Day 19: North Seymour and Quito - Friday February 9th 2018
North Seymour Island is just north of Baltra (which was formerly known as South Seymour). It is low and flat, formed of uplifted (sub)marine lava.
About half of us made the effort to go on the dawn visit to to the visitor site at the SW of North Seymour. Those of us who did were treated to Blue-footed Boobies going through their courtship displays and Magnificent Frigatebirds with their gular pouches impressively distended. Despite the wildlife delights for most of us this visit was a chance to say goodbye to the islands we had been travelling amongst for the past fortnight and which had given us so much pleasure. During breakfast we cruised the short distance back to the harbour on the west side of Baltra, offloaded via panga to the quay and took the bus to the airport. Our flight from Baltra to Quito, via Guayaquil, went without hitch. We were met at Quito airport and taken to the Garden Hotel in Puembo - on the outskirts of Quito, close enough to the airport to be convenient and with some attractive gardens in which we could continue our birding activities. Perhaps surprisingly, I even managed to find one species new to me (Golden-rumped Euphonia). |