Tagus Cove
There is a definite trend for sudden downpours at Tagus Cove in the late afternoon. Only a couple of penguins penguins were seen in the cove. The Medium Ground Finches are doing well at all elevations.
April 28
Santiago - Puerto Egas
Only a couple of sea lions were seen but the numbers of fur seals in the grottos seemed to be about normal. Very few marine iguanas.
Bartolomé
Individual penguins were seen spread about. They appear to be healthy.
April 29North Seymour
Magnificent Frigates are displaying in the interior of the colony. Great Frigates are nesting near the shore. The trail going inland is almost completely under water and there is an intermittent stream now running in a couple of places. There are very few sea lions and not the normal number of marine iguanas. Almost no swallow tailed gulls are about and none nesting. On the trip to South Plaza from North Seymour, there are numerous waterfalls on the cliffs of Santa Cruz!
South Plaza
Most sea lion pups are malnourished. The general population seems to very low. There are quite a few dead pups.
The land iguanas are still very spread out over the island. The vegetation is getting so high that it is getting harder to see them although many seem to prefer the trail. Only a couple of very skinny young marine iguanas were seen.
April 30Floreana - Punta Cormorant
12 Flamingos were in the lagoon which is the same number as 2 weeks ago. The lagoon itself was at a high level and is quite fresh (to taste). The rains have been cutting ravines into the visitor trail. No stingrays have been seen at the stingray beach in quite a while. The water temperature in Devil's Crown is still around 86 degrees F. at the surface but there is a thermocline now.
Black Beach
There is a continual stream now flowing out of the highlands and running into Black Beach.
May 1
Española - Punta Suárez
Dense vegetation is all over the visitor site. Essentially all of the sea lions are gone or dead with lots of dead ones (mainly larger mails) on the beaches. A few masked boobies are in the nesting area with no blue foots nesting (all of their traditional sites are completely overgrown too). Lots of Small Ground Finches and Hood Island Mockingbirds are about but only a couple of Warbler Finches were seen. 4 juvenile hawks were seen and all still had down on them.
Española - Gardner bay
Lots of sea lions (70) were hauled up on the beach and mainly looking good. There were some pups with females. The surf seems to have died down some from previous weeks so that normal landings are possible. Much of the sand has been shifted on the beach though and a stream runs through it. 2 juvenile hawks with down were on the beach.
As always, this report is a general overview and impression. I am also concentrating on the differences from normal (or unexpected normality!) I am not attempting to make a census so if I don't mention an animal, it doesn't mean that it isn't there.