Category Archives: Photo Challenges

A walk for the birds

An I'iwi on the Pu'u O'o Trail on the Big Island, Hawaii — A native I’iwi.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Wild Animal or Bird of the Month.’ See more responses here.

Pu’u O’o Trail is a few miles east of the saddle between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, on the south side of the main cross-island highway. It’s all above 5,000 feet and can be cold, wet, and windy, but I’ve had good luck picking warm, sunny days. These photos are from a couple of recent hikes I took up there. Captions on the photos.

A view of the Pu'u O'o Trail on the Big Island, Hawaii — The trail enters a kīpuka.

The trail crosses old lava flows from Mauna Loa, but there are kīpukas, areas of old-growth forest missed by the lava, which are home to several kinds of native birds.

An Apapane on the Pu'u O'o Trail on the Big Island, Hawaii — An ‘Apapane.

An Io or Hawaiian Hawk flies above the Pu'u O'o Trail on the Big Island, Hawaii — An ‘Apapane.

On my last visit, I was lucky enough to see an ‘Akiapola’au, an endangered native species, which is only found on this island these days. This one was high up in the trees with the sun behind it. While my photos weren’t great, I was still able to see this industrious bird foraging for a meal. The shorter lower mandible is used to drill into branches and then the curved upper mandible digs out the grubs hiding within.

An 'Akiapola'au on the Pu'u O'o Trail on the Big Island, Hawaii — An ‘Akiapola’au.

These native birds make this trail popular with birders, but it’s a good hike for anyone. A 9-mile loop is possible, but I usually do an out-and-back hike through the first two or three kipukas, which totals about five miles.

Hāpu’u Ferns (Cibotium menziesii) on the Pu'u O'o Trail on the Big Island, Hawaii — Hāpu’u tree ferns (*Cibotium menziesii*) grow alongside the trail.

Also posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.

The claw

A Hanging Lobster Claw Heliconia in Hawaii

Heliconia rostrata is better known as the Hanging Lobster Claw Heliconia. I was trying to remember where I’d seen this and remembered it was in front of a neighbor’s house!

Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour. See more responses here.

The Numbers Game #129

Rain sheets down in front of a Panax hedge.

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 746. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Where chocolate ripple ice cream comes from!

A gold dust day gecko rests on a deep pink heliconia flower. — A Gold Dust Day Gecko on a Pink Heliconia.

A chained salp floating in the waters off the Big Island, Hawaii — A Gold Dust Day Gecko on a Pink Heliconia.

Around the house

This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Dark Green.’ See more responses here. Since we’re surrounded by green here, I’m staying close to home this week. Captions on the photos.

Acacia confusa flowers and leaves in Hawaii — Ti plant.

Coffee leaves in Hawaii — Coffee leaves.

White Plumerias

Plumerias aren’t native to Hawaii but are considered a quintessential Hawaiian flower. Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour. See more responses here.

What’s going on down there?

Turbulence in the waters off Hawaii — Got to be careful in the surge zone. Don’t want to get raked over those rocks.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Water.’ See more responses here. Let’s see what’s happening below the surface. Here are some photos from my swim yesterday. Captions are on the photos.

Yellowfin Goatfishes in the waters off Hawaii — Yellowfin Goatfishes are active at night and spend the day drifting in groups like this.

An Arc-eye Hawkfish juvenile in a head of coral in the waters off Hawaii — Yellowfin Goatfishes are active at night and spend the day drifting in groups like this.

A Yellowhead Moray Eel in the waters off Hawaii — Yellowhead Moray Eels are active at night so I rarely see them.

A Wedgetail Triggerfish in the waters off Hawaii — Yellowhead Moray Eels are active at night so I rarely see them.

Golden Shower tree

I saw this Golden Shower tree (Cassia fistula) on the way to go swimming at Mauna Lani and, afterwards, went back to take photos. The mass of yellow flowers is typical for the tree. This species was crossed with the Pink and White Shower tree to produce the Rainbow Shower Tree.

Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour. See more responses here.

Golden Shower tree flowers at Mauna Lani, Hawaii

The Numbers Game #127

The beach at A Bay, Waikoloa — ‘Anaehoʻomalu Beach during the time of Covid!

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 744. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A spider web with raindrops in Hawaii — An Orb Weaver spider in its wet web.

Tropical plants in a garden in Port Townsend, Washington — An Orb Weaver spider in its wet web.

An Orangespine Unicornfish and a yellow Gray Chub.

A view of Onomea Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii — An Orangespine Unicornfish and a yellow Gray Chub.

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii