Today I spent another 10 hours sitting (and standing and stretching every so often, so I wouldn't get too stiff!) on the hard lava rocks of Genovesa (Tower) Island watching the frigate chick we have named "Andrea" -- who has fallen out of her nest but seems to be growing and developing well. It was another frustrating day for me though, because no bird brought food to that frigate chick during all the hours that I baked under the hot Equatorial sun. There was no sign at all today of the masked booby male "Fabio" who had tended that frigate chick for many previous weeks. I am more convinced than ever that "Fabio" was a frustrated, mateless bird who was showing misguided attention to nearby unattended frigate chicks. I noticed today that when adult frigates flew above Andrea, she screeched and begged for food. She did not behave in this way when boobies flew overhead; more evidence that her own frigate parents must be the ones who are feeding her still.
Last week booby "Fabio" spent the afternoon in a nest beside a second frigate chick. I was relieved today to see that frigate chick's mother come down to feed him at 1311 (1:11 p.m.). She did not stay for more than a few minutes, but I was able to snap this picture. A nearby masked booby chick was fed at 1632 (4:32 p.m.). All chicks were fed but the one I was observing! But, since frigate chicks can go for several days between feedings, it seems it was just my lousy luck to have again picked a day when Andrea was not fed. It is obvious that somebody is feeding that chick because, as this picture shows, she is growing larger each week and her down is being replaced by flight feathers.
