I suppose I should have a series about things found on my basil plants since they are many and varied. This praying mantis won’t harm the plant and it might eat some harmful bugs, but it’s equally likely to devour beneficial insects. Still, I think they’re fascinating creatures and I always enjoy seeing them.
Author Archives: Graham
An ominous sky
Dark clouds roll across the Kohala Mountains providing a dramatic backdrop to the turbines of Hawi Wind Farm.
Abstracts: Little convicts
A pair of baby convict tang putter around in a shallow tide pool.
In my attempts to identify what I see in the water, I use John P. Hoover’s book The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales, and Seals. His website is hawaiisfishes.com.
Chilly Japanese white-eye?
I came across this bird during a hike. Hunched on the branch with feathers fluffed up, I thought it wouldn’t look out of place on a Christmas card, if snow coated the branch and leaves. Not the case here though. The temperature was in the high 70s and I was sweating accordingly.
Wild pig
There’s a sizeable wild pig population on the Big Island and they can be both problematic and dangerous. A while back, a local woman was attacked by a boar in her garden. She got seriously gored as well as having her leg broken.
This one was puttering around the yard in the early morning, snacking on fallen mangoes. It took him a while to notice me, but when he did, he took off at speed.
The numbers around here have dropped since hunters began making regular visits and when I do hear the pigs moving about, they’re being a good deal more cautious than they used to be.
The sun slips into the sea
On a quiet, colorful evening, the sun sinks slowly in the west.
Better Days: Old engine
As is the way so often, this old engine is now a lawn ornament at a gated community’s open space area.
Sweetpotato bug
This bug (Physomerus grossipes) is a fairly recent introduction to Hawaii, most likely sneaking in on an imported plant. It’s from the family Coreidae, otherwise known as leaf footed bugs. It feeds by sucking juices out of various plants, including sweet potatoes. I found this one wandering across a window screen, some distance from anything edible.
