Category Archives: Photo Challenges

The Numbers Game #15

Dark pink plumeria flowers in Hawaii — A dark pink plumeria.

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 136. Captions are on the photos.

You can see more responses here.

In Kailua Kona, this electronic sign flashes “Emergency Water Restriction” and “Stop Sprinkler Use.” — I saw this sign in Kailua Kona during a downpour. Original post here.

The plumage of birds at rest often has a wonderful layered look to it. This zebra dove is no exception. — The lovely plumage of a zebra dove.

A pueo looks watchful in Hawaii — The lovely plumage of a zebra dove.

Down the tube

A view down the center of an aluminum tube

Yesterday, we removed the fuel hose storage tube off our old Peterbilt truck, to clean it. This is the view down it.

Posted for Bushboy’s Last on the Card. See more responses here.

The Numbers Game #14

The shadow of Mauna Kea stretches out above the clouds. — A favorite photo of mine. The shadow of Mauna Kea stretching out over the clouds!

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 135. Captions are on the photos.

You can see more responses here.

Sunrise at Upolu on the Big Island of Hawaii — Sunrise at Upolu. I was looking to capture an eclipse, but got this instead.

This mare and her foal were among several horses in a pasture alongside Old Saddle Road. — A horse and foal in a pasture off Saddle Road.

A metallic skink peeks out from under a lava ledge. — A horse and foal in a pasture off Saddle Road.

A peek into Hilo

The Hilo Armory building in Hawaii — The Hilo Armory, dating from 1931, is the home of the Hawaii County Parks and Recreation department. Their budget doesn’t appear to include funds for paint!

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Urban sights.’ See more responses here.

I went to Hilo recently, intending to spend time wandering around the downtown and taking photos. Hilo is the largest town on the island. Naturally, I got distracted on the way, arrived later than intended, and ended up with just a short visit. But while I was there I took these photos.

The Palace Theater building in HIlo Hawaii — The Palace Theater has been around since 1925 and is used for movies, stage shows, and concerts. More information here.

The Hilo Bay Hostel building in Hawaii — The Hilo Bay Hostel building dates back to 1912.

The Puueo Street Bridge in HIlo Hawaii — The Wailuku River marks the north end of downtown Hilo. The Puueo Street Bridge is the middle one of three bridges crossing the river near downtown area. This view is out towards the ocean.

Slippahs

These slippahs, or slippers, were at Spencer Beach Park and had been left on the beach by people out in canoes. But it is customary in Hawaii to remove your footwear when entering someone’s home. This is an import from Asian traditions. Here, most people go barefoot but some, including us, switch to house slippahs, which are only used indoors. I like this because I have no wish to step on a centipede with a bare foot!

Hawaiian Stilts

The Hawaiian Stilt or Ae’o is endemic to Hawaii and is a subspecies of the mainland Black-necked Stilt. It’s listed as endangered with a population of around 2,000 birds, a number that has been increasing very slowly over the last few years.

Their plight is due to the usual reasons. They were popular hunting targets until that was banned in the 1940s. But a variety of predators, including cats, dogs, mongooses, and other birds such as Barn Owls and Cattle Egrets, are still a significant threat. So too is loss of habitat, mostly shallow wetlands, to development, agriculture, and pollution.

These three were at Kohanaiki Beach Park, where Hawaiian Stilts can often be seen feeding and nesting. The two on the left seemed to have nodded off and didn’t move while I watched. But the third was fidgety, preening and looking around, then tucking its head away, before repeating the process several times.

Posted for Bird of the Week LVI.

The Numbers Game #13

An A'ama Crab skitters through a field of Helmet Urchins in Hawaii — An A’ama crab skitters through a field of Helmet Urchins.

The blooms of a yucca plant. — A Yucca plant in full flower.

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 134. Captions are on the photos.

You can see more responses here.