Originally from South America, Lantana camara is a shrubby plant that can grow to 6 feet. Its cheerful, multicolored flowers are followed by berries that are a favorite of birds. The birds, in turn, disperse the seeds which lead to the plant being common in many places. Too many perhaps. It’s another of those invasive weeds here, this one particularly problematic because it’s poisonous to livestock.
Also known as the delicate skink (Lampropholis delicata), I saw this one sunning itself at the foot of the lanai steps. Unlike geckos and anoles, which mostly just look curious when I show up, skinks tend to zip away.
This one didn’t notice me, so I eased away to get my camera, returned, and took a couple of photos. The skink looked out into the grass. I edged closer, took a couple more photos. The skink looked off to the side. After a couple more, similar moves, the skink finally looked behind and up at me. Its wonderful expression made me laugh, which the skink took as its cue to scoot for cover.
Well, this is unpleasant and there’s no getting around that. Or perhaps not. This is nature at work. Ants discovered this recently-deceased centipede and for them it was a windfall. The centipede was gone later in the day.
The overlapping fronds of an areca palm create patterns of light and shadow.
I saw this pair of saffron finches hopping through the grass near Upolu Airport. They’re an introduced species that are commonly seen, especially on the west side of the island.
This is where the planned Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is supposed to be built. I say ‘supposed to’ because the project is currently going in reverse. Construction should have started in April of last year, but protests derailed that. Then two court decisions late last year mean the permitting process has to start again. As it stands right now, The TMT people have said they need approved permits by early next year. In the meantime, alternative sites are being checked out, in case things don’t come together.
Personally, I don’t think the telescope will be built here. The protesters aren’t going to go away, I don’t think there’s the will in Hawaii officialdom to get it done, and I don’t think the TMT people want to do what it will take, which would leave them looking like the bad guys running roughshod over Hawaiian cultural practices.
It’s more complicated than this of course, but if I were a betting man, I know where my money would go.
I saw this small, bright insect flitting about on the new growth of a plumeria. The cuckoo wasp gets its name from its practice of laying eggs in the nests of other wasps and bees. Once hatched, the cuckoo wasp eats the host wasp or bee larva. Then it eats the food placed in the nest for the host’s offspring. Probably not an insect to invite to your next dinner party.
For more information about cuckoo wasps, go to bugguide.net/node/view/6946.
It’s quite common to see this fish, usually in ones and twos, hanging almost stationary in the water, facing into the current or swells. Often they can be found hanging out in the same area for days in a row. Usually, when I approach, they drift away with minimal effort or noticeable movement. They’re quite large – up to two feet – and fun to see with their big eyes and dignified manner.
In my attempts to identify what I see in the water, I use John P. Hoover’s book The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales, and Seals. His website is hawaiisfishes.com.
Graham's Island 