I was up as usual around first light when we were at sea. We had spent the previous day from late morning sailing from Pantar in the Lesser Sundas to Kalaotoa. It is a long journey & we were still at sea and didn't expect to reach the island until early afternoon. Kalaotoa is part of the Southern-most islands in the Sulawesi group and it would produce a few Sulawesi species, once we arrived. But first we had a morning at sea until we reached Kalaotoa. This was an opportunity for some Seabirds.
Great Frigatebird: The lack of white axillaries confirms this is a Great Frigatebird
Red-footed Booby: Subadult of the rubripes subspecies which breeds in the Tropical Pacific & Indian Oceans
Red-footed Booby: Subadult
Bridled Tern: this is the nominate anaethetus subspecies which occurs in the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia & Australia. The longer white supercilium with the white extending behind the eye confirms these are Bridled Terns
I do enjoy getting to photograph reflections of Birds, but I rarely get the chance. Today’s glass-like seas & some close Red-necked Phalaropes provided the opportunity for some nice reflections.
Red-necked Phalarope: Reflections from one of the above group
Red-necked Phalarope: Another party
Occasionally we saw these floating structures, but it wasn't clear what they were
Finally, we realised the floating structures were mooring buoys
Another local fishing boat
