A goat scrambles over the lava alongside the Pu’u O’o trail. Here, it’s probably transiting between kipukas, where there’s a good deal of forage growing, but goats seem to do fine in even the most inhospitable places on the island.
Tag Archives: Saddle Road
Silhouetted trees
A stand of trees, off Old Saddle Road, is silhouetted by early morning sunlight.
Mare and foal
This mare and her foal were among several horses in a pasture alongside Old Saddle Road.
Hawai‘i ‘amakihi
‘Amakihi are endemic honeycreepers and the different islands have slightly different versions of the bird. The Hawai‘i ‘amakihi is very similar to the Maui ‘amakihi, but the O‘ahu and Kaua‘i birds have more noticeable differences. They’re one native bird that has adapted relatively well to changing habitat and introduced diseases including avian malaria.
This one was feeding from bright yellow māmane flowers at the Palila Forest Discovery Trail on the southwest slope of Mauna Kea.
Kalij pheasant
I saw this male Kalij pheasant, with two others, alongside the Powerline Trail, off Saddle Road. I hadn’t noticed them while walking through the trees on the dead-straight trail, but I became aware of a slight but steady clucking sound and stopped to locate it. The birds were picking their way through some dense undergrowth and seemed not the least bit bothered by my presence. Perhaps they were aware it wasn’t one of the days when archery hunting is permitted.
For more information about the Powerline Trail, go to bigislandhikes.com/puu-oo-trail/.
Emesine lava tube
One of the things to look out for on the Powerline Trail, off of Saddle Road, is Emesine lava tube. There’s a sign right next to the trail, though it could be missed if you happened to be looking the other way while walking that stretch. Bear in mind that if you want to explore the lave tube, the sign indicates that you should first get a permit from the State Department of Land and Natural Resources (Division of Forestry and Wildlife).
These photos are from the entrance of the eastern part of the tube, which is the most accessible. The ceiling here is about 4 feet so it’s not for the claustrophobic. Not sure whether it opens up further along, but be sure to take plenty of good lights.
For more information about Emesine lava tube, go to darkerview.com/wordpress/?p=3781.
For more information about the Powerline Trail, go to bigislandhikes.com/puu-oo-trail/.
Powerline trail
The Powerline Trail heads south off of Saddle Road around the 22 mile marker. This trail used to be, as the name suggests, where power lines ran, but only the stumps of poles remain. It’s a very straight trail, which used to run all the way to Kilauea until lava flows disrupted it.
This trail is about 3.5 miles long to the point where it meets the Pu’u O’o trail. The southern part of the trail is dotted with kipukas and is shady and alive with birds. However, the northern two miles or so are exposed as the photo shows. The main feature of interest in this stretch is the Emesine Lava Tube about which, more tomorrow.
For more information about this, and other hikes on the Big Island, go to bigislandhikes.com.
I’iwi
The I’iwi (vestiaria coccinea) is a native Hawaiian honeycreeper, which is still quite common on the Big Island, as well as on Kaua’i and Maui. I saw several while hiking the Pu’u O’o Trail, off of Saddle Road. The fact that they’re bright red and they have a quite distinctive call makes spotting them a bit easier for a non-birder like me.
For more information about the Pu’u O’o Trail, go to bigislandhikes.com/puu-oo-trail/.
Graham's Island 