Humpback whale

In this composite photo, a humpback whale surges from the water off the North Kohala coast. It’s been an odd season so far. The first whales were spotted off the island back in early October, provoking thoughts of a bumper season. Since then, activity has been spotty with little apparent buildup of numbers. This month, there were more whales to be seen, but still not as many as expected. Yesterday was the first day when the numbers and activity seemed similar to previous years. On a walk along the coast, I followed two pairs who were leaping from the water with great enthusiasm. It’s always a thrill to see these huge animals slowly rise from the water, hang for a moment, and then crash back.

For more information about humpback whales, I recommend Jim Darling’s book, Humpbacks: Unveiling the Mysteries or go to whaletrust.org or hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/welcome.html.

Better Days: Going, going, ….

Tropical foliage is like snow in that it can cover up a multitude of discards. This car is well on the way to invisibility unless someone whacks back the foliage.

Gold Dust Day Gecko and Black Witch Moth

What’s this then?

Perhaps it hasn’t seen me.

Should I or shouldn’t I?

Here goes.

So far, so good.

Rats!

This gecko initially wasn’t quite sure what to make of such a large moth (that’s a 2×4 the moth is sitting on). But geckos are nothing if not optimists and dreams of glory spurred him on (well, I like to think so.). Ultimately a case of so near, and yet so far.

Green anole on a window frame

A green anole casting shadows on a window.

For more information about green anoles, go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_anole.

Hop little grasshopper, hop

I’m not sure why this little grasshopper sitting on the trail caught my eye, but it’s probably a good thing it did because it was about to be stepped on. I took some photos and thought, ‘Maybe I can get one of it jumping away.’ So I scuffed a foot in its direction. I knocked my water bottle over with a thud. I leaned in, casting an ominous shadow its way. It twitched a couple of times, skittered to face a different way, but no jump. Of course, I knew exactly what would happen. I straightened, putting my camera away and admitting defeat and the grasshopper duly pinged away into the grass.

With those kind of survival skills it will have a good chance of attaining the size of the grasshopper below, which I saw on the lanai some time ago. When I got close, it leapt straight into a railing, but it too survived. They’re both Schistocerca nitens I think. It’s one of those troublesome invasive species so common in Hawaii.

Now you see me, now you don’t

This is a flowery flounder. What do you mean, where? It’s right there, on that rock. Truth is, if you don’t see a flounder moving, then you’re not likely to see it at all. This one was in a shallow area, hopping from rock to rock, in dappled sunlight.

A couple of times I took my eye off it and it took a while to relocate it, even though I knew where it was. Look up for too long and it will flit to a different spot. Good luck finding it them.

I particularly liked it when this fish bent itself over a little ledge in the rock (below). Not just a flatfish then, but a bendy one, too.

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.

Abstracts: Tide pool colors

A tide pool, formed by ropey pahoehoe lava, shimmers with color.

Anole in a window

There’s a window in the house that doesn’t get opened much and this anole took up residence between the window and the screen. Actually, three or four smaller ones live in there too. At night, they disappear up into the window frame. In the morning they come down and warm up in the sun. This big guy ventures out, coming and going in one corner of the window where the screen is loose.

It’s a green anole (officially called the Carolina anole) despite its brown coloration. Green anoles can turn brown, but brown anoles can’t turn green. Life is unfair.

And, yes, the window and screen look grimy. They have since been washed. The anoles weren’t best pleased, but quickly settled back into their routines once I was done.