Category Archives: Places

Winging it

A Great Frigatebird flies off the Kohala coast in Hawaii
A Great Frigatebird glides over the ocean off the Kohala coast.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Wings.’ See more responses here. Let’s start with the birds.

A Northern Cardinal Juvenile launches off a branch in Hawaii
A Northern Cardinal juvenile coming to get me!
A Hawaiian Nene spreads its wings
A Nene displays an impressive wingspan.
A pair of Hawaiian Noddys approach their roost at Whittington Park in Hawaii
A pair of Hawaiian Noddies head to their roost at Whittington Park.

There are many winged insects too.

A Roseate Skimmer Dragonfly perches on a stalk in Hawaii
The delicate wings of a Roseate Skimmer Dragonfly.
Two Passion Vine Butterflies flying in Hawaii
A pair of Passion Vine Butterflies flit about.

You can also find wings in the water

Three eagle rays swim in the ocean off Hawaii
A trio of Eagle Rays cruise through coastal waters.
A coastal manta ray swims in the ocean off Hawaii
A Manta Ray glides over the sea floor.

And there are other wings too.

A pair of metal wings on the ground in Hawaii
A broach of emblem found lying in the grass.
A UPS plane flies overhead in Hawaii
A UPS plane heads for Honolulu early one morning.

Coming through

A semi truck passes on a raised highway in Hawaii

There’s a sandy area inside Kawaihae Harbor that’s used for parking. Some are military vehicles, invariably inside fences. Most of the rest are trailers, hauled to and from the nearby port by semi trucks. The road they use dips down through a low spot that’s covered in water at high tide.

I stop by there to see if there are any herons fishing in that area. There usually are. My interest is in the herons, but it’s something of a sight to turn and see these large vehicles rumbling past, seemingly above my head!

The Numbers Game #30

Kite flying over Upolu.

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

A Praying Mantis giving me the look.
A tiny fish wonders what the big lump is in its tide pool.
A gecko chilling at the Pepsi machine.
A Pacific Beetle Cockroach.
Clouds gather around a tree on the slopes of Mauna Kea.
An endangered Palila contemplates a snack.

Park yourself here

The coast at Punalu’u Black Sand Beach Park in Hawaii
Punaluu Black Sand Beach Park, on the southern coast of the island, not only has a black sand beach, but also turtles like the one in the photo. OK, it looks like a rock, but it’s there!

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘State and local parks.’ See more responses here.

Sifting through a ton of park photos, it was the island’s beach parks that came out on top. It’s possible to get in the water at all of these, though some require more caution than others.

The beach at Hapuna Beach State Park in Hawaii
Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area offers a long and wide sandy beach.
The coast at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park in Hawaii
Kaloko-Honokohau Historical Park has long stretches of sand, often used by resting turtles.
The beach at Spencer Beach Park in Hawaii
Spencer Beach Park at Kawaihae, is a tranquil place popular with families because the water is generally calm.
A view of View of Whittington Beach Park in Hawaii
Not all beach parks have beaches. Whittington Beach Park on the south end of the island is one of those though it’s still possible to get in the water.
The coast at Lapakahi State Historical Park in Hawaii
Lapakahi HIstorical Park has a rocky shoreline, though ocean entry is possible with care.
The coast at Keokea Beach Park in Hawaii
This photo shows the reason Keokea Beach Park has a breakwater. Inside it is a little beach and calm water that kids enjoy year round.