Tag Archives: Cardinals

Winging it

A Great Frigatebird flies off the Kohala coast in Hawaii
A Great Frigatebird glides over the ocean off the Kohala coast.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Wings.’ See more responses here. Let’s start with the birds.

A Northern Cardinal Juvenile launches off a branch in Hawaii
A Northern Cardinal juvenile coming to get me!
A Hawaiian Nene spreads its wings
A Nene displays an impressive wingspan.
A pair of Hawaiian Noddys approach their roost at Whittington Park in Hawaii
A pair of Hawaiian Noddies head to their roost at Whittington Park.

There are many winged insects too.

A Roseate Skimmer Dragonfly perches on a stalk in Hawaii
The delicate wings of a Roseate Skimmer Dragonfly.
Two Passion Vine Butterflies flying in Hawaii
A pair of Passion Vine Butterflies flit about.

You can also find wings in the water

Three eagle rays swim in the ocean off Hawaii
A trio of Eagle Rays cruise through coastal waters.
A coastal manta ray swims in the ocean off Hawaii
A Manta Ray glides over the sea floor.

And there are other wings too.

A pair of metal wings on the ground in Hawaii
A broach of emblem found lying in the grass.
A UPS plane flies overhead in Hawaii
A UPS plane heads for Honolulu early one morning.

I’m red, white and blue for you

A sign on a business in Kailua Kona Hawaii
The sign above the ABC Supply Company building in Kailua Kona. These letters always make me think of Elvis Costello’s song, Brilliant Mistake, which includes the lyrics: ‘She said that she was working for the ABC News. It was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use.’

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Red, White, & Blue.’ See more responses here.

Here’s my selection this week with captions on the photos.

A Ring-necked pheasant in Hawaii
A Ring-necked Pheasant.
A Yellow-billed cardinal in Hawaii
A Yellow-billed Cardinal ready to take a dip.
A Hawaii Life Flight helicopter at Upolu Airport, Hawaii
Hawaii Life Flight helicopter training at Upolu Airport.
An inflatable snowman outside a store in Hawaii
It’s not too early, is it?
St Augustines Episcopal Church in Kapaau, Hawaii
St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Kapaau
Canoe paddlers practice in the waters off Hawaii
Canoe paddlers out on the blue Pacific.

Well red

A red windsock at Upolu in Hawaii
The windsock at Upolu Airport with Maui in the background.

This month’s Sunday Stills Color Challenge is ‘Red.’ See more responses here. A variety of subjects for this one!

A red pencil sea urchin in Hawaii
A Red Pencil Urchin in the shallows off Kohala.
A portrait of a chicken in Hawaii
The red crest of one of the many chickens roaming free around here.
A Northern Cardinal in Hawaii
A Northern Cardinal in a tree near the South Kona coast.
A red children's slide in Hawaii
A slide at a kid’s playground in Waimea.
A red buoy on a beach in Hawaii
A large buoy on the beach at Kawaihae Harbor with an inter-island barge arriving in the background.

The eyes have it

A Yellow-billed Cardinal is fascinated by his reflection in a car window
Who’s that?
A Yellow-billed Cardinal is fascinated by his reflection in a car window
Better check this out.
A Yellow-billed Cardinal is fascinated by his reflection in a car window
Incoming!
A Yellow-billed Cardinal is fascinated by his reflection in a car window
Well hello there handsome.

Recently, for some reason, a couple of yellow-billed cardinals have taken a liking to my car. I thought they were attracted to their reflections in the mirrors, though I later realized it was their reflections in the windows that they noticed more.

The downside of their activities was the all bird poop I had to clean off the side of the cart. So I decided I needed a deterrent. It seems to work. At least I haven’t seen them since!

A photo of an owl in a car wing mirror

Red-crested cardinal

My bird book says that the red-crested cardinal is present on all Hawaii’s islands except the Big Island. That’s no longer the case, as these photos attest.

Adults are similar in appearance, but juveniles, such as the bird in the lower photo, have a brown head and a darker bill. A native of South America, it was introduced to Hawaii in the 1930s.

All kinds of backyard birds

  • A gray francolin contemplates a mango.
    A gray francolin contemplates a mango.
  • A male northern cardinal looking quizzical.
    A male northern cardinal looking quizzical.
  • A Japanese white-eye check calls out.
    This Japanese white-eye chick was one of two the ended up on the lawn when their nest fell out of a mango tree.
  • A rooster rests in a hedge.
    The spot in the hedge where Hoppy the rooster slept before his disappearance.
  • A pair of saffron finch juveniles forage in the grass.
    A pair of saffron finch juveniles forage in the grass.
  • A red-billed leiothrix calls out.
    Red-billed leiothrixes sweep through in flocks and are more often heard than seen.
  • A nutmeg mannikin feeds on cane grass seeds.
    A nutmeg mannikin feeds on cane grass seeds.
  • A yellow-billed cardinal keeps a wary eye out.
    A yellow-billed cardinal keeps a wary eye out.
  • Two zebra doves looking slightly affronted.
    Two zebra doves looking slightly affronted, possibly at having their picture taken.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Backyard Birding.’ See more responses here. Also posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Kind.’ See more responses here.

Almost all the birds I see in the backyard are fairly common, but no less interesting for that.