I caught this Green Hover Fly doing what it does best, which is hover. It kept coming back to the same area, hovering for reasons that weren’t immediately apparent, but I wasn’t complaining. I’m a big fan of creatures that remain in place when I’m trying to take photos. Are you paying attention dragonflies?
There are two streams that tumble down the hillside in Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden. This one is Alakahi Stream and the section in the photo is known as Boulder Creek Falls for fairly obvious reasons.
For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, go to htbg.com.
How many Arc-eye Hawkfishes can you fit in a head of Cauliflower Coral? I count six here, though there could be more, and who knows what else besides. Corals like this offer vital shelter for small fish and other creatures seeking to avoid the many predators out hunting.
This week’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge is ‘White and Pastels.’ See more responses here.
Rosy-faced Lovebirds are also known as Peach-faced Lovebirds and they have a lot of color variations. I have yet to see a rosy face in Hawaii outside of tourists who’ve seen too much sun. Instead, the local birds tend towards pastel shades whether they’re dining or simply hanging out.
A look down into a tide pool reveals patterns in the water and a single different-colored rock.
A typical early Saturday morning at the beach. The campers set up Friday night, but not too many are up and about until it starts getting warm. This photo was taken just after 7 a.m. when coffee and breakfast is the priority for most of those who are up, though not the kids of course!
When I was taking photos of this butterfly, I was pretty sure it was a Monarch, but it didn’t look right. Monarch’s are a striking orange and black. This one looked washed out in comparison. It wasn’t until I got home and consulted my butterfly book that I learned a white morph exists on Oahu and the Big Island and this was undoubtedly one of those. There’s also a brown morph on Kaua’i.
Kamani is a canoe plant, brought to Hawaii by early Polynesian settlers, though it grows naturally across most of the Pacific islands. Its common name is Alexandrian Laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum).
The wood of the tree was used for canoe building, homes, containers, and food bowls, and the fragrant flowers are popular with bees.
