Mostly when I see spotted pufferfish they’re below me and quickly dive even lower. This one was quite high in the water and it was a while before it headed down to the safety of a greater depth.
Spotted pufferfish
Ruddy turnstones in flight
I saw these ruddy turnstones, picking through the grass at one end of Upolu Airport, when they suddenly they took to the air and wheeled away toward the ocean.
Better Days: Spencer Beach Park building
This building at Spencer Beach Park is typical of how structures were built here in days gone by. A post and pier foundation raised it off the ground, keeping it relatively free from ground crawling bugs and improving air circulation around and into the building. Single board walls and single pane windows were the norm – not much need for insulation here. And it’s all topped by a corrugated iron roof.
This one has fallen into disrepair however, though it’s possible it’s still used for storage of some kind. Time, or a big storm, are likely to end even that option.
View of Hualalai
An early morning view of Hualalai Volcano from Kawaihae Harbor.
Yellow chub and other reef fish
A variety of fish swim in the surge over a shallow part of the reef. The yellow chub is an unusual color variant of the gray chubs swimming with it.
Sign of a brush fire
This is an early morning view of smoke from a brush fire burning south of Waimea. The fire started on Friday morning and high winds, up to 40 mph, caused it to grow rapidly. On Saturday, 8,000 acres were reported burned by noon and 12,000 acres at 5 pm. Sunday morning, at 11 am, that figure had jumped to 36,000 acres and by 1:30 pm was around 40,000 acres.
The fire jumped Highway 190 on Sunday afternoon, prompting an evacuation order for Waikoloa Village, a community with more than 6,000 residents. This order was later lifted as conditions changed and the immediate threat to the community eased.
As of Monday evening, the fire, while not fully contained, had at least been brought somewhat under control and its surge stopped, though a renewal of high winds could easily change all that.
Posted for Bushboy’s Last on the Card photo challenge. See more responses here.
Purple plants
This week’s Friendly Friday challenge theme is ‘Purple.’ See more responses here. Here are some purple orchids and a couple of other purple plants.
Bugs
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Summer Bugs.’ (See more responses here.) To the best of my knowledge, Hawaii’s bugs are pretty much the same year-round. Here are some of them.
The top photo shows a bee showing impressive balance on a maiapilo flower.
Next up, clockwise from top left: Getting down to eye level with a juvenile praying mantis. A painted lady butterfly on a kiawe tree. A katydid wondering what it’s done to deserve this much attention. A seven-spotted lady beetle being watched.
The final gallery: Top left: A mango flower beetle explores a spider lily. Top right: A watchful cane spider wondering if it should run, very fast, away. Bottom left: A Hawaiian carpenter ant (Camponotus variegatus), one of too many that have taken up residence in the house. Bottom right: A rusty millipede deciding that it’s all too much!
Graham's Island 