Category Archives: Places

Birds at the watering hole

Birds gather for a drink of water in Hawaii

At my local swimming spot, there’s a row of big rocks to prevent anyone driving off the edge of the parking area into the ocean. Before anyone says ‘No one would be that dumb,’ there’s a raft of examples I can offer that prove the contrary.

One of the rocks has a good-sized depression on the top and this has become a watering spot for the local bird population. People clean it out and top it up with fresh water on a daily basis. Most of the birds seem to get along and don’t appear to mind the many wasps that avail themselves of the opportunity for a drink. There are feral cats in the area though, so the birds are always looking around, never able to relax completely.

Posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here.

Green-spored Parasol Mushroom

A Green spored Parasol Mushroom in Hawaii

I was driving home from my afternoon walk at Upolu, when I saw this mushroom by the side of the road. It was hard to miss, though I apparently managed that on my way down. I had to stop and spend a little time on hands and knees, getting photos.

While I was doing that, the rusty little wheels in my head started grinding and it occurred to me that the mushroom must be around seven inches in diameter. So I got my tape measure from the car, and it turned out to be exactly that.

A Green spored Parasol Mushroom in Hawaii

It’s a Green-spored Parasol Mushroom (Chlorophyllum molybdites), and goes by several other names including Vomiter! Wikipedia calls it ‘the most commonly misidentified poisonous mushroom in North America,’ because its similar to some edible mushrooms.

Even the rusty little wheels knew chopping it into my next scramble wasn’t a great idea.

Posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here.

The Numbers Game #37

The SSV Makani Olu sailing off the Kohala coast in Hawaii
The SSV Makani Olu sailing off the Kohala coast.

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

Also, seven photos posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here.

A Nene at just the right spot in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
A Long-tailed Blue Butterfly.
Sheep at sunset in Hawaii
Sheep in pastureland off Old Saddle Road.
Colorful lava on the Puna Coast Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Colorful lava on the Puna Coast Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Playground equipment in Kapaau Hawaii
Playground equipment at Kamehameha Park in Kapaau.
The swimming pool in Kapaau.

A square deal for bugs

A Seven-spotted ladybug on a leaf in Hawaii
A Seven-spotted Lady Beetle pauses on a leaf.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘All about bugs.’ See more responses here.

Also posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here.

Ants and aphids on a crown flower leaf in Hawaii
Ants farming aphids on a Hawaiian Crown Flower leaf.
A Black Soldier Fly in Hawaii
A Black Soldier Fly on a window.
A Bee on tree heliotrope flower in Hawaii
A bee on Tree Heliotrope flowers

The bugs in the next gallery were all on the same Monstera leaf, which had accumulated falling flowers from a palm tree.

A Fly in Hawaii
A Scholastes bimaculatus fly rummaging in the flowers.
A Banana Stalk Fly in Hawaii
A Banana Stalk Fly with a smaller fly.
A Black Earwig on palm tree flowers in Hawaii
A Black Earwig hunts through the flowers.

Pueo, on the way to work

A Pueo, or Hawaiian Short-eared Owl, perches on a rock in North Kohala

I was on my way to work yesterday, whizzing along only a smidge over the speed limit, when I noticed a familiar image out of the corner of my eye. ‘That’s a Pueo,’ I thought. It was standing on a rock alongside the highway. By the time the thought registered, I was past it, so I drove on a bit until I could turn around and head back.

Sure enough, on my return, the bird was standing in the same place. I stopped a little way beyond it, got out, and snapped the photo above. The Pueo started watching me the moment I got out of the car and, as I edged towards it, it took off and disappeared toward the ocean.

I crossed the road to the spot where it had been perched, then walked a bit farther to get a view down the gully it had disappeared into. I didn’t really expect to see it again, but then I spotted it, clamped to a tree branch, head swiveling 360° as it searched for breakfast. It spotted something, took off in pursuit, and glided from view behind some trees.

I see Pueos occasionally on this stretch of road, but always in flight, usually passing in front of my car at windshield level, which makes me cringe. This is the first time I’ve seen one perched here as this one was.

A Pueo, or Hawaiian Short-eared Owl, perches on a branch in North Kohala