I saw this mud dauber wasp trussing up a looper caterpillar on a bright red fire bucket. The wasp doesn’t kill the caterpillar, but immobilizes it. It will then be stashed in the wasp’s nest and have the wasp’s eggs laid on it. What happens then is the stuff horror movies are made of!
A couple of days ago, on my way to work, the early morning sky had an interesting look to it. Then I saw a tug and barge heading toward Kawaihae Harbor, so I decided to pull over and park (right next to a No Parking sign!). I walked a few paces to get a more open shot of the scene and, in doing so, disturbed a flock of pigeons roosting in a nearby tree. They took to the air and swooped around for a while before dispersing.
State and county parks have quite a few restrictions regarding their use, but this sign illustrates that it might be better to plan on having brunch there, rather than breakfast!
I saw this endemic Hawaii Amakihi on the slopes of Mauna Kea, feeding at Mamane flowers. The Hawaii in the name refers, not to the state, but to the island of Hawaii, otherwise known as the Big Island. There are different species on Oahu, Maui, and Kauai.
Chubs might be the most cheerful-looking fish in our local waters, and with their touches of brassy yellow, these chubs are amongst the most colorful.
This rather splendid sailing vessel was anchored recently, for a few days, in front of Mauna Kea Resort. It’s the Robert C. Seamans, a 134-foot steel-hulled brigantine that, despite its classic appearance, was built in 2001. The vessel is a Sailing School Vessel (SSV) operated by the Sea Education Association, which conducts sail training and research.
For more information about the Robert C. Seamans and Sea Education Association, go to https://sea.edu/.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Furred and Feathered Friends.’ See more responses here. Since I don’t have a pet, I was readying a selection of bird photos, when I observed this little scene where I work.
We have six cats there and twice a day we put food out in several bowls. There’s enough for each cat to have a bowl to themselves. But these two, Moon, on the left, and Grayson, invariably ‘share’ a bowl. When I say ‘share,’ I mean they push and shove each other rather than taking turns. Moon will often insert her whole body between Grayson and his food. Grayson has been known to raise a paw. But they never seem to fight, just needle each other, over and over and over….
I noticed this hibiscus because the flowers were larger than those I usually see and I liked the color as well.
Graham's Island 