Category Archives: Animals

It’s all there in black and white

A sailboat travels along the coast in front of palm trees in Hawaii
A sailboat off the Kohala coast.

Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge is ‘Black (and/or) Black and White.’ See more responses here. Captions on the photos.

Holei Arch in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Holei Arch in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Concrete steps at Hapuna Resort in Hawaii
A staircase at Hapuna Resort.
A goat on a rock in Hawaii
A goat on a rock. What are the chances?
A close up of Nene feathers in Hawaii
Nene feathers.
A Northern Mockingbird sings out on a snag in Hawaii
A Northern Mockingbird on a snag.
A juvenile Black-crowned night heron fishing in the shallows in Hawaii
A juvenile Black-crowend Night Heron hunting for breakfast.

Stick Insect

A Stick insect clings to a window screen in Hawaii

When I saw this Stick Insect, clinging to one of the window screens, I realized that it had been a long time since I last saw one, at least a couple of years. Not sure why that is, but they blend in so well I could easily have looked at one without realizing it.

Bird bath mayhem

Feathers left in a bird bathing area in Hawaii

I’ve posted before about this rock at Mahukona where the birds like to drink and bathe. I’ve also mentioned (here) that it’s not a place where the birds can relax because of feral cats in the area. This photo, taken last month, is a graphic illustration of that.

I’m running this today because yesterday, toweling off after my swim, I noticed one of the cats hurrying towards this spot. Several small birds were gathered in this pool when the cat launched itself from below. The birds scattered, but one of them left with the cat, if you get my drift. First time I’ve seen that happen there.

Blue-eyed Ensign Wasp

A Blue-eyed Ensign Wasp in Hawaii
A Blue-eyed Ensign Wasp in Hawaii

I see these wasps quite often, flitting about, with the little black abdominal part on the stalk vibrating noticeably. However, it wasn’t until recently that I identified them.

This is a Blue-eyed Ensign Wasp (Evania appendigaster) and it’s considered a beneficial insect because it’s a parasitoid, which lays it’s eggs in the eggs of cockroaches. The wasp’s offspring feed off the cockroach eggs, which results in a few less cockroaches in the neighborhood.

Alas, we do not appear to be running out of cockroaches, or seem likely to do so in the immediate future.

I’m not moving

A cane toad in Hawaii
A cane toad in Hawaii

I found this cane toad while doing some weeding. It looked aggrieved, as they always do, but didn’t budge from its spot. After taking photos, I moved away and the toad finally lumped forward to a quieter spot in the hedge.

The Numbers Game #41

A small plane flies low over Upolu Airport, Hawaii.
A fly-in at Upolu Airport.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 162. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A praying mantis and a fly
A fly on a praying mantis.
Street art in Hawi, Hawaii
Street art in Hawi.
A red-crested cardinal
A Red-crested Cardinal.
A dry cow pasture in North Kohala, Hawaii
Dry pasture at Upolu.
Irrigation in North Kohala, Hawaii
Irrigation for dry pastures.
A cow and her new calf
A cow with her newborn calf.

The Numbers Game #40

A boat anchored off the beach at Anaehoomalu Bay in Hawaii
A Covid-year photo of a sailboat anchored off a deserted Anaeho’omalu Bay beach.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 161. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Also, seven photos posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here.

A Cliff Ladder used by fishermen on the North Kohala Coast, Hawaii
A ladder used by people fishing, to access a rugged shore.
Palm tree reflections at Place of Refuge in Hawaii
Palm trees reflect in one of the ponds at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park.
Empty parking places at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park during Covid restrictions
Another Covid-year shot, this time of the deserted road and parking area between Kilauea Iki trail and Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube), two of the most popular places in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Goats drink from a pond at Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
Goats take a drink at a pond in Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park.
Yuccas alongside the road to Kamuela, Hawaii
Yucca flowers blooming in Waimea.
A Large Orange Sulphur butterfly on Rose Jatropha flowers in Hawaii
A Large Orange Sulphur Butterfly feeding on Rose Jatropha flowers.

Seriously subdued spider in seven shocking scenes

A Yellow-legged mud-dauber Wasp stuffs a paralysed spider into a hole as future food for its offspring.

At work recently, I was alerted to the presence of an odd wasp, with a ‘sac’ under its body, trying to get into a small hole in the window frame. I grabbed my camera, opened the window, and took photos.

It quickly became clear that the ‘sac’ was a spider, and not a tiny one either. What was less clear was whether the wasp would succeed in its quest. I assume the hole is a drainage outlet, but what the wasp was up to was less clear. A little research cleared that up.

  • A Yellow-legged mud-dauber Wasp stuffs a paralysed spider into a hole as future food for its offspring.
  • A Yellow-legged mud-dauber Wasp stuffs a paralysed spider into a hole as future food for its offspring.
  • A Yellow-legged mud-dauber Wasp stuffs a paralysed spider into a hole as future food for its offspring.
  • A Yellow-legged mud-dauber Wasp stuffs a paralysed spider into a hole as future food for its offspring.
  • A Yellow-legged mud-dauber Wasp stuffs a paralysed spider into a hole as future food for its offspring.
  • A Yellow-legged mud-dauber Wasp stuffs a paralysed spider into a hole as future food for its offspring.

The wasp is a Yellow-legged Mud-dauber Wasp (Sceliphron caementarium). Not sure what kind of spider it is, but I do know its days are numbered. Sadly for the spider, it will not be a swift end. According to Wikipedia, “After building a cell of the nest, the female wasp captures several spiders. The captured prey are stung and paralyzed before being placed in the nest (usually 6-15 per cell), and then a single egg is deposited on the prey within each cell. The wasp then seals the cell with a thick mud plug. After finishing a series of cells, she leaves and does not return.” Notice that the spider is paralyzed, not dead. Got to have fresh food for the kids!

Posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here.