Category Archives: Birds

Red-billed leiothrix

A Red-billed Leiothrix sings on a branchA Red-billed Leiothrix sings on a branch
This is the last of my series of posts in response to this week’s WordPress photo challenge on the theme of ‘evanescent.’

Picture the scene: I’m sitting quietly in my living room when a small shape flits past a window accompanied by a harsh chittering. I jump up, grab my camera and rush outside. As I do so, I turn the camera on, adjust settings and figure out the best place to intercept the bird that just flew by. I go around the house and sure enough, the sound is loud. And there it is, in the hedge. I raise the camera, but its gone. Over there now. I move, refocus. There it is again. I snap a photo. Gone again. I do this a couple more times, and then it goes quiet. There’s no more movement. The bird’s moved on.

Now repeat this scene, a couple of times a week and you have my experience with the red-billed leiothrix. It’s such a beautiful bird, but all my efforts had produced was a collection of photos of bits of wing, disembodied beaks, barely discernable blurry shapes, or just bare branches and leaves. The jittery, hyperactive birds were evanescent, quickly disappearing from sight time after time.

So imagine my surprise when this one showed up. It was one of a pair. The other one, true to its kind, instantly disappeared into a bush. But this one appeared not to have read the leiothrix operation manual. It stayed on this branch, in full view, for a couple of minutes. True, it wasn’t ever exactly stationary, it’s head going from side to side every two seconds. And it called out continuously, probably wanting to know why its partner was skulking in the bush. Somewhere the message must have got through because the bird joined its partner and the two of them, true to form, flitted off from branch to branch, through the hedge and disappeared from view.

Kalij pheasant

A male Kalij Pheasant on the Big Island of Hawaii.A male Kalij Pheasant on the Big Island of Hawaii.

I saw this male Kalij pheasant, with two others, alongside the Powerline Trail, off Saddle Road. I hadn’t noticed them while walking through the trees on the dead-straight trail, but I became aware of a slight but steady clucking sound and stopped to locate it. The birds were picking their way through some dense undergrowth and seemed not the least bit bothered by my presence. Perhaps they were aware it wasn’t one of the days when archery hunting is permitted.

For more information about the Powerline Trail, go to bigislandhikes.com/puu-oo-trail/.

Java sparrow

A Java sparrow perches on a branch on the Big Island od Hawaii
I like Java sparrows. With their big pink beak, white cheeks, and pinkish ring around the eyes they have a cheerful air about them. They’re an introduced species, from Indonesia, and quite common on all the islands.

I’iwi

The I’iwi (vestiaria coccinea) is a native Hawaiian honeycreeper
The I’iwi (vestiaria coccinea) is a native Hawaiian honeycreeper, which is still quite common on the Big Island, as well as on Kaua’i and Maui. I saw several while hiking the Pu’u O’o Trail, off of Saddle Road. The fact that they’re bright red and they have a quite distinctive call makes spotting them a bit easier for a non-birder like me.

For more information about the Pu’u O’o Trail, go to bigislandhikes.com/puu-oo-trail/.

Gray francolin

A gray francolin sits on a post on the Big Island of Hawaii.
The gray francolin is an introduced game bird. It’s one of those birds that, when disturbed, takes off running. Get too close though and it will take wing. This happens often when I’m out walking, since they blend into their surroundings so well. They take off in panic and my heart does the same.

On the other hand, it’s also possible to have an idea of the location of every francolin within a half mile or so. This is because they have a distinctive and piercing call, one that winds up for two or three rounds before launching into full volume. Sometimes these birds take up residence in the cane grass, not far from the house. When they do, it’s goodbye to sleeping in much beyond 6 a.m.

Game bird guzzler

A game bird guzzler collects water for wild birds
On a recent hike, I came across this contraption. What I liked most about it was its name – Game Bird Guzzler. It’s basically a device for providing a source of water for game birds. The way it works is that when rain hits the roof of this structure, it’s collected in a gutter and piped into the back into the tank. This water is then fed, through the white pipe, into the small basin at the front. There’s a flap in the basin so that when a game bird such as a turkey takes a drink, its head will push the flap and release more water into the basin.

When I was there, I didn’t see any turkeys or other game birds, but my approach prompted great activity and squawking as a good number of assorted finches and African silverbills took to the surrounding trees. They sat there, refusing to return to the water but not leaving either. The area surrounding the guzzler was alive with bird calls in an area otherwise not noticeably populated.

Eventually I gave up waiting for a bird to take a drink and moved on. No doubt, within a few minutes the guzzler was again crowded with small birds.