This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Feeding the Birds.’ See more responses here.
There’s one kind of bird feeder that has stood the test of time. An example of it is this Common Waxbill feeding a couple of youngsters.
If you were expecting ice cream, sorry to disappoint. Just a couple of large scoops for some very heavy equipment.
A bee forages on a colorful Lantana flower.
This Reef Lizardfish snagged itself a prospective lunch. The trouble is, its lunch is a Whitespotted Toby and, like all pufferfish, one mode of defense is to inflate itself so it can’t be swallowed. This toby has done just that and the lizardfish will have a hard job getting that down.
If it is successful, it might still be in trouble since another of the toby’s defenses is a skin toxin which renders it, at best unpalatable, and at worst, deadly!
This little sailboat is a modern rendition of a traditional Hawaiian style. The two hulls are common in various forms in Polynesian culture and the sailing rig features a Hawaiian Peʻa sail, otherwise known as a Crab Claw sail. These sails used to made from the woven leaves of Hala trees.
On this boat, the sail is made from a modern material and it’s speedy progress through the water wasn’t down the the light breeze, but rather an outboard motor, which is also not traditional!
Recently, I heard a soft chucking noise up in a Kiawe tree that was certainly not from one of the usual residents in the area. So I grabbed my camera and circled the tree trying to locate the source. It turned out to be this female Kalij Pheasant, a bird I almost always see on the ground.
The pheasant clambered through the branches as I tried to get a clear shot. Eventually, it found a good spot and stayed still, as pheasants do, and I was able to get close enough to snap a couple of photos.
Kalij Pheasaants are native to Southern Asia. They were brought to Hawaii in 1962 as game birds.
I still find it strange to see cacti in Hawaii. Stranger still is seeing them in flower like this prickly pear cactus on the Kohala coast.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Sweet.’ See more responses here.
This birthday cake came from the Sandwich Isle Bread Company in Waimea, which also makes cakes and pastries. It was just the right amount of sweet, and the right amount of rich and chocolaty.
Graham's Island 