[Rassie]

I was on a cruise ship in the Caribbean this last week. These birds were hanging around the bow of the ship, hunting Atlantic Flying Fish that were scattering out of the path of the approaching ship. I went onto one of the lower decks and took many shots of these birds. Never having seen them before I found out they were Brown Boobies.

Alas, I could not get a shot of one actually catching a fish. The flying fishes were really small and the birds were actively hunting them as they jumped out of the water. I had a hard time to get the camera to hold focus on the birds as they dove after the fish. Whenever the birds came low enough for the water to form the background the 3D tracking lost focus and started hunting. What complicated matters a lot was the fact that the seas were rough and the wind was really strong - it gusted strongly enough to push me around so I couldn't always keep the birds in the viewfinder. Imagine trying to keep the bird in the viewfinder while a heaving deck and gusting wind were constantly messing me around.

Anyway, this is one more bird that I can tick off my bucket list. Heck, until that cruise I didn't even know they existed.

This seems to be their normal colours.

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No idea why this was the only one of thirteen that had this mostly white colour. Perhaps a juvie?

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[K9Kirk]

I've seen them on nature shows but that's it. Nice set.

 

[Ralph]

I was on a cruise ship in the Caribbean this last week. These birds were hanging around the bow of the ship, hunting Atlantic Flying Fish that were scattering out of the path of the approaching ship. I went onto one of the lower decks and took many shots of these birds. Never having seen them before I found out they were Brown Boobies.

Alas, I could not get a shot of one actually catching a fish. The flying fishes were really small and the birds were actively hunting them as they jumped out of the water. I had a hard time to get the camera to hold focus on the birds as they dove after the fish. Whenever the birds came low enough for the water to form the background the 3D tracking lost focus and started hunting. What complicated matters a lot was the fact that the seas were rough and the wind was really strong - it gusted strongly enough to push me around so I couldn't always keep the birds in the viewfinder. Imagine trying to keep the bird in the viewfinder while a heaving deck and gusting wind were constantly messing me around.

Anyway, this is one more bird that I can tick off my bucket list. Heck, until that cruise I didn't even know they existed.

This seems to be their normal colours.

View attachment 73045

No idea why this was the only one of thirteen that had this mostly white colour. Perhaps a juvie?

View attachment 73046

Excellent Rassie That second one reminds me of northern gannet

 

[Rassie]

Excellent Rassie That second one reminds me of northern gannet

Thanks, Ralph. Your comment about the Gannet made me think, so I did some more research. Seems like the second one is actually a Masked Booby, so not the same as the Brown Booby.

 

[Rassie]

Here's another view of the brown one.

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