Well it has been a great couple of weeks at home, with an opportunity to catch up on things at home, visit friends, and a bit of mountain biking as well. Been trying to spend some time updating our website -
Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ - and after changing over to the new site at the end of May it is looking pretty good. I had hoped to spend a little time on my own website -
Eco-Vista: Photography & Research - but this didn't happen. I want to give the galleries a major overhaul and start adding in some new images...but where does the time go!
So, now it is the evening before leaving, I have just bottled 18 litres of beer (damn nice it is too!), and about to have dinner and then put down a beer to ferment whilst I am away for the next wee while. Luckily with the
WilliamsWarn system I have it is so automated, I just need to get the temperature turned down in about 10 days and it can sit there until I get back...to drink it! Perfect!
The Galapagos was just an incredible trip - everything I hoped it would be and more. We had two fantastic cruises, visiting much of the Archipelago over the two weeks. We had a great team working onboard and really fun times, and a great group of guests on each trip. It is certainly a place I'd love to get back to and hope I get the opportunity at some stage. With little time to write, I figured a few visual highlights could do the talking for me...enjoy!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsi85Yhi8rZ3PMEBm2IL85UOln91hl0MNNOVWdaUjNWR1FlFDNkk_DrTlVCOckKANs_gyxn3k3I01fM8Q5EOa4jBkLoeb3t_BB21ntSO7itueuI5tm4DLkn0_MmbmPW8I7slvg8AHh3_w/s1600/bstephenson_001_BSTEPHENSON_160605_0134.jpg) |
Espanola mockingbirds...doing what the Galapagos mockingbirds do! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3CSSaqyrlDtzcypyd37GW-bvkhGVbEnoI3iSGjT5cpsTSz4in5JXtNiesqsl4lhxniQ2bd-LRrcw4qLZSYypBeJ3TGpGzSQgWRaiJmQGFdjo-AwxHC3dG0_53h2NAyrwIbMnXmWip5U/s1600/bstephenson_002_BSTEPHENSON_160605_1397.jpg) |
We watched a pair of waved albatross with a third interloper for almost an hour, what awesome birds! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgAqdDAsYEdHh2FSPmSa5Q2ehoyY4hPei3uQ4mOh8izT1yBPFPppEOaY1gRKFtcmstAsXhTtIM8JUTRE2dL8wYGt4M5v4d2rQZ9gwZt7HmGRRcIes5mkZlkuW_jKg2bDKzoS8VsrhtRU/s1600/bstephenson_003_BSTEPHENSON_160605_1632.jpg) |
Sunset on Espanola with Nazca boobies silhouetted |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUSgIEEeUByMYhntfOLFlPLCYx67i24j996iIp7w0cPfN93J9-Y681DV3To0K_uJeUqpwJrRsA-QCs8OqFuDb6qjbTL2sUiEyaU2OrudWutOj6fBQtb_w5m9NCl8AyuT2IoXGA2hVY0c/s1600/bstephenson_004_BSTEPHENSON_160606_0430.jpg) |
The ever present Sally lightfoot crab |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sWwPXppfcGTuNJ3UymfHm8PivJP2lGw0zwHF-CjpWsfbFuVXKa9wjs3cfaubbEt9Ka0FLmUmQuc_D0mN_OKsFnKfPZjLXDpuiES3xbkG0QbtV2-jTum2OYZ9OTPbzwTwCLcYoe6JCVU/s1600/bstephenson_005_292A7463.jpg) |
Frigates coming in to take fish scraps from the fish market at Puerto Ayora |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6GtTTkyTxXkdyTCwvw8e9h8t5iGCtWpw31YNrH8JpgUeoAYe5DPNqYXk5bBU5ULQCH1x1krON97sQ7SaFwVKOd7yaIUQrOSYHmYJCBzlAKzyFgkkiiw0vWPv6HzI4rEDQ56CFbdO7KM/s1600/bstephenson_006_BSTEPHENSON_160610_1044.jpg) |
Possibly one of the most stunning gulls in not such a stunning pose! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueyRTMBDUq3SOzplqMFWOx0t4vM3pmyBPgL4Q3DMilts1bm35JXH-BqrMNdk2dyd1Juw47UZfaFt3_B2RuCWjrEy1wJHIPwHUXdoSb0BspZKuCEZ7OjGODKfkYQq8M8UNnTGP79dvezk/s1600/bstephenson_007_BSTEPHENSON_160610_2225.jpg) |
Male great frigate doing his thing |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4H9-Y9o5dTBXuWB2Vwg07uDOv45gYfzVbGo2DPLgh-X1x36qbZpDoYKzGCyRmhqgf2an6oTvCq4wzvGJwZL5bq5pZzLDKgTEVXq_umCw7V02ongNoDqzmGa0fgwn369bSAfx15aJr3k/s1600/bstephenson_008_BSTEPHENSON_160610_2360.jpg) |
Sunset in Darwin Bay, Genovesa Island |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpR8vZaYrh9R1x0gFriQAC_aD1Ki02-w8NHsHM_64U6Zw6gkdj6R8Vw10qczM0YOmV2a1CMiVLeQvL2NGnfrrQqU0E5dI4yq0VQ3terY3P9VqsuC6kgqP2uHgAy1s3v9XMk8N2yqe7fs/s1600/bstephenson_009_BSTEPHENSON_160612_0537.jpg) |
Blue-footed booby getting into it |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zycEEsmnDKWWs_wpGYb-TwN0Xuk0pq3Y_BOrkeiRPJo_sQLMwJKwb0ambD9oUXZHEepEuiXvQKm5ug-N6UFe7TsHClfmDChmdu6czEOjT7RvPPXTWYU9PgTCC3fqpdHF-zO9hFeDqyw/s1600/bstephenson_010_BSTEPHENSON_160612_1423.jpg) |
A rather rare bird these days, male Vermillion flycatcher in the setting sun |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf84ou709H2Dv7uDB19OGk6SRmQI-PKhL992NMcfIM-C6oZygOwiQ_FN87Zlt8swLOW6Io4DB8F5N-Kfkn_sgnygtuf4NaCmZKa8A9OEe_Lb15xMZuwEkkOz0ErSQRjpSqT20kMPjvLmI/s1600/bstephenson_011_292A0382.jpg) |
Flightless cormorant, what a cool bird! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPZfc4jLEYB13vemuS7w8zdmPitpDOmHQRnUfLg2KCkQXzPFaL_uwgUqBnJwU6FnjULOmY6EXX-MB9wV1T2SAjjzbh9Wm6Zam7-5E5IZ7pe464Wlpwlw80srCjWOGDGiJ_D9ygq6CPsM/s1600/bstephenson_013_292A0593.jpg) |
Lava cactus, growing, rather unsurprisingly, out of the lava on Fernandina |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSNJDvytSMUU6AfbPf1Uo6dgO0LyM_Ztgkc4L6FTqSa78-BY7zytBMEeczPlkZkbm1gb1xpqN81iXvrOBnKMt04xUCctHWH8MrWljpZjsXRjRqIHO3ewwcsbrIfmDWFTo73gte4pLnuM/s1600/bstephenson_014_IMG_2270.jpg) |
Galapagos penguin and a marine iguana |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LAKKV9pglr2jKSskuUEdZWMKlM4wzxiHdnOV9tueCpC6JWYv9WPkVNGBB9I27NEd5YJXErkgctM9PCbuoKxGyZitoVa777yaOF17FqUS_rTydsVW-OwBN77r-9JpQb5BDVOvoTZP6eQ/s1600/bstephenson_015_IMG_4359.jpg) |
Galapagos hawk 'playing' with a ghost crab |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ovBDoWV8SMYnw2ehri26hJ5X3SVqcORdU42-AMRmkEBe5G2I_fwGSpzyzMP0i41k2aJKOk13ko41Vb3Duzv8IO3rXt1w0wWyHrnMIR75dIftfjwW0zxMUYD9C3YGZ-DKcsbNegP4mho/s1600/bstephenson_017_IMG_5291.jpg) |
Blue-footed boobies diving for fish just off the beach |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiH77I9HizlCg6MsEcNOLSACYdi16ksta6s4bDRVG00E45PynjKprzBWPl8Yxb0LwtY25HKzj0MJeoYOIbJiGGUSQVaXX6IX5vS9p2xCywlYLvEplzQAY5BY3HmeVOUfnP8bf63rtudHo/s1600/bstephenson_018_IMG_5570.jpg) |
Male frigate bird with a beak full of small fish |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0o9k2Bmq38daKmKDlkLKcvbiJhjSXicYWjCFz-p-L16tSwF14UkKz_G1PzYnCHTsx9HJJqrcyAEVbFoQghyNRfCCcPgy4rjjO-InfoZ_ebGSx-g7GkTC2tfowGBzLOWBuM4sO9SrVrg/s1600/bstephenson_019_IMG_5666.jpg) |
Male frigatebird scooping up fish by the beakful |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0V_tI2IukLyoocJ1YAFaHd7UZCG6KcFh3mdY4u_tM5WScvx6eQDq_sdZjs56OkjmULSunW6BoA3wZ8TmX-8pBO-qzbrDYywo0M11VhoujJ3j2s-lU8VYnh5JGdpTFAjtfguX_HMI1OBI/s1600/bstephenson_020_IMG_6190.jpg) |
Great blue heron tossing a fish around |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvw536TS0X0hxx9nFpx7_mY2ZjynAZ3MxSs0s_xs-baTiIOsqPiYIge7HIG4XdmE86Tfb8KA43kIBHJ-9Glq2UFnxlr85O4dFOiT9bPb17sav75D4wDoAkmBL95L4GYx_oFBJu4nhBWus/s1600/bstephenson_021_292A1344.jpg) |
Spines on a prickley pear cactus |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTptd1-nDeHpE6FzvfcNPWYmcWljHPiV5aganMZ9hlcDD1kCb_vS0PGd7Akh-mPz4UH0bovEdsS5cclwXO6MheC-E1LlmBjRs8iYuBEPsG4u6JuNzG04sKkfFKHGp5zQAupKtEvyxemro/s1600/bstephenson_022_IMG_6867.jpg) |
Woodpecker finch, the last species I got to see, having seen most of the finches |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5Hx7vLRRmn8sUxQL3fDS0jkCQzDU6HkrNZoBAznT2qgtlkTwnh5na0RwlHwA9EPSR1QnE5y8y3bMqSvjWuzJaaUiCwtRfbRh46M0h-qtYsW8rY_l-VmtM-T31aBKPRIDrY7K9phJQAs/s1600/bstephenson_023_292A2544.jpg) |
Sunset on our last evening in the Galapagos |