Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata)

The Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata) breeds on Hood Island in the Galapagos off the coast of Ecuador. It is rarely encountered away from the Galapagos but there are a few extralimital records. The top 11 digital photos shown here were taken on Hood Island in July, 2003, with a Canon EOS 10D and an EF 70-200 mm F/2.8 L IS lens. The shot below shows a pair with a bystander that seemed to be more interested in me than the conversation occurying between the other birds. See below for other shots.

This close-up of the head of a Waved Albatross shows the detail of its massive bill.

I was able to make another visit to the Galapagos Islands in July, 2007, and again visited Hood Island. The next 8 flight shots of Waved Albatross were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and EF 500mm F/4 L IS lens.

The next 3 shots show an albatross flying past me as it shook its head. In the bottom image the head is held is upside down for an unusual perspective of a flying bird!