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Introduction
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For more information about upcoming workshops, visit the Workshops homepage or send an email to grijalva@ohiou.edu |
Isla Fernandina By Joan Cunningham
We continue walking over rock and lava sand in a narrow line defined by markers so as not to disturb the resident animals or their homes. We soon reach a nesting area of the flightless cormorant. This bird is one of many cormorant species in the world, but the only one which does not fly. Why fly? They have all the food they need, materials to nest and no other species to bother them right here in a very small area. The nests are made on the ground. Several of them contain new hungry babies, making irritating noises at their mothers to gain attention to be fed. While we watched, one of the moms very obviously regurgitated a newly ingested meal back into her mouth. The baby, after several attempts, stuck its head into her mouth and obtained a satisfying meal.
These daily activities on Fernandina took place
against the backdrop of the recently (May, 2005) active Fernandina volcano
and hopefully will occur far into the future. These will be my lasting
impressions.
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Imagine a moon-like landscape of black volcanic rock
covered with a sprinkling of red polka dots. This is the scene greeting
visitors like us to the island of Fernandina. The red dots are brightly
colored crabs – Sally light-foot crabs - and on closer inspection they are
mutli-colored and even jewel-like. Beautiful. As we make our way along the
coastline, lit by a setting sun, over the lava rock, the next graphic image
is of dozens of marine iguanas making their way to a warm rock landing after
spending the day in the ocean. They all migrate over approximately the same
route, trailing each other, to end up in huge piles on top of each other in
order to minimize the heat loss of the whole colony during the night. In
the morning, the migration will be repeated, but in the opposite direction,
toward the sea. These primitive-looking creatures look just like the
pictures that have them famous except they are smaller than I had imagined.
