Spotted Eagle Ray on the move

A Spotted Eagle ray and yellow tangs in the waters off hawaii

I don’t see Spotted Eagle Rays as often as I used to, but that’s true of many creatures that live in the ocean around here. This one went skimming by a small school of Yellow Tangs and out into deeper water. Happily, it looked in excellent condition with a beautiful array of white spots on its wings.

A Spotted Eagle ray in the waters off Hawaii

Here’s where my garden grows

A gecko on a wax ginger at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden — A small Gold Dust Day Gecko climbs over a Wax Ginger. The small yellow parts are the flowers and the red mass is bracts.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Plant Life.’ See more responses here.

Here are a few plants seen on my last visit to Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden. For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, go to htbg.com.

A Heliconia Longissima Red Wings at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden — Big leaves on Heliconia Longissima Red Wings

Towering trees at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden — Big leaves on Heliconia Longissima Red Wings

A powderpuff flower at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden — A Powderpuff flower growing from a mossy trunk.

A red ginger at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden — A Powderpuff flower growing from a mossy trunk.

Foliage reflected in the lake at at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden — There are plants on land and reflected in the water.

It’s not blood, but it could be

A mud dauber wasps prepares a looper caterpillar before taking it to her nest to lay eggs on it

I saw this mud dauber wasp trussing up a looper caterpillar on a bright red fire bucket. The wasp doesn’t kill the caterpillar, but immobilizes it. It will then be stashed in the wasp’s nest and have the wasp’s eggs laid on it. What happens then is the stuff horror movies are made of!

Tug and pigeons

Early morning clouds over the ocean off Kawaihae, Hawaii

A couple of days ago, on my way to work, the early morning sky had an interesting look to it. Then I saw a tug and barge heading toward Kawaihae Harbor, so I decided to pull over and park (right next to a No Parking sign!). I walked a few paces to get a more open shot of the scene and, in doing so, disturbed a flock of pigeons roosting in a nearby tree. They took to the air and swooped around for a while before dispersing.

Signs: Park hours

State and county parks have quite a few restrictions regarding their use, but this sign illustrates that it might be better to plan on having brunch there, rather than breakfast!

Hawaii Amakihi feeding

An Hawaii Amakihi feeds on a mamane flower

I saw this endemic Hawaii Amakihi on the slopes of Mauna Kea, feeding at Mamane flowers. The Hawaii in the name refers, not to the state, but to the island of Hawaii, otherwise known as the Big Island. There are different species on Oahu, Maui, and Kauai.

Brassy Chubs

Chubs might be the most cheerful-looking fish in our local waters, and with their touches of brassy yellow, these chubs are amongst the most colorful.

SSV Robert C. Seamans at anchor

The SSV Robert C. Seamans anchored off Hawaii Island

This rather splendid sailing vessel was anchored recently, for a few days, in front of Mauna Kea Resort. It’s the Robert C. Seamans, a 134-foot steel-hulled brigantine that, despite its classic appearance, was built in 2001. The vessel is a Sailing School Vessel (SSV) operated by the Sea Education Association, which conducts sail training and research.

For more information about the Robert C. Seamans and Sea Education Association, go to https://sea.edu/.

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii