In the header, a beautiful Land Iguana – maybe my favourite animal on the Galápagos Islands. And below is my special companion – the Mockingbird.
”Blending in experts” are the birds – and other animals – on the Galápagos Islands. To me this is a magnificent treat to the eye.
Many of these animals are endemic, only to be found here. And many only on their own specific island. Darwin´s 13 species of finch are hard to tell apart, but they all have different bills related to where they live and what and how they eat.
Almost every island has its own Lava Lizard. Often difficult to find if you do not know what you are looking for… This is the pretty Galápagos Lava Lizard.
The Iguanas are everywhere, and some of them blend in so well that you easily can trip on one of them…
This Marine Iguana, you could say, does the trick totally in his own, special way…
I was…
…flying with the Cachalote again
Take good care of our young – let them be safe with their parents, let them play and give them food, and raise them to be able to fend for themselves, to stand on their own feet.
Animals know how to do…
Only let them – and try to learn from them…
Because we are much the same – only humans seem to have forgotten how to raise children properly…
Surely you want your children to grow up to great, magnificent people?
Like this Red-billed Tropicbird. People who use their own wings – and fly! Together!
Animals still know how to do…Let us believe there is hope for us humans to restore that knowledge. Because once we had it – at least many more of us had it…
Tomorrow will bring a more unstable world…let us all do our very best to make it safer for nature, animals and our young. We must decide not to give in to all these difficulties and negative movements in society, – we have to fight for the good things that are still here!
Cigarette butt sculptures…a one man work to save the islands from this poison. All those sacks contain butts as well. Impressive. He was interviewed by media here.
My first thought is of course my every day dog walking. Walking is also one of my absolute favourite things to do. But, I just have to share this amazing, graceful creature with you.
Have you ever dreamed of ,or wished, you could walk on water? I thought I only knew of one…who maybe could do that….
But, at sea, swirling around our sailing ship in the Galápagos, I saw this wonder with my own eyes. It is an Elliot’s Storm -petrel. I took hundreds of shots…but only a few shows clearly enough this amazing bird’s abilities – it walks, runs and stands on water.
The story of this Storm-petrel is enigmatic as well…It is pelagic, and feeds while fluttering and pattering on the water with wings raised. …”…endemic subspecies galapagoensis. Population estimated at many thousands and although a nest has yet to be found in Galápagos, breeding is suspected to occur between April and October. Conservation Status: Data Deficient.” (Birds, Mammals, and Reptiles of the Galápagos Islands. An Identification Guide by Andy Swash and Rob Still.)
For many reasons of course. When I think of these wonderful islands, my dream was, and is, that animals can live together without fear, and that they tolerate us humans – they are not afraid of us, but rather curious instead…
I made friends with many animals – but we were not allowed to go closer than 2 metres from any animal. Except from trying to pass them on the paths of course…The wonderful thing is that they approached us instead – and that, is true magic.
This mockingbird was really communicative – jumping up and down on the tree trunk, hiding, but still keeping an inquisitive eye on me. I know I lost a bit of my heart there…
The birds here are yellow warbler and mockingbird, then iguanas and sealions.
Nature is fantastic. Everything to me. This time I was really living my dream.
Thank you for being featured, Cee! Always an honour.
This week’s challenge of Old and New made me think of a snapshot taken with my phone as I passed by these youngsters trying out a new shell (!)- of a 250 year-old tortoise. Not a great shot, but – fun!
For more of Old and New, click here.
Leya 
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