The brilliant orange flowers of silk oak trees not only catch the eye, but are rich with nectar, making them a favorite of birds such as Japanese white-eyes. There were several flitting through this particular tree.
For more information about silk oaks, go to wildlifeofhawaii.com/flowers/1368/grevillea-robusta-silk-oak/.
I saw this pair of saffron finches hopping through the grass near Upolu Airport. They’re an introduced species that are commonly seen, especially on the west side of the island.
Usually I see this bird in ones or twos, but on this occasion, I saw a flock of 15 or more cruising along near the coast.
It’s known in Hawaii as the ’Iwa, which means ‘thief.’ It gets this name because it sometimes harasses other birds into dropping their catch, which it then swoops down to retrieve. Mostly though, it feeds on squid and flyingfish. Since it can’t take off from water, it scoops prey out with its hooked beak while on the wing.
The single bird pictured is a female, distinguished by the white breast and neck.
For more information about great frigatebirds, go to fws.gov/refuge/hawaiian_islands/wildlife_and_habitat/great_frigatebird.html.
This is a juvenile black-crowned night heron which was standing in the shallows on the Kohala coast waiting for something to swim by or for me to go away – probably a bit of both.
A South American bird, the yellow-billed cardinal was introduced to Hawaii and is quite common on the Big Island. I saw these two birds flitting through a stand of kiawes. The bird in the top photo was working hard on the bit of foliage in its beak. I assumed this was something for a nest, but didn’t see where the bird went. The second bird just hung out in the trees, possibly keeping watch.
A Japanese white-eye sits on a pair of eggs in a nest in a mock orange tree. The bird was introduced to Hawaii in 1929 for insect control. It’s now quite common and is considered an invasive species. It carries avian parasites which harm native birds and also spreads seeds from invasive plants.
Rock pigeons (also known as rock doves) congregate on the cliff sides of the Kohala coast. These took off in a flurry, circled round, then settled down again.
I saw this brown booby gliding effortlessly over the water just off the Kohala coast.
Graham's Island 