Category Archives: Animals

Bryophyllum

Bryophyllum and Pu'u Wa'awa'a

Bryophyllum and beeThis bryophyllum is probably bryophyllum x houghtonii, but there are several similar looking varieties of bryophyllum. Their common names are telling, however. Bryophyllum x houghtonii is known as ‘hybrid mother-of-millions.’ Common names for other bryophyllums include ‘mother-of-millions,’ ‘prolific mother-of-millions,’ and ‘mother-of-thousands.’

Such names make it no surprise that bryophyllums are invasive. They’re also poisonous to both livestock and humans, which is problematic since these photos were taken at Pu’u Wa’awa’a, in an area occupied by sheep and cattle.

For more information about Pu’u Wa’awa’a and its trails, go to puuwaawaa.org.

Pig dig

Pig Digging

Pig DiggingsOn an early morning hike at Pu’u Wa’awa’a, I saw this wild pig on the hillside above me. It was busy rooting around in the dirt, hence the brown snout. Wild pigs can do an enormous amount of damage in their foraging. The photo at right shows one of many areas alongside the trail that has been dug up by pigs. These areas are susceptible to erosion when it rains.

I was glad the pig was a ways up the hill as the other damage they can do is to people who get too close. Given the size of this one, I suspect I’d have come off second best.

Rosy wolfsnail

Rosy Wolfsnail

The rosy wolfsnail (Euglandina rosea) is a voracious predator. It devours other snails and slugs, and because of this trait, it was introduced into Hawaii in 1955 to control the numbers of invasive African land snails. Unfortunately, the African land snail grows to a very large size and, when it gets that big, the rosy wolfsnail wants nothing to do with it.

Instead, the rosy wolfsnail took a liking to the much smaller indigenous snails and proceeded to wreak havoc on their numbers. It’s now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s list of the top 100 worst invasive alien species in the world.

Large orange sulphur butterflies mating

Large Orange Sulphur Butterflies mating

While on a hike south of Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, I saw this pair of large orange sulphur butterflies. They were flying around, joined together, before settling on this seed pod. I assume they were mating, though this discrete view is the only one I had of them.

To see what was going on on the other side would have involved thrashing around in some nasty-looking brush. This would have added to the usual assortment of lacerations that I seem to acquire on a daily basis, and would undoubtedly have caused the butterflies to take to the air again. So I let them be.

New calves

New calves and mothers

Three new calvesOn my frequent trips to the coast near Upolu, I pass one of the two dairy farms on the island. As I go by I tend to look out for new calves, which I see quite often. On this day I came across this grouping and stopped to take photos. Actually, there were four new calves in the field, but the fourth was some distance away from this more social cluster.

New calves are quite endearing, especially when they first get up onto their wobbly legs, looking around as if wondering what the heck they’ve got themselves into. I’m also impressed by the mothers. It’s not unusual to see them pushing out their rather large offspring at one end while they continue to graze at the other. What fortitude!

Two new calves

Wandering glider dragonfly

Wandering glider dragonfly on a twig

Wandering glider dragonflyThe wandering glider (Pantala flavescens) is a fairly common dragonfly with a worldwide distribution, but it’s not one I’ve previously photographed. This isn’t for lack of trying.

I like dragonflies, so I’m always lured in when I see them flitting around. I figure that, even though they’re in motion, I should be able to get a photo because they often fly back and forth over small areas looking for food. So I’ve taken hundreds of dragonfly photos, many of which have a bit of dragonfly in them, some of them a whole dragonfly, a few where the dragonfly is fuzzy but identifiable, one or two that look pretty good.

This was another of those days. There were three or four dragonflies in the area and I was shooting photos with my usual success rate when I saw one of them settle. This one was clearly not familiar with dragonfly rules of conduct, which state: 1. Remain in constant motion if photographers are present. 2. If you must rest, make sure you aren’t observed.

Cashing in on my luck, I got several photos before the dragonfly flew off. I took a few more futile flying shots and was about to leave, when the same dragonfly landed again in almost the same spot. I particularly like the single yellow-brown cell in each of the wings, which is a handy identifier.