There are 13 species of finches in the Galapagos, collectively called "Darwin's Finches." No other group of creatures is as important to learning how we have come to understand our place in our world. And all because of Charles Darwin's voyage to the Galapagos on the HMS Beagle in 1835. While all of those species are different from each other, Darwin concluded that all of these little brown and black birds were also similar, and had descended from a common ancestor as a result of isolation and lack of predation. Darwin's conclusion has been confirmed by modern DNA testing, and makes it possible for us to see how life itself has developed and evolved. These finches are at the very essence of the Galapagos story, and we saw different species on the various islands we visited. Finches are very difficult to photograph, since they are small birds that are constantly on the move, and often screened from view by tree and bush branches. However I was fortunate to make at least one expressive image of a "Darwin Finch," which I've identified as a female Vegetarian Finch. Its chest and head markings are unmistakeable, and I caught it with one of its wings fluttering and its translucent beak illuminated by backlight.