"Blue-Footed Boobies"

    

6" x 6" oil on Ampersand Gessobord
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My son and daughter-in-law went on a wonderful extended cruise a year ago on board their sailboat.  They left San Francisco and spent months cruising south to Mexico and back.  Their stories and photos were incredible... but that's a whole different blog!  I painted these guys from a photo (below) that my daugthter-in-law took on Isla Isabela off the coast of Mexico just a little north of Puerto Vallarta.

Yes, their feet really are blue!

The Blue-Footed Booby is found only along the Pacific coast from southern California down to Equador and in the Gallapogos Islands.  They are sea birds but live and mate in colonies on land.  They are fearless of humans and will allow very close contact.  They nest right in the sand and lay eggs on the ground just like you see in the painting.  The males do this funny mating dance where they stick their tail in the air, spread their wings, whistle and 'dance' by high-stepping with those big blue feet.  Watch them dance on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYmzdvMoUUA

           Happy New Year!!