Reporting from Hawaii
We just had an amazing 8 days spent exploring three of Hawai’i’s diverse islands. We started out on Oahu where one doesn’t have to go very far from the capital Honolulu to look for some of the forest birds.
A highlight of the tour was sitting on Oahu’s coast having our fresh poke lunch while watching the aerial breeding displays of Red-tailed Tropicbirds. While taking in the show, a surprise Red-billed Tropicbird made an appearance flying by at eye level…twice.
The Big Island held the most bird species of the trip, with a nice mix of introduced and native birds to search for. Game birds were quite popular with their varied plumages and tendency to be easier to spot than others.
The spot voted best of the trip was hands down Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge. Not only was it our favorite spot, but also gave us views of the bird of the trip. The oddly shaped ‘Akiapola’au was found thanks to some distinctive calls of a young bird calling to its parents. We tracked it down and enjoyed watching the family forage in the moss-laden trees. Another native forest bird here was the Hawaiian Creeper, feeding very much like nuthatches from the mainland.
We also take time to do a proper pelagic trip off the coast of Kona. Not every tour group does this, but we are always reminded why we take the time for this unique experience. The trip this year was highlighted by Cocos Booby, Christmas Shearwater, Buller’s and Hawaiian Petrels, and a constant supply of Leach’s Storm-Petrels flushing from just in front of the boat.
This tour also affords a unique opportunity to see Laysan Albatross where they breed. On Kaua’i the locals protect this species as they often nest in people’s yards. We found one of these ‘kiwi-like’ chicks while it sat in close proximity of an adult’s watchful eye. Also on this island we saw Hawaiian Duck, the only duck native to the areas we visit on this tour.
Many participants reached big mile stones in their ABA careers, from reaching 600 species to a lofty 750 for one. Hawaii continues to be a great place to add many unique birds to your USA list.
