The Flightless Cormorant is one of the most unusual birds in the Galapagos, largely because it cannot fly, and also for its elaborate mating ritual. I made this photo of a female sitting in a nest, no doubt incubating an egg, a process that takes about 35 days. I built this image as a vertical series of layers -- filling the bottom half of the frame with volcanic rock, forming the basis for all life in the Galapagos. The next layer is the nest itself, a large mass of what appears to be seaweed and sticks. Finally, the side view of the Flightless Cormorant, patiently keeping an egg warm until it becomes ready to hatch.