Bees on a Tree Heliotrope

Bees explore the tiny flowers on a Tree Heliotrope at Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site in Kawaihae.

Bamboo Orchids

A Bamboo orchid in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Bamboo Orchids in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The view from below

Looking at the surface of the water from below in Hawaii

Recent swells stirred up the water so visibility in the water wasn’t great. Instead, I focused upward to where bubbles and debris floated on the surface, yielding some interesting images.

The Numbers Game #51

Smoke hangs in the sky off the Kohala Coast Hawaii — Smoke from a brush fire colors the sky over the North Kohala coast

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 172. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A Gold dust day gecko licks its eye — Got to keep those eyes clean!

A woman sitting on a red car in Hawaii — Got to keep those eyes clean!

A Yellow-fronted Canary perched on a twig in Hawaii — A Yellow-fronted Canary keeps watch.

An Emerald Cockroach Wasp in Hawaii — A Yellow-fronted Canary keeps watch.

Don’t bump your head

Sergeantfishes swim below floating debris in Hawaii

An assortment of sergeantfishes swim beneath floating debris, gathered by a series of big swells. Unlike the fish, I got to swim through the debris, which can sometimes include sizable chunks of wood.

Anole versus gecko

A Green Anole and a Gold Dust Day Gecko confront each other in a territorial display in Hawaii

I was alerted to an ongoing dispute between a Green Anole and Gold Dust Day Gecko outside the kitchen window. By the time I got there, the two were had moved away, but were still squabbling. I grabbed my camera, thinking that by the time I got outside, the fracas would be over, but that wasn’t the case. The two were still going at it.

When it comes to territorial disputes, an anole puffs out its dewlap. If that doesn’t work it will act aggressively towards the intruder. A gecko leans over to one side to make itself look bigger and pokes out its tongue. These two went through the full repertoire, with the anole making a few mouth-open lunges.

In the end, the anole wandered off to the end of the overhang and the gecko headed back the way it came from. It wasn’t clear whether there was a winner or loser in the exchange but neither was hurt, which is not unusual in these encounters.

Working at the port

A Black-crowned Night Heron hunts for fish in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii

This Black-crowned Night Heron was fishing not far from the wharf at Kawaihae Harbor. I’m always impressed by how wildlife is able to coexist with human industries.

Bougainvillea in the lava

A pink Bougainvillea grows in the lava on the South Kohala coast in Hawaii

The Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway, along the Kohala coast, passes through dry, barren lava fields. But even there, some plants are able to get a foothold. There are several Bougainvillea bushes along the road, including this one that was in full bloom as I headed home one late afternoon.

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii