Category Archives: Trees

False Kamani tree

The fruits of a False Kamani Tree at Spencer Beach Park in Hawaii

False Kamani (Terminalia catappa) is believed to have been introduced to Hawaii before 1800 and is now widespread here, particularly on beaches and shorelines. This one was at Spencer Beach Park and was heavy with green almond-shaped fruits as well as riper deep pink ones.

What caught my eye was that the ripe fruits had been gathered and used to ornament the battlements of a sandcastle below the tree. I thought they gave it an odd but distinctive look.

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

Some Hawaii wildlife

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Wildlife.’ See more responses here. I thought I’d go with a couple of photos from the air, on land, and in the ocean.

First up, a couple of native Hawaiian birds, a palila above and a pueo below.

Next, a group of goats blocking a trail in South Kona, above, and a wild pig snaffles a mango and runs off with its prize, below.

A wild pig runs off with a mango in Hawaii

Spinner dolphins in the waters off Hawaii

Finally, a pod of spinner dolphins that I encountered in the wild while snorkeling. This scene was made more poignant for me by having recently seen dolphins in a small pool doing their thing for tourists at one of the resorts here. I couldn’t bring myself to take a photo of that.

Ice Cream Bean Tree

The Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga feuillei) is native to northwestern South America. It gets its name from the pulp of the seed pod, which is sweet and edible. I sampled a pod from this tree and it does have a sweet, creamy flavor.

Along the coast path

The coast path in front of The Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island, Hawaii

I’ve posted a few photos from my recent walk along the South Kohala coast. Here’s another one, where the path passes in front of the Hilton Hotel. It’s another lovely spot with great views, but the truth is that, just out of sight to the right is a series of swimming pools thronging with splashing kids and adults and accompanied by loud, thumping music. So, not quite the tranquil scene it appears to be!

Abstracts: Plumeria buds

This is the time of year when Plumeria produce buds, which will become flowers in the next week or two. There were a few leaves on this tree, but most will fill in after the flowers bloom.

A look back at 2021

A Hawaiian monk seal resting — January: Hiwahiwa, a male Hawaiian Monk Seal born in 2020, rests at Upolu. Haven’t seen any monk seals since this encounter. (Link)

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘2021 in Your Rear-View Mirror.’ See more responses here. I’ve gone with a favorite photo from each month of 2021, with a caption and link to the post the photo first appeared in.