As we climbed higher up the slopes of Volcan Sierra Negra the forest became damper and the trees larger with dense clumps of dangling moss. Our first stop along a short muddy track produced our first Green Warbler-finch, Large Tree-finch and Small Tree-finch and an obliging, if furtive, Paint-billed Crake. Climbing higher into the drizzle and the fog further stops produced Galapagos Mockingbird, a second Paint-billed Crake, calling Galapagos Crake, good views of Woodpecker Finch and finally, after much searching, a female Little Vermillion Flycatcher an endemic species recently split from Vermillion Flycatcher and fast declining.
Our descent produced a further Dark-billed Cuckoo and numerous Cattle Egret. We spent the final hour on the beach and walking the board walk through mangrove and pools on the western outskirts of Puerto Villamial close to the 'Iguana Crossing Hotel'. Waders on the beach included Grey Plover, Hudsonian Whimbrel and Semipalmated Plover while a very obliging Great Blue Heron showed well alongside the locals as it fished the rockpools amongst the lava. On the lagoons were Red-billed Pintail, Black-winged Stilt and we watched the Marine Iguana's wallowing in the mud of the lagoons often becoming stuck. A Common Cactus-finch showed well in the mangroves.
We were back on the board for a late lunch and then began a long journey of around 15 hours to Espanola seawatching through the afternoon produced a good dose of sunburn as well as many White-vented Storm-petrel, two Band-rumped Storm-petrel, three Wedge-rumped Storm-petrel, three rather distant Waved Albatross (the first of the trip), eight Galapagos Petrel, abundant Galapagos Shearwater and four Swallow-tailed Gull.
Galapagos Penguin - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Galapagos Penguin - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
American Flamingo - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
American Flamingo - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
American Flamingo - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
American Flamingo - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Dark-billed Cuckoo - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Green Warbler-finch - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Moss covered tree in the humid highlands of Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Road up Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Sarah and I had forgotten to pack a rain coat for Tobias and so had to fit him
out in a ships bin-bag!
Paint-billed Crake - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Paint-billed Crake - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Large Tree-finch - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Small Ground-finch - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Small Ground-finch - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Small Tree-finch - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Woodpecker Finch - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Medium Ground-finch - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Medium Ground-finch - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Small Ground-finch - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Galapagos Mockingbird - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Little Vermillion Flycatcher - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Small Ground-finch - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Dark-billed Cuckoo - Volcan Sierra Negra, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Great Blue Heron - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Great Blue Heron - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Black-winged Stilt - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Black-winged Stilt and Marine Iguana - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Black-winged Stilt - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
White-cheeked Pintail - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
White-cheeked Pintail - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Common Cactus-finch - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Yellow-crowned Night-heron - Puerto Villamial, SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
Galapagos Petrel - At sea off SE Isabela Island, Galapagos
14th August (Day 1) – International flight to Quito.
15th August (Day 2) – Mashpi Lodge.
16th August (Day 3) –Mashpi Lodge.
17th August (Day 4) – Mashpi Lodge and transfer to Quito.
18th August (Day 5) – Fly to from Quito to Galapagos Islands. Then sail to North Seymour Island.
19th August (Day 6) – Genovesa Island, Galapagos.
20th August (Day 7) – North-west Isabela Island and Fernandina Island, Galapagos.
21st August (Day 8) – South-east Isabela Island, Galapagos.
22nd August (Day 9) – Espanola Island, Galapagos.
23rd August (Day 10) – Floreana Island and Champion Island, Galapagos.
24th August (Day 11) – San Cristobal Island and Sante Fe Island, Galapagos.
25th August (Day 12) – Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos.
26th August (Day 13) – Fly Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos to Quito.
27th August (Day 14) – Antisana Ecological Reserve then fly Quito to London.