Category Archives: Photo Challenges

The Big Galoot

A house gecko in Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Love Your Pet.’ See more responses here.

Since I don’t have a regular pet, the next best thing would be The Big Galoot, our resident House Gecko. He (or possibly she) has been the dominant gecko in the house for several weeks now. House Geckos are nocturnal, but The Big Galoot does not seem to have seen that memo. He makes appearances at any time of day.

Nocturnal geckos tend to be very shy. If they’re caught out in the open, they scoot to shelter. This appears to be another memo missed by The Big Galoot. When I see him, he tends to remain in place and looks at me with a puzzled expression. There have been occasions where he has held his position so long that I’ve wondered if he was still alive!

The behavior of The Big Galoot has brought to mind the memoir, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. In it, Frank’s father, who hails from Northern Ireland, is described as having the ‘odd manner.’ This seems, to me, to be a perfect description for The Big Galoot!

Also posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here.

A house gecko in Hawaii

Ring-billed Gull

A Ring-billed gull flying in Hawaii
A Ring-billed gull catches a fish in Hawaii
A Ring-billed gull catches a fish in Hawaii
A Ring-billed gull catches a fish in Hawaii

I saw this bird at the ʻAimakapā Fishpond in Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. At first I was just focused on a fairly large bird flying toward me, but then it swooped around and down and plucked a fish from the water. It took off again and carried its prize to a rocky strip jutting into the fishpond, where it duly devoured it.

I realized, through this process, that this wasn’t a bird I was familiar with, but I thought it looked like some kind of gull. Back home, my bird book indicated it was most likely a Ring-billed Gull. It introduce the bird with this information: ‘Gulls prefer broad, shallow tidal zones, conditions not found on tropical islands. This fact helps to explain why few gulls occur in the Hawaiian Islands.’

I used to live in Washington State, where gulls were everywhere and a nuisance in many of those places. It’s odd to now live in a place where so many introduced species thrive, but not gulls. Few gulls are seen here and those that are tend to have arrived with the help of winds or shipping. Hopefully, in the spring, it will find its way back to the mainland where it belongs.

Posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here.

Golden waters

Smoky skies cause golden light on the waters of Hawaii
Smoky skies cause golden light on the waters of Hawaii
Smoky skies cause golden light on the waters of Hawaii

A good while ago, I posted photos of smoky skies around Kawaihae, which were the result of a large brush fire up the hill from there. I intended to follow up with more photos and then forgot, which is nothing unusual.

Here are a few more photos from that time, taken from Spencer Beach Park. The smoke in the air resulted in golden light on the waters, which is the one and only time I’ve seen that in my 10 years here.

Posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here.

Three Nenes

Three nenes in Hawaii

I saw these nenes in the sugar cane field above Upolu Airport. Not only are there an odd number of them, which is odd in itself since I usually see them in pairs, but the one at the front is sporting a tracking box in his back. I’ve seen two nenes in this area with these boxes, though there are undoubtedly more around. It’s been nearly two years since I saw this bird with the tracker and more than a year since I saw the other two.

Posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here.

Scrawled Filefish

A scrawled filefish in the waters off Hawaii

Following of from yesterday’s possibly arty post, today I offer a photo of a Scrawled Filefish. Not only is this fish odd to look at, with its protruding mouth and very long tail fin, but it’s also covered in abstract scrawls which are quite beautiful when the light catches them right. It’s a moving abstract painting, but whereas well known abstract artists go for millions, Scrawled Filefish probably go for $3.99 a pound.

Posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here.

Sunset afterglow

After the sunset in Hawaii

A scene shortly after sunset. Nothing odd about this, but having recently seen a couple of shows about art thefts and scams, this photo brought to mind the paintings of Mark Rothko. The odd thing is those paintings are worth millions and this photo, not so much.

Posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here. Also posted in response to the current Friendly Friday challenge theme of ‘Searching for Serenity.’ See more responses here.

Amythest flowers

A vase of Vinca flowers
A Dtps. Yu Pin Dream Girl Orchid at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden
Persian Shield leaves at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden
Water Lilies at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden

This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Amethyst.’ See more responses here.

With no immediate ideas for this challenge, I plumped for some odds and ends from my flower folders. First up is a ‘vase’ of vincas followed by a Doritaenopsis orchis (Yu Pin Dream Girl). Then we have the leaves of a Persian Shield plant and finally a water lily surrounded by reflections.

Also posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here.