About this photo:

Let's see. Jim and Linda both have their binocs. Jim is carrying both a still and video camera, and wearing a vest that has everything needed for a bird walk. They've left the scope and tripod behind on this trip, which involved a walk of a mile or so across this lava field.

We were on a repeat expedition to tally the Galapagos Martin (Progne modesta), considered by some authorities to be a separate species from the Southern Martin (Progne elegans). We missed seeing the bird late afternoon of the preceding day, so we made an extra trip to look again. We spotted the bird flying over a water-filled sinkhole in the lava. Jim had claimed to see a Pied-billed Grebe, a common bird but not mentioned on the Galapagos checklist, on the first visit. Fortunately, everyone managed to see two young birds during the second visit, which probably means that the Grebe should be added to the list of birds that nest on the Islands.